No question about it, the number one reason people call me is to help them find something that’s gone missing in
the view they’re working in. So I thought it would be helpful to create a
checklist of where I look when something has gone missing.
Visibility Graphics Dialogue
This
is the first place I start. Check to make sure the category of the element you're missing is on in the VG dialogue.
If the category is on, make sure the sub-category is on. This is often
overlooked so be sure to expand the category to expose the sub-categories.
Sometimes, however it’s a nested family category that you have to watch out
for. In the example below you’ll notice the door category and sub-categories
are on in the VG dialogue. However there is part of the door family that is not
displayed. That’s because the door contains a nested family from the Detail
Item category. This is also true for any linked model. Each linked model has
its own set of VG, so make sure you check them.
Worksets
Check to make sure all the worksets are visible. Even if set to visible or show, elements on a Closed workset will not be visible.
Make sure all the worksets are open. If any are closed you can open them in the Workset dialogue from the Manage Collaboration panel on the Collaboration tab on the ribbon.
Filters
To ensure a filter is not the culprit, make sure they're all visible. If a filter is the cause of the visibility issue you may have to edit it to avoid showing items that have been intentionally hidden with the filter. Check with your team members before editing or removing filters.
Design Options
Check the Design Options tab in the VG dialogue. The element you're looking for may be on a different DO than what's set in the view. You can temporarily change this setting to show any of the DO. Note: DO only work with 3D elements.
View Range
Check to make sure the element you're looking for falls within the Primary View Range. If it's outside this range you won't be able to see it. If the element does fall outside the primary range, you may not want to change it right away. Discuss this with your team to make sure you're not affecting someone else's setting.
Plan Region
Plan Regions control a separate view range in floor plan views. Check the VG dialogue for Plan Region visibility in the view. If Plan Regions are visible, check their view range settings.
Hide at Scales Courser Than
If you're missing a callout, section, or elevation marker be sure to check the view properties setting "Hide at scales courser than" in the missing view. The scale of the view may be the reason why any one of these view markers are not showing up.
Detail Level
Any loadable family can have it's visibility set to Course, Medium, or Fine. If the visibility of the element is set to something other than what you have your view set to, it will not show up. This setting will also effect nested families so you may have to edit the family to get to the bottom of it.
Manually Hidden Elements
Don't forget to simply check for hidden elements by clicking the Reveal Hidden Elements button on the view control bar.
Phases
If your project has phases there's a good chance your missing element was created on the wrong phase and the phase filter in the view is causing the issue. Make sure to check both the view as well as the element phase settings.
Ideate Revit Add-in to the Rescue!
X-Ray is an add-in tool the will help you find what you're missing. In addition to helping you find missing stuff it will explain why it's missing, which is always a good thing.
When things go missing in Revit it's easy to blow your top. Just slow down and work through these 10 areas and you're sure to find what you're missing.
