Revit 2017 - Text Element Error Message

I created a drafting view and placed a single text element. I type a simple sentence and then clicked the new Close button on the ribbon. I received this nonsensical warning for my effort.

Doesn't seem to matter what view I am placing text in, clicking the Close button pops up the warning. I'm curious if others are seeing this too? I was using the stock architectural template from the Imperial Library. Simple fix is to just finish text in the same old way, don't use the Close button.

Edit: A little more testing and the plan view Level 1 doesn't seem to mind anymore. When I tried it again in the Construction template the floor plan view Level 1 didn't complain but Level 2's did and the Ceiling plan for Level 1 did too. Okay...more weirdness. This is after placing text in an Elevation view.

Traded emails with Aaron Maller last evening and pinned down the circumstances that this issue is reproduceable. It boils down to placing text in a view and then placing text in another view while the previous view is still open. Revit doesn't seem to recognize that the new text is in a different view when the Close button is used. Here's a video explanation.

Dept. of Echo - Four Causes for Revit 2012 Angst

From this morning's post at The Revit Clinic, worth a repost!!

1. WSCommCntr3.exe Process

For 2012 products, the Autodesk InfoCenter launches with Revit as a WSCommCntr3.exe process in the Windows Task Manager. The Revit.exe process could potentially wait on this WSCommCntr3.exe process. If you find Revit not getting past the splash screen, open the Windows Task Manager > Processes > WSCommCntr3.exe > End Process.

2. System Tray Applications

Verify if you have an application installed on the workstation, which allow the ability or attempt to minimize an application to the system tray. One example would be 4t Tray Minimizer. If present on the workstation I would test temporarily ending the application \ process to see if Revit 2012 launches as expected.

3. Corrupt WSCommCntrData.xml File

If the WSCommCntrData.xml file becomes corrupt, Revit may hang when attempting to read it at startup. First verify the file exists at the location below and if so move WSCommCntrData.xml when Revit is closed:

Windows Vista & Windows 7 ...\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\Revit\Autodesk Revit Architecture 2012\ENU\Components\WebServices\WSCommCntrData.xml

Windows XP ...\Documents and Settings\%username%\Application Data\Autodesk\Revit\Autodesk Revit Architecture 2012\ENU\Components\WebServices\WSCommCntrData.xml

4. Corrupt UIState.dat File

This could also be potentially related to a corrupt UIState.dat file. While Revit is closed, move or delete the UIState.dat file at the location below: Windows Vista & Windows 7

...\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\Revit\Autodesk Revit Architecture 2012\UIState.dat Windows XP ...\Documents and Settings\%username%\Application Data\Autodesk\Revit\Autodesk Revit Architecture 2012\UIState.dat

Revit MEP - Pipe Fittings are too Small

Whenever a pipe fitting does not display the correct proportional (connector sizes are indicating the correct diameter, just not the graphical appearance) size it is because the LookupTable file for that family isn't found (or possibly the K-Factor database is corrupt for ducts). I mention the K-Factor issue because it may also be an issue of user access permission. If the LookupTable folder location is restricted for some reason Revit might not think it can access the files it needs to adjust the fitting (long shot perhaps).

• Check your Revit.ini file to see if Revit has the correct location defined.
• Check that location to see if a file exists that matches the family file name(s) (they are .csv files).

Once either situation is resolved, unfortunately the fittings don't automatically fix themselves (more accurately, Revit doesn't fix them). You have to force Revit to "touch" them again by disconnecting a pipe and reconnecting or in some cases swapping it for another compatible fitting and then swapping it back. Either of these will cause Revit to re-examine the connection which in turn give it a chance to dial in the part correctly. I used this situation as an excuse to create another video or you can listen to the embedded version below.

AUGI Email Issues - Echo

This was posted at BLAUGI :

We have been experiencing an email outage for emails generated from our website. You may have noticed that you are not getting emails notifications from the AUGI Forums,Wish Lists, New Member Registration and more. We suffered an email server crash last week and have been moving to restore all services.We hope to have everything restored soon. Until that time, all non-email related functions on our website are working. The Forums are going strong and all data is still intact.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may be causing.

Mark Kiker
AUGI President

Troubleshooting - Downloading Content

When I downloaded the new versions of Revit 2011, MEP would not let me download the content, at least not all 16 bundles. I thought maybe it was my ISP cutting me off with a large bandwidth download. I thought all sorts of things. I ended up getting my content from the media when it arrived, yes I asked for the DVD, how can you collect them if you don't get them?

Long story short - I thought I disabled my anti-virus software adequately. Turns out that I did not. When I carefully shut down each of the services that were running (leaving me temporarily vulnerable to internet evil) the content downloaded successfully!

Next time you are having issues, remember the often stated and repeated mantra of disabling the software you use to protect you from internet evil. I happen to be using AVG's products so your mileage may vary.

Troubleshooting Graphics and Visualization

Harlan with The Revit Clinic posted that there are two new pages dedicated to helping users resolve graphics card and visualization issues.

