How to create new framing family types?

You can easily duplicate our default family libraries.

1. If you haven't loaded our default families into the project, go to Settings > Load Families

2. Check Main Families to load Structural Framing (studs, plates, tracks). You can also load Structural Connections (angles, bolts, holes, etc) by checking Sample Details.

3. Find the loaded families in the project browser (under Structural Framing or Structural Connections)

4. Select the family, duplicate and rename it accordingly.

METRIC family naming convention. E.g. C8941-10

• C - Profile shape

  • C - C-shaped

  • U - U-shaped

• 89 - Web width (mm)

• 41 - Flange depth (mm)

• 10 - Profile thickness

  • Expressed in cm without the 0. at the front.

  • E.g. 10 = 0.10cm or 1mm

IMPERIAL family naming convention. E.g. 600S162-43

• 600 - Web width (100th inch, e.g. 600 = 6")

• S - Product Code

  • S - Stud (C-shaped)

  • T - Track (U-shaped)

  • Z - Z purlin

• 162 - Flange depth (100th-inch, e.g. 162 = 1 5/8")

• 43 - mil (mils are not mm)

  • 1 mil = 0.001 inch

  • The lower the mil, the higher the gauge (Figure 9).

  • Each gauge has a colour (Figures 9 & 10)

1. After renaming, make sure to modify these type parameters accordingly: d, bf, tf, Lip, FM Mils, FM Gauge

d - web width

bf - flange depth

tf - profile thickness

Lip - lip of C-shaped profiles (doesn't apply to U-shaped tracks/studs)

Learn more in our tutorial about the families: