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578 | ChaptEr 14 Designing with the Family eDitor

Figure 14.3
switching between
family categories

Some categories are hardwired for specific behavior, and if you change from that category
to another, you can’t go back. For example, if you start a family in one of the baluster templates,
you can switch to another template. But after having done so, you cannot switch back to a
baluster family. Knowing what you want to create before you begin helps you minimize the
amount of switching you need to do later in the process.
You should become familiar with the following characteristics of the family category.

Scheduling
Remember, as you start a new component that the category you select ultimately controls how
the family component will schedule. As an example, you wouldn’t select the Furniture category
to develop a family that you want to schedule as a plumbing fixture. Most of the categories you
will use as you develop custom content will be self-explanatory; however, there may be some
building elements for which you may need to think about categorization. One example is a
vertical circulation component such as an elevator or escalator. You might select the Specialty
Equipment category, but that category does not allow the geometry to be cut in a plan or section
view. Perhaps you would use the Generic Models category instead, but you would need to
use other parameters to schedule these types of families separately from other generic model
families in your project.

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