Remove two sets of visibility controls

[Hauk-Morten]

There are currently too ways to control visibility of objects in Revit. One can currently control visibility by element, by object styles, by category, by worksets, by Imported Categories/links AND by filters. If you can't see what you know should there, the search can take a stupid amount of time. The idea is simply to disable two of these ways. I would suggest to lose Model/Annotation Categories and object styles. Both of these are possible to implement using filters. The filters are very powerful and customizable, and gathering all object visibility in here lets the user clearly prioritize which filters overrule which. I realize this is a radical suggestion regarding core functionality, but after having worked with 5 different CAD-programs, I feel that Revit stands out as unnecessarily hard to master. Much of that is due to this very problem.

[jkidder]

I agree that it is complex to diagnose visibility issues.  I would love a option to right click on an element and tell it to show me step by step how it's receiving that visibility to help track down where it's being caught.

There needs to be a way to set the initial visibility for items (Object styles).  I definitely want to be able to control so there needs to be an equivalent (It would be nice if it was enhanced with a way to have subcategories off by default)

Worksets shouldn't be used for visibility, and when I have to do so to isolate Linked elements its always via a filter.

I avoid overrides by links and undo them whenever I find them - they aren't granular enough.  I'd love to have links as an option in filters so I can control the visibility of a specific category in a specific link while allowing everything else in the link to follow my standard settings.

Model categories changes are easier to understand, and are important for dealing with subcategories which aren't exposed in filters (it would help if they were).  They are great for quick changes in temporary views.  It would be good to have an option to see what enabled filters are affecting a model category to help educate users and diagnose problems.

TLDR: I disagree that visibility options should be removed, but think that the connections between them should be more transparent, and filters should become more robust to better handle subcategories and links

[CFNBen]

I agree with @jkidder and would hate to see Visibility Graphics/Overrides disappear as I use them constantly whilst modelling. This would prove to be extremely unhelpful and would slow me down immensely in my job. Please do not implement this.

[kimberly_fuhrman-jones]

Interesting conversation here. It would be great to get some additional input from other users!

Thank you for your submission, @Hauk-Morten 

-Kimberly

[Hauk-Morten]

Cool to get the attention of Autodesk, you are very welcome @kimberly_fuhrman-jones  🙂 How about keeping the model/annotation categories, but disabling the visibility option of worksets, and object styles then? Or remove everything in the model/annotation categories BUT visibility (They can control not just if something is visible, but also pattern, line and other overrides)? Keep the load/unload of worksets, but remove the visibility (meaning if it's not visible by all other settings, it's not there). Overrides by links are necessary for linked DWG's, but I agree it might be too granular for revit links. In any case, I agree with @jkidder that improved transparency in what causes the visibility status would be a big improvement, no matter what the other suggestions might lead to.

[CFNBen]

I wouldn't mind more options but would prefer to have the same options as current. I rarely (once a month) come across something that isn't visible when I want it to be that takes me more than 2 minutes to diagnose. 

Most of the time it's a case of checking the view range or filter.

May I ask if there is perhaps a lack of familiarity with your own view templates/standards/workflows that may be contributing here?

[Hauk-Morten]

@CFNBen If you asked me half a year ago, my familiarity with those would certainly be a factor. I am now probably down to that "once a month" you describe. But I don't think that makes my point any less valid, two minutes for normal stuff and longer for special cases is only acceptable if that extra work time gives me something in return, and I don't see that it does. But I can see from the discussion that there are varying opinions on this. But those times are for people who know the software, the time taken to learn the software I think is lengthened by considerably more because of this confusion. I spent weeks learning Revit, and a big part of that was because I had to unlearn everything I knew from other CAD-programs(Fusion360, NX, Inventor). Granted, I did work with those in a another work context with product design with considerably smaller models, but nevertheless...