BLD125158 Code Blue, Dr. Revit! How To Resuscitate Corrupt .

Resuscitating RevitBefore diving into fixing the model, at times Revit application may need fixing it self. This maybe true in case the Revit application is crashing. We have talked about the basics of checkingfor Revit updates, Windows updates, Video card drivers, and other system related checks andfixes. Let's look at fixing Revit application itselfTurn off Hardware AccelerationSometimes when encountering graphic artifacts or Revit crashing when interacting with theview, such as zoom, pan, orbit, try turning off the Hardware Acceleration. Refer to the AutodeskKnowledge Network article http://autode.sk/2zptGxJ to toggle the acceleration setting.Reset Revit application settingsIt may be that Revit application needs to be reset back to its default settings. Follow the stepsbelow to reset Revit.oNavigate to and rename the following directories:OLD NAME: C:\Users\ username \AppData\Local\Autodesk\Revit\Autodesk Revit 201xNEW NAME: C:\Users\ username \AppData\Local\Autodesk\Revit\Autodesk Revit 201x backupCurrent User SettingsOLD NAME: C:\Users\ username \AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\Revit\Autodesk Revit 201xNEW NAME: C:\Users\ username \AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\Revit\Autodesk Revit 201x backupoOpen the registry editor (Start Type REGEDIT hit enter) Rename the following registry key:OLD NAME: HKEY CURRENT USER\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\Revit\ Product Name *\WorkspaceNEW NAME: HKEY CURRENT USER\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\Revit\ ProductName *\Workspace backup* Replace Product Name with the Revit version, such as "Revit 2018"Once those are renamed, restart Revit again. If user had any customized Keyboardshortcuts, close Revit and copy the keyboardshortcuts.xml file from theC:\Users\ username \AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\Revit\Autodesk Revit 201x backup tothe C:\Users\ username \AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\Revit\Autodesk Revit 201x folderand overwriting the file that was recreated during the reset.Repair Revit Installation Before following this procedure make sure to back up the Current User settingsmentioned in the last topic as this will reset the Keyboard Shortcuts customizations.In windows launch the Programs and Features control panelHighlight the Revit version and click on Uninstall/Change.Page 7

Select Repair or Reinstall in the installer window.Select ReinstallVerify if this fixes the Revit crashing issueTIP: another way to check what is the current Revit version is to look in the Program andFeatures Version column. Visit http://autode.sk/2fZS8Nt to figure out the Version listed inthe Control Panel relates to the Revit update number.Uninstalling and ReinstallingAs much as this being others and our least favorite thing to do, completely uninstall and reinstallRevit. Before embarking on this task, make sure to perform the Reset Revit applicationssettings procedure to backup your custom keyboard shortcuts.The process is the same as Repair Revit installation, instead of clicking Repair, click Uninstall.This http://autode.sk/2AAI2vx AutodeskAKN article goes over some additionalmethods of uninstalling in case simplemethods fail. The only thing it does notmention is where to find the AutodeskUninstall Tool in case it is not in the StartMenu as mentioned in the article. This is agreat tool if one needs to uninstall Autodesksuites, or multiple software. It is located at:C:\Program Files (x86)\CommonFiles\Autodesk Shared\UninstallTool/R1/UninstallTool.exeLaunching Revit without Add-insAs Revit API evolves, the access given to 3rd Party add-ins and scripting language is increasing.However rare, these sometimes can cause issues with the model or Revit application stability.Refer to this AKN article http://autode.sk/2zqchoV for the procedure of disabling add-ins in-lieuof uninstalling them.There is an open-source tool available developed by Stantec team that makes it easy to Enable/ Disable Add-ins. http://bit.ly/2zxUMTxPage 8

