Levels in Linked Files

[ddragoo144336]

I'm still trying to muddle through linked files in Revit.

We're still working on our large school campus project. I've got each building in its own file, which is then linked into one Master/Site file to set up all the sheets. Views are all set up and everything is working nicely...except for the level lines.

The lines read as we want them to, with the correct heights (i.e. we want all finish floors at 0'-0" in the drawings, even though the actual heights according to civil are varied) and names. Unfortunately, no matter how we have the levels displayed in each view in the individual building files (elbows, which end of the line the level marker appears on), they appear differently in the Master file.

I have read in the forums that the ideal is to use copy/monitor for both level lines and grids, but if I copy the levels into the Main file, the height dimension is that of the actual civil height, rather than the 0'-0" that we would like to use. How do I work around this?

Thanks!

[ddragoo144336]

And here's a follow up to the question above:

What if we just left all of the buildings at 0'-0" in the Master file? Since we are doing all of our site work in 2D, with referenced ACAD drawings from Civil and Landscape, would it make any difference to the project in the long run? Would this then solve our problem of the civil-base level heights in the Master file?

Thanks!

[STHRevit]

Have the views in the master file been set to " By Linked View" in the Revit tab, Visibility Graphics?

This should show the level lines as you have them set in the linked file.

[ddragoo144336]

They have. Everything, including dimensions, keynoting, and all notations from the individual building files shows up just fine in the master file except for the level lines.

[twiceroadsfool]

Blu-

Check them again, and look for the following things:

1. Are the levels that are showing up incorrectly ACTUALLY from the proper link?
2. Are you sure youre not seeing levels that have already been copied to the master project, or levels from ANOTHER link?

I use Links extensively, and i use By Linked View all the time. ive got one opened right now, where in the file link i went in to the elevations, and used the elbows on all of the levels. I go in the parent file, set it to by linked view, and all the elbows show exactly as i have them in the linked file.

How big are the files? Can you post them? If not, let me know. i can give you FTP info to upload them, if you want me to take a peek.

[ddragoo144336]

1. Are the levels that are showing up incorrectly ACTUALLY from the proper link?

They are. In each view, we turn off all of the other building files except for the one that we want to see. The only thing in those views are what is "By Linked View" from that one building.


2. Are you sure youre not seeing levels that have already been copied to the master project, or levels from ANOTHER link?

We hadn't copied other levels to the master project, until I did a test run yesterday afternoon after finding some other discussion threads on the same subject. That's where I am getting the issues with having the first floor read 0'-0". The numbers that are appearing are correct, but they are based off of sea level, which we don't want.


I use Links extensively, and i use By Linked View all the time. ive got one opened right now, where in the file link i went in to the elevations, and used the elbows on all of the levels. I go in the parent file, set it to by linked view, and all the elbows show exactly as i have them in the linked file.

I wonder what is going on. Everything else I have been able to find in the forums says that level lines and grid lines eventually need to be copied into the master file.


How big are the files? Can you post them? If not, let me know. i can give you FTP info to upload them, if you want me to take a peek.

I think the files are going to be too big to post. Maybe I could send you the master file and a couple of the buildings? It would be great if you could take a look at them - I really, really appreciate your time and effort on this!

[twiceroadsfool]

Levels and Grids MIGHT need to be copied to the master file, depending on your needs with them, and how you are managing the project and model. it is certainly not a necessity to rectify this issue.

I can take a look at them if you have time to transfer them over... In the meantime, look at these two example files first, and see how they work. Place them both on your desktop, and open the file called MAIN. The file LINK is linked in to it. (Dont rename, as theyre linked)

Also, is that what you want in terms of all the buildings saying 0'-0"? thats simply a setting in the Level Type, between Project and Absolute level...

[ddragoo144336]

In the meantime, look at these two example files first, and see how they work. Place them both on your desktop, and open the file called MAIN. The file LINK is linked in to it. (Dont rename, as theyre linked)

I checked out the files. In the LINK file, you have elbows on some of the level line elevations, but those seem to disappear in the MAIN file and it looks like there are just straight level lines. Is it appearing differently for you?


Also, is that what you want in terms of all the buildings saying 0'-0"? thats simply a setting in the Level Type, between Project and Absolute level...

For all of our elevations and sections, we would like the first floor level line to read at 0'-0", which works fine when the level lines come from the file that is linked by view. (The issue there is that elbows disappear and the level line text and symbol doesn't always appear on the end that I want it to, the way it is set up in the linked by view file.) When I copy the level lines into the main file, they read with the levels from that main file, so rather than the first floor line reading 0'-0", it comes up with the measurement of how high the building is above sea level, which is where I placed the buildings in the Z axis.

