How to Restore Lost Elements Using Revit® Backup Files or Copies

Last time, I explained how to transfer views, family types, elements, etc. between different Revit® projects. This time I would like to show how to restore lost elements using Revit backup files or copies.

Imagine you’re working on a big project, and you notice that some Revit® elements that had been modeled a few hours or even days ago are missing. That might happen on workshared projects when team members don’t own worksets, and everybody can edit anything. So, sometimes someone might accidentally delete someone else’s elements.

To transfer the missing elements, you need to find a backup file where the elements are still in their place, or a local copy of the project that wasn’t synchronized with the central file for some time (and has the missing elements in it).

Now you have to open both projects in Revit. The best way to transfer elements is in plan views, so activate in both projects same-level plan views. Mark the elements in the project where they are still in their place (you can use right click and Select All Instances >Visible in View or just select all and filter the required elements).

Note that you don’t need to select hosts for host based elements, if the host is not deleted in the more recent project.

After selecting elements, press Ctrl+C on your keyboard. Now switch to the project where your elements are missing. In the Modify tab, choose Paste >Aligned to Current View.

The elements should be placed in the exact same places. Now you have to go to each plan with missing elements and repeat these steps.

If you need to copy Annotation elements (dimensions, tags etc.), then you need to choose Aligned to Selected Views and tick needed views. You can also do the same in 3D view with all elements at once, but there is a risk of losing some elements. If you want to transfer elements through 3D views after selecting and coping elements, you need to choose Aligned to Selected Levels and choose only one level of lowest selected element. Elements will be placed starting from the bottom.

I hope this Revit tip will help you avoid some headaches!

Going further

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Want to try out one (or some) of them for yourself?

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• Download our TOOLS4BIM Dock that matches your Revit® version
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