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SMART BROWSER
THE FASTEST WAY TO QUICKLY & EASILY
BROWSE AND FIND REVIT FAMILIES
Smart Browser
Smart Browser Free add-on makes it incredibly easy to locate
Revit® families in external Revit content libraries on designer's
computer or on company server.
Smart Browser Free is a family content browser that creates an independent
environment making Revit families from libraries easily and quickly accessible and
placing them into your project. Revit families are listed in a "Dynamic Tree View"
where they can be grouped by original folders, categories, insertion types or unit
systems.
Smart Browser Working with Families
• Find Revit® families stored externally on your computer or company server by family name, family type,
parameter name, or parameter value.
• Review Revit family types and parameters containing values prior to insertion.
• Find and Drag-and-Drop elements into the project.
• Review all Revit families in 2D and 3D views (using the Autodesk Design Review plug-in) before inserting them
into the project.
• Filter Revit families by original folders, categories, insertion types, or unit systems.
Project Family Browser: review Revit families that are inside your current project.
Smart Browser Frequently Asked Questions
• How to find Revit family files stored on your computer or company server in a fast and easy way?
• How to review searched family type, parameters and 2D / 3D views before loading the family into Revit project?
• How to quickly find Revit families by family name, family type, parameter name, or parameter value?
• How to filter Revit families by original folders, categories, insertion types, or unit systems?
SMART BROWSER
Configuration
Smart Browser Browser Options
Before working with Smart Family Browser you
need to configure the software by accessing
“Browser Options”.
Smart Browser Browser Options
Add new family folder from your computer or server – locate the folder with your Revit library files.
Start – creates an XML file which uploads families from the computer or server to the browser. During the new XML file creation the
extension opens every family from the library, reads all its information (types, parameter names, parameter values, category, host type, etc.)
and creates a picture (PNG) and 3D (DWFX) files (if selected in configuration).
Creating XML file can take a considerable amount of time ( .5 hours to 24 or 36 hours), which depends on the size of the library. It is
recommended to use a fast computer to create the initial XML file. You can batch process folders by selecting individual folders or sub-
folders and then adding more folders later.
Smart Browser Browser Options
Older file formats – the XML file generation opens every file, so this will cause Revit to convert old families to the current version of Revit as
the family is opened. This does take time. The XML creation process does not save the families, so they will remain in the older format. Prior
to the creation of the XML database it is recommended to use Revit update utility to batch process the updating of all families to the current
release.
Create 3D DWFX - select DWFX files if they are necessary in the browser for 3D viewing. Please note that this can significantly increase the
time it take to create the database.
Smart Browser Browser Options
Browser Data Storage Location – browse the folder where XML file and the library database will be stored. This can be placed onto a
network server for easy access by multiple users. Please use UNC pathing to point to the server and folder (i.e. //server1/revit/library). Make
sure that the UNC path can be resolved via IP ping. This may require modification of HOSTS file.
Select Existing – selects existing XML file if it was created before with previous Smart Browser versions.
Make Backup – makes backup file of current XML file.
Delete – deletes current XML file.
One XML file can have several
locations to different libraries.
Smart Browser Browser Options – when your library is on network
If your library is used by your whole company and it is located on a
server, you don’t need to create XML files for each computer.
You have to make the first XML file with a full path to your library through
the network. Please use UNC pathing to point to the server and folder
(i.e. //server1/revit/library).
Next, it is required to change the path on every computer to point to the
XML file on the network.
Smart Browser Browser Options
Family thumbnail and 3D DWFX file location – select
the folder where PNG and DWFX files will be stored.
These can be placed onto a network server for easy
access by multiple users.
Smart Browser Browser Options
Synchronize – updates the library if there were any changes made to the families. Running this will
cause all indexed Revit family files to be checked and re-indexed into the database if they have been
modified since the last synchronization.
Create 3D DWFX – makes DWFX files for 3D viewing if those are not created yet.
Delete Backups – during synchronization process deletes backup files.
Smart Browser will
automatically show if the
library was modified. Now
user can know when XML file
should be updated.
