Revit MEP Forum
Welcome to Autodesk’s Revit MEP Forums. Share your knowledge, ask questions, and explore popular Revit MEP topics.
cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Problems Opening Revit MEP with Linking Files

8 REPLIES 8
Reply
Message 1 of 9
Drafter1981
2983 Views, 8 Replies

Problems Opening Revit MEP with Linking Files

To All Parties involved with the  "Linking Revit Files"

 

I seem to be having problem Opening  Revit Files to Print, or to Save as AutoCAD Files.

 

To clarify what seems to be a problem with using, or getting Revit files, please refer to the attachment.

I took screen shots of the process that we have been told to do, or use. If anyone has any questions or if anyone is able to clarify what may be wrong or clarify what may need to be "tweaked" with the following process please let us know.

 

This is also related to my other post from my office:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Autodesk-Revit-MEP/How-To-Re-Establish-a-Model-Standard/td-p/3597240

 

Again, if anyone has information that can help it would be appreciated.

Thanks again,

Milt Fitzgerald (a.k.a. Drafter1981)
Fitz’ Digital Cad Service L.L.C. (Consulting Business)
https://sites.google.com/site/fitzdigitalcadservice/
8 REPLIES 8
Message 2 of 9
CoreyDaun
in reply to: Drafter1981

The "Nested Links Invisible" message states "The following nested links will not appear because their Reference Type is set to Overlay in the file...". The default Reference Type for a Link is Overlay, which mean that the Link will appear only in THIS Project, and will NOT appear in any subsequent Project in which this one is linked. This is more of an informative message rather than an error.

 

First off, I' shall state that our situation is that the Architect sends us a copy of their updated model, and that we are not directly linking their actual working model in.

 

At first, we opened the Linked file and changed the Reference Type to Attachment, but quickly learned that you have no real control over the visibility of the Nested Links. This method was immediately abandoned.

 

Our current method is to make a separate copy of the Linked File with the suffix "PURGED", in which we delete all sheets, remove all "Overlay" links, purge unused, and eliminate all Legends, Detail Views, etc. This drastically reduces the file size. Any of those removed links from the architect's file are linked into our model separately, following the same 'purge' procedure.

Corey D.                                                                                                                  ADSK_Logo_EE_2013.png    AutoCAD 2014 User  Revit 2014 User
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
⁞|⁞ Please use Mark Solutions!.Accept as Solution and Give Kudos!Give Kudos as appropriate to further enhance these forums. Thank you!
Message 3 of 9
Milt-Fitz
in reply to: CoreyDaun

Corey,

Thanks for your info.Insert emoticon...I still think, or believe purging is only part of the problem here.

As a sub on the project we should be given All the information we need in order to place our portion of the equipment on the job, or project and so that the BIM coordinator is able to run their collision checks. With items missing that could lead to a potential problem (like under estimating the price of the project).

Also, from a graphic designers point of view, if something is missing, or moved, and we do not have an updated file to work with, our "Static" image of the graphic will be wrong.

 

Purging will help as far as removing duplicate items, such as grid lines, or markings, notes, or even schedules that may have been copied, or duplicated from the Architectural, Structural, or the other MEP sub contractors.

Again, I could be wrong here but, shouldn't this be a standard, or shouldn't this have been completed by the BIM coordinator before releasing, or handing off to the consultants or sub contractors?

I mean, I REALLY just want to do my job here and it seems as if the process to do the work is being held back by a lack of information, or procedures.

 

Milt Fitzgerald (a.k.a. Drafter1981)
Siemens Industries (Full-Time Office Position)
Fitz’ Digital Cad Service L.L.C. (Consulting Business)
https://sites.google.com/site/fitzdigitalcadservice/
Message 4 of 9
thombrady
in reply to: Drafter1981

Milton

 I feel your pain. I to am a subcontractor (Mechanical) & originally was getting files purged with sheets & any useless info removed. However that was before, it seems that Construction Managers in there ever devious way to put more work onto the subs do not do this anymore. I have to do this which only takes a half day or so but is very valuable time.

 

Message 5 of 9
CoreyDaun
in reply to: Milt-Fitz

I don't think I can help much with the crashing, but I would attach the journal file for one of the incidents in which Revit crashed. If one of the Autodeskers happens this way, he'll most likely ask you to do so.

