Found this out this morning:

If you have RPCs in your Revit 2011 model, and then export FBX,
import/link the FBX into 3dsMaxDesign 2011, and no content will show up in the Max scene!

Solution: Go back to Revit, turn off RPCs, re-export FBX, import FBX into Max,
and it works.

I suspect this may be because you need the RPC plug-in from Archvision for 3dsMax 2011? Not sure of availability.

cheers