Resuscitating a corrupt Revit modelThere are many variables that can cause the Revit model to become corrupt. We talked aboutthe symptoms: Crash on Sync Inability to Sync Crash on Saving File Crash on editing an object Failure to open or crash when opening a view Crash when purging Crash when auditingHere are a few reasons what can cause model corruption: Read Write error to the storage mediao Hard drive out of spaceo Connection interrupted while syncingo Program crash during a write event and other operations where the model is inthe process of being modified. Train the users to submit the Customer Error Reports, as mentionedbefore Autodesk monitors these proactively. Bugs in the application.These are usually fixed via updates or sometimes there are work arounds to prevent thebug from occurring. If your Revit is crashing, it is best to make sure ALL team membersare on the same latest Revit update.Examples of some of the latest bugs in the software:o Sun settings getting corrupted in 2017.o Families getting corrupted Add-in modifying Revit database incorrectly or not completing transactions completely. Sync operation interruption. Pressing cancel while syncing, or Undo after sync.AKN has a great article on this topic titled: What causes data corruption?http://autode.sk/2zqNQaQ. It also gives excellent tips on how to prevent the issues which werealso discussed in this handout under Assess the Basics. In our recent experience while workingon Autodesk Support tickets via Directly, we have seen a lot of the symptoms have beencaused by either corrupt families or corrupt views.Here are some articles on AKN that can assist in the basics of file recovery Recover a Workshared model. http://autode.sk/2zxRIa8Recover a Non-Workshared model. http://autode.sk/2zxrNPIRecovery options for Collaboration for Revit models. http://autode.sk/2zvi24sTroubleshooting File issues. http://autode.sk/2zwOtPWElement has become corrupt. http://autode.sk/2zuSGE3Corrupt FamiliesIf you’ve assessed the basics and your model is still crashing, then it’s time to begin the manualresuscitation process of first searching for corrupt families. Corrupt families are a big contributorof model crashes, inability to sync, model getting corrupted.Journal files may list some errors likePage 9

DBG WARN: (asynchronous i.e. previously detected)Why no ElemRec?: line 119 ofOwnerGraph\KingOf.cpp. DBG WARN: (asynchronous i.e. previously detected)Missing owner, or cycle of owners!: line 113 ofOwnerGraph\KingOf.cpp.DBG WARN: Failed to translate big ElemId.: line 217 of Family\FamilyDocument.cpp.Assertion failed: line 797 of ElemTable\Marshaller.cppThankfully, there’s a (somewhat) easy process of determining which one(s) are palpitations . Model.The process itself of searching for corrupt families is quite simple, but it can become very timeconsuming the more corrupt families reside within the model.1. Open the model using the detach from central option then save as a new central model2. Save out the families. When Revit finds one that's corrupt, it will crash.http://autode.sk/2y4xouN3. Make note of the family that crashed Revit (the last family will be visible on the status barin the lower-left corner)4. Close Revit5. Reopen Revit6. Open the central model from step 1.7. Delete the corrupt family from step 3.8. Save the model9. Repeat steps 2-810. Repeat until Revit doesn't crash while saving the families.11. Get clean copies of the original families and reload them into the model.It's essentially the same process as outlined in the Solution section of this AKN article.http://autode.sk/2i6ovOuFinding the cancerous ElementsFor a more detailed troubleshooting process borrowed from http://autode.sk/2zDsIhwWhen encountering unexpected behavior (e.g. crashes when accessing a particular view orselecting particular commands), you can fairly quickly check if the issue is related to elementswithin the project (by deleting "all" elements), and then narrow down and isolate the problematicelements.Solution:Warning! To avoid accidentally making unwanted and irreversible changes to your (production) projectfile, before going through any of the steps below, make a copy of the project (and if necessary linkedproject files) and only work with the copied file.Overview: Delete everything from the model. Check if the unexpected behavior occurs (recreate elements to reproduce if necessary). If the issue is cleared, delete items by category in groups until the specific problematicelement or elements are found.Detailed Steps:Page 10

