Import RVT but not RFA?

SketchUp Feature Requests
1

I’ve found the Revit import in Studio invaluable as we are getting more and more Revit files from architects and it works flawlessly. Could you please, please, please make it possible to import RFA files as well as the RVT files. A lot of manufacturers we use are publishing their models as RFA and we can’t bring them into Sketchup (as far as I know). We are trying to perfect our workflow through to LayOut and this is a headache. (The other is no pdf import to Layout on windows) Again, please add the RFA import . Thanks.

2

RFA is not a 3D model format. It is a set of instructions for Revit to build a parametric 3D object. That is why you need Revit to read it. The Live Component system would be the SketchUp equivalent.

3

Vectorworks can import .RFA files, so this can somehow be accomplished without Revit. An option windows opens when trying to import RFA into Vectorworks and would be great as I don’t want to buy Revit nor Vectorworks. Thanks.

4

Anssi is correct. The geometry is not saved in the RFA file format.

Quick questions:
Would you need to access and change the family type?
Would you need to access and edit the family parameters?
Could you share RFAs you use with us?

Jacques

5

Hello! Thanks for the reply. A lot of the lighting mfgs we deal with are issuing BIM drawings as .Rfa files now. For example at this link RFA File. And here is another one just today that is supplied in RFA format that I would need… LINK

I would not need anything changed. My colleague who has Vectorworks was able to import the rfa file with default options, then save it as a .rvt file and then I was able to import it into sketchup and it looked fine. My hope was to just be able to do this directly in Sketchup as it is done in Vectorworks as I would rather stay in our Sketchup to Layout workflow. Thank you!

6

Hi,
I’m just circling back to see if there is any more comment on this. Again, as a lighting designer, I’m finding more and more manufacturers providing .RFA files rather than .RVT files. Here is one that I came across today: https://www.luxxbox.com/
To answer Jacques questions directly.

  1. I wouldn’t need to access or change the family type. Most of these that I’m seeing from mfgs the various options on the lighting fixtures are downloaded as separate RFA files. For example, a 1m long fixture is one file and a 2M long fixture is another.
  2. No, see answer to question 1.
  3. The specific files I’d like to import into sketchup I came across today are here: Dasch Acoustic Light | Luxxbox | Sleek, simple, stylish

I don’t pretend to know technicalities of file types, so I guess my question is if geometry is not saved in RFA files, how are programs like Vectorworks able to import those and save them out to RVT without the use of Revit, but Sketchup is not? I’m not using the renderer combined with Sketchup Studio so I feel like I’m paying a premium to be able to import Revit files and I feel that bringing in RFA files should at minimum worthy for the Sketchup team to investigate as a feature.

Thanks, Aaron