User Keynotes losing host/not displaying

[jchillenbrand]

I'm experiencing a problem in Revit 2017 where I will have keynotes hosted to pipes (demo or new) and when synced, saved and returned to at a later time the sheet's KN# field will be blank, with no explanation or error message.
The keynotes still retain their instance parameters and associated .txt file but will not display the KN # for the sheet.
Can anyone think of a reason this is happening. Not a problem now, but when a job needs to go out, it will be really inconvenient.

[scbunker]

I, too have been experiencing this problem in Revit 2017. I find that the keynote tags still have their key reference, but the number on the sheet is blank. If I delete the view from the sheet, and then re-add to the sheet, the numbers will populate again. It's as if the keynotes think that the view hasn't been placed on a sheet.

Anyone have any ideas?

[jchillenbrand · Accepted solution]

Through much looking, I've found a solution elsewhere: You must bring your cut plane to the top of the view range (in each view) and back down to its normal height. Apparently there is a glitch and any hosted keynote above the cut plane will vanish.
It's supposedly "fixed" in 2018, but I've still had the same issue, just not as frequently.

[Anonymous]

I had a similar problem with material keynote tags. This was years ago with Revit 2013. They would somehow become unhosted, but remain in place and just be blank.  I could not find a reason or solution other than re-hosting whenever I discovered one. The fix you describe would not work for me because I was tagging in elevation. I have accepted this as a glitch with material keynote tags and no longer use them. Interesting that it sounds true for keynote tags in general and hasn't been resolved.

[scbunker · Accepted solution]

Yes, it was supposed to be fixed, but obviously still isn't.

Instead of changing cut plane, it's faster to just toggle crop. If your view is cropped you can just uncheck and then check again (you don't have to move your mouse off of the properties window to Apply in between the toggle). Then when you Apply or move your mouse off the Properties window, it will force Revit to regenerate the keynote tags. Does the same as changing view range, but much faster.

[scbunker]

@Anonymous, see my reply above. Does toggling crop work for you?

[scbunker]

I just so happened to find a blank keynote, so I made a quick screencast showing the procedure.

The video doesn't want to embed. Here's the link:

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/community/screencast/6e175596-2086-4dfe-b2f7-89a0e4b2b7c9

[Anonymous]

NOT SOLVED!   Toggle the crop view restores the keynotes but I can't be doing that every time we plot.  Literally.  Our BIM department plots and sends out our submissions, so I do not have control over whether or not these can be toggled.  In fact, the person plotting my files today is not in the office, so I can't even hop over there and page through the sheets.  He gets very upset if he has to go sheet by sheet and check things.  I suppose I will need to go through my (over 100) sheet keynotes and convert them all to text and type them in on each sheet.  REVIT!!!!  YOU'RE KILLING ME!!

[scbunker]

@Anonymous, I agree not ideal and Autodesk needs to fix it.

However, you can make quick work of the toggle by temporarily re-organizing your project browser to remove grouping and quickly shift-select all views, then toggle crop off then on in all the views all at once. Be sure to click Apply after each toggle - easy to forget when doing it this way.

[ERodriguez_TPC]

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@scbunker wrote:

@Anonymous, I agree not ideal and Autodesk needs to fix it.

However, you can make quick work of the toggle by temporarily re-organizing your project browser to remove grouping and quickly shift-select all views, then toggle crop off then on in all the views all at once. Be sure to click Apply after each toggle - easy to forget when doing it this way.

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Even if you select "Apply" between toggling crop, the Notes do not refresh. 

[hilary_romaniukHUJS5]

I am also STILL having this issue still - in Revit 2023 (typing this from April of 2025). Sure theres fixes, just re-add the keynote, but it's tedious and the keynotes randomly remove themselves it's hard to keep track of what has gone.