So you have started a project with cove.tool and are now using the Revit Plug-in to get your building geometry from Revit into cove.tool. You use the "create cove.tool views" command to generate the views you will need for export, but one or more of the views return empty, what is causing this problem and how do you fix it?
The causes of why one or more cove.tool views return empty, varies for each category. Below I have broken down the reasons and solutions for this occurrence into each building component category.
Roofs: An empty roof-view may be a misidentified object error. Return to a complete 3D view and check the properties of your project's roof-object. The most common error is that your roof-object may have been categorized as a floor-object during the modeling stage. This would cause the roof-object to filter into the floors-view during the "create cove.tool views" command. The solution is either, un-hiding the roof-object(s) to be visible in the Roof View, or drawing a new roof-object, deleting the old object, and repeating the create cove.tool views command to generate a new view with the correctly identified roof-object.
Floors: An empty floor-view, is the most unlikely of the empty view cases as it is the only object whose property categorization is fixed, and most unlikely to be incorrectly modeled/label during the massing/modeling phase in Revit. If you find yourself with an empty floor-view or have a floor-view with missing floor-objects, check the properties of your [missing] floor(s)-object. If the