Revit Import - Grouped 3D polygons importing with black fill attribute

[Jack2022]

Hi All,

 

I have still not found a way to import Revit models using the 'Grouped 3D Polygon' option with the polygons having anything other than a black fill. This is making it near impossible to use the imported model without taking hours to enter each group and manually change the fill attribute of each polygon to white so I can see the geometry. 

 

The Revit import model is a large building with many rooms. Takes hours to import with thousands of groups. 

 

I do not use the other import settings as the grouped 3D Polygon option is the quickest and it still can take hours depending on the models we receive. 

 

Has anyone found a way to change the default import fill attribute colour of 3D polygons? 

 

Any help is appreciated - I have this across all Revit models we receive on various projects from different architects. 

 

thanks

[Jack2022]

I have raised this before but no-one came forward with the same experience. 

 

I can't see it being a Revit issue as it happens with all Revit files from different companies with different methods. Something VW is doing to turn everything black on the import/conversion to 3D polygons.

 

example of what I see below. this is a Revit model imported from an engineer but the black attributes issue happens with all models regardless of origin.

Edited April 18, 2023 by Jack2022

[Jeff Prince]

6 hours ago, Jack2022 said:

Any help is appreciated - I have this across all Revit models we receive on various projects from different architects. 

 

I don't recall this ever happening to me, which is probably why you aren't getting any responses here if your experience is an outlier.

 

The Revits I've been working on the past couple of years all have colors mapped in a similar fashion to their Revit appearance.  The attached image is one I imported just now.

Perhaps you've done something on your end to get these results?

Or

Perhaps your partners are not using Revit in a typical fashion?

 

Try opening what they have sent you in Revit or Autodesk's online viewer and see how it looks.  I think I've given you this recommendation in the past.

The last image is how the same Revit model looks in the Autodesk online viewer, which is slightly different than imported Vectorworks and actual Revit, but still with various objects somewhat differentiated by color.  A lot of this has to do with the person's who built the Revit model and their skills.

 

Revit appearance within Vectorworks

 

 

 

Revit appearance in Autodesk's online viewer.

[zoomer]

No real clue ... of course ....

 

But can you exclude any "too far from VW origin" issues ?

- initially Import to new file (to VW origin)

- check actual import geometry location, note grid start point or such coordinates ...)

(- set import file template's User Origin to negative coordinates)

(- or work with geolocating in import/container files)

 

OK, you are a Landmark user, maybe we can exclude this already.

 

 

Is there anything you could do by deleting existing Revit class imports > then assigning

new VW classes, with "use at creation" on

[Jeff Prince]

I just noticed a curious thing.

If the attribute panel in Vectorworks is set to something specific prior to importing the Revit, say a Fill = Solid + a color and Pen = Solid + a color, some entities imported will take on these characteristics.  I'm sure that depends on how the entities are defined in Revit, but this could be a clue as to why this is happening to @Jack2022

[Jack2022]

Thanks both. 

 

Ive screen shared with two providers of the Revit models and it all looks fine their end. correct colours etc. This is happening with every Revit model we import regardless of origin.

 

I've just received another model from another architect that imports quickly so I can easily test a few ideas - imported black as before (screen shot below) but will try different attribute settings. For the record I'm importing as shown below.

 

 

[Jeff Prince]

What do the setting for Shaded view look like?

[Jack2022]

If I model anything it colours correctly as per the current attributes settings. The Revit import comes in as grouped 3D polys where the groups are called Revit entities (if that helps).

 

 

[Jeff Prince]

Turn draw edges off and see what happens.

[Jack2022]

Same thing - I can click into the groups and its the polygons within that have a black fill attribute which I can change and it works. So its the default colour of the imported grouped polygon I want to change I think.

 

Just had a thought it could be the default layer fill colour. 

 

I changed this for the standard layer in the empty drawing but then when Revit imports it creates its own layer. is there a way to change the default layer fill for new layers? 

[Jack2022]

Solved it.

 

went into 'none' class (Revit imports to that as default) - edit - clicked the use at creation box. It then asked to revert all geometry to that colour. 

 

Thanks for helping out and narrowing options 

[Jeff Prince]

6 minutes ago, Jack2022 said:

Solved it.

 

went into 'none' class (Revit imports to that as default) - edit - clicked the use at creation box. It then asked to revert all geometry to that colour. 

 

Thanks for helping out and narrowing options 

 

So glad you were able to solve it!

[Jack2022]

Looks like this only works if the empty/shuttle file you import into doesn't have 'Use at Creation' already ticked before you import. Even if the None class already has a fill attribute set to white when you import. 

 

If the host file has it ticked when you import there appears to be no automated way to change everything to another colour.