How to find and load new doors or windows into Revit?
Short Answer
To find and load new doors or windows into Revit, use Load Family from the Insert tab or while a Door/Window tool is active. This is the most common professional method for adding manufacturer or library content into a project quickly. Limitation: only compatible revit family files (.rfa) will load correctly.
What You Need to Know Before
Warning: Many door and window families are face-based, wall-hosted, or version-specific, and they may fail if loaded into the wrong revit version or hosted on the wrong element type. A common issue is downloading a family that looks correct but cannot be placed because it requires a wall host or contains missing type catalogs.
How to Find and Load New Doors or Windows into Revit
Command: Load Family
Shortcut: None by default
Quick Steps:
- On the Ribbon > Architecture tab, click Door or Window, then in the Modify | Place Door/Window tab click Load Family.
- Browse to the Revit library or downloaded manufacturer folder, select the
.rfafile, and click Open. - In the Properties palette, choose the loaded Type Selector entry, then place it into a valid wall host in the model.
Variables & Settings
Key Setting: Type Catalog
If the family includes a type catalog, Revit will prompt you to choose only the sizes and types you want to load. This reduces project bloat and keeps the model lighter than loading every type in the family.
Why it Fails
- Cause 1 (Geometry): The family is not the right host type, such as a wall-hosted door being used where no valid wall is available.
- Cause 2 (layers/Locks): The target wall may be in a linked model, inside a non-editable workset, or controlled by design options that block placement.
- Cause 3 (Command/Logic): The family was created in a newer Revit version or depends on a type catalog or nested content that was not loaded properly.
Quick Fix & Best Practice
- Quick Fix: Start the Door or Window tool first, then click Load Family from the contextual Ribbon and place the family into a standard editable wall in the active model.
- Manager’s Verdict: Use vetted office library families or trusted manufacturer content, and avoid loading oversized libraries directly into production models unless you need specific types.
FAQ
Where are Revit doors and windows stored by default?
Usually in the Revit Content Library under Doors or Windows folders, depending on the installed content pack.
Can I load doors and windows from another revit project?
Yes, use Transfer Project Standards for types in some cases, but loading the original family file is cleaner.
Why does the loaded door not appear in the Type Selector?
The family may have failed to load, loaded under a different category, or requires a type catalog selection first.
.