Question 1

Revit is painfully slow or completely frozen. Help.

Accepted Answer

First, save if you still can. Then try: Manage → Purge Unused to strip dead content, and File → Open with the Audit checkbox ticked. Turn off Hardware Acceleration (Options → Graphics) if it keeps happening. Large linked CAD files are often the hidden culprit — detach or unload them.

Question 2

Revit crashed and I want to cry. Can I recover my work?

Accepted Answer

Yes, usually. Revit saves numbered backups automatically: look for YourFile.0001.rvt, .0002.rvt etc. in the same folder as your file. Also check %LOCALAPPDATA%\Autodesk\Revit\Autodesk Revit 20XX\Journals\ — the journal file can sometimes help reconstruct actions. Open the latest backup and save it under a new name.

Question 3

My file is 400MB+ and takes forever to open.

Accepted Answer

Run Purge Unused (Manage → Purge Unused) — it often cuts file size by 30–70%. Also check for imported CAD files or high-resolution images embedded in the model. Compress the file on save (File → Save → Options → Compact File). If you use Worksets, only open the worksets you actually need.

Question 4

My elements have vanished from a view. They exist, I swear.

Accepted Answer

Open Visibility/Graphics (shortcut: VV). Check that the category is turned on. Also look for active Filters that might be hiding them, check the View Range (the element might be outside the cut plane), verify the element's Phase matches the View Phase, and make sure its Workset is visible in this view.

Question 5

My section or callout marker disappeared from the plan.

Accepted Answer

The annotation is probably hidden in that specific view. Open VV → Annotation Categories → make sure Sections and Callouts are checked. Also check the section wasn't accidentally moved to a different Design Option. Right-click the view in the Project Browser → Go To View to confirm it still exists.

Question 6

Everything in my view is gray and I can't select anything.

Accepted Answer

You probably have a Group or Assembly active (an edit mode). Press Escape a few times or click Finish/Cancel in the ribbon. Alternatively, the view might have "Gray Inactive Worksets" enabled — check View Properties → Worksets → Show. Also check for an active Design Option that's making non-option elements gray.

Question 7

My phase filter isn't working. Demolished walls are still showing.

Accepted Answer

Each element has two phase properties: Phase Created and Phase Demolished. Check the element's properties panel. Then verify the View's Phase setting and Phase Filter. The Phase Filter controls how New/Existing/Demolished elements are displayed (shown, gray, or hidden) — not just whether they appear. Set the Phase Filter to "Show Complete" to hide demolished elements.

Question 8

My walls refuse to join and there are ugly gaps.

Accepted Answer

Select one wall → Modify → Wall Joins (or right-click the join grip at the corner). You can set the Join Type to Butt, Miter, or Square Off, and change which wall takes priority. Make sure both walls are in the same Phase and are not in separate Groups. If they still won't join, check that they share the same Base and Top constraints.

Question 9

I keep getting "Elements have overlapping volumes" warnings.

Accepted Answer

This means two solid elements (usually walls or floors) occupy the same space. Use the warning dialog to select the offending elements — you'll often find a duplicate wall accidentally stacked on top of another. Delete the duplicate. You can also use Tab to cycle through overlapping elements and select only what you need.

Question 10

My room tag shows the wrong area. The room is clearly bounded!

Accepted Answer

The room boundary probably has a gap. Use the Room Separation Line to close any opening smaller than the room boundary tolerance. Check that all bounding walls reach the correct level height and aren't cut by a Plan Region. Select the room and drag its reference point to confirm it's inside the boundary. Also check the room's Limit Offset property.

Question 11

I can't load a family. Revit just ignores the RFA.

Accepted Answer

First, check that the RFA was created in a version equal to or older than your Revit — you cannot load a Revit 2025 family into Revit 2023. Open the family directly (File → Open) to verify it loads at all. If it opens, it may be the wrong Category for your project template. If it won't open, the file may be corrupted — try recovering from a backup.

Question 12

My family looks totally different inside the project vs the family editor.

Accepted Answer

This is almost always a Visibility/Graphics issue. In the Family Editor, check each geometry's Visibility Settings (select it → Visibility Settings button). The geometry might be set to appear only in 3D or only in specific detail levels. Also check that the Reference Planes are correct and the family origin aligns with how it's being placed.

Question 13

"Can't make type" error when duplicating a type.

Accepted Answer

A type with that exact name already exists, possibly in a different family loaded in the project. Rename it before duplicating (add a suffix like "_v2" or the date). If you're trying to rename a System Family type (like a wall type), make sure you're not accidentally duplicating a built-in type that has naming restrictions.

Question 14

My PDF is printing at the wrong scale. The measurements are off.

Accepted Answer

When exporting to PDF, make sure you select the exact paper size (A4, A3, etc.) that matches your Revit sheet. The most common mistake: the printer driver is set to "Fit to page" or "Shrink to fit" — this scales everything down silently. Use File → Export → PDF and match the paper size exactly. Verify with a known dimension after printing.

Question 15

Hidden lines are showing in my DWG or PDF export.

Accepted Answer

For PDFs: make sure you're using "Vector Processing" in the export settings (not Raster). Check Visibility/Graphics → the "Hidden Lines" sub-category for the relevant element type. For DWG export: Revit's hidden-line behavior doesn't always translate to DWG — the receiving software (AutoCAD) interprets things differently. Use PDF instead for guaranteed results.

Question 16

The viewport border is printing on my sheets.

Accepted Answer

Select the viewport on the sheet → check the Type (in Properties). Edit the Viewport Type → set the line weight of the viewport border to nothing, or switch to a "No Line" viewport type. You can also create a new Viewport Type with no visible boundary. If you're seeing crop region boundaries, turn those off: View → Crop Region → Hide Crop Region.

Question 17

I need to rotate a view 90° on a sheet. How?

Accepted Answer

Select the viewport on the sheet → in the Properties panel find "Rotation on Sheet" → choose 90° or 270° from the dropdown. Alternatively, select the viewport and use Modify → Rotate. Note: not all view types support rotation on sheet (plan views typically do, 3D views do not).

Question 18

Can't sync with Central — "borrowed elements" error.

Accepted Answer

Another user has borrowed elements you're trying to edit. Options: (1) Ask them to sync and Relinquish All Mine (Collaborate → Relinquish All Mine). (2) If they're offline or unavailable, the BIM manager can go to the Central file → Collaborate → Relinquish All → select the absent user. (3) Wait for them to sync — borrowed elements auto-release on their next sync.

Question 19

All my worksets are grayed out.

Accepted Answer

You're probably working in a Detached copy of the file (opened as "Detach from Central"). Close the file without saving and reopen it normally — do not check "Detach from Central". If Worksharing was never enabled on this file, go to Collaborate → Worksets → Enable Worksharing. If Worksets are visible but grayed, you may not own that workset — click on it to Request or Make Editable.

Question 20

My linked file shows as "Not Found".

Accepted Answer

Go to Manage → Manage Links → select the missing link → click "Reload From..." and browse to the file's new location. If the team moved to a new server or folder, update the path. Consider switching to Relative paths (Manage Links → right-click → Change to Relative) so the link resolves relative to the host file's location — much more portable across machines.

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