Skip to content

Cart

Your cart is empty

Revit Guide

How to Download and Use Archibite Revit Families

Archibite Revit families are designed to help you work more efficiently in your architectural projects. Whether you're adding entourage to a floor plan, enhancing a presentation, or developing detailed architectural drawings, our resources help you focus more on design and less on repetitive modelling.

Each product contains a collection of Revit family files suited to specific purposes. Follow this guide to download your files and learn how to use them in your project.

1. Download your files

After completing your purchase, Shopify's Digital Downloads system provides access to your downloadable files.

  1. Open the download link provided after your purchase or in your order confirmation email.

  2. Download the ZIP file to your computer.

  3. Locate the downloaded ZIP file in your Downloads folder.

  4. Extract or unzip the file to access the included Revit families and any accompanying documentation.

Tip: Keep your extracted files organised in a dedicated folder. This makes it easier to find and reuse your families across different projects.

2. Understand the included Revit families

Revit families are reusable components that can be inserted into your project. Depending on the product, they may represent objects, people, vegetation, or detailed graphic elements used in architectural documentation.

The exact contents and intended uses vary by product, so check the product description to understand what is included.

Entourage families

Entourage families are used to bring architectural drawings and visualisations to life by adding people, vegetation, vehicles, and other contextual elements.

Depending on the family, they can be used in:

  • Floor plans and site plans.

  • Elevations and sections.

  • Architectural presentations and visualisations.

  • Contextual studies that communicate scale and atmosphere.

Some entourage families are intended primarily for visual representation rather than detailed physical modelling.

Detail item families

Detail item families are primarily intended for two-dimensional architectural documentation. They help you communicate design intent clearly without requiring every graphic element to be modelled in 3D.

Typical uses include:

  • Enlarged construction details.

  • Wall, floor, and roof details.

  • Architectural annotations and diagrams.

  • Section details and other technical drawings.

Detail items are generally view-specific and are used to enhance the information shown in a drawing.

Other Revit family types

Some products may contain other kinds of Revit families, including model components or specialised architectural resources. Their behaviour and intended use depend on how each family has been created.

Always check the individual product description for details about the family type, intended application, and any software requirements.

3. Load families into Revit

Most downloadable Revit families are provided as .rfa files. These can generally be loaded into a project using Revit's Load Family function.

  1. Open your Revit project.

  2. Navigate to the Insert tab.

  3. Select Load Family.

  4. Browse to the folder where you extracted your downloaded files.

  5. Select the family you want to use and click Open.

  6. Once loaded, locate the family in the appropriate category or use the relevant placement tool to add it to your project.

The exact placement method depends on the family type. Some families are placed directly into a view, while others require a host, a particular work plane, or a specific placement method.

Tip: You usually only need to load a family once per project. After loading, you can place additional instances wherever needed.

4. Place and use your families

Different family types behave differently in Revit. Understanding these differences will help you get the best results.

For entourage: Select the appropriate component and place it in your model or view according to its family category and placement requirements. Check its orientation, scale, and visibility in your drawings.

For detail items: Open the relevant drafting view, detail view, section, or other supported view. Use the Detail Component tool or the appropriate placement command to insert the family.

For model components: Use the appropriate component placement workflow. Some families may need to be placed on a face, hosted by another element, or aligned to a reference plane.

Once placed, many families allow you to adjust instance properties, select different types, or modify available parameters. The options depend on how the family has been built.

5. Check visibility and graphics

If a family doesn't appear as expected, the issue may relate to view settings rather than the family itself.

Consider checking:

  • Visibility/Graphics: Confirm that the relevant category is visible in the view.

  • Detail level: Some families display differently at coarse, medium, or fine detail levels.

  • View scale: Graphic components may be designed for particular drawing scales.

  • View type: Detail items and model components behave differently depending on the view.

  • Family parameters: Some families offer controls for visibility, geometry, or graphic representation.

For entourage and presentation-focused resources, also check how the family looks in plan, elevation, and 3D views before using it in final documentation.

6. Troubleshooting

I can't open the downloaded ZIP file.

Make sure the download has completed successfully, then extract the archive using your computer's built-in utility or a ZIP extraction application.

I can't find the family after loading it.

The family may be available under a different category than expected. Check the appropriate component or detail placement tool, and confirm that the family loaded successfully.

The family won't place in my view.

Some families require a specific view, host, work plane, or placement method. Check the family category and try placing it in a suitable view.

The family appears differently in plan, section, or 3D.

Revit families can use different visibility settings and representations for different views and detail levels. Check the view settings and the family’s available parameters.

The family doesn't work in my version of Revit.

Revit families are not always backward-compatible between software versions. Check the product description for any stated version requirements before purchasing. If you experience a compatibility issue, contact us with your Revit version and order details.

I need help with a downloaded family.

Contact us at info@archibite.com and include your order number, Revit version, and a short description of the issue. Screenshots are also helpful when troubleshooting.

Need help?

We're here to help you get the most out of your Archibite resources.

If you have questions about downloading, loading, or using your Revit families, contact us at info@archibite.com.

Happy designing!