.ADSK File Only a Box In Revit

[mlorenz8UPK5]

I've been provided with .adsk files for something I need to display in my Revit model.  The preview thumbnail looks fine when I select to open in Revit, but when it opens, there's only a rectangular box.

I've changed the Detail Level to Fine, with no change.  I've researched online for a few hours and tried a number of additional things.  If I select the box, I don't see anything else within.  I've unpinned and deleted the box, but nothing remains.  I've opened as an Object File and saved as a family, then loaded into a project file.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[barthbradley]

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit-products/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2014/EN...

[mlorenz8UPK5]

I have already seen this, and it doesn't address my problem.  It is an .adsk file from Inventor, and was not created in Revit.  The rest of this is just saying how appearances and materials are handled, but I have only a rectangular box.

You can open or import ADSK (.adsk) files from Autodesk® Inventor. ADSK files created in Revit are intended for use by AutoCAD Civil 3D only.  

The appearances defined in the .adsk file will be displayed in Revit and become available for use in the Revit file. Revit materials will be created to display them and these materials can be applied to Revit elements. 

Note: Revit 2014 can open .adsk files created in Inventor 2013 and later Inventor releases. This is because in Inventor 2009 through Inventor 2012, the material library file is saved as an .xml file. In Inventor 2013 and later Inventor releases, material libraries are saved as .adsk files.

[barthbradley]

Did you check to see if the materials were added into Revit?  

[mlorenz8UPK5]

Thanks for the troubleshooting idea.  I opened the .adsk file with Revit and found that it has a short list of fairly generic materials (shown below).  Maybe these are defaults that are created when you create an .adsk file?  I don't know.  Anyway, when I loaded the file into a new model that I had deleted all materials from, the same materials were imported.  Following steps I found here, I also tried both loading the .adsk file using Load Family, as well as opened the file as a Building Object, then saved as an .rfa, then loaded that.  I still don't have anything other than a rectangular box visible.  I don't know if it's helpful, but I notice when I open the .adsk file directly with Revit, and select the rectangular box, the Properties Palette says it's an Import Symbol.  I feel like I'm missing something very basic.  At least I hope so!  Thanks again.et the same results... the same materials are imported, but no visible elements other than the box.  

[ToanDN]

Maybe ask the author to export from Inventor to ADSK without bounding box or something.

[mlorenz8UPK5]

Thanks.  I've already asked them to just save the Inventor file as an .rfa, but I'm just trying to make it work in the mean-time.  Not sure if and when I'll get any more support from them.  Thanks again!

[barthbradley]

I don't think you are missing anything at all.  That appears to be sum total of the contents. And all those material are default.  Nothing new.  What are you expecting?   

[ToanDN]

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@mlorenz8UPK5 wrote:

Thanks.  I've already asked them to just save the Inventor file as an .rfa, but I'm just trying to make it work in the mean-time.  Not sure if and when I'll get any more support from them.  Thanks again!

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You can only reveal what is actually there.  If they chose to export just a bounding box then you get just a bounding box.