# Family name change with Excel

**URL:** <https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/family-name-change-with-excel/8184>\
**Category:** Developers\
**Created:** [December 12, 2016, 2:52pm UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/family-name-change-with-excel/8184 "2016-12-12T14:52:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Cesare\_Caoduro3](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.dynamobim.com/cesare_caoduro3/32/9974_2.png) [@Cesare\_Caoduro3](https://forum.dynamobim.com/u/Cesare_Caoduro3)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2016, 2:52pm UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/family-name-change-with-excel/8184/1 "2016-12-12T14:52:37Z")

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Dear all,  
I know this topic is already in the forum but for me is not working. I know well how to export names from Revit to Excel and to come back.  
I’ve tried to write some python line to change family name but the only name I’m able to change is the type name, my target is to change the family name.  
Can someone help me to achieve this (I think) simple task?  
Can someone answer me why I don’t have anymore the “FamilyIntance.Symbol” node in Dynamo 1.2?  
Thanks  
Cesare

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**Author:** ![Kulkul](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.dynamobim.com/kulkul/32/49801_2.png) [@Kulkul](https://forum.dynamobim.com/u/Kulkul)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2016, 4:27pm UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/family-name-change-with-excel/8184/2 "2016-12-12T16:27:56Z")

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Hi @Cesare_Caoduro3

FamilyInstance.Symbol was renamed to **FamilyInstance.Type**. It gets the family type of a family instance. You will need to connect the family type to FamilyType.Family, to get the family of a family type.

 ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/dynamobim/original/3X/4/c/4c657558cb39a61e79134de36a766fb9ab7f52a1.png)

And for changing family name use custom node from clockwork package called “Element.SetName”

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**Author:** ![Paolo\_Emilio\_Serra1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.dynamobim.com/paolo_emilio_serra1/32/12902_2.png) [@Paolo\_Emilio\_Serra1](https://forum.dynamobim.com/u/Paolo_Emilio_Serra1)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2016, 4:36pm UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/family-name-change-with-excel/8184/3 "2016-12-12T16:36:16Z")

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Ciao @Cesare_Caoduro3, in the API the Name of a Family is a read-only parameter, therefore you cannot rename it even though you can in the UI.  
You should open the family for editing, save the family with a new name, reload the family in the project document,replace each type of the old family with the correspondent types of the new one and finally delete the old family.

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**Author:** ![Cesare\_Caoduro3](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.dynamobim.com/cesare_caoduro3/32/9974_2.png) [@Cesare\_Caoduro3](https://forum.dynamobim.com/u/Cesare_Caoduro3)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 6:33am UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/family-name-change-with-excel/8184/4 "2016-12-13T06:33:11Z")

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Hi guys and thank for your suggestions…  
Finally is working 🙂

 ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/dynamobim/original/3X/9/3/93f35471186d033c07341ffe2cd6fbbbdaaecd28.jpg)

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**Author:** ![jigu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.dynamobim.com/jigu/32/17981_2.png) [@jigu](https://forum.dynamobim.com/u/jigu)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 3:20pm UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/family-name-change-with-excel/8184/5 "2017-03-06T15:20:20Z")

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Hi,

> [@Paolo\_Emilio\_Serra1](#):
>
> in the API the Name of a Family is a read-only parameter, therefore you cannot rename it even though you can in the UI.

Is this still the case?

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**Author:** ![jigu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.dynamobim.com/jigu/32/17981_2.png) [@jigu](https://forum.dynamobim.com/u/jigu)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/family-name-change-with-excel/8184/6 "2017-03-06T15:57:29Z")

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Thanks!

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**Author:** ![thierrygau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/54ee81/32.png) [@thierrygau](https://forum.dynamobim.com/u/thierrygau)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2018, 1:24pm UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/family-name-change-with-excel/8184/7 "2018-08-18T13:24:45Z")

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Can you share this script? Thanks so much