If you have particular elements that you suspect are causing the issue, delete them, andtest if the issue continues.Check the journal file recorded by Revit, to see if any specific elements are referencedprior to the issue (this might help isolate problematic elements faster).Delete all elements from the project by going through the following steps (and retestingafter each deletion to find when, or if, the issue is cleared):Go to a default 3D view.Draw a crossing selection box (from bottom right to top left) over all the visible elements,and delete them.Delete all but one levelDelete all of the project views, except for the default 3D view.Delete all of the schedules.Delete all of the sheets.Delete all of the loaded families.Delete any Design Options.Disable Worksharing.Delete loaded families from the project (select multiple family types in the ProjectBrowser, right click and select Delete).Purge Unused objects from the project (you may need to run this several times to clearall possible items).If the issue stops after removing "everything" from the project, then we know it is relatedto one of the items removed. Start removing less elements to find the group responsible.If you find that the issue is related to one of the elements deleted (instead of a sheet,schedule, or view), go through the following steps to isolate the particular family or familyinstance:After selecting all the elements, and before deleting them, filter your selection bycategory, removing groups of categories. This will allow you to find the category of theproblematic elements.Once you know the category, use the project browser to find all of the familiesassociated with that category, expand the family, right click on it - Select All Instances,and select In Entire Project. Remove groups of families within the category to find thespecific family related to the issue.Once you have isolated the family related to the issue Select All Instances again, andthen use the IDs of Selection command to get the Element ID for all of the familyinstances. Copy these IDs, paste them into a text editor, Select by ID in groups to findthe specific element(s) associated with the issue.Note: When dealing with issues that lead to a crash in the program, I have found it faster to deleteseveral groups of objects, test for the behavior, undo the last deletion, test again, and repeat. Once you have identified the specific items causing the issue, try cutting to the clipboard(if possible) and then pasting back to the same place. If this does not work (or is notpossible), remove the items and recreate them, but test to see if the issue returns ateach stage (e.g. after drawing the object, after editing the profile, after changingparameters.)If you’ve gone through this process and have cleaned up any corrupt families, or didn’t find anycorrupt families, and your model is still having trouble breathing on its own, then it’s time to startanalyzing the journal files.Page 11

Revit - Failed to open document errorThis file is most probably beyond repair, refer to all else fails topic. Ensure that there is enoughspace on the hard drive, network connection is stable and empty the %TEMP% directoryperiodically.Too many Elements missingThis error recovery rate is hit or miss. A lot of times, there are too many corrupt elements, Revitwill stop processing the file. The journal file will have similar entries as shown.A few things to try: I have run into issues where I was not able to open the file at all. However, if the modelis open on someone's computer, that’s good news. Recently in 2017, this error hascropped up due to corrupt Sun Settings/View Templates, especially in the older buildsprior to 2017.2.2. In the case above this happened where one of the team member wasrunning an older build 2017.2.1.o Get the latest Journal file from the computer having issues.o Search for the missing elements "missing elem"o Copy all the element id's and have them semicolon separated, i.e.2761332;2955106;2975546o Manage Tab Inquiry Panel Select by ID to locate the elementso Delete those elements.o Restore a backup of the file that is not corrupt.o Again, select all the elements that were corrupt using Manage Tab InquiryPanel Select by IDo Copy to Clipboardo In the file having issues, in a 3D view Paste Aligned to Same Place.o Selectively Purge 3 timeso Save the file locallyo Create a copy of the Local fileo Sync with Central with the Compact Central Model two times.o Have the other use create a new local with the Audit option checked.Page 12

