FamilyReloaderUI — User Guide

Overview

FamilyReloaderUI is a Revit add-in for batch reloading families. It lists all families in the open Revit document, searches a library directory for matching .rfa files, and lets you reload selected families — either updating existing types only or loading all types from the library files.

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Window Layout

The main window is divided into the following sections from top to bottom:

Section	Purpose
Header banner	Shows the application title and subtitle
Message banner	Displays status messages and validation errors
Families data grid	Lists all families in the open Revit document
Library path section	Specify and search the family library directory
Reload mode selector	Choose how types are handled during reload
Reload button	Execute the reload for all selected families

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Header Banner

The blue banner at the top shows:

• “Family Reloader” — application title.

• Reload families en-batch into your project or family — subtitle.

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Message Banner

A status bar directly below the header displays informational and error messages. Error messages remain until dismissed. Informational messages auto-dismiss after a short interval.

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Families Data Grid

The central grid lists every family loaded in the open Revit document.

Columns

Column	Type	Editable	Description
Reload	Boolean (checkbox)	Yes	Tick to include this family in the reload operation
Family Name	Text	No	Name of the family in the Revit document
Family Category	Text	No	Revit category the family belongs to (e.g., Doors, Windows)
IsShared	Boolean	No	Whether the family is a shared family
Match Status	Text	No	Result of the library search: SingleMatch, MultipleMatches, or NoMatch
Family Last Updated	Date/Time	No	Last modification date of the matching library file

Match Status Values

Status	Meaning
SingleMatch	Exactly one matching .rfa file was found in the library — this family can be reloaded
MultipleMatches	More than one matching file was found — the match is ambiguous and the family cannot be reloaded until resolved
NoMatch	No matching file was found in the library directory

Only families with a SingleMatch status should be ticked for reload. Families with other statuses cannot be reloaded reliably.

Selecting Families

The grid supports extended selection. The Reload checkbox is the only editable column — tick it on the rows you want to include in the batch reload.

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Library Path Section

This section specifies the directory to search for family files.

Control	Description
Library Path text box	Full path to the folder containing your .rfa library files. Type or paste a path, or use Browse
Incl Sub Directories checkbox	When ticked, the search includes all subdirectories of the library path
Browse button	Opens a folder picker dialog to select the library directory
Update button	Searches the library directory and updates the Match Status and Family Last Updated columns for all families. Enabled only when a valid library path is entered

Validation

Rule	Behaviour
Library path must not be empty	Error shown below the text box if blank
Library path must exist on disk	Error shown below the text box if the directory does not exist

While any validation error is present, the Reload Families button remains disabled.

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Reload Mode Selector

Two mutually exclusive radio buttons control how family types are handled during the reload.

Option	Behaviour
Import All Types On Reload	All types defined in the library .rfa file are loaded into the Revit document
Reload Existing Types Only	Only types that already exist in the document are updated; no new types are added

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Reload Families Button

The large Reload Families button at the bottom executes the batch reload for all ticked families.

• Enabled only when a valid library path is entered (no validation errors).

• Saves all settings and grid column configuration before closing the window.

• The calling Revit command processes the selected families after the window closes.

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Settings Persistence

The following settings are saved automatically between sessions:

Setting	Description
Library path	The last used library directory path
Include Sub Directories	The last state of the subdirectory checkbox
Reload mode	Whether Import All Types or Reload Existing Types was selected
Column configuration	Which columns are visible and their order

Settings are stored in %LocalAppData%\duHast\Reloader_settings.json.

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Typical Workflow

1. Launch FamilyReloaderUI from the Revit ribbon with a document open.

2. The families grid populates with all families in the document.

3. Enter the path to your family library in the Library Path field, or click Browse.

4. Optionally tick Incl Sub Directories to search subdirectories.

5. Click Update to search the library and populate the Match Status and Last Updated columns.

6. Review the grid. Tick Reload on families with a SingleMatch status that you want to reload.

7. Select a reload mode: Import All Types or Reload Existing Types Only.

8. Click Reload Families to execute the batch reload and close the window.