Saturday, April 12, 2008

Download Free Revit Families-Components-Updated List

The majority of these websites provide free Revit Families-Components for download.

I've ranked them based on my current usage of them for my client Revit projects. There's a direct link to the download websites.

The list continues to grow as users, manufacturers and content distributors provide an enormous amount of free Revit families and component content.


Revit User/Community Web Sites

RevitCity - Revit Users Community - Revit Family Libraries


RevitCity has more than 40,000 registered users. Users have created more than 4000 free Revit families-components for download. User tutorials and technical forums provide additional daily resources for this global Revit community.


Pros: RevitCity provides a global vision to newcomers on how Revit users are "really" using Revit software for "real world" projects. Check out the Revit project galleries submitted by this global community of architects, engineers and designers.


Cons: Not all of the free Revit family downloads and/or technical solutions content have the same level of quality and usability. Not all RevitCity users have taken formal training. Therefore, not all submissions represent best practices for creating Revit content and/or for profitably-properly implementing Revit software within a BIM design process.



Free downloads of 3D casework component library in Revit Family (RVT), AutoCAD Blocks (DWG) and AutoCAD (DXF) file formats. Download this 32-page casework PDF catalog to view-reference the free 3D parametric Revit cabinet families.

100 Series = Base Cabinets without Drawers
200 Series = Base Cabinets with Drawers
300 Series = Wall Hung Cabinets
400 Series = Tall Storage Cabinets
500 Series = Tall Wardrobe Cabinets
600 Series = Library Cabinets

BIMWorld features BIMLibrary Revit Family Components for designers & architects looking for manufacturer-specific product content. It is available free-of-charge and approved to be technically accurate by their product partners. Your models and construction documents take on a new level of specificity without incurring the costs of content development.


Download predefined Revit wall families created by USG. The download "Revit walls" button is in the lower left corner of the web page. Wall families have embedded sound and fire ratings data in their parameters. The site features a "Design a Wall" wizard for creating and downloading custom wall, partition, chase, shaft or furred masonry wall systems.

VISA Lighting - Revit Lighting Families

Visa Lighting offers a comprehensive BIM product library (397MB download). Their BIM files contain meta-data to assist in energy, sustainability, and photometric calculations.

Autodesk Revit Content / Community Sites

Autodesk-Web Library - Download Free Revit Families-Components

This Autodesk server can be accessed to download hundreds of free predefined Revit families, Revit blocks and Revit components. This enormous library compliments the library that's installed from your Revit software installation DVD.

Revit MEP Extensions-ENGLISH

The Revit MEP Content Extension provides new content for Revit MEP users. Both Imperial and Metric versions of the content are available for download below, in ZIP format. After download, users can then uncompress the file to the desired content location.

Extensions4Revit: Revit Structure

Revit Extensions are a series of easy to use applications that extend the capabilities of Revit Structure 2008 in various key areas, including structural analysis and reinforced concrete drafting.

On January 15 2008, Autodesk completed the acquisition of Robobat who develops these Extensions. To find out more about this acquisition read the press release.

All Extensions for Revit Structure formerly developed by Robobat, both fee and free, are now available through the Autodesk Subscription Program.

Visit the Autodesk’s Subscription page under Services and Support to find out more about this service and becoming a member.

Revit Structure Subscription customers can login to the Subscription Center and download the Revit Extensions at no additional cost.

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Sunday, February 17, 2008

The Path to BIM for Small Firms: February 20th Autodesk Webcast:

On Wednesday, February 20, 2008 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PST, Autodesk is providing a webcast titled:

Building Information Modeling (BIM) Webcast: The Path to BIM for Small Firms

During the last 5-1/2 years, 85% of my Revit training and implementation projects; have been inside design firms with 5-10 design employees. Revit has afforded and empowered small design firms to do bigger, more specialized and profitable projects.

Here's an example (photo gallery) of a small East Coast design firm's residential project; that was designed in Revit and recognized by Architectural Digest.

Narofsky Architecture-Revit Project: Architectural Digest Recognition

Regardless of your business size, consider downloading this free, 62-page AIA Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) Guide which provides insight on the integration of a BIM design process into the IPD process.

The Path to BIM for Small Firms Webcast Registration Site

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Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Revit Architecture 2009 and GreenBuildingStudio Announcements

It's been a busy day in "Autodeskland"; the Revit Architecture 2009 new features announcement and the GreenBuildingStudio.com acquisition announcement.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

The 411 On Google's Free GOOG411

Google's free GOOG411 provides a lookup of telephone numbers from your phone.

Just dial 1-800-466-4411

Specify the city and state.

Specify the business name or category.

The system is voice recognition activated; I didn't need to speak to a live person.

Unlike other free lookup services; I didn't have to listen to a bunch of ads before I could use the system or get the connection I needed.

GOOG411 brought up the phone number and started dialing.

If I specify a broader name or category; it provides the top search item.

GOOG411 gives me the opportunity to pick a listing from its search by entering its number on the list.

Add it to your phone book or speed dial

Start cutting those expensive, time consuming 411 telephone number search services by the phone-cable companies for your business and your personal life.

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Saturday, January 12, 2008

Revit Protects Homebuilders' Design Services

A homebuilder-designer's biggest uncaptured pre-sales/design costs can come from prospects that expect them to design their house plans without a contract.

In that scenario, the homeowner may take those "free house plans" to a different homebuilder for pricing; naively thinking they're getting a better deal.

Here are a few suggestions I've given homebuilders to showcase the value of their design services. My homebuilder clients began using these in 1990; when the first 3D CAD floor planning software packages appeared in the market.

It protects the homebuilder's investment of design time while assisting the homeowner during the design qualification stage.

Its a win-win for the homeowner who obtains a valuable visualization tool to qualify both the builder and their new home floor plan design.

The most obvious, do NOT design or redesign client/prospect house plans for free. Provide the client with a design service fee structure that is independent of construction bid/fees. Provide a sliding fee structure as the client requests more detailed plans.

Provide homeowners with printed Revit 3D isometric/perspective floor plan views rather than the traditional 2D floor plans views. They are unscalable and non-duplicable for another builder to create construction drawings.
Revit 3D house plans provide homeowners with a dramatically better understanding of their design. 3D house plans subtly reflect a higher level of value on your organization when compared with other builders.

Revit's whole house 3D floor planning tools (walls, doors, windows, plumbing fixtures, dimensions, etc) expedite the creation of house floor plans. The entire house (all floors) is designed and coordinated in a single file.

Homebuilders' design services provide homeowners with a financially valuable service during the design process. Their construction expertise helps design a more valuable house for the homeowner that also meets their budget.

Related Articles

Our Home in Revit

Big Thanks to Our Contractor

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