Autodesk Support Sites
Tested Graphics Hardware List
Revit Graphic Card Troubleshooting Center
Revit Visualization Troubleshooting Center

Scroll Wheel and Save Reminders

Caution!! When Revit's little timer goes off and says you need to Save it opens the Save Reminder dialog. If you also happen to decide to use your scroll wheel to zoom in or out you may have noticed that Revit has moved its focus to the dialog and the Save Reminder Interval List Box. Scroll causes the reminder value to change. If you think you have it set to every 15 Minutes but check it and find something else, chances are good that you bumped into this issue.

Beware the save reminder and your scroll wheel!

Double Negative - Equality Constraint and Padlocks

This one trips up new family editors as well as project modelers but I see it more often in the context of the family editor.

When you create a dimension string between three or more elements Revit displays the EQ icon/control/grip/toggle.


Clicking on this EQ icon will create a constraint between the elements that tells Revit that you want the spacing between each of them to remain equal at all times. This assumes that you intend to "flex" or change the distance between some of them or the overall distance at some point. Thus the reason I encounter it with family editors more often.

At the same time the Padlock icon/control/grip/toggle shows up underneath each dimension value.

You DO NOT need or want to click on the padlocks, which locks the dimension value. Doing so is similar to a "double negative", like, "I ain't not going to do that?"

Poor Revit is confused when you do this because you just told it to make sure the distance between each element should remain equal. Then you told Revit not to change them either! Adding a dimension and parameter to allow for flexing them makes matters worse! Up till now Revit tolerated your mistake...but trying to change the parameter will push Revit too far, it snaps and "yells" at you!



I suggest that we might be better off if Revit did not display the padlocks when the EQ constraint is invoked? In the meantime, just remember, double negatives ain't good English and it isn't not good for Revit neither.

Revit MEP Air Terminal - Troubleshooting

I received an email from client asking for a little assistance with an air terminal family. Apparently the diagonal line they wanted to indicate that the terminal is a "return" wouldn't play along when the family changed size.

Recently I was in Houston and David Baldacchino (Do U Revit? blog) and I had a chance to hang out. He told me about a new (new to me) video capture tool called Jing Project by Techsmith (makers of my favorite screen capture tool SnagIT) that allows you to do screen capture to video or images as well as audio. Then you can easily post the video on Screencast. This post is as much a test as an example of troubleshooting a family.

The issue came down to this. Revit constrains elements orthogonally. The diagonal symbolic line is constrained to the reference planes, not the edges of the neck opening that they wanted it to "follow". The video describes the process of using the Automatic Sketch Dimensions (ASD's) that Revit applies when we do not explicitly add our own dimensions or lock padlocks, for example. The ASD's will do the job nicely as long as well "tell" them what is important to us.

Here's a link to the video: (embedded it is too big to view on the blogger screen)

Download it HERE. (3.75mb)

Dept. of Subtle - Model Text and Add Parameter Crash Revit

While looking at a problem described in a thread at AUGI I stumbled upon a very subtle awkward crash which I've submitted to Autodesk naturally.

To get in trouble you need to be using the Model Text feature and attempting to create a parameter to manage the height of the text.

The steps are:
I started in the Generic Model.rft Family Template
Add Model Text
Select the Model Text
Click Properties button to see the Instance Properties
Click Edit/New to see the Type Properties
Click Associate Family Parameter button (little gray square button, see image)
Click Add Parameter where the only available option is (None)(see image)


Nice friendly message appears (see image)


Work-around Note: if a valid parameter exists, and appears in the dialog, already you can select it instead and Revit won't crash. Revit only crashes if there is no parameter already and you need to click Add Parameter to create one on the fly.

Fwiw, it doesn't crash the upcoming release...

Network Deployment Fails

There are instances where attempts to create a network deployment will fail. It has been reported at AUGI and via support requests. Apparently the likely solution is related to needed features missing in the operating system of the computer used to perform the network deployment.

THIS PAGE at Microsoft offers the solution or least the likely solution to the problem in most cases.

Dept. of Subtle: Show Sheets/Views Printing/Exporting

I contributed another article to the HOK Cad Blog, here's a link:

Exporting/Plotting Multiple Views

Here's the text:

We resolved an issue in Houston today that was causing some confusion. You are probably familiar with these dialog boxes.

The Show options that appear for Sheets and Views are filters to control the display of views in the list above. They do not affect whether a view is selected or not. If you have Views selected and turn off Views display, they remain selected and they will print/export regardless.

It is important to either scroll down the list to make sure just the views you really want are selected or click the Check None button to start over, otherwise you may end up with a bit more than you expected.

January 2008 bug

[Updated 20080107]

There is an unpleasant bug with all versions at this time that will cause odd errors with groups. This was reported at AUGI and Autodesk has responded there as well as to support requests that they are working on the problem. The issue is related to code that is supposed to deal with leap years.

Keep an eye on the download pages at Autodesk as this is a serious enough bug that I believe a new build will made available as soon as possible. The temporary workaround suggest by Autodesk is to briefly change your pc's date to either February or the previous month to permit the feature(s) that isn't working to work. This has its own problems and you should carefully consider this before doing it.

Known Conditions that generate error "Unspecified Error".
Saving Groups out of a project
Save Detail View out of Project
Edit Group from Project Browser via Right Click (Edit Group on Options bar works)
Create new project choosing Template: None then attempt to choose Unit of Measure