Links - do I have a problem

[MikeJarosz]

I have a Revit project with the usual consultants: S & MEP. Everyone is linking to everyone else. After they post their files, I download them in order to link them into my architectural. Usually they post their file with their own links still present, even though they have a path that won't work with my network. When I link them I get an error "link can't be found". Most of the time I just remove their links. They are overlays, and I am linking the same files directly into my architectural anyway. This morning I got a warning as I was removing the architectural link from the plumbing rvt file. It basically said there was a wall hosted sprinkler that was hosted by a wall in the architectural link. If I remove the link, the sprinklers will be deleted.

Am I making a mistake by removing links from consultants' files?

[jsteinhauer]

Mike,

On my current project, we've made all of the link paths 'Absolute'. When files are exchanged, and the linked files can't be found, they are ignored, but not removed. First hand experience shows that this seems to work well.

Cheers,
Jeff S.

[dhurtubise]

Are you sure it was a Wall Hosted family? Usually those won't work unless you have a wall in your file (they wont attach to a link file wall). That would mean they wall as been totally removed.
Interesting situation
Face based behave totally differently

[MikeJarosz]

Are you sure it was a Wall Hosted family? Usually those won't work unless you have a wall in your file (they wont attach to a link file wall). That would mean they wall as been totally removed.
Interesting situation
Face based behave totally differently

I'll have to look more closely at the exact phasing of the error. But I am sure the plumbing link file does not have any native walls. So how does the plumber do wall mounted sprinklers? As you say, a very interesting situation.

Is it possible to lose data from a link?

[jsteinhauer]

Face Based components will become unassociated, but should not get deleted. dhurtubise is correct, if the components are wall based, the file would have to have a wall in it for them to be placed. Are you controlling any model categories or worksets of the linked model? Components may have been modeled as the wrong category.

Best of luck on this one.
Jeff S.

[MikeJarosz]

Are you controlling any model categories or worksets of the linked model?

Best of luck on this one.
Jeff S.

No.... things are turning over too fast. I barely link one post before the next one arrives!