Family instance rotation not rotating around location

This should be a pretty simple task but it is not working as intended. I have a family which has its insertion point in the corner. It comes into Revit at the correct location and Dynamo reports its location correct. However, when I use the ‘FamilyInstance.SetRotation’ node it rotates it about the family’s centroid, not its insertion point. Is this correct? Is there another node that will do what I want?


Hi Paul,
Did you try “RotateFamily” custom node from archi-lab package?

Not yet I has hoping the OFTB node would work

Is it possible drop here your revit family? So that we can have closer look at it.

sure. it is just a box though.

Family1.rfa (272 KB)

Hi Paul,

I gave it a try and can’t seem to replicate the issue. You could try purging and reloading the family?

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Hi Dimitar

The node works fine IF you want the family to rotate around the centroid. But it doesn’t take into consideration the insertion point of the family which isn’t always the center.

You need to rebuild your family.
Try using this …

Family2.rfa (332 KB)

Vikram have you tried the solution? It fails as per my original comment as it doesn’t matter where the inserion point is defined in the family, Dynamo will always rotate it about its centre

This shows the problem. The location point shouldn’t move, even after the rotation.

Sorry, I’d attached the wrong file in the earlier post (replaced the file now).
Isn’t this what you’re looking for?

The family location is the intersection of the two main planes. The family you attached is centered on those planes and thus rotates around that point :confused: If you’d like to rotate it around the insertion point, you’ll need to use archi-lab’s node and provide a specific rotation axis.?

The OOTB node description also hints that the instance is rotated around its local Z axis

Vikram. Yes this is what I am after. How do you do this. My family seems correct and I have the exact same dynamo definition no? I’m on Dynamo 1.0.1.1576.

@Paul_Wintour make sure you placed the family. If you mirror the family then there is variation in locations:

Try using the family file I’ve provided above Family2.rfa

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I’m still on 2017 and can’t open. Could this be the difference?

The attached file too is in the same version.
Why don’t you upload your Revit and Dynamo files here.

Sorry I meant 2016. Yours is in 2017.

Rotate.dyn (6.5 KB)

Family1.rfa (272 KB)

Try this this will open in Revit 2016

Family2.rfa (280 KB)

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Yep that worked. So the rotation is always based upon the centre reference planes (front/back, left/right) regardless of the ‘defines origin’???

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