Link Revit - FBX file empty

[bthatcher]

While linking 2016 Revit files into 3ds Max 2016 I get the error. "FBX File is empty. Do you want to link it anyway?" It is happening when the view contains a link to another Revit file. Even if it also contains elements in that model. The workflow worked fine in 2015. Linking the files from the original Revit model works fine. 

I'm delighted about this by the way. I'm really looking forawrd to re-doing all of my work again in 2015. Why dont you guys stop concering yourself with freggin "Orginoids" and just get the dam software working correctly. WTF!!

[bthatcher]

I tested linking a 2015 Revit file into 2016 Max with the same result. So the issue is with Max, not Revit. 

I appoligize for the above comment. 😕

[WilliamSutherland3562]

I have the same problem - pleased to see someone else reporting it.

I know other users also having problems with Linking Revit 2016 into 3dsMax 2016.

[bthatcher]

It's SUPER frustrating when an existing workflow breaks. I can see it it was a new feature, but this has been place several years. What situations cause it for you? I have a Revit model with 3 links. One of them will come through, the other 2 wont. I cant figure out for the life of me whats different about them.

[WilliamSutherland3562]

Yes, it's a complete pain and is taking up hours of time trying to figure out what is going on.

Not being able to go backwards once a project is upgraded in Revit means we are currently stuck with the Link to 3dsMax 2016 not working as it should.

I've seen 3 problem areas with Linking Revit projects into 3dsMax2016 so far:

- Wacom touch tablets - the Wacom driver or something seems to cause errors but older non-touch Wacoms seem OK

- Linking in Revit projects containing linked files doesn't come into 3dsMax2016 but produces the 'FBX file empty' error

- Linking in simple Revit 2015 or 2016 projects into 3dsMax2016, the model comes in but surfaces are like a mesh (see attached comparison of 3dsMaxDesign2015 and 3dsMax2016 with a Linked Revit 2015 simple project) and materials do not come across.

[bthatcher]

Great! I hadn't even gotten that far. Last year there was supposed to be an improved workflow. I don't know what that was exactly, but once I selected a rvt file through the regular import dialog and the list of views wasn't in alphabetical order. I may have as many as a hundred views. But the old workflow worked fine. But the year before, from 2013 to 2014 linking per category was completely botched. I think if brought them in per element ID or something. 

I'll look at the material/mesh problem you described, but this may not be an issue for me. Max is a stopping point, a very important stopping point. But as long as the material ID's and names are correct it'll work. 

And like I said, one of my linked files comes through, the others don't. I'll post an example later if someone wants to look at it. 

[bthatcher]

Here is the example where one linked file comes through to Max and one doesn't. 😕

Download

[WilliamSutherland3562]

Thanks - which is the one that won't come into 3dsMax 2016?

Pavilion was all meshed up when it was Linked into 3dsMax 2016 but Station file came in with the perimeter walls and roof looking OK but centre parts all meshed - i.e. with lines joining vertices on surfaces.

Best results I had were exporting as FBX from Revit 2016 - bringing that into 3dsMax 2016 seemed to work fine.

In fact Exporting from Revit 2016 as FBX and using Import->Link FBX into 3dsMax 2016 seems to work perfectly 🙂

[bthatcher]

Both of those Revit models are linked into the Master file. If you link the Master file into Max 2016 using one view, than the other, only the pavilion should come through. The station view will give you the empty FBX error. I cant speaf for the quality of the models, I typically have to do a lot of work to them. 

If I remember correctly, exporting an FBX from Revit creates separate meshes for each element. I typically link Revit models per material. I don't know that I could re-produce with an FBX export.

[WilliamSutherland3562]

Linking by material seems to work fine with FBX - the mesh of the objects looks as it should rather than all triangulated.

[Anonymous]

Similar issue here. Decided to test out the 2016 software for our office before adding to the rest of our computers. 

