topic Re: Bug with the Visibility of Nested Elements in a View in Revit Architecture Forum

Bug with the Visibility of Nested Elements in a View

Bogdan1896 — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 12:24:08 GMT

Hello,

I’ve discovered a bug in Revit related to view settings and would like to share it. I already raised this issue in a previous thread (https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-architecture-forum/view-filters-for-shared-nested-families/td-p/13181869), but it was ignored. I believe this is an important problem and should be addressed. I’ll try to describe it as briefly and clearly as possible.

There is a “Family1” with the category Mechanical Equipment and a “Family2” with the category Pipe Fittings. “Family2” is a shared family nested inside “Family1.”

If you hide the Mechanical Equipment category in the Visibility/Graphics settings of a view, only “Family1” will disappear. This is logical and works as expected.

However, if you apply a view filter (even without conditions, just a filter with the Mechanical Equipment category) and then disable its visibility, both families will disappear — “Family1” and the nested “Family2.”

I believe this is clearly a bug and shouldn’t behave this way

Re: Bug with the Visibility of Nested Elements in a View

RDAOU — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:48:33 GMT

@Bogdan1896

It is not a bug and not only in Mechanical families. It works as intended. If you wish to hide specific elements in a family your options are as follows:

use visibility grephics to switch off Categories and/or Subcategories
use Y/N visibility parameters assigned to each component and/or geometry (regardless if nested or modeled in the host family)
If you wish to hide family components using filters you need to
1. Nest all the components into the host. IE: do not model components directly in the host family
2. Use a parameter whose values do not match with that of the host. Ex: Nest two families into the host, a Pipe Fitting and a Mechanical equipment, give the nested components a unique text parameters value (can use Comment) such as Part 1, Part 2 and use that for filtering. This way you can uncheck visibility for the Mechanical Equipment with Comment value Part 2 while keeping the Host Mecahnical equipment visibile.

Visibility Graphics and Filters: Thefunctionaly of both may intersect at some points, but by design, they are intended to serve different purposes. Having two tools with identical functionality would render one of them redundant.
Filters: By design, filters are not meant to be used without defined rules. If no rules are specified, the filter may not work as expected. When no specific rule is required, Selection Filters can be used instead.

Re: Bug with the Visibility of Nested Elements in a View

Bogdan1896 — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:00:57 GMT

Hello,

Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, all the "solutions" you described are not suitable because they do not hide the family but only hide the geometry of the family. In the context of certain tasks, this distinction is critically important.

Once again, I insist that this is indeed a bug because:

The result of hiding a category via Model Categories and hiding a category via a filter produces different outcomes.

A filter with a condition in a schedule and a filter with the same condition in a view filter yield different results.

This is 100% the issue described in point 4 of the first post.

Re: Bug with the Visibility of Nested Elements in a View

RDAOU — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:48:59 GMT

@Bogdan1896

Again, filters work as intended. And what you have stated about schedule results is also inaccurate. And in your post you don’t not really mention anything about what you were trying to do exactly and it did not work.

If you wish your posts not to be ignored you need to snap out of the “it’s a bug” argument, elaborate on what you are trying to do exactly and maybe then someone can try to help you and you won’t be feeling that your repeated posts are being ignored.

If you are unable to elaborate or share more details, I believe I will join those ignoring this post.

Re: Bug with the Visibility of Nested Elements in a View

Bogdan1896 — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 09:41:31 GMT

Good day,
Have you ever worked in Revit? I’m asking because I have my doubts. It seems like I’m explaining fairly simple and clear things, yet you don’t seem to understand them. Alright, if necessary, I’ll demonstrate the issue again and attach screenshots:

In Screenshot - 1, there is a Mechanical Equipment family with several shared nested families of the Pipe Accessories category, highlighted in red.
The category of the main (parent) family, as I mentioned earlier, is Mechanical Equipment (shown in Screenshot - 2).
Next, if I disable the Mechanical Equipment category in V/G - Model Categories, as shown in Screenshot - 3, the parent family will disappear entirely from the view. It will no longer be selectable on the view. The geometry of the family itself will not disappear—only the entire family will. What will remain visible are the shared nested families. This is correct behavior, and the same principle applies to schedules.
After that, I create a filter (let’s use one without any conditions for this example). In the filter, only the Mechanical Equipment category is enabled (Screenshot - 4).
Then, I disable the visibility of this filter (Screenshot - 5), and in Screenshot - 6, you can see that the entire family disappears, including the shared nested families, even though the filter doesn’t affect them.
I believe this is a bug, and it shouldn't work this way.

Re: Bug with the Visibility of Nested Elements in a View

RSomppi — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:19:45 GMT

I see that there is inconsistency in behavior but I disagree as to what you see as the correct behavior.

Re: Bug with the Visibility of Nested Elements in a View

Bogdan1896 — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:16:52 GMT

How can we attract developers' attention to this issue?

Re: Bug with the Visibility of Nested Elements in a View

RSomppi — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:34:06 GMT

You, can try the IDEAS forum. I would have a look to see if one already exists so you can vote for that one. Keep in mind that if they do "fix" it, it will probably not be the way you want it. For me, and many others, your "correct" way is not what would be expected.

Re: Bug with the Visibility of Nested Elements in a View

RDAOU — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:51:44 GMT

@Bogdan1896 wrote:
Good day,
Have you ever worked in Revit? I’m asking because I have my doubts.

@Bogdan1896

Revit?! No, never ever, have i worked IN it!!...So I will leave you to it.

What needs to be said and clarified has been already in the previous reply anyways.

Re: Bug with the Visibility of Nested Elements in a View

martin_lopezRP39N — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 00:35:59 GMT

Did you find a work around for this?