Can you edit a ʼSystem Familyʼ outside of the Revit project?

ByCADbrief Staff

Short Answer

No. In Autodesk Revit, you cannot edit a system family outside the project the way you edit a loadable family in the Edit Type workflow. The standard professional method is to modify its type or instance properties directly inside the revit project environment. A key limitation is that System Families cannot be saved out as standalone .rfa family files.

What You Need to Know Before

Warning: Many users assume walls, floors, roofs, and ceilings can be opened in the family editor like component families, but they cannot. A common failure is trying to standardize System Family types externally, then discovering the only reliable transfer method is through project templates, type duplication, or Transfer Project Standards.

How to…

  • Command: Transfer Project Standards

  • Shortcut: None

  • Quick Steps:

    1. Open the source Revit project that contains the System Family types you want, then open the target project.
    2. In the target file, go to the Manage tab > Settings panel > Transfer Project Standards.
    3. Select the relevant categories or type definitions, choose overwrite options as needed, and confirm to bring those System Family settings into the current project.

Variables & Settings

  • Key Setting: Overwrite / New Only option in Transfer Project Standards

  • Expert Setting: This controls whether existing type definitions in the target project are replaced or only missing ones are added. In production, use this carefully, because overwriting can change wall, floor, or roof definitions already assigned to model elements.

Why it Fails

  • Cause 1 (Geometry): System Family geometry is project-based and tied to host behaviors, compound structures, and category rules, so it is not editable as a standalone external family file.

  • Cause 2 (layers/Locks): Compound layers in walls, floors, and roofs may reference materials, functions, and thickness settings that do not match the destination project, causing unexpected results after transfer.

  • Cause 3 (Command/Logic): Users often try to use Family Editor logic, but System Families are not loadable families, so there is no external .rfa editing workflow for them.

Quick Fix & Best Practice

  • Quick Fix: Duplicate the System Family type inside the project using Type Properties > Duplicate, then edit structure, materials, and type parameters there.

  • Manager’s Verdict: For real project workflows, manage System Families through templates and Transfer Project Standards, not external family files. Use this method whenever you need consistency across multiple Revit projects.

FAQ

Can a revit wall type be exported as an RFA file?

No, wall types are System Families and cannot be exported as standalone .rfa files.

What is the best way to reuse System Family types in another project?

Use Transfer Project Standards or start from a controlled company template.

Can you edit a System Family in Family Editor?

No, System Families are edited only through project-based type and instance properties.

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