Family

Description:
An element that represents a custom family (not a system family) in Autodesk Revit.

Remarks:
Custom families within the Revit API represented by three objects - Family, FamilySymbol and FamilyInstance. Each object plays a significant part in the structure of families. The Family element represents the entire family that consists of a collection of types, such as an 'I Beam'. You can think of that object as representing the entire family file. The Family object contains a number of FamilySymbol elements. The FamilySymbol object represents a specific set of family settings within that Family and represents what is known in the Revit user interface as a Type, such as 'W14x32'. The FamilyInstance object represents an actual instance of that type placed the Autodesk Revit project. For example the FamilyInstance would be a single instance of a W14x32 column within the project.

Inheritance Hierarchy:
System.Object
Autodesk.Revit.DB.Element
Autodesk.Revit.DB.Family

public class Family : Element

Public Class Family _
	Inherits Element

public ref class Family : public Element

public void GetInfoForSymbols(Family family)
{
    StringBuilder message = new StringBuilder("Selected element's family name is : " + family.Name);
    ISet<ElementId> familySymbolIds = family.GetFamilySymbolIds();

    if (familySymbolIds.Count == 0)
    {
        message.AppendLine("Contains no family symbols.");
    }
    else
    {
        message.AppendLine("The family symbols contained in this family are : ");

        // Get family symbols which is contained in this family
        foreach (ElementId id in familySymbolIds)
        {
            FamilySymbol familySymbol = family.Document.GetElement(id) as FamilySymbol;
            // Get family symbol name
            message.AppendLine("\nName: " + familySymbol.Name);
            foreach (ElementId materialId in familySymbol.GetMaterialIds(false))
            {
                Material material = familySymbol.Document.GetElement(materialId) as Material;
                message.AppendLine("\nMaterial : " + material.Name);
            }
        }
    }

    TaskDialog.Show("Revit",message.ToString());
}

Public Sub GetInfoForSymbols(family As Family)
    Dim message As New StringBuilder("Selected element's family name is : " & Convert.ToString(family.Name))
    Dim familySymbolIds As ISet(Of ElementId) = family.GetFamilySymbolIds()

    If familySymbolIds.Count = 0 Then
        message.AppendLine("Contains no family symbols.")
    Else
        message.AppendLine("The family symbols contained in this family are : ")

        ' Get family symbols which is contained in this family
        For Each id As ElementId In familySymbolIds
            Dim familySymbol As FamilySymbol = TryCast(family.Document.GetElement(id), FamilySymbol)
            ' Get family symbol name
            message.AppendLine(vbLf & "Name: " + familySymbol.Name)
            For Each materialId As ElementId In familySymbol.GetMaterialIds(False)
                Dim material As Material = TryCast(familySymbol.Document.GetElement(materialId), Material)
                message.AppendLine(vbLf & "Material : " + material.Name)
            Next
        Next
    End If

