How to Purge Imported CAD File / Imported Categories Delete

[justin_langloisB9R7S]

I need help purging out a pesky CAD file that is lingering in the background of our office template and getting brought forward into any file using this template. I've downloaded 4x add-ins, ran 3x dynamo scripts to purge Imported dwgs, which did nothing.

This is the cad file at hand. Note I deleted all the layers out hoping I can delete the subcategory afterwards (which you can't)

Second image is of the object being selected (which tells me it's not nested in a family..) I can't delete it by hitting delete or find it in a view.

Anyone run into this kind of issue before? I'm exasperated and am out of ideas.

[GaryOrrMBI]

I have seen similar issues (drawing not in the Revit file yet it appears in the view V/G or in Object Styles) if the drawing file was specifically over-ridden in a view template and also sometimes if it was specifically referenced in a view filter.

Other possibilities include...
If it was directly inserted into a group... that group may not be in use but the definition may still hold the drawing file reference.
If it was inserted in an in-place component.

[constantin.stroescu]

try with Dynamo..

I managed this for CAD imported using this simple script...in order to delete all the imported instances,, This was done in Revit 2024

[constantin.stroescu]

..and you if you want to choose a certain imported CAD file to delete :

[jdlanglois]

Constantin, thank you for your input!

I was in touch with a product manager from the add-in RV Boost, which has a cad purge tool. He mentioned Revit was stuck with the purge due to the *.dwg being the 'last type'. The solution was simple, which was to link a new cad file of any type to, run the add-on, and then both cad files were immediately removed.

Thanks again

J