Smart Browser SubCategories’ Data Load Configuration
Default list of subcategories is created according to ANZRS (Australian and New
Zealand Revit Standards). It can be found and modified under SubCategories’
Data Load Configuration:
You can modify the file with subcategories and predefine not
only a subcategory name, but also line weight, line color and
material anytime.
SMART BROWSER
Family Browser
Smart Browser Smart Family Browser
Smart Family Browser – opens the external
predefined family browser.
Smart Family Browser works independently
from the Revit® project, therefore it is not
necessary to close the Smart Browser dialog
when the user works within his projects.
Smart Browser Smart Family Browser
Browser shows all family types, parameter names, parameter groups,
parameter values, formulas, parameter types and units when an element
is selected.
File Location – shows location of the selected family.
Open Folder – opens a folder where the selected family is stored.
Edit Family – activates editing mode for selected family.
Smart Browser Smart Family Browser
If parameter values are displayed in grey color, it means that those values are
type values and will affect all types in the project.
If parameter values are displayed in white color it means that those values are
instance values and will affect every instance family in the project.
If parameter names are displayed in blue color it means that those
parameters are shared and user will be able to use them in schedules and
tags if needed.
Smart Browser Smart Family Browser
Families are conveniently grouped together in a tree
where user can filter them by configurable criterions.
Criterions can be selected by opening “Browser
Organization” with the button at the top of the tree.
If “Category” and “Host Type” are selected, elements in
the tree can be expanded into and filtered by these
criteria.
Smart Browser Smart Family Browser
Search by - searches for families by family
name, family type, parameter name,
parameter value, Price or Version.
“Search by” works on selected
group in the family tree. If
“Search in all Catalogs” is ticked,
then the search will be made
through all families that are in the
browser database.
Smart Browser Smart Family Browser
With right-click you can change visual representation of families. If “Details” are
selected, you can see Revit version the family was saved in last time.
Smart Browser Smart Family Browser – Preview 3D DWFX
Preview 3D DWFX – Turns on a separate DWFX dialog and shows the
selected element.
Before using the browser Autodesk® Design Review software must be
installed.
User can use all Autodesk Design Review features: view, mark up, print,
measure in 2D and 3D drawings.
Smart Browser Smart Family Browser
To insert the element to the project, use
drag-and-drop functionality. Element will
be loaded by default with the first type.
Load Type – loads family with the
selected type only.
Load Family – loads the family with all
its types.
Smart Browser Project Family Browser
Project Family Browser – opens the browser with families from
current project. Convenient dialog allows you to filter/search elements
and using drag-and-drop put them to the model.
Filter by – filters elements by family name or type name.
Open Family – goes to selected family’s editing mode.
Browser works like external application, so you don’t need to close it.
Smart Browser Project Family Browser
Project Family Browser allows you to transfer families from one project
to another. Projects have to be open in one Revit. With drag-and-drop
you can select family from project 1 and place it to project 2.
SMART BROWSER
Create/Modify
Smart Browser Create SubCategory
Smart Browser Free has a feature to load
subcategories from the predefined file to your
Revit families.
You just have to open Revit family and click on
“Create Subcategory” .
Opened Revit
Furniture family →
Smart Browser Create SubCategory
Criterions, by which Family Categories are grouped, can be defined in
“Configure Grouping”.
Opened Revit
Furniture family →
Smart Browser Create SubCategory
When “Show All Categories” option is ticked, you can see all categories
grouped by configuration set in “Configure Grouping”.
When “Show All Categories” option is unticked, you see only the
category of opened family and grouped by configuration set in “Configure
Grouping”.
Opened Revit
Furniture family →
Smart Browser Create SubCategory
When Categories are grouped by desired
criterions, required SubCategories can be
selected.
Opened Revit
Furniture family →
Smart Browser Create SubCategory
Result:
Opened Revit
Furniture family →
Smart Browser Benefits
• Time Saving. Smart Browser Free reduces the amount of time spent searching through your families by 50% or
more allowing you to create more projects and earn more money in less time.
• Easy to Use. No special training necessary.
• There’s no money to invest. There are no fees for the Smart Browser license and no charges for upgrades,
etc., as the plug-in is created, endorsed and sponsored by AGA CAD Ltd.
AGA CAD, UAB
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