Copy tags between views

[chris.lorenz]

This is something I used to be able to do very easily, but hasn't been working lately (Revit 2016).

I have two views, with identical ranges, extents, etc... and the only difference between the two is the phase.  One is demolition, the other, new work.  It can take a long time to tag all the ducts, pipes, air terminals, equipment, etc. in just one of those views.  I used to be able to do a big window selection in the demo view, filter the selection to just the tags then just Ctrl+C, and past-aligned-to-same-place in the new and they'd show up.  I'd get this error:

"Some tags were not copied because they could not find a host." which makes sense, because some of the stuff was demolished and doesn't appear in the new work view.  However, the rest of the stuff would copy.

Lately, that has not been working.  I just get the error, but nothing actually copies. By 'Lately' btw, I mean since using MEP 2015.  Is there something different with Revit, or something that could have changed with my company's template?

And just to head these things off:  Yes, the elements are visible in both views.  Both views have the same crop, the same annotation crop, the same view range, the same filters, worksets, etc. etc.  The only differences are phase and phase filter.

Thanks!

[fabiosato]

Hello,

The easiest way to achieve your goal is to use DUPLICATE WITH DETAILING, this way all tags and dimensions and etc will appear in the new view, then adjust the visual settings of the new one.

[robert.klempau]

Hello @chris.lorenz,

I totally agree with @fabiosato. 

Why do all the copying work if you can create a copy with detailing and then change the Phase Filter if this is the only difference between the two views.

By the way, the copy and past-aligned-to-same-place option should work.

[chris.lorenz]

Thanks for answering!

Duplicate with detailing is what I ended up doing. In this most recent case it wasn't a big deal as there wasn't much to change to make the new view look right.

I would consider this a workaround though, as there are often situations where custom view settings in the desired view, linked model view settings, dependent views, sheet placement, etc. make fixing the newly created view almost as much effort as it would have been to re-tag everything.

Obviously it's best to anticipate this and do it all smartly the first time through, which is how we typically do it.  I just wish I could get that paste-aligned to work the way it should to minimize the effort required to fix people's mistakes.

[chris.lorenz]

Thanks for the reply!

I did end up going down the 'duplicate with detailing' road in this particular case.  However, as I described to the other response on here, sometimes that's almost as much trouble as re-tagging.

I agree that the copy and paste-aligned should work which is why I'm baffled by its continued noncooperation.

[robert.klempau]

Hello @chris.lorenz,

I understand your frustrations.

I have another tip:

If you don't have to use different Phases you could use the dependent views of a big View.

Then you only have to tag at one big View.

The dependent Views will follow.

[Anonymous]

So here's my question in regards to an almost identical situation. This one is actually a situation in which "Duplicate with Detailing" does not work... and here's why.

We have a complicated building (Port of Seattle) with multiple different elevations of a single level due to ramps up and down. So.... picture this: You're walking along the concourse and you are at elevation 385', you walk down a ramp and you are STILL on the "Concourse level" but you are now at elevation 375'. Due to the complexities of view ranges and associated levels, there is a separate level that covers this vast region of the concourse. In this situation it would be great to copy tags from view to view, but as the original question mentioned...this does not work. We cannot simply duplicate with detailing, because we need this area to have a new associated level.

As the original question asks: Why does Revit no longer allow us to copy tags from one view and into another. Keep in mind, there is absolutely no difference in the location of our elements since the view ranges between the views are identical, simply a different associated level (for scheduling purposes).

[ToanDN]

@Anonymous

I can still do it just fine. Even elements not in the exact location, but within a close proximity, got tagged. 

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately that does not help my situation. This is an active project with no apparent issues using Revit MEP 2017, Paste Aligned (or any other form of paste) did not work, and as the original question mentions Revit tells me "Some tags were not copied because they could not find a Host".... these views don't even have any difference in phase or phase filters. They're identical view ranges, the only difference is a different associated level.

[ToanDN]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Unfortunately that does not help my situation. This is an active project with no apparent issues using Revit MEP 2017, Paste Aligned (or any other form of paste) did not work, and as the original question mentions Revit tells me "Some tags were not copied because they could not find a Host".... these views don't even have any difference in phase or phase filters. They're identical view ranges, the only difference is a different associated level.

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The message "Some tags were not copied because they could not find a Host" is normal.  I've got it to when some of the tags did not find the host.  For example I copied 30 door tags from the 1st level and paste aligned to view on the 2nd level, only 20 came through because the 10 doors on the 1st level didn't exist in the 2nd level.

With that said, if nothing comes though an identical view of a different level then there is something wrong.  Maybe isolate the categories or elements in the target view and see if the tags paste.

[RobDraw]

How about copying the hosts with the tags?

[fabiosato]

Hello,

Have you considered using multiple views that do not overlap each other, assembing a larger view?

Sometime we do this to avoid plan region problems.

