Aw heck... linked RVT's lost when exporting to DWG...

[hand471037]

I've never seen this before, but it seems consitantly I'm loosing my linked RVT's when exporting to DWG. The image of it will even been in the DWG preview, but when you open the DWG, it's not there, and the file that Revit makes to x-ref into modelspace (i'm exporting from a sheet) are missing the parts of my model that are linked.

Shoot!

Anyone have any idea what's going on? does it have something to do with the name of the linked file?

Help!

[hand471037]

OK, so I shortened the name of the Central File, and the Links, and they are exporting now.

However, the doors within the linked files aren't. Everything else is exporting, but the doors arne't, and again they are on the preview of the DWG. Can anyone shead some light on this? I've never had any problems like this before...

[hand471037]

OK, actually that only worked for some. Others are still dropping out. Going to just export each unit plan as a DXF (which for some messed up reason doesn't show the interior doors) and send them that. This is stupid!

I can't beleve this. I have to get some unit plans out, and Revit's totally messing up. I've never had this kind of trouble with the DWG exporting, even after using the software for three years. No matter what I do, it's messed up. It's missing stuff, like whole linked files or just the doors. This is deplorable!

Anyone got anything? Please? Or are linked RVT's just not workable when you have to export sheets out to DWG?

[Steve_Stafford]

Any chance you are using windows reserved characters in the view names?

[hand471037]

I didn't think so. I'll double check. But would that make the links drop completely out? this is very wierd...

[hand471037]

ok, so I completely changed all the views on the sheet so that the view titles have no non-standard charaters, I've shortened the file name so that it's not too long, and still when I export a sheet the linked files drop out and don't wind up in the export. Help!

[Taylor A]

I had something similar but was unable to fix it.
I had 2 buildings linked into a site plan, On a sheet I had placed an Overall Site Plan, Elevation and a couple of sections. I then exported the sheet to AutCAD 2000 and one of the sections never appeared. I had a look at all the Xref files and it had produced the file but there was nothing in it.
Sorry I'm of no help....but at least your not alone.

[rakarpassoc]

Have you tried using xref manager to bind the xrefs in Autocad?

[hand471037]

Have you tried using xref manager to bind the xrefs in Autocad?

That's not the issue. The data from Revit isn't even winding up in Autocad to begin with.

Normally, I simply batch export the drawing sheets to DWG, then open them in Autocad, bind all the xrefs, and then e-transmit then to a consultant. I've done this for years without issue. But for some reason this project isn't exporting all it's data to DWG- it will to DXF (but not if they are batch plotted, and it's screwing up the titleblocks too for no reason), and it will to DWF/PDF, but not DWG.

I think the Revit file is just corrupted in some strange way, and that I'll have to contact support. I was just hoping there would be a quick answer, like 'make your filenames smaller' or something...

[Steve_Stafford]

We recently submitted a support issue when exporting a 3D model to dwg. The result is apparently the model was too large to export at one time. The solution for now is to export pieces. This example was a site model and may not be a proper comparison. What I'm really saying is, get support involved and see where it takes you. If this is a bug, we'll all thank you!

[LarryG]

How did this issue get resolved? I'm having the same problem.

[hand471037]

Larry: It seemed to two issues, the length of the name and an issue with the Material Names. For us at least. We had these old Families from RUGI & the Web Library, and they were using Material Names that contained non-legal charaters, ala '\' and such. If you simply went to edit one, but then didn't change the name and tried to hit OK you'd get an error that would state that the name it had been using was invalid!

So when these names got into AutoCAD it was causing the Links to either not show up or to not bind. By getting rid of them in Revit it solved that problem.

The other problem with the links dropping out has to do with name length and the titles of you projects and sheets. While AutoCAD can cope with any length name for a file, apparently that's only within AutoCAD itself. If Revit is generating DWG files with names over 32 charaters it will truncate the name, and fail to export the DWG, and simply keep overwritting the same file over and over. Or something like that. Since Links in Revit turn into Xrefs in AutoCAD, if your project is named something like '20353 Delmas Central CDs' that becomes '20353_Delmas_Central_CDs-ACAD-2 bdrm-Unit-B' or worse. Also keep in mind that Revit uses the Sheet Titles & Group / Link names as the filenames upon export, and if you've got a name with a '&' or '\' or some other non-Windows allowed charater, i.e. 'First & Second Floor' or 'Stair & Elevator Shaft' that will also cause a problem upon Export.

So, when exporting, just shorten the 'base' name to the job number or something, and make certain you've got Windows-working names within your projects and Materials...