Creating A Type Catalog - Autodesk 24000-000000-9860 - Revit Architecture - PC User Manual

Creating a Type Catalog

There are several ways to create a comma-delimited TXT file. You can type it in using a text editor like
®
Microsoft
You can export your project to a database using ODBC and download the element type tables in
comma-delimited format. See
As you create the type catalog, follow these rules:
Save the type catalog file name with a TXT extension; the file must have the same name and same
directory path as the Revit Architecture family, for example, Doors/door.rfa and Doors/door.txt.
The left-most column lists types.
The top-most row of the file is for parameter declaration. Format is columnname##type##unit.
Use decimals.
Parameter names are case sensitive.
You can use single or double quotes. If you are using double quotes, you need to enter "" for Revit
Architecture to understand it as double quotes.
Valid unit types are length, area, volume, angle, force, and linear force.
Valid units and suffixes:
For length: inches ("), feet ('), millimeters (mm), centimeters (cm), or meters (m).
For area: square_feet (SF), square_inches (in2), square_meters (m2), square_centimeters (cm2),
square_millimeters (mm2), acres, or hectares.
For volume: cubic_yards (CY), cubic_feet (CF), cubic_inches (in3), cubic_centimeters (cm3),
cubic_millimeters (mm3), liters (L), gallons (gal).
For angle: decimal_degrees (°), minutes ('), seconds (").
For force: newtons (N), decanewtons (daN), kilonewtons (kN), meganewtons (MN), kips (kip),
kilograms_force (kgf), tonnes_force (Tf), and pounds (P).
For linear force: newtons_per_meter (N/m), decanewtons_per_meter (dan/m), kilonewtons_per_meter
(kN/m), meganewtons_per_meter (MN/m), kips_per_foot (kip/ft), kilograms_force_per_meter (kgf/m),
tonnes_force_per_meter (Tf/m), pounds_per_foot (P/ft).
You can enter a value for parameters of type Family Type. To declare the Family Type parameter in the
parameter declaration, you would enter column-name##other##. The column name is the same as the
Family Type parameter name. In the type catalog file, enter values as Family Name : Family Type. Be sure
there are spaces before and after the colon (:). For example, for a family file called Chair-Executive.rfa
with a type called Leather, you would enter Chair-Executive : Leather. If the family file has only one type
that is the same name as the family, you do not need to include the Family Name.
Revit Architecture applies project unit settings to type catalogs when loading a family.
Example file:
,Manufacturer##other##,Length##length##centimeters,Width##length##centi
meters,Height##length##centimeters
MA36x30,Revit,36.5,2.75,30
MA40x24,Revit,40.5,3.25,24
Notepad, or you can use database or spreadsheet software to automate the process.
Exporting to ODBC on page 1287.
Creating a Type Catalog | 375