… by using a very wild script from dp Stuff!

Comes with a disclaimer:
Warning! Make sure you don’t run this script on your central model – detach it from central first. Because once the views are gone – they are GONE! Don’t tell me that I didn’t warn you – use it at your own risk.
Download Revit IronPython Shell script
via
dp Stuff: Remove Working Views With Python Shell and Revit API

Have you created a heap of wall based families that you would like convert to face based?  Jarod Schultz provides a nice workaround for this.  Essentially, you Link and then Copy/Monitor the elements, then when you use the Edit Family button, Revit swaps them to Face based for you!

“Get into a 3D view so it is easier to see your linked file and the lighting fixture. We are now going to use the “Copy/Monitor -> Select Link” tool to “Copy” in the light fixture.”

Read the whole post at:
Jarod Schultz: Revit Wall/Face Based Family Trick | Jarod Schultz

EDIT

This workflow can be used to convert any hosted Family to a Workplane based or unhosted versions, as David describes here:

  1. Place an instance of the family you want to hack in the drawing area. You can insert multiple ones at the same time;
  2. Save the file and close it;
  3. Open a new Revit file from no template. This ensures it is completely empty and Revit will thus create this hacked copy when we do step #6;
  4. Link the previously saved model into this new file;
  5. Go to the Collaborate Tab>Copy/Monitor>Select Link and pick the linked file. Once in C/M mode, click Coordination Settings and make sure that the family types you want to hack are set to “Copy Type”;
  6. Click the Copy button and pick the families you want to hack;
  7. Finish and exit from this mode when you’re done.

Two great tips via The Building Coder today.  Firstly, the updated Revit SDK is available for download from here.  Here are some links:

Revit 2014 SDK (Update April 24, 2013) (exe – 217899Kb)
Revit 2013 SDK (Update April 11, 2012) (exe – 161112Kb)
Revit 2012 SDK (Update June 22, 2011) (exe – 151105Kb)

Secondly, did you realise that Revit 2014 comes with a tool to convert gbXML data into a dwfx file?    Look in your Revit program folder for a file called gbXML2dwfx.exe

In the image below, I show the basic process used to drive a Floor Area parameter into a manually added shared parameter.  Obviously, this scenario is not ideal – the data link isn’t dynamic, so we have essentially created a mini-silo (that’s what I’m going to call “in-software unlinked BIM”) right inside Revit.

In any case, here is how you can quickly do it with Whitefeet tools (start at 1 and follow the arrows):


I previously posted another workaround for this – using a filtered schedule:
Tag Floor Area in Revit workaround