oAutodesk has a AKN article with the process in detail. http://autode.sk/2iIbrvC .However, they recommend using an older model that is stable. Howeversometimes, this error causes all backups to be corrupt as well and the modelcannot be restored. Rename the file and try opening the file, a few times this trick worked. Try opening with Audit open Try opening without Audit, all worksets open/closed. Try opening it a new Revit version. This is not ideal, but it is an option to consider.We have also noticed that a lot of times Restore from Backup function also fails to recover themodel. In this case the project file must be sent to Autodesk. Autodesk has special Developerbuilds that can bypass some of the errors and recover the file. Refer to the "If all else fails" topicfor sending the correct information that support requires the first time.*In most cases the backups, including the local backups will also be corrupted as mentionedabove. I have a recommendation that the Snapshot feature of the Fileserver should be used,say every hour. This will allow you to recover a problematic model. Recover a working snapshot copy of the central model RVT file to your local harddrive. Open the old model, which will become a Local file to the central model. Use Reload Latest. Save the Local file. Open the Local file with Audit option checked. Purge Create a new Central model with Compact, Central, and Regenerate viewchecked. All users should create new locals.Tools for Troubleshooting Unexpected Behavior in RevitFrom http://autode.sk/2zEJBZgManage LinksTransfer Project StandardsView TemplatesProject BrowserCut and PasteVisibility/Graphic Overrides DialogNote: When using Revit tools for troubleshooting purposes, you might make changes that youwill not want to keep. To avoid accidentally making unwanted changes to your project file,before going through any of the steps below, make a copy of the project (and if necessary linkedproject files) and only work with the copied file.When troubleshooting a project-specific issue, get the following information. (This information isgood for troubleshooting most software issues): What is happening exactly, and why is it unexpected? (If you are the one with the issue,this information should be easy to get.) This information is important because if you don'thave a clear idea of what you are trying to fix, then it is hard to know if (and when) youhave fixed it.Page 13

Has this function worked in the past?o -- Yes - Find what has changed between when it last worked and now (differentcomputer, network, hardware, software, add-ins, etc)o No - You may also need to verify that the process is supposed to work.Is your product updated? Check to make sure there are no updates that you can apply.It is a good idea to apply product updates when troubleshooting unexpected behavior(as updates often resolve such issues). In addition, if you are working with someone elseto troubleshoot the issue, make sure everyone is using the same product version.Manage Links/Linked Files:Linked files can cause unexpected behavior in Revit, such as unexpected display oflinked elements or crashing, or they can prevent a project file from opening in the firstplace.If you can't open the host project file, try copying it to a location without the linked files,and verify whether you can open it. If you can open it, then you can begin determiningwhich linked file is preventing the project from opening. (If you find that you can onlyhave a certain number of any given linked files loaded, you may be seeing a resourcerelated issue).If you can open the project, but are seeing unexpected behavior, a good first step is togo into the Manage Links dialog (on the Insert ribbon tab), and remove all linked filesfrom the project to see if the issue is related to one (or more) of the linked files.Transfer Project Standards:Sometimes, one project is not working like another, and you don't know what setting inRevit is causing the different behavior. To clear the issue, you can try transferring all theproject standards from the working project to the problematic one. To narrow down whatsetting was causing the issue (if transferring all of the project standards fixes the issue),you can transfer them in groups, or individually until you find the specific category thatclears the issue. Then compare the category settings between the two projectsView Templates:Occasionally you may find that one view, is not behaving like other views in your project.In this situation you can create a view template from the view that is working as youexpect, and apply that template to the problematic view. If the issue is cleared, you canmodify the view template to apply fewer settings and determine what specific categorywas different between the views.Project Browser:The Project Browser is the tool that allows you to access the different views in yourproject. It also allows you to access and manipulate Families, Groups, and Revit Links.If you suspect a particular group is causing issues in your project, you can find thegroup in the Project Browser, right-click it, and click Select All Instances - In entireProject. Once all instances are selected, you can ungroup them or remove them fromthe project.If a particular family is not working expected, and you want to remove and reloadthe family, you can use the steps above to select all instances in the project, and thenuse the Type Selector to change the instances to a temporary family type. (To do this,create a new family type on a different family in the same category and then change theinstances to the new family type.) Remove the existing family (which no longer has anyinstances), reload the family into the project, and then change the previous familyinstances back to their original family type.Page 14

If you suspect that one or more families are causing an error in your project, youcan use the project browser to remove all of the families (except for a single instance ofeach system family type) and verify whether the error is cleared. If the error is c

Resuscitating Revit . Before diving into fixing the model, at times Revit application may need fixing it self. This may be true in case the Revit application is crashing. We have talked about the basics of checking for Revit updates, Windows updates, Video