Revit Worksets Error - Element has been Deleted

David Baldacchino shared an issue with me that he's run into recently.

Here's how he described the issue.

As a standard, we create our central files with the option "Specify" so users are prompted to pick which workset to open/close when creating a local file. If a user is in a local RVT 2013 file AND THEN another user tries to open a detached copy in Revit 2014 to upgrade it (whether doing this directly from the central file or a local file), the Revit 2013 user/s will start getting errors stating that elements were deleted from the central file when they try to edit. They are also locked out of touching anything until the upgrade process finishes. This issue does not happen if the Specify option is not used. This behavior is not expected and undesirable.

Sounds like it can be avoided, if the file needs to be upgraded, by keeping people out of the active project file. I'm not sure I'd want someone to upgrade a project that someone is actively adding new work to with the previous release. Regardless if it occurs it explains why the error message Elements have been deleted appears.

Room Separation Line Overlapping a Wall Error

Another inspired by email: When you sketch a room separation line and it overlaps a wall you'll get yelled at. Revit will also store the warning for you to deal with later using Review Warnings if you don't resolve it right now, when the warning first appears.

If you change the Wall's Room Bounding property so that it is "off" or un-checked you'll still get yelled at when they overlap. Revit isn't checking to see if a wall is room bounding when it catches the condition. It's only concerned that they both overlap. No grace for you!

Synchronize with Central and Referencing Elements in Linked Files

A post yesterday at RFO reminded me I've not written about this situation before. Generally Revit supports applying dimensions to elements that are in linked files (tagging too). If we go down that road a paradox of sorts can occur as several of us are working. RFO member AnthonyB did a nice job of explaining the conditions he encountered. The following is based on his example, applying dimensions to linked walls:

Model A has walls and Model B has dimensions. Larry adds some new walls to Model A and uses Synchronize with Central (SwC). Then Larry opens his local copy of Model B and adds dimensions to his new walls followed by using SwC.

Meanwhile Darryl already had his Local File of Model B open doing other things and Larry's changes all happened while he was working in this file. When Darryl uses SwC to share his changes he gets a warning message like this one.

Further, since Larry added a couple tags on walls, in the link, Darryl's message includes something like this one. The host elements (walls) are not present so Revit wants to toss the tags too.

We must take extra care when we choose to reference elements in linked files. If your project uses this approach you'll need to let others know that they should use Manage Links, select each affected link and click Reload BEFORE using SwC. This will ensure the elements that your current project file is supposed to see, will be. Be careful out there!

Spelt Chuking Dialoguess

While experimenting with the new Non-Rectangular Crop Regions I noticed this subtle spelling eror.

The dialog title says "Invaild Integer", the correct spelling should be "Invalid Integer". Now we have a solid reason for the first web update! ;)

Btw, a inscribed or circumscribed polygon of 36 straight segments is very nearly a "circle". Jay Zallan made a point of it during a Revit user group meeting last month. That means you can create a "circular" callout now.

Rooms and Synchronization

Have you seen this error message before (images from 2012)?

It is followed by its grumpy brother.

The more complicated the project, the more likely that it uses some sort of linked file strategy. If so then it is pretty likely that Revit will fail to complete a Synchronize with Central (SwC) the first time you try, thus the message.

If you are like me you enter a comment each time (using SwC) for tracking and troubleshooting purposes. It is a pain to get a message telling you your SwC didn't work. It's worse that what you typed is lost. I finally got slightly smarter. I try to remember to copy the comment text to the clipboard before clicking OK. This way I can just paste it back in if/or when the error pops up.

I thought I hit on a sure thing by using Reload Latest before using SwC. It seemed to work for a bit but then it returned anyway. Still haven't pinned down the exact cause in this situation. It would be great if Revit could figure out that it can't resolve a SwC beforehand, probably a catch-22 situation though.

Duplicate Mark Values

I've posted about this issue before.

Duplicate Mark Values
Renumbering Elements

Martin Schmidt wrote something about it today (Inside the System blog) and provides a video that demonstrates how the subscription tool Model Review can be used to eliminate these errors.

The technique forces all Mark values to be "null" as opposed to arbitrarily renumbering them as the methods I wrote about earlier use. You can watch the Video at You Tube, or here.

Dept. of Errors - Invalid Duct or Pipe K-Factor Database

I've received both errors over the last couple years using Revit MEP. This error can occur when the supporting files it uses are corrupted somehow. The Factory recommends reinstalling (or using Repair for example) Revit to resolve the issue because this ensures uncorrupted files are installed.

On the other hand if you have access to a working installation you can try the following to resolve the Duct K-Factor error:

On a working PC COPY all the files (to a thumb drive or shared folder) in the ASHRAE folder under Program where Revit is installed. Replace (overwrite) the files that are in the "broken" computer with the "good" files. Try again. This approach using files from a working PC should work. If it doesn't then you'll need to go the repair/reinstall route.

Fwiw, for the Pipe K-Factor error if that occurs you need to replace the PipeKFactors.xml file. It is found in the Program folder (under the installation location for Revit).

The Knowledge Base at Autodesk and the blog post at Revit Clinic attribute the issue to user permissions. While this may be true in some cases it certainly wasn't for me since my computer hasn't changed its permission structure or accounts. Or at least I don't remember doing it...and since I'm the only one using it...hopefully I'd know?

Dept. of Errors - Can't Write to File

Recently observed a couple users that couldn't create a new local file. What was unique about this situation was that they had shared the same laptop computer in the lab. I chose to have a few different students drive the computer that was connected to the projector so that they would get to do the work, the others could watch and I could get around the fact that I couldn't be part of their network.

Whenever I end up doing this it reminds me of my white glove days in various unionized cities where the local stagehands didn't permit you to do the work yourself, you just directed them to do everything, literally everything! Try doing your job all day long by telling someone else what to do, down to the slightest detail. Move case to here, open lid, remove the first cable, pull it over to the first lighting truss section, connect to the receptacle, coil the excess here in a clockwise rotation. Repeat for the next cable...over and over all day. You find out quickly how well you know your gig.

Back to the problem, when the users attempted to create new local files the next day the computer was still using the same Username for Revit but they were logged in as different computer users. When Revit saw that username was the same but the computer user that created the previous local file was different it balked and refused to save the file. When we changed the Revit username to something else, no problem.

Not very likely that others would encounter this but thought I'd share the oddity just in case.

Dept. of Errors - Slightly Off Axis

David Duarte (Revit Beginners blog) mentioned in a post at AUGI that he's observed that detail lines in drafting views that are drawn at very small angles no longer generate warnings or are stored in the Revit Warnings dialog box. He posted at AUGI looking for confirmation that it is supposed to be working this way now or not. I don't recall it being mentioned at all in the various sessions regarding new features.

In my testing I find that Model Lines do generate a warning message and store a warning but Detail Lines do not when sketched in Drafting Views (or plan views for that matter). In the following image (in a regular floor plan view) the model line generates a warning but the same angle does not for the detail lines.

Hopefully this is an intentional change. Regardless it is welcome since I've seen many projects littered with such errors in drafting/detail views. In particular those that have been created from external cad data originally. Now they just need to reconsider the <1/32" (less than) line length limitation, at the very least in drafting views.

Dept. of Errors - Assert Yourself?

Have you seen this message? I've been seeing it lately in conjunction with middle mouse use and having my computer connected to a projector. I don't recall seeing it in other circumstances.

If you have I'd be curious what the circumstances have been (post a comment). I find that if I click Retry that I can at least save the file. Ultimately I have to click Abort and accept that RAC, RST or RME will have to close. At least I can save!!