[Anonymous]

This is a huge building with very defined zones set by the owner and contractor. Any other scale would make the plans hard to read at half size. Part of the problem with this project is it was inherited from another firm for various reasons, the details of which are mostly unknown to me. We set up the project along the same lines as this previous firm but with our own standards, and this was before we had a good understanding of the intricacies and difficulties of the building itself.

I want to reiterate as well that the view ranges are identical between the two views (including the exact same elevation of view ranges) and the only the associated level is changing. We were aware in this area that the concourse ramped down and we were trying to simplify things by not using a different associated level but for scheduling purposes we do now need that different associated level.

With all that said, this issue of being unable to copy tags from one view to another (even on the same exact level and elevation) is the larger question because this is not the first project it has happened on. In many of those situations the resolution is of course to duplicate with detailing, but as I mentioned above we need this new view to have a different associated level.

[Anonymous]

Was there a solution to this? My office has the same issue of not being able to copy tags between views of the exact same level, same view range, same view template, and I'm wanting to copy to the exact same equipment. It says "cannot find a host". And there are absolutely zero solutions found online as to what the "cause" is so that it can be fixed. Suggestions on how to work around the issue are offered but no one seems to know why this is an issue to begin with. Time is money and my company spends a lot of money because of this single "glitch".

*Workaround that I've found to save the most time (but is a scary workaround) = Select everything in the view that is fully annotated and using "cut to clipboard", cut out all ductwork, equipment, tags, notes, etc. And paste it into the view that you want to be annotated. All of a sudden all of your tags appear in the other view. This is the best route I have at the moment.

[RobDraw]

Given that everything is the same, why don't you duplicate the view with detailing?

[Anonymous]

Because there was a request for the architectural background to appear different from the 2 views. So the steps have already been taken to spend the time going through many levels in the views we wanted to now copy our tags into tweaking visibility graphics for the links as having 1 show furniture and the other not, 1 to show this or that and the other to not. So doing a duplicate with detailing is a good "workaround" if it's done early in the process. After all of the views are already established that they want to use, creating a new set of views by doing another duplicate with detailing would cause us to have to scrap the views already created and that are already placed on to many sheets and start the process over with the new views. But my point is, does anyone know why Revit says "cannot find host" when it's the same exact piece of equipment, duct, diffuser, etc... that you're copying the tag from and too? If we can figure that out, we can avoid "workarounds". I've been testing on my end and haven't been able to find a common denominator. Keeping an eye on the active workset, detail level, etc. I would love it if Revit would say 10 out of 20 copied, so I could have a place to start with seeing why some worked and some didn't. But I get zero tags copying over from the same identical item.

[ToanDN]

Can you try to turn off the links for the target view and paste the Tags again?

[RobDraw]

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@Anonymouswrote:

Because there was a request for the architectural background to appear different from the 2 views. 

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I thought you said they were the same. IME, where there is one difference, there are usually more. Not to say those differences would or would not have any effect on the issue at hand but, man, we are in a technical field.

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@Anonymouswrote:

my point is, does anyone know why Revit says "cannot find host" when it's the same exact piece of equipment, duct, diffuser, etc... that you're copying the tag from and too?

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It's a view setting that is different, but that's obvious. I can imagine that there are several that can affect this.

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@Anonymouswrote:

After all of the views are already established that they want to use, creating a new set of views by doing another duplicate with detailing would cause us to have to scrap the views already created and that are already placed on to many sheets and start the process over with the new views.

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Have you tried temporarily applying all the view properties of the view that you are copying from to the view that you are pasting them into?

[Anonymous]

It's awesome you suggested temporarily applying the same view properties because I did do that and something interesting happened. I created a view template from the view that the annotation was living on and I assigned that template to the view that I wanted to copy to. The outcome was I was able to copy the tag over. So I changed the assigned view template back to the original that it had and I tested it again and I still was able to copy over. I would think if it had something to do with the view template that putting it back onto the other template would result in not allowing tags to be copied again but it still allowed it. And the weird thing is that I tested other views after that. Views that did not work before and I did not change their template as I did with this test view. And after this 1 view now started working, all views now work. So I feel were zeroing in on what the cause is since I was able to make it work now. Unfortunately I can't make it not work again so I can get to a specific field within the view template that is causing it... if that's the cause. At least now I have a starter place to look when I switch projects and see it happen again. Thank you for your suggestions and I'll update this once I can do an exact pinpoint of the trouble field... or perhaps the template itself is corrupt? Not sure if that's possible but just brain storming. Thanks again!

[RobDraw]

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@Anonymouswrote:

It's awesome you suggested temporarily applying the same view properties

And after this 1 view now started working, all views now work. So I feel were zeroing in on what the cause is since I was able to make it work now. Unfortunately I can't make it not work again

Glad to help. I wasn't positive it would work for you, because I haven't had to copy/paste that many tags in a long time. Thanks for confirming that it does fix a "broken" view.

Sorry, but I have to ask. Didn't you learn how to make sure it doesn't happen again? Just saying... Two different workflows to accomplish the task easily, not workarounds at all. Like I said before, I'm sure there are a variety of settings that can hinder the process. IMHO, it doesn't matter anymore.