File linking in Revit: What sorts of complexities are confronted by users while linking a file?

File linking in Revit: What sorts of complexities are confronted by users while linking a file?
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One of the most primary and indispensable step that is taken by interdisciplinary design teams for collaborating across disciplines and for exchanging paramount information is to link different Revit files. This process of exchanging information and linking Revit files together is generally known as multi-discipline design coordination. The entire requirement for collaborating across disciplines is to maintain sufficient clarity on building design so that associated teams can proceed in the design development process with uniform or similar assumptions.

One of the most common scenarios for linking a Revit file in a host project would be to understand the design of the linked model and then make crucial adjustments in the host project for eradicating a situation of overlapping of elements.

Different kinds of complexities that occur during file linking

  • The most common issue that is faced by BIM modelers when they link a Revit file within their project is that they have to enormously deal with discrepancies of linked geometry in terms of its positioning in the project.
  • This is because most of the times the linked Revit model and the host Revit model do not share the same coordinate which leads to problems in the placement of linked geometry in the current project.
  • For sorting out this file linking problem Revit users are suggested to select relevant file positioning option when they link a file in a model.
  • So in context of above mentioned case Revit users are required to use ‘Shared coordinates’ for tackling the issue.
  • When multiple files are interlinked then Revit users make use of shared coordinates for recalling the positions of different interlinked files.
  • Another problem that is faced by Revit users during file linking is to maintain the links of linked files when their host file is again linked to another file.
  • And for managing this problem, Revit users are required to choose appropriate file linking method.
  • Links incorporated in the linked file cannot be maintained if its host is linked to another file when the file is linked by using Overlay method.
  • On the other hand links incorporated in the linked file can be easily maintained even if the host Revit file gets linked into another Revit file if Revit users have used Attachment method for linking the file.

  • Bhagwati Pathak

    Bhagwati Pathak is an Executive Director at Tesla Outsourcing Services. Technical Project Management, BIM, Client Management, and Leadership are her forte. With an expertise in BIM and a flair for writing, her articles provide a direction to contractors, sub-contractors, engineers, and architects in employing the right methodology for an Architectural, Structural, or MEP CAD / BIM project.


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File linking in Revit: What sorts of complexities are confronted by users while linking a file?
Written By:
Bhagwati Pathak
Bhagwati Pathak is an Executive Director at Tesla Outsourcing Services. Technical Project Management, BIM, Client Management, and Leadership are her forte. With an expertise in BIM and a flair for writing, her articles provide a direction to contractors, sub-contractors, engineers, and architects in employing the right methodology for an Architectural, Structural, or MEP CAD / BIM project.