    TaskDialog.Show("Revit", message.ToString())
End Sub

Name	Return Type	Description	Inherited From
M CanHaveStructuralSection()	bool	Identifies if this Family can have a structural section.
M CanLoadFamilies(Document)	bool	Checks whether the document is in a state that allows the loading of families.
M ExtractPartAtom(String)	None	Writes a PartAtom XML from the contents of a family object.
M GetFamilySymbolIds()	ISet<ElementId>	Gets the ids of the FamilySymbols owned by this Family.
M GetFamilyTypeParameterValues(ElementId)	ElementType	Returns all applicable values for a FamilyType parameter of this family.
M HasLargeSketches()	bool	Checks whether the family contains sketches with a large number of elements.
M IsAppropriateCategoryId(ElementId)	bool	Identifies if the input category id can be assigned as the new category for this family.
M ArePhasesModifiable()	bool	Returns true if the properties CreatedPhaseId and DemolishedPhaseId can be modified for this Element.	Element
M CanBeHidden(View)	bool	Indicates if the element can be hidden in the view.	Element
M CanBeLocked()	bool	Identifies if the element can be locked.	Element
M CanDeleteSubelement(Subelement)	bool	Checks if given subelement can be removed from the element.	Element
M CanHaveAnalyticalModel()	bool	Indicates whether the Element can have an Analytical Model.	Element
M CanHaveTypeAssigned()	bool	Identifies if the element can have a type assigned.	Element
M CanHaveTypeAssigned(Document, ICollection<ElementId>)	bool	Checks if all elements in the set can have a type assigned.	Element
M ChangeTypeId(Document, ICollection<ElementId>, ElementId)	IDictionary	Changes the type of all elements in the given set.	Element
M ChangeTypeId(ElementId)	ElementId	Changes the type of the element.	Element
M DeleteEntity(Schema)	bool	Deletes the existing entity created by %schema% in the element	Element
M DeleteSubelement(Subelement)	bool	Removes a subelement from the element.	Element
M DeleteSubelements(IList<Subelement>)	bool	Removes the subelements from the element.	Element
M Dispose()	None	Releases all resources used by the	Element
M GetAnalyticalModelId()	Element Id.	Retrieves the Element Id of the Analytical Model Element for this Element.	Element
M GetAnalyticalModel()	Writeable Analytical Model.	Retrieves writeable Analytical Model for Element.	Element
M GetChangeTypeAny()	ChangeType	Returns ChangeType associated with any change in an element.	Element
M GetChangeTypeElementAddition()	ChangeType	Returns ChangeType associated with element addition	Element
M GetChangeTypeElementDeletion()	ChangeType	Returns ChangeType associated with element deletion.	Element
M GetChangeTypeGeometry()	ChangeType	Returns ChangeType associated with a change in the geometry of an element	Element
M GetChangeTypeParameter(ElementId)	ChangeType	Returns ChangeType associated with a change in a parameter's value	Element
M GetChangeTypeParameter(Parameter)	ChangeType	Returns ChangeType associated with a change in a parameter's value	Element
M GetDependentElements(ElementFilter)	IList<ElementId>	Get all elements that, from a logical point of view, are the children of this Element.	Element
M GetEntity(Schema)	The returned Entity.	Returns the existing entity corresponding to the Schema if it has been saved in the Element, or an invalid entity otherwise.	Element
M GetEntitySchemaGuids()	IList<Guid>	Returns the Schema guids of any Entities stored in this element.	Element
M GetExternalFileReference()	ExternalFileReference	Gets information pertaining to the external file referenced by the element.	Element
M GetExternalResourceReference(ExternalResourceType)	ExternalResourceReference	Gets the ExternalResourceReference associated with a specified external resource type.	Element
M GetExternalResourceReferences()	IDictionary	Gets the full map of the external resource references referenced by the element.	Element
M GetGeneratingElementIds(GeometryObject)	ICollection<ElementId>	Returns the ids of the element(s) that generated the input geometry object.	Element
M GetGeometryObjectFromReference(Reference)	GeometryObject	Retrieve one geometric primitive contained in the element given a reference.	Element
M GetMaterialArea(ElementId, Boolean)	double	Gets the area of the material with the given id.	Element
M GetMaterialIds(Boolean)	ICollection<ElementId>	Gets the element ids of all materials present in the element.	Element
M GetMaterialVolume(ElementId)	double	Gets the volume of the material with the given id.	Element
M GetMonitoredLinkElementIds()	IList<ElementId>	Provides the link instance IDs when the element is monitoring.	Element
M GetMonitoredLocalElementIds()	IList<ElementId>	Provides the local element IDs when the element is monitoring.	Element
M GetOrderedParameters()	IList<Parameter>	Gets the parameters associated to the element in order.	Element
M GetParameterFormatOptions(ElementId)	FormatOptions	Returns a FormatOptions override for the element Parameter, or a default FormatOptions if no override exists.	Element
M GetParameters(String)	IList<Parameter>	Retrieves the parameters from the element via the given name.	Element
M GetPhaseStatus(ElementId)	ElementOnPhaseStatus	Gets the status of a given element in the input phase	Element
M GetSubelements()	IList<Subelement>	Returns the collection of element subelements.	Element
M GetTypeId()	ElementId	Returns the identifier of this element's type.	Element
M GetValidTypes()	ICollection<ElementId>	Obtains a set of types that are valid for this element.	Element
M GetValidTypes(Document, ICollection<ElementId>)	ICollection<ElementId>	Obtains a set of types that are valid for all given elements.	Element
M HasPhases()	bool	Returns true if this Element has the properties CreatedPhaseId and DemolishedPhaseId.	Element
M IsExternalFileReference()	bool	Determines whether this Element represents an external file.	Element
M IsHidden(View)	bool	Identifies if the element has been permanently hidden in the view.	Element
M IsMonitoringLinkElement()	bool	Indicate whether an element is monitoring any elements in any linked models.	Element
M IsMonitoringLocalElement()	bool	Indicate whether an element is monitoring other local elements.	Element
M IsPhaseCreatedValid(ElementId)	bool	Returns true if createdPhaseId is an allowed value for the property CreatedPhaseId in this Element.	Element
M IsPhaseDemolishedValid(ElementId)	bool	Returns true if demolishedPhaseId is an allowed value for the property DemolishedPhaseId in this Element.	Element
M IsValidType(Document, ICollection<ElementId>, ElementId)	bool	Checks if given type is valid for the set of elements.	Element
M IsValidType(ElementId)	bool	Checks if given type is valid for this element.	Element
M LookupParameter(String)	nullNothingnullptr	Attempts to find a parameter on the element which has the given name.	Element
M RefersToExternalResourceReference(ExternalResourceType)	bool	Determines whether this Element uses external resources associated with a specified external resource type.	Element
M RefersToExternalResourceReferences()	bool	Determines whether this Element uses external resources.	Element
M SetEntity(Entity)	None	Stores the entity in the element. If an Entity described by the same Schema already exists, it is overwritten.	Element

