Working with Building Components

Using a building component ADSK file, you can:

• View the component's bounding box at a coarse detail level. Connectors will still display in their correct locations in the coarse scale view.
• View the component’s detailed appearance at fine and medium detail levels.
• Change the component's graphic display by changing the detail level in the project. You can also modify the component’s visibility settings in the Family Editor to coarse, medium, or fine.
• View the component in a 3D, plan, elevation, or section view.
• Place connectors on the component using the Family Editor. See Connectors.
• Create new family types from the original component by adding new parameters or changing existing ones using the Family Editor.
• View or change the component's identity data.
• Use the component's reference planes or some of its geometry for dimensioning.
• Tag and schedule the component's parameters.
• Render the component.

Connect the component to existing duct, electrical, and plumbing systems, depending on the type of connector on the component. The connector behaves like a native Revit component, and its properties are supported if they are available in Revit.

Restrictions to using a building component ADSK file include the following:

• The geometry of the component cannot be changed in Revit. Changes to geometry can only be made in the application in which the building component was originally designed.
• Although the materials assigned in the mechanical application are not imported into Revit, you can assign a material in Revit that applies to the whole component.
• Currently, the workflow is only one-way from Inventor to Revit. Inventor cannot open ADSK files.