-I was able to link a .rvt from revit 2015 into 3dsmax 2016

-I was then able to procede with our typical workflow and reload the link a few times to get the changes, things seemed to be going very well.

- Suddenly I was no longer able to reload the link (no file name changes, location change, anythjign of that nature)

-Currenlty a reload now take in the range 0f 5-10 mintues and if it does complete, no views are present.

Not sure what is going on but I think we will wait this one out a few service packs since the latest upgrades are really nothing that would require an entire new release.

[jenni.oconnor]

Thanks for trying to narrow this down, it certainly helps. As was highlighted on the first post, the issue was escallated to our developers and we are taking a look. It looks like nested Revit models are only taking in the base model, is that correct?

For those that are seeing additional edges in the geometry, that wil lbe fixed in the next service pack. I'm also attaching a script you can run which will hide those edges.   

 - Jenni

[bthatcher]

Yes, nested links are an issue. But not all of them. I have one file that will come through, and another that wont. Email me and I'll send you the project. This is a big issue. I cannot use the 2016 products because of it. 

[Anonymous]

Has there been any feedback for possible solutions to this. I don't see any response form Autodesk and this is a huge problem that essentially negates the use of 3dsmax2016. Having the same issue with reloading a link of a Revit model.

[WilliamSutherland3562]

Yes, there was some response in another thread some weeks ago to the effect that they were working on it but I've not seen anything since apart from other users occasionally posting as you have done.

It's hard to understand how something that appeared to work so well in 2015 should fall apart in 2016.

Ha ha... I'm getting my posts confused... it was this thread that I am thinking of.

So, the answer is still, no.

[bthatcher]

I did end up emailing back and forth with a women at Autodesk who was involved in the testing and implementation of the new Revit to Max linking. Below is the relevant portion of her email. Apparently they re-worked the entire process eliminating the FBX step. She commented that the error message about the FBX was odd because new process doesn't involve converting to an FBX.

It is very frustrating, thankfully most companies I work with are 1 or 2 releases behind. They are on subscription but just don't bother updating their projects. 

"In our tests, eliminating the extra step of making an FBX gives is about an 8x+ speed increase, and also allows us to do a RVT file import that we couldn’t do before. Eliminating FBX gives us more control over the geometry that comes in.  We’ll need to make sure that there are no regressions in the speed, then. If you are importing a Revit 2015 (or earlier) file, then it needs to upgrade the database and that will take more time than a Revit 2015 to Max 2015.

A long term goal is to provide more optimized Revit geometry for real-time applications. Eliminating FBX in RVT imports is part of that.

The developers are working on the file link bug. If I can get you something to test out I’ll definitely send it along to you. File Link fails on those views, of course, but also fails the first time you refresh the link after opening a Max file with a link."

[Anonymous]

Jenni.oconner,

Please see my tech request Case 10910229 - FBX Exchange between Revit and 3ds Max 2016. There are multiple issues with the FBX format, Revit and Max, which hopefully your development team are resolving, but I will be glad to furnish any models you need, but this is a critical interruption in my modeling process and income.  These include scaling issues between Revit and Max, Normal and face creation issues, material assignments, and refresh.

Robert

[Anonymous]

Is there any update on a potential service pack to resolve the .rvt linking issues yet? Leaving 3dsmax2016 in an unusable state for any revit to 3dsmax workflow is a major issue that raises a bit of a concern on autodesks ability to support it's software. Months with no real communication from autodesk on progress is not good.

[kjetil]

I can confirm that the internal link in a revit file will cause the "FBX file empty" error.

I binded the linked file inside Revit and the file linked correctly into max using "combine by Revit materials" and "do not combine entities".

[russ.green]

This is a major screw up.  I used to be able to direct link Revit into Max Design and now can't. 

I can link a Revit model with links unloaded but as soon as I load the links in Revit and reload the model into max I get no geometry.

I can't even link an FBX generated from Revit into Max 2016.