Architectural objects not appearing in your MEP model?

If you link in an architectural model and notice some elements are missing, first check your Visibility/Graphics and View Range settings. If those setting are correct and the elements still aren't showing up, there is a good chance it is a workset issue. When worksets are created, there is an option to make them "visible by default in all views”. If an architect creates a workset and unchecks this option, any object he or she places on that workset will not appear when the model is linked into a Revit MEP model (when the MEP views are set to "By Host View"). If the architect did this unintentionally, he or she will need to create a new workset with the “visible by default in all views” option checked, transfer the objects over to the new workset, and send you the updated Revit file. Same goes for us MEP guys. If we create a workset not visible in all views and place objects on that workset, those objects will not be visible when an architect links our model into theirs (when the architect's views are set to "By Host View"). Keep in mind that once a workset is created, there is no way to change that visibility setting.

All I see are grid lines!

Is the top floor plan level of your linked model not showing up in plan view? Are you just seeing grid lines and no walls or doors? Is there a roof level, and if so, did you create a floor plan for that level? If not, that is the problem. Go to the View Range settings for the level in question. Most likely, the top is set to "Level Above". If you didn't create a plan view of the roof, then technically there is no "level above" and nothing will display in plan view. To fix this, either copy/monitor and create a floor plan view of the roof level, or set the top range of the floor plan level to "Associated Level (Level #)" and enter an offset value of 10'-0", or whatever is required for the visibility of your plan view.

Streamlining Local File Creation

In my Revit MEP project setup procedure, I reference a script file that streamlines local file creation. This script was created by Dave Baldacchino and here is the link to his blog...

http://do-u-revit.blogspot.com/

Here is the link to where you can download the file...

http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?p=741373#post741373

The key thing when using this script file is naming the central file correctly. Then you just copy the Revit Make Local.exe file into the same folder as the MEP central file. You can then create a shortcut to that particular Revit Make Local.exe file and place it on your desktop. Double-click the shortcut and you're done!