I have an Excel equipment list with over 300 unique pieces that I need to convert to individual families.
Is it possible, using either Dynamo or Python to read the Excel file and automate the following:
Create unique new families using customized template file from data in Excel file
Files should be named from data in Excel file
Files should contain parameter data from Excel file.
(no geometry creation is required within new families)
should be easy to create such placeholder families
can you post the excel file with a few rows of data and a header?
Hi,
Here is a result.
Download the medmonds equip.txt file and rename it to medmonds equip.zip, and unzip.
What i did is edit the excel file to get rid of formatted cells and keep just the data (in the new Sheet2)
After that i edited the header in such a way that i could create parameters from it so i got rid of some special characters and empty cells that were there. The file is in Metric (i had to choose because i had no info on that)
There is an empty Shared Parameter file in the zip which you have to set first before you run the Dynamo file, otherwise it will add the parameters to your current Shared Parameter file. All parameters are Instance Parameters, again i had to make a choise.
To set the rest of the data to the families i need a projectfile with placed families in context.
Revit 2017.2
Dynamo 1.3.2
Marcel,
Thanks for getting me started!
Question:
Is it possible for Dynamo to create separate family (.rfa) files for each row of data in the excel file (instead of separate family types within one family)?
As the project progresses, we will be modeling geometry in each family and therefore need them to each be unique.
Thanks again.
Matt
something like open the family, save it, and copying it in explorer with a new name and loading it? 
Marcel,
Yes, I suppose that would work as long as the filenames match the names or identifying codes for each piece of equipment. Obviously I also need all the equipment parameter values to populate the parameter fields in each file.
For what its worth, we use Imperial units.
Instance parameters are fine!
The family type should be “Specialty Equipment”
Thanks again.
Well, if you don’t mind, i’m not gonna make the families. The parameters are all shared project parameters, so there is nothing that you have to do exept setting the parameters to the Speciality Equipment categorie too. Then create a family with the correct template and set the room calculating point, save it to disk and start copying in explorer. You know the rest…
Good luck
Marcel,
I didn’t expect anyone to actually write the script for me, rather to just tell me if its possible for Dynamo to handle the family file creation process. Based on what you generously provided, Dynamo isn’t doing any family-file-creation.
Sure, I can copy-paste-rename 300+ times manually in explorer, but if Dynamo can do it for me it becomes a valuable script.
Hi,
Did you ever resolve this?
Looking at a similar task.
Kind regards,
Hendrik
