Adding Families - Autodesk Revit Architecture 2015 Essentials - page 136

Watch for Over-Modeling Families should contain only the geometry nec-
essary to document the component. That said, this level of modeling will be
slightly different depending on whether you want to create a photorealistic
rendering or a construction document. Excessive modeling such as fasteners,
switches, knobs, dials, and so on should be avoided.
Use appropriate repetition A Revit Architecture family should have a moder-
ate level of repetition built into it. The repetition should not be too complex (all
possible variations in one family) or too simple (a separate family for each varia-
tion). Reasonable content will offer a family for each set of common geometry
(for example, one model line of a light fixture) with types for subtle variations
(the various lamping and size options of that light fixture model).
Now You Know
Families in Revit make up the majority of your project geometry, and we have just scratched
the surface in terms of this potential. In this chapter, you've learned about the three categories
of families: system, component, and in-place families. You have exercised model hierarchy for
Object Styles, view visibility, and element overrides. And you have utilized different categories
and options for component families. We will expand on this family knowledge in the next
chapter.