[twiceroadsfool]

In the MAIN file, the WEST Elev and the EAST Elev show the elbows on SOME of the files...

I only used By Linked View on some files, to demonstrate. But if you go to WEST elevation in MAIN, ALL of the level lines are straight?? Doesnt look that way here...

You didnt unload and reload it, did you?

[ddragoo144336]

In the MAIN file, the WEST Elev and the EAST Elev show the elbows on SOME of the files...

I only used By Linked View on some files, to demonstrate. But if you go to WEST elevation in MAIN, ALL of the level lines are straight?? Doesnt look that way here...

I double checked the Visibility Graphics in both the East and West Elevations, and I can see that all of the East ones are not overridden and on the West view two are by linked view and two are not overridden.

All of the level lines are straight in both views, East and West.


You didnt unload and reload it, did you?

I just put everything on my desktop and opened the Main file, and it found the Link file just fine.

We're in Revit 2009. Are you too?

[twiceroadsfool]

LOL, im sorry... i know what it is.

Its a freak incident that happens with Revit and linked files.

Go in to Main, and go to east or west elevation. Grab the crop region, and just pull the tab slightly... And suddenly all the elbows show up.

Ive seen this happen with linked files. Sadly, youll have to nudge the crop region everytime you reload the links, or open the file. It doesnt happen to EVERY linked view, but it happens randomly (i havent found a correlating pattern yet), and it stays for the duration.

Nudge a pull tab on the crop region, then LMK if they dont turn back to the elbows...

[ddragoo144336]

Go in to Main, and go to east or west elevation. Grab the crop region, and just pull the tab slightly... And suddenly all the elbows show up.

Oh holy cow - that is freakish! I went and opened up my own project that I am working on, and it fixes the problem there as well. The issue is that this is a HUGE project and if we have to go through and manually stretch all of the crop regions in elevations and sections before printing, it is going to be insane.

So, for some strange reason, do your linked file level lines appear as you want them to when you open your files or do you have to do the manual crop region adjustment?

I'm back to wondering if in the future we should just keep all of our buildings in the main files at 0'-0" (since we do all of our site work in 2D and avoid using the Revit site tools), copy in the level lines so we can make them appear how we want them to, and call it a day.

[twiceroadsfool]

This issue doesnt show up in EVERY view for me, so i cant really comment on what workflow procedure i would alter. Maybe if someone from the Factory could look at the files if they catch this thread, they could chime in on what they recommend?

On a recent project that had 5 sheets, and 4 links, i had 4 views out of about 30, 45, that i had to activate and touch the crop region on.

Its not just Level elbows... But sometimes the level marker will sit on the wrong side of the view, until you touch the CR. Sometimes the elbows wont show, and sometimes itll just be way far inbound of the view (and covering the model) until you touch the crop region.

As far as the Level values... Im STILL not following you. You WANT them to all show 0'-0", or you WANT them to show actual elevation?

Mine all show 0'-0", even though theyre up in the air...

[ddragoo144336]

Its not just Level elbows... But sometimes the level marker will sit on the wrong side of the view, until you touch the CR. Sometimes the elbows wont show, and sometimes itll just be way far inbound of the view (and covering the model) until you touch the crop region.

We're having the same issue with the level marker sitting on the wrong side of the view as well, but the crop region adjustment technique fixes it.


As far as the Level values... Im STILL not following you. You WANT them to all show 0'-0", or you WANT them to show actual elevation?

Mine all show 0'-0", even though theyre up in the air...

We want them all to show 0'-0", even though the civil elevations are different. (We have already placed everything at the actual civil elevations in this project.) As long as we are using the level lines By Linked View, there is no problem at all and everything shows up at 0'-0". (This is what we are currently doing, leading to the problem with missing elbows and elevation markers on the wrong side.) It is when I try to copy level lines into the Main file and not use the By Linked View for the level lines that they read at the civil elevations. So either we will need to adjust crop regions when we print sets to fix the freaky graphics issue, or find a solution for the copied level line heights, if there is one.

[twiceroadsfool]

Oh, i see. I would use By Linked View for that anyway... Since you might want annotations from those files to show up in those views. It solves both problems, and the crop region issue isnt far reaching.

I did a project with 7 linked files, and 70 sheets... It was really only an issue on a handful of views. Linked files a bit quirkly like that. Its like the hatching through XREF boundaries of the CAD days, hehehehe.

FWIW, ive also seen a file set to By linked View, and had the modeled objects disappear entirely. (The arch model disappeared and you could see the struct model). But the view was fine the day before, and i verifued that the markers/VG settings and everything were still correct). I just had to recreate the view.

But again, between all of that, it happened on 8 views or less, over 70 sheets.