# Family Instances and Type Parameters

**URL:** <https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/family-instances-and-type-parameters/585>\
**Category:** Packages\
**Created:** [September 28, 2014, 1:16pm UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/family-instances-and-type-parameters/585 "2014-09-28T13:16:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Peter\_Kompolschek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@Peter\_Kompolschek](https://forum.dynamobim.com/u/Peter_Kompolschek)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 1:16pm UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/family-instances-and-type-parameters/585/1 "2014-09-28T13:16:39Z")

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I am trying to read a Type Parameter from a family instance.

I am far from success!

what i have so far:

elemsym = i.Symbol # that is the family instance

fmly = elemsym.Family # that is the family instance’s type

i was thinking that it is possible to access a family instance’s type parameter with:

fmlyparam = fmly.get\_Parameter(parametername)

the result is “null”

&nbsp;

any clue???

here my python code without includes:

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elist = IN[0]

parametername =str(IN[1])

elements = []  
out\_list=list()

#out\_list.append(parametername)

for i in range(0,len(elist)):  
elements.append(UnwrapElement(elist[i]))

for i in elements:  
elemsym = i.Symbol  
fmly = elemsym.Family  
fmlyist = elemsym.Family.Symbols

fmlyparam = fmly.get\_Parameter(parametername)  
#fmlyparam = fmly.Parameters  
out\_list.append(fmlyparam)  
#out\_list.append(elementIds)  
#out\_list.append(guid)  
#out\_list.append(elemsym)  
#out\_list.append(fmly)  
#out\_list.append(fmlyist)

OUT=out\_list

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dimitar\_Venkov](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.dynamobim.com/dimitar_venkov/32/2068_2.png) [@Dimitar\_Venkov](https://forum.dynamobim.com/u/Dimitar_Venkov)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 4:55am UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/family-instances-and-type-parameters/585/2 "2014-09-29T04:55:46Z")

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Hi Peter,

I started with your code and added a “AsValueString” method to the extracted parameter to get the value. Does the following work for you?:

[PyParam](http://dynamobim.org/wp-content/uploads/forum-assets/dimiter_vmail-bg/09/29/PyParam1.dyn)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Peter\_Kompolschek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@Peter\_Kompolschek](https://forum.dynamobim.com/u/Peter_Kompolschek)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 9:53am UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/family-instances-and-type-parameters/585/3 "2014-09-29T09:53:46Z")

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dimitar, no same as before. “null”

i think the call itself is wrong?!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dimitar\_Venkov](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.dynamobim.com/dimitar_venkov/32/2068_2.png) [@Dimitar\_Venkov](https://forum.dynamobim.com/u/Dimitar_Venkov)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 8:38pm UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/family-instances-and-type-parameters/585/4 "2014-09-29T20:38:01Z")

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That’s strange. It’s working as expected for me:

Maybe you should try re-installing your Iron python and/or Dynamo?

&nbsp;

![2014-09-30_100114](https://cdck-file-uploads-us1.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/flex022/uploads/dynamobim/original/1X/6770c1f030e4f61238418c50b3c4d18f6d06c60a.jpg)

![2014-09-30_100130](https://cdck-file-uploads-us1.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/flex022/uploads/dynamobim/original/1X/5089ee3bce00666147bbde88b6c384b94bf272c4.jpg)

&nbsp;

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Peter\_Kompolschek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@Peter\_Kompolschek](https://forum.dynamobim.com/u/Peter_Kompolschek)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2014, 2:39am UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/family-instances-and-type-parameters/585/5 "2014-09-30T02:39:18Z")

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dimitar, now your example is working!

i actually don t know why.

pertaining my code snippet:

i thought that i have to select the family in order to access the type parameters but actually it is the family symbol!

misinterpretation of the syntax.

thanks a lot.

peter

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