Did you know that you can select multiple objects with similar properties using a Schedule?
You may say “well, I can just use ‘Select All Instances’…”
However, what if you want to select objects that are not exactly the same, but can be grouped similarly in a Schedule?
Its very simple.  Just set up the schedule with the Grouping you desire, then pick on the row of grouped objects you want to select.  Use right-click — ‘Show’.
Revit will select all the objects that were on that row of data.
Pretty cool huh?
Stairs and railings in Revit can be extremely frustrating.
In fact, I’m often annoyed that I can’t even model a Railing in-place, as the Railing category isn’t available for in-place families!
So, how do you make an unusual ‘custom’ railing connection work?
In 10 steps:
  1. Create a 3D view with section box around the connection you would like to resolve
  2. Export this 3D view to a DWG file.
  3. Create a new Generic Model family.
  4. Import the 3D DWG.
  5. Using the context you have now imported, model the rest of the baluster / railing connection.  I recommend that you use Reference Lines and then create Sweeps using ‘Pick Lines’.
  6. After you have modeled the custom 3D geometry in the Generic Model family, create a Baluster Post family.
  7. Load the Generic Model family into the Baluster Post family.
  8. Load the Baluster Post family into the Project.
  9. Apply your new custom Baluster Post to the Start / Corner / End post of the Railing you are trying to correct.
  10. In the Baluster Post family, rotate and move the Generic Model family around until it is in the right place and reload into the Project.
For a sample project showing one of these connections, open the following file:
For a sample Baluster Post family, download the following file:
I found this ‘section box’ technique in the book Mastering Revit Architecture 2011.