topic Re: Linked CAD File not updating in Revit Architecture Forum

Linked CAD File not updating

ZDCMapp — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 15:11:04 GMT

Hello,

Just finished training a few weeks ago for Fundamentals of Architecture for Revit so very, very green still so please forgive my ignorance.

I have linked a CAD file to my Revit project but it is not updating when I save changes from Civil 3D. I have tried the Manage Links and reload but it does nothing. I haven't found any other suggestions besides the reloading option which is not working. I have not deleted file and relinked or rebooted Revit. If that is a solution then what is the point of the reload option. I am running Civil 3D 2020 and Revit 2023. Not sure if that has anything to do with the issue.

Thanks

Re: Linked CAD File not updating

curtisridenour — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 15:55:14 GMT

It sounds like you are doing all the correct steps for what that is worth.

Try exporting the Civil 3D to DWG. Revit and Civil 3D do not always play nice together.

Re: Linked CAD File not updating

johna — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 16:02:42 GMT

make sure to load the correct cad link. try "reload from" and go exactly to the cad file you are updating. see if it works.

Re: Linked CAD File not updating

ZDCMapp — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 16:04:44 GMT

It is a .DWG file.

Re: Linked CAD File not updating

ZDCMapp — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 16:05:05 GMT

Tried that too.

Re: Linked CAD File not updating

curtisridenour — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 16:08:19 GMT

yes but Civil 3D is not the same as AutoCAD. I would still suggest exporting to DWG within Civil 3D.

curtisridenour_0-1656000325715.png

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/civil-3d/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-import-a-Civil-toposurface-in-Revit.html

Re: Linked CAD File not updating

ZDCMapp — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 16:10:51 GMT

10-4. Trying now

Re: Linked CAD File not updating

curtisridenour — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 16:11:29 GMT

Another thought would be to ensure that your View Range in Revit is very large. In Civil 3D and AutoCAD the Z value of elements is not always consistent and can be thousands of feet up/down and not visible in Revit typically. One thing i end up doing alot (and it may be ill advised shrug) is to link DWGs into revit and then re-export them to DWG from Revit to flatten them. This seems to be the only sure fire way of making sure everything in the DWG is in one flat plane.

Re: Linked CAD File not updating

ZDCMapp — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 16:28:01 GMT

Ok so I have to download regular Autocad to see if it really works on the updating and reloading. I do have the option with my subscription to download regular CAD so I will try that out and see what happens.

Re: Linked CAD File not updating

ToanDN — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 16:30:24 GMT

@ZDCMapp wrote:

Ok so I have to download regular Autocad to see if it really works on the updating and reloading. I do have the option with my subscription to download regular CAD so I will try that out and see what happens.

You don't need to really. You could open the exported DWG in Civil3D if you want to see it but it is unnecessary.

Re: Linked CAD File not updating

barthbradley — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 21:02:06 GMT

@ZDCMapp wrote:
Hello,

Just finished training a few weeks ago for Fundamentals of Architecture for Revit so very, very green still so please forgive my ignorance.

I have linked a CAD file to my Revit project but it is not updating when I save changes from Civil 3D. I have tried the Manage Links and reload but it does nothing. I haven't found any other suggestions besides the reloading option which is not working. I have not deleted file and relinked or rebooted Revit. If that is a solution then what is the point of the reload option. I am running Civil 3D 2020 and Revit 2023. Not sure if that has anything to do with the issue.

Thanks

Sounds to me like the linked file hasn't been changed - or the changes made to it weren't actually saved (I get ahead of myself sometimes too) - or the changes were made and saved to another file/location that is different from the one that is linked into Revit (been there too). I mean, there can't be too many other explanations. Linking is pretty much fool proof.

Out of curiosity, are you absolutely, positively sure that the changes aren't there? Maybe they are just out of View?

Or maybe you have copies of the link in the Project? Go to VGOs Imported Category Tab and see if there a multiple copies of the CAD Link. If you only have one CAD Link under Manage Links, but multiple copies, that could be the problem. Those copies aren't updating.

Re: Linked CAD File not updating

curtisridenour — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 21:40:26 GMT

Are we sure it is Linked and not Imported?

Re: Linked CAD File not updating

barthbradley — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 21:48:28 GMT

@curtisridenour wrote:
Are we sure it is Linked and not Imported?

Thread is entitled "Linked CAD File not updating". Sounds unambiguous to me.

Re: Linked CAD File not updating

curtisridenour — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 22:05:36 GMT

True, but it definitely sounds like an imported cad file would behave the way it is being described.

Re: Linked CAD File not updating

barthbradley — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 22:20:50 GMT

@curtisridenour wrote:
True, but it definitely sounds like an imported cad file would behave the way it is being described.

Yes! Exactly! That's what I was speaking to when I talked about the copies. When you use "Create Similar" on a Link you are actually bringing in an Import Instance - not creating a copy of the Link.

Re: Linked CAD File not updating

ZDCMapp — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 13:38:46 GMT

Hey,

Sorry for disappearing mid conversation yesterday had to go to the dentist and get my grill drilled on for 2 hours.

To answer everyone's assumption it is a linked file not imported. The whole purpose of this exercise was to test the link to see if it would update like it is supposed to do but it is not working. What I have to do after trying a couple ideas that were suggested that didn't work is just update CAD file, remove link in Revit and relink. The whole updating thing is not working for some reason. Like I said, I am new to Revit but I am pretty confident I got the linking part correct but Revit is not recognizing the updated file when I do a reload. I don't know. I will just keep experimenting.

Re: Linked CAD File not updating

barthbradley — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 15:27:02 GMT

Post the CAD File here. Let us test and see if we have the same issue with it. Maybe we will. Maybe we won't. For your sake, let's hope we can replicate your issue. It would make it a whole lot easier to find a solution.

Re: Linked CAD File not updating

ZDCMapp — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 16:01:25 GMT

Ok. Here is the Civil 3D file I was practicing with. I linked the file without dims and to test I turned on dims, resaved and then did the manage links reload and the reload from and it did not update.

Good luck!

Re: Linked CAD File not updating

barthbradley — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 16:43:10 GMT

I don't understand your test. Sounds like you are saying that Layer States aren't updating. Layer States don't have anything to do with Linking. Linked CAD Layer States are managed through VGOs in Revit.

Link Layer State1.pngLink Layer State2.png

Re: Linked CAD File not updating

ZDCMapp — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 17:29:34 GMT

Oohh. Ok. Gotcha. I was of the thinking that by linking a file without dims turned on by turning them on again in the CAD file is changing the file and would need to be loaded again. Did I mention I'm new to Revit? Ok. So this answers my query. Thanks!