Combining phases - issues with previously demolished items

[augie]

My first post here so bear with me if this has been covered before but I searched considerably and didn't run across a solution. At any rate, here's a little background info first:

Our firm started using Revit since 2009 and been using it ever since. We do a lot of work with the local school district, anything from exterior masonry repair projects to HVAC renovations to interior renovations to building additions. We've drawn up existing models of these schools years ago using versions 2010 and 2012 Revit and our current version of Revit is 2014. In the past year, our 2014 template file underwent a massive overhaul to help streamline production. I won't go into everything but it's a HUGE step up from what we were using during the 2010 and 2012 years and a lot of work was put into it that our technicians really appreciate.

At any rate, we're doing more work in these facilities again this year and what I'm trying to do is bring the old models into our new 2014 template environment to take advantage of all the new template upgrades. Currently, this is being done via importing the old model into the 2014, binding it and finally ungrouping it so it's reverted to individual elements. This works fine... for the most part. The annoying thing that's happening is that once the model is binded and ungrouped, the demolition work involved in the previous project is reappearing as original, non-demolished items after the model.

Ordinarily I'd just do a detach-from-central of the original, saving it as the new central, creating a new phase for the new work and just roll with it. Doing a Transfer Project Standards for a couple things would help but definitely wouldn't get all the other perks in that the current template has.

I've tried all sort of approaches to try to fix this. Combining phases in the original file doesn't work because it converts the demolished items to "temporary" and then once it's binded and ungrouped, the doors/walls/ceilings that were demolished reappear as if they're still there. Keeping the original file as-is and linking it in still keeps the correct phases but once it's binded, then the entire model is converted to a single phase.

One semi-solution I tried was to create schedules for walls, doors, ceilings, etc. that only show their Phase Created and Phase Demolished and then deleting the items that have the same Created and Demolished phase. After that's done, save the file and then import that file into the new template.

Has anyone else ran across this and have a solution or other ideas? I'm about to throw in the towel!

Thanks in advance for any replies or ideas.

[dhurtubise]

When you link, did you map the phase in your host model?

[augie]

I did try mapping the phases and everything functions properly while it remains a linked file but once I bind it, that's when it starts acting up.

On a slightly off-topic note, another oddity I noticed was that the order in which you join phases affects certain objects. Selecting a New Construction phase and doing a "Combine with: Previous" into the Existing phase has a slightly different end result than when selecting the Existing phase and doing a "Combine with: Next".

Ah well, for as often as we do this, it's really not that big of a deal. Just was curious if anyone else had run across it.

[DaveP]

I've seen the same issue.
I've had reasonable success creating a 3D View in a Detached Copy of the original model, turning on visibility for EVERYTHING.
Then I set the Phase to New Construction
Create a new Phase Filter and set New, Existing and Temporary to Not Displayed and Demolished to By Category
That should show you only Demolished items, so you can select and delete all the demo'd stuff before you Link and Bind it.

All that said, I wish there was on option to not Import Demolished.
I suppose the reasoning is that you might need that, too, but more often than not you don't want Demo.
You can't really use Phase Mapping, because Demolished is not a Phase, its a state of being.

[davidcobi]

I would normally just delete the demolished elements and combine phases too before a link and bind... if I ever needed to preserve the state of being I would isolate the temporary and group... isolate the existing and group... isolate the new and group... isolate the demo and group. When you link, bind, and then ungroup you end up with the four remaining groups. Isolate one in a 3d view and ungroup. Fence select the visible elements and assign their phase created and phase demolished as required. Design options are another story.