Applying linked model visibility across multiple view templates

[carl_allen7376Z]

I am working on a project that involves multiple linked models, and therefore, quite a lot of fine tuning on their visibility graphics is involved.

We have multiple view templates set up for various types of plan views, so when a change needs to be made to the visibility of a linked model, that change must be carried over multiple times, for each view template.  It easily becomes hard to track that the visibility is consistent everywhere.

Is there a way that the linked model visibility settings can be applied independently of view templates, so that when modified, they can carry across the entire project?

[barthbradley]

Not entirely clear on what you mean by changes made to the "visibility" of the Linked Model and "carrying over" those visibility settings.  

How is are the Templates controlling the Links? By Linked Views? Custom Link Settings?   

....perhaps you can provide a specific example that necessitates changing the Template?  

[carl_allen7376Z]

We are controlling the visibility of the links through custom visibility settings within the view template.

Here is an example:

For this project, the AOR has compiled all site plan cad files into a revit model. I needed to turn on visibility for some underground equipment within one of these files.  To do so, I modified the layer visibility of the cad file within the linked revit model.  But then I need to repeat that step for every view template.

Seems like there could be a way to manage this more easily. Any ideas?

[barthbradley]

Join the club here:

View Templates & Views modifications - Autodesk Community

[ToanDN]

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@carl_allen7376Z wrote:

We are controlling the visibility of the links through custom visibility settings within the view template.

Here is an example:

For this project, the AOR has compiled all site plan cad files into a revit model. I needed to turn on visibility for some underground equipment within one of these files.  To do so, I modified the layer visibility of the cad file within the linked revit model.  But then I need to repeat that step for every view template.

Seems like there could be a way to manage this more easily. Any ideas?

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- Link the site plan CAD in another Revit file

- Override layers in a view to your liking

- Link this Revit file in your working Revit file and set the Link Display to By Linked View > pick the view in the previous step

[de_smith]

One way to possibly do it is,  control the linked models by their own view template then layer the other view templates back over it. 

Create a "REVIT LINKS CLEAN UP VIEW"  view template 

- in the view template dialog box untick in the 'include' column everything except  'V/G Overrides RVT Links'  

- in this template do all your required visibility modifications to the revit links 

- in all your other view templates under the 'include' untick 'V/G Override RVT Links' 

-  then apply the 'REVIT LINKS CLEAN UP VIEW' to all your views in your project browser at once 

- then go back and apply the other view templates to the views.  

This holds the info from the Revit Links Clean up view.  

If there are any changes needed to the linked models,  make the changes once in the REVIT LINKS view template, apply it to all views at once and then reapply your other view templates.   

This is much quicker than changing the revit links in every single view template. 

[carl_allen7376Z]

This is a very creative solution! I will try it.  Thanks!

[SteveKStafford]

Nice, Stealing this one 🙂

[RSomppi]

I tried this workflow a few years ago but it did not work as expected. Maybe I was missing something but I'm fairly certain it was the same. It did not work as expected, even after several attempts on trying to get it to work. I do not remember where it was failing.

Are you actually using this workflow?

I'm not challenging it and am absolutely going to revisit it tomorrow. We've got a lot of view templates all with the same link settings that need to be updated. If this actually works, I will owe you a beer because I was planning on a lot of time to make those changes.

I don't have the luxory of add-ins without corporate approval so, for anyone else looking for a different solution, there are at least a couple add-ins that will update view template settings in bulk.

[de_smith]

Hi 

Yes I use this workflow a lot and it seems to work great for what I need and is much faster than changing the visibility of the links in every single one of our view templates.  

Ours is MEP model and then our links are Architecture and Structure so on all projects we make visibility changes to their links and then we have a view template for every service of our own so a lot of templates.  I find it is less errors as only one person has to be in control of changing the visibility of the links, whereas when we were controlling it within each of all of our other view templates multiple people were doing it for time reason there were more errors. 

One downside is maybe remembering to reapply the Links template every time the links change but I have found you start remembering that the more you get used to that way. 

Let us know how you get on testing it ! 

[RSomppi]

I was able to get the new link settings applied using "Apply Template Properties to Current View" (It actually works when you have multiple views selected.) and does not require reassigning the original View Template. I think this may work for us as long as everyone is aware of it.

[GaryOrrMBI]

I just happened across this while digging around for something else...

@de_smith , That concept will save me tons of time as there are always some very specific link elements that I want to hide (or otherwise control) within my document views, especially when you add @RSomppi 's "Apply Template..." to the mix.

Thanks guys,

-Gary

[GHASEM_ARIYANI]

Yes, there is a way to control the visibility of linked models more flexibly.

In the Visibility/Graphics (VG) window, go to the Revit Links tab.
For each linked model listed there, you can change the visibility settings from "By Host View" to either "Custom" or "Linked View", depending on your needs.

• By Host View: Uses the settings from the current view or its view template.

• Custom: Allows you to manually control visibility settings for categories within the linked model.

• Linked View: Uses a specific view from the linked model to control visibility.

These settings are applied per view and not globally. However, by saving them in your view templates carefully, or using Dynamo or add-ins, you can propagate the changes more consistently.

Let me know if you need step-by-step guidance or a visual example.