Corey D.                                                                                                                  ADSK_Logo_EE_2013.png    AutoCAD 2014 User  Revit 2014 User
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
⁞|⁞ Please use Mark Solutions!.Accept as Solution and Give Kudos!Give Kudos as appropriate to further enhance these forums. Thank you!
Message 6 of 9

Instead of re-linking have you tried "reload from..."? I think creating new links of the exiting links may cause the crashing as well as changing them to attachments.

Overlaying links that intertwine between models is common place and doesn't normally cause a problem. As Corey states, attaching links so that they become second tier links is not a good path to go down as you loose visibility control on any nested links.

The "errors" you are getting are not errors but are normal warnings and should have no bearing on what you are trying to do.

As for the Coordination review warning - some elements in the one of the files (probably the Master MEP Central File) has some copy monitored elements that may have moved or been renamed - check that by expanding the warning to fin out or select the links and check the coordination review button that appears on the contextual tab.

If my reply answers your query, please use the Accept as Solution.
Please give Kudos as appropriate to enhance the value of these forums.

Thank you!
Message 7 of 9
Milt-Fitz
in reply to: Drafter1981

To All,

I just received the "DWG" files from one of the other consultants on the project so this may be all for naught however, I still would like to know if there is a better way to work with Revit files.

Thanks.

Milt Fitzgerald (a.k.a. Drafter1981)
Siemens Industries (Full-Time Office Position)
Fitz’ Digital Cad Service L.L.C. (Consulting Business)
https://sites.google.com/site/fitzdigitalcadservice/
Message 8 of 9
r.robert.bell
in reply to: Milt-Fitz

Milt,

 

It seems that you don't understand overlay links vs. attached links.

 

Overlaid links are only loaded in their host model. When you link (either by overlay or attach) the architect's model into your model, all the overlay links in the architect's model are not loaded into your model. This is by design. Just like overlaid XRefs in AutoCAD, overlay links are only loaded in the host model. So the "warning" dialogs are just needless information to you. Those dialogs are telling you that all those models in the architect's model are not being loaded into your model because they are just overlay links in the architect's model. (To the Revit programmers I say, "Duh!")

 

It's a stupid informational dialog in Revit because we have used overlaid XRefs for years in AutoCAD and somehow we could understand that overlaid XRefs wouldn't appear beyond the host without such a "informational" dialog.

 

Overlaid links should normally be used in collaborative projects because they make coordination possible by avoiding circular references, e.g. the MEP attach links Arch whick attach links MEP which attach links Arch which attach links MEP...

 

The upshot is that you need to overlay link the architect's model and overlay link all the other models required for the BIM.

 

On a second note: "purging" a model by deleting unneeded sheets, views, exploding groups, and purging does not harm that model. All the elements that form the BIM are still there. You are just removing unneeded "displays" of the data in the BIM. Remember, a Revit project is truly a database at heart. So you are deleting "reports" of data but not the actual data itself. The only way you would harm the actual model would be by selecting specific elements on a view and deleting those elements.

R. Robert Bell
BIM Manager
Stantec
Message 9 of 9
Milt-Fitz
in reply to: Drafter1981

@ Bobbell8067, and again anyone else that can shed some light on the subject,

I think I pretty much understand the process behind the linking, and using "Overlays vs. Attachments".

And like Bobbell8067, and some of the other members have said, working with linked files "IS" basically like the old XREF's that we use to work with in AutoCAD.

 

The problem that I'm running into here is that I CAN NOT go beyond loading, and relinking the additional files to create a composite model.

 

If I delete the links, I am most certainly going to be missing information that is important to the project.

If I add the links, as soon as I go to a view (any view) the project "CRASHES". In fact the message I have been sending to Autodesk is this:

 

Opened a file, "Re-Linked" through the Managed Links Dialog Box file to the new central model, and switched from Floor level-100 to Floor level-200.

The program then "Crashed" saying it had a "Serious Fatal Error"

 

Again, just like I've said to the customer, how do you expect anyone to work with these files if they can't even be viewed.

I just want "place" the correct parts, or device in the model to check for potential hits, and even if I had a plain 3D AutoCAD plan that would help. Right now, I was able to get "2D" Acad's so that's a start, but we all know that's not the best thing to use when working with a BIM model. I might as well just print out blue-prints, mark them up, and wait for the building to go up, before correcting equipment locations....

Milt Fitzgerald (a.k.a. Drafter1981)
Siemens Industries (Full-Time Office Position)
Fitz’ Digital Cad Service L.L.C. (Consulting Business)
https://sites.google.com/site/fitzdigitalcadservice/

Can't find what you're looking for? Ask the community or share your knowledge.

Post to forums  

Rail Community


Autodesk Design & Make Report