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🧹 Purge Unused in Families

Purge Unused in Families performs deep cleaning of unused assets within individual families, significantly reducing file size beyond what standard Revit purging can achieve.
Version 1.5 | Cleaners

Overview​

While Revit's built-in Purge Unused removes unused families and types from projects, it doesn't clean unused assets stored within individual families themselves. This tool addresses that limitation by opening each selected family, purging its internal unused content, and reloading it—resulting in file size reductions and cleaner project files.

Key Features​

Usage includes:

  • Deep Family Cleaning: Purges unused assets within individual families, not just unused families themselves.
  • Batch Processing: Handle multiple families simultaneously with progress tracking.
  • Warning Management: Option to dismiss non-critical warnings for uninterrupted processing.

Requirements​

Before using Purge Unused in Families, ensure your environment meets the following prerequisites:

 Autodesk Revit: From version 2020 to newest.
 NonicaTab: NonicaTab Pro.

Video​

Usage​

Understanding Standard vs. Deep Purging​

  1. Standard Revit Purging:
    • Navigate to Manage → Purge Unused
    • Removes unused families and types from project
    • May require multiple iterations (typically 3 runs) to reach zero
    • Does NOT clean unused assets within individual families
  2. Deep Family Purging (This Tool):
    • Cleans unused content stored within each family file
    • Significantly greater file size impact
    • Addresses assets standard purging cannot reach

Basic Family Purging Workflow​

  1. Navigate to NonicaTab Pro → Purge Unused in Families.
  2. Select Target Families: Choose families to process from the displayed list:
    • Range Selection: Click first family, hold Shift, click last family for bulk selection
    • Individual Selection: Click specific families to target particular elements
  3. Configure Processing Options: Set up purging parameters using the options below.

Processing Configuration​

  1. Warning Management:
    • Dismiss Non-Critical Warnings (Checked): Process continues without interruption for non-critical warnings
    • Show All Warnings (Unchecked): Process stops at every warning for manual review
  2. Progress Monitoring:
    • Real-Time Progress Bar: Shows current processing status and completion percentage
    • Family Counter: Displays number of families processed
    • Cancellation Option: Stop processing at any time if needed
  3. Execute: Click Purge to begin the deep cleaning process.

Complete Project Optimization​

  1. Pre-Purging Assessment: Note current project file size before processing.
  2. Run Standard Purge First: Complete standard Revit purging to remove unused families.
  3. Deep Family Purging:
    • Select all families in project for maximum impact
    • Enable "Dismiss Non-Critical Warnings" for unattended processing
    • Monitor progress and allow completion (expect 10-15 minutes for large projects)
  4. Finalize Reduction: Save project to apply file size reduction.
  5. Verify Results: Check new file size to confirm reduction.

Time Management and Optimization​

  1. Processing Duration:
    • Small projects (50 families): 2-5 minutes
    • Medium projects (100-200 families): 5-10 minutes
    • Large projects (250+ families): 10-15 minutes
  2. Workflow Planning:
    • Plan purging during breaks or end of work sessions
    • Consider processing in family category batches for better control
    • Always save project after completion to realize file size benefits

FAQ​

Standard Purge Unused removes unused families and types from your project, but doesn't clean unused assets stored within individual families. This tool goes deeper by opening each family, purging its internal unused content, then reloading it, achieving much greater file size reductions.

The tool opens each selected family individually, runs purge operations within that family, then reloads it into the project. For 250+ families, this process can take 10-15 minutes, but the file size reduction makes it worthwhile.

When checked, the process continues automatically through non-critical warnings. When unchecked, every warning stops the process for your review. For unattended processing, leave this checked unless you need to review specific warnings.

File size reductions vary by project, but 30-50% reductions are common if you use also the Purge Unusued option for the first time. In the example shown, a 150MB project was reduced to 83MB (almost 50% reduction) after processing the project and all families.

Yes, the progress bar includes a cancel option. You can stop processing at any time, and any families already processed will retain their purged state when you save the project.

Yes, you must save the project after purging completes to realize the file size reduction. The cleaning effects are applied when you save the file.