How do you update an object style for a nested annotation family?

[JoelB]

I'm having troubles with object styles (lines) in families with nested annotation families. When I update the object style in the annotation family and reload it, I can't see where to force the change in the host family.

The attached files show the issue:

1. Created Annotation.rfa using MyLineStyle object style (black, 3pts)
2. Created Family.rfa, and inserted Annotation.rfa into plan view
3. Created Project.rvt, and loaded Family.rfa
4. In Annotation.rfa, changed MyLineStyle (green, 6pts)
5. Reloaded Annotation.rfa into Family.rfa
6. Reloaded Family.rfa into project.rvt

The change to MyLineStyle is not reflected in either Family.rfa or Project.rvt (as expected). However, while the change can be made in the project's object styles, I don't see where to fix it in Family.rfa! I don't see MyLineStyle listed anywhere in the host family.

I even changed MyLineStyle to a different name, reloaded/purged the family files, and inserted the family into a new project---the new project gets both the old and the new object styles, even though the old style is no longer in use anywhere, and despite the purge!

Can someone tell me how to fix the family that hosts the annotation? It doesn't show up under object styles, and I don't know where else to look for it, or how to delete the old style. Surely one doesn't have to rebuild an entire family from scratch over something like this?!

Thanks,
Joel

PS - this archived thread appears to depict the same problem: http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=106641

[RobertB]

Make the changes in a project and use Transfer Project Settings to transfer from the project into the families.

[JoelB]

Brilliant...thanks, Robert

[Steve_Stafford]

Fwiw, when you load a family into a project any Object Styles that aren't present in the project are created automatically. Once they exist in the project, the project take precedence. Revising the family and reloading to the project won't change the Project's version of the Object Style. You have to make the change in the Project itself. If this is being done in a test project no big deal. For an active project you need to adjust the Object Style settings in the project.

Short story: Project is "King" and Revit favors project settings over family settings. The same sort of "protection" mentality exists for a host and nested family. The host will preserve the existing settings despite changes to the nested family.

If you are "done" then doing what Robert suggests should adjust the "children" but if you start changing the family and reloading the situation will present itself again.

[JoelB]

Steve,

That's the original reason for the post: in the family editor there *is* no way to override the object styles of the nested families. As far as I can tell, Robert's solution is the only way to fix the issue (short of manually updating each future project that uses the parent family...not a realistic solution).

It seems like it might even be a bug in the family editor.

Joel

[Ning Zhou]

besides using TPS, you can also open loaded family instance in project and save that family, providing you have already adjusted object style in project, and closed that family editor, as Steve said, you have to override / update (nested) family object style from project to parent family to child / nested family, not another way round, seems odd to me, but that's the way it works.

[JoelB]

Another observation: annotative object styles that are no longer used in a family appear to remain in the family, even after purging. I don't think either Steve or Ning's excellent solutions fix this.

My conclusion is that this is a bug in Revit. Object styles for nested annotative families should appear under Object Styles > Annotation Objects, where they can be adjusted, deleted, renamed, etc.