Name	Return Type	Description	Inherited From
P CurtainPanelHorizontalSpacing	double	For Curtain Panel families, the horizontal spacing of the driving mesh.
P CurtainPanelTilePattern	TilePatternsBuiltIn	For Curtain Panel families, the choice of tile pattern.
P CurtainPanelVerticalSpacing	double	For Curtain Panel families, the vertical spacing of the driving mesh.
P FamilyCategoryId	ElementId	The id of the category or sub category in which the elements that this family could generate reside.
P FamilyCategory	Category	Retrieves or sets a Category object that represents the category or sub category in which the elements ( this family could generate ) reside.
P FamilyPlacementType	FamilyPlacementType	Identifies the type of placement required by a given family.
P IsConceptualMassFamily	bool	Whether the Family is a Conceptual Mass family.
P IsCurtainPanelFamily	bool	Whether the Family is a Curtain Panel family. Curtain Panel family symbols are used as the ObjectTypes of elements.
P IsEditable	bool	True if the family supports editing, false otherwise.
P IsInPlace	bool	True if the family is an in-place family, false if the family is a loadable family.
P IsOwnerFamily	bool	True if the family is the owner family for its own editable document, false otherwise.
P IsParametric	bool	Identifies whether the family contains parametric relations between some of its elements.
P IsUserCreated	bool	Determine whether the family has been defined by the user.
P ShowSpatialElementCalculationPoint	bool	For families that can have a calculation point for spatial elements, hide or show the calculation point. elements.
P StructuralCodeName	string	The family's structural code name.
P StructuralFamilyNameKey	string	The family's structural section shape name key.
P StructuralMaterialType	StructuralMaterialType	The family's structural material type.
P StructuralSectionShape	StructuralSectionShape	The family's structural section shape.
P AssemblyInstanceId	ElementId	The id of the assembly instance to which the element belongs.	Element
P BoundingBox	BoundingBoxXYZ	Retrieves a box that circumscribes all geometry of the element.	Element
P Category	Category	Retrieves a Category object that represents the category or sub category in which the element resides.	Element
P CreatedPhaseId	ElementId	Id of a Phase at which the Element was created.	Element
P DemolishedPhaseId	ElementId	Id of a Phase at which the Element was demolished.	Element
P DesignOption	DesignOption	Returns the design option to which the element belongs.	Element
P Document	Document	Returns the Document in which the Element resides.	Element
P Geometry	GeometryElement	Retrieves the geometric representation of the element.	Element
P GroupId	ElementId	The id of the group to which an element belongs.	Element
P Id	ElementId	A unique identifier for an Element in an Autodesk Revit project.	Element
P IsTransient	bool	Indicates whether an element is transient or permanent.	Element
P IsValidObject	bool	Specifies whether the .NET object represents a valid Revit entity.	Element
P LevelId	ElementId	The id of the level associated with the element.	Element
P Location	Location	This property is used to find the physical location of an element within a project.	Element
P Name	string	A human readable name for the Element.	Element
P OwnerViewId	ElementId	The id of the view that owns the element.	Element
P Parameter	Parameter	Retrieves a parameter from the element given a parameter id.	Element
P Parameter	Parameter	Retrieves a parameter from the element based on its definition.	Element
P Parameter	Parameter	Retrieves a parameter from the element given a GUID for a shared parameter.	Element
P ParametersMap	ParameterMap	Retrieves a map containing all of the parameters that are contained within the element.	Element
P Parameters	ParameterSet	Retrieves a set containing all of the parameters that are contained within the element.	Element
P Pinned	bool	Identifies if the element has been pinned to prevent changes.	Element
P UniqueId	string	A stable unique identifier for an element within the document.	Element
P VersionGuid	Guid	Get the element version Guid.	Element
P ViewSpecific	bool	Identifies if the element is owned by a view.	Element
P WorksetId	WorksetId	Get Id of the Workset which owns the element.	Element