Imported vs linked CAD files

[Anonymous]

I'm new to Revit, but know the difference between linked and imported CAD files.  I've inherited a bunch of Revit drawings that someone else started.  She had imported and linked quite a few dozen .DWG files.  I can see the linked drawings in the Link Manager.  However, sometimes when I go to link a .DWG file (that's not in the Link Manager list), I get a message that this Revit file already contains an instance of that file.  So I guess it must have been "imported" at some point.  My question is, "How and where can I find a list of all .DWG files that have been previously IMPORTED into the Revit file?  I assume they are still in the state of one "block" rather than individual entities.  It's my understanding that imported .DWG files come in as a unit (something like a block in AutoCAD) and they don't become individual entities unless someone explodes that unit.  None of my imported .DWG files have been exploded, so is there any easy way to figure out where they are in the Revit file?  There are dozens of them and many views in each Revit file.  Yes, I'm working on one of the largest buildings in the world at the moment...  If I can handle this Revit project, I'll be able to handle any future ones.

Thanks in advance.

Kimmy

[ennujozlagam · Accepted solution]

hello, check it here. thanks

Issues and Solutions: This issue can have several causes:

• The linked file was changed after it was loaded into the Revit project, and the project is still open.

  To correct this situation, reload the linked file. In Revit, click Manage tabManage Projects panelManage Links. In the Manage Links dialog, on the CAD Formats tab, select the linked file in the list, and click Reload. Click OK. Revit retrieves the most recently saved version of the linked file and displays it in the project.

• The file was imported, not linked.

  When a file is imported, Revit does not retrieve or display changes to the imported file. To confirm that the file was linked and not imported, click Manage tabManage Projects panelManage Links. In the Manage Links dialog, the CAD Formats tab lists all linked files. It does not list files that are imported. Therefore, if the file is not listed here, then it was imported.

  To correct this situation, go to the view in which the imported file displays, select it, and press Delete. Then link to the file.

• Revit cannot locate the linked file in its saved path.

  If the linked file was moved, Revit cannot locate it, and so it cannot retrieve the latest saved version of the file. To reload the file from a different location, use the Reload From function of the Manage Links dialog.

[kzalec]

Yes, I was aware of all that you mentioned.  However, SO MANY files have been imported and into one or more off MANY different views.  So locating, selecting and deleting he imported .DWG files one at a time is time-consuming.  Also, each one has had many of its layers turned off in Revit.  If I delete the imported files one at a time and then link them, I'm going to have to spend a LOT of time figuring out what layers to turn off.  I was hoping that there would be a LIST of the imported files that I could then just select and delete (like AutoCAD keeps a list of all the inserted blocks).  It would avoid hunting through all the various views and trying to figure out which files are linked and which ones are imported.  I'm working with enormous Revit files which may easily have 40 DWG files linked and as many DWG files imported.  I don't know why the person who created the draws chose to import them rather than link them, but it's my job to fix everything.  Also, I'm assuming that the Revit file will get smaller if all the files are linked rather than imported?

[Anonymous]

Hi kzalec, did you ever find a solution to this?

I'm in the same situation at the moment. My model has become so slow due to these imported dwgs so I'm desperately trying to find and delete some of them...

[Anonymous]

The classic Revit issue with dwgs! I always tell my team to link dwgs for this reason, except from those holding survey data...

From my experience, even linked dwgs sometimes don't behave as expected, let alone imported ones.

For now, you will need access to the Revit API to find imported dwgs ... Plugins like Dwg Explorer do this and give you buttons to visually locate each dwg and then delete it if required:

https://apps.autodesk.com/RVT/en/Detail/Index?id=2447830529583959175&appLang=en&os=Win64

It's a recurring issue which different addins try to fix, so have a browse 

[daniel_friesen_arcadis]

Ideate Explorer is a great tool to find those annoying Imported CAD files and delete them.  It's saved me a ton of time and frustration.

[Anonymous]

Your solutions are not responding to the very issues that the author of the question is referring to.  She is asking about the imported CAD files, not linked CAD files.

[ennujozlagam]

I'm not the one who accepted that solution, it's only my suggestion and it's QP's decision to make. And if you think my suggestion is not relevant to question then please make your suggestion rather than making noise. Thanks