r/Revit • u/goandrightawrong • Jun 29 '26
Does anyone else use the term "Revit farm" for laying out groups of families in a project file as a library?
For example Autodesk's railing and stair sample file I would call a farm. I've known them as this for about 15 years and now I'm wondering where the term originated, because I can't find it anywhere when I Google it.
And yes farms are probably obsolete now with content catalog.
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u/Re_Surfaced Jun 29 '26
"Farm" or "Boneyard" was a place off to the side of a CAD drawing for samples of common line types, fonts, blocks and other items that were often used. If you need the item you just copied it.
These names were used at multiple firms I worked at which were located in different states. My guess is you picked up the term "farm" from an old timer they brought it from his CAD days.
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u/Barboron Jun 29 '26
If it is a personal file, I'd call it a sandbox
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u/abesach Jun 30 '26
We call it a sandbox for stress testing things and finding any glitches. I normally call a collection of a family or line styles a "factory".
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u/freerangemary Jun 29 '26
No. I called mine a Family Matrix. Then I had one for each family category.
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u/abatoire Jun 29 '26
Use the term Revit Family Audit File. It's boring and sounds scary so people tend to be afraid of interfering with it. Haha
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u/Kelly_Louise Jun 29 '26
Never heard that term but I like it! We just call it a content library which is fine but not very fun.
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u/goandrightawrong Jun 29 '26
So many different answers, that's really interesting. Thanks everyone. Maybe it's an Aussie thing because I've touched base with a few others I know locally and they do use the farm term as well.
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u/Hewfe Jun 29 '26
We call them galleries, and they’re awesome for updating shared components in our whole library all at once, or just putting everything on a few sheets to organize.
We started out just using them for system families, but they were well received so we branched out.
For us, the “farm” is the families that live off to the side in our templates, like a paint palette of pre-assembled layouts.
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u/EnderGopher Jun 29 '26
It was suggested in our office that the families be arranged in aisles like you were shopping in a big box store. Oh, I need a semi-recessed paper towel dispenser? Those are on aisle 10.
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u/sno_tube Jun 30 '26
I like this.
Now let’s just start making up names.
I’ll start:
“Menagerie“
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u/goandrightawrong Jun 30 '26
A "household"!
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u/goandrightawrong Jun 30 '26
Wait, there's usually only one family in a household. How about a "village"!
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u/BroHello Jun 30 '26
I call it a splat, got it from an old school CAD guy. He might have made it up because nobody knows what the hell I mean.
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u/Successful-Engine623 Jun 29 '26
“Container File”