Revit 2019 Structural Connections stopped working completely

[Anonymous]

I've got a rather large platform with hundreds of beams that I had applied structural connections to with shear tabs, base plates, etc.

Suddenly, about a week ago, every single connection in my model has turned into a green symbol. No 3D models exist for any connection components. I need this fixed ASAP because I'm supposed to be issuing construction drawings. I don't recall doing anything that would have broken this functionality. 

To try to fix it, I've performed a clean reinstall of Revit 2019 as well as updated to 2019.1 - After reinstalling Revit and updating to 2019.1, the problem has gotten worse, as now I get "A serious error has occurred..." warning when I click on an existing connection symbol. This did not happen prior to reinstalling and updating.

Here's the symptoms (prior to my reinstall and update):

Moving a beam or column with a connection causes ALL connections to give the yellow warning symbol.

"Modify Parameters" does not do anything when I click the button.

Placing a new connection lets me go through the process of selecting the members and connection type, but spits out only the green connection symbol.

I had one of my coworkers open this file and he had the same issue.

What I've checked:

There are no filters applied.

These views are not templated.

I've checked my phasing.

Visibility of Structural Connections and all sub-families are turned on.

The folder C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Revit Steel Connections 2019\en-US does contain eight LDF files, nine MDF files, one text file, two XML files, three XSLT files, and a family templates folder.

I've manually unzipped the archive file in there to overwrite these files, just in case they were corrupted.

Is there possibly a network database somewhere that I've lost read/write access to? I am curious about this since my coworker has the same problem.

[mihaela.anastasiu]

We are sorry for the issue that you encounter. Please send us the model at the email address that I provided to you on a private message in order to investigate the issue on our side and we will try to come back with an answer as soon as possible.

Also if you can provide a few steps that you did before connection turned into a green symbol it might help to reproduce the issue on our side. Do you install a specific application at the time that the problem appeared?  If you try to create a simple steel Revit connection (a base plate) in a new model do you have the same behavior?

[Anonymous]

I've sent you a link to a Google Drive upload of my file.

I'm not entirely sure what date I started having issues since I wasn't using Revit every day, but I first noticed it on Nov 21 before Thanksgiving vacation. My last set of PDFs that had functioning connections was issued on Nov 12.

I have not installed any new software.

I've looked at Windows Updates between 11/12 and 11/21, I see the following:

2018-11 Security Update for Adobe Flash Player for Windows 10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems (KB4477029) (2)

Successfully installed on 11/21/2018

2018-11 Update for Windows 10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems (KB4023057)

Successfully installed on 11/17/2018

2018-11 Security Update for adobe Flash Player for Windows 10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems (KB4467694)

Successfully installed on 11/14/2018

2018-11 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems (KB4467702)

Successfully installed on 11/14/2018

Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool x64 - November 2018 (KB890830)

Successfully installed on 11/14/2018

[Anonymous]

I've attempted creating a new file off of a default Revit template (hasn't been modified). I added one column and then clicked the Structural Connections button and it gave me the same "Serious Error" message as before.

[mihaela.anastasiu]

I downloaded the file and it is under investigation. I opened it and create a new column and a base plate connection without problem on the model that you sent. Regarding the steel connections that you already created I can see them represented as structural connections.

Regarding the creation of a new steel connection on a new model using the default structural template, could you please let me know, if you tried on a new Revit session. I mean that if you close the Revit application and open it from the shortcut icon and try to create a new steel connection on a fresh session.

[Anonymous]

New developments on this:

Since reinstalling Revit 2019 and updating to 2019.1:

I can no longer see steel in plan views if connections have been applied to them. This applies to both columns and beams. These members are visible in elevation/section views and in 3D view.

Clicking on the Structural Connection button gives a fatal error and crashes the program. Same happens intermittently if I select an existing connection.

I had a coworker take a look on his computer. He is not running 2019.1, just 2019. He sees the same visibility issues in my model as I see, but is not getting the error messages that I get in 2019.1, and his is not crashing. Clicking on the Modify Parameters button does nothing.

He created a new file from the stock template. He was able to use connections normally. He sent the file to me, and it exhibits the same faulty behavior as my other file.

[mihai.sandu]

Hi,

Can you check in Control Panel what "localdb" drivers you have installed? Maybe the sql local database driver got updated to a newer version. We run on the 2014, version 4100, localdb driver.

After this check in Control Panel, please do the following:
1. Open a Command Prompt window (CMD)
2. In the window write the following: sqllocaldb i mssqllocaldb
This command will display the driver that you are using when accessing .mdf databases. Please see bellow picture.
The driver should be 12.0.4100.1


Please attach a picture of your Control Panel findings and the Command Prompt Window.

Regards,

[mihai.sandu]

Hi,

Can you check in Control Panel what "localdb" drivers you have installed? Maybe the sql local database driver got updated to a newer version. We run on the 2014, version 4100, localdb driver.

After this check in Control Panel, please do the following:
1. Open a Command Prompt window (CMD)
2. In the window write the following: sqllocaldb i mssqllocaldb
This command will display the driver that you are using when accessing .mdf databases. Please see bellow picture.
The driver should be 12.0.4100.1


Please attach a picture of your Control Panel findings and the Command Prompt Window.

Regards,

[Anonymous]

I had run across an article earlier that mentioned the sql server so I uninstalled as it recommended and I had troubles finding the correct file to download since the link in the article was broken. I believe I mistakenly got 2016 instead. I've uninstalled that now and am working on reinstalling 2014 to match this version. 

I'll report back soon.

[Anonymous]

Here is the screenshot as requested. I've installed the version you recommended. This has not solved the problem, however.

[Anonymous]

mihaela, I did try this on a new session. No luck.

Can you post a screenshot showing the connections working? I've had four Revit users open this model and we've all seen the same results with no part visibility, however, they are all able to create new connections in new files, and I am the only one who can't.

[Anonymous]

Update:

I've verified I have the same 2014 SQL Server file as recommended.

I've uninstalled Revit again and reinstalled, but this time I did not update to 2019.1

I can see my beams in plan view again, but connections are still invisible.

I've uninstalled windows updates KB4023057 and KB4467702. These still show on my update history, but do not show up on installed programs/features, so I assume they are rolled back. This did not solve any problems either.

The only other thing I can think of at this point was that our IT dept created a new Windows profile for me shortly before these issues arose, but that doesn't explain why nobody else in my office can see structural connections in this file. Autodesk claims they are visible, but I haven't seen a screenshot to verify that's true.

Any other ideas? I'm at a complete work standstill until this is resolved.

[mihaela.anastasiu]

I attached a picture. As I mentioned above I can create new steel connections on new elements and I cannot visualized the steel connections that were already created in the Revit model. I have send you an email invitation to an online meeting today to discuss this issue with you and collect more information that are important to understand what happened, what triggered this situation.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Thank you Mihaela and Mihai for your help on this.

I am updating this thread with the solution we came up with, in case anybody else experiences this.

I had our IT department restore my project folder on our network to a previous version on a date that I knew it was still working. Fortunately, they run daily backups of our network. This restoration enabled other coworkers to view the file properly. I have a copy of the newer corrupted folder on my hard drive that I will compare to the restored folder, but I don't have time to do that right now. Hopefully I will find a missing file or corrupted file that caused this. I'll update this thread when I get to that.

The second step was going to C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Revit Steel Connections 2019\en-US

We deleted all of the *.LDF files from this directory. Reopening Revit and launching the steel connection tool rewrote these files to the directory and everything is once again fully functional. I can now view, create, and modify connections in the current project as well as new projects.

[stosto6666]

I have had the same problems.....When I try to create steel connection it always failed with description "Connection Failed"..... By the way I deleted all of the *.LDF files from this directory (C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Revit Steel Connections 2019\en-US) without success......

Pleas help...Thanks in advance!

[S.A.Bullman]

I am also suffering from this issue. I've tried all of the same fixes but no change in the problem. A previously functional file, restored from back-up also has the same problem.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

SB

[stosto6666]

Try to repair Revit 2019

[S.A.Bullman]

Thanks, I've tried that and re-installing to various previous versions of the software too. I have re-created some of the connections with new structural elements and either new or custom connections from before the file broke. They seem to survive the file being saved to central and reopened but I am deeply suspicious of their stability. I am about to do as-built drawings and doing the tedious rebuild without knowing if the file will survive seems like a bad idea so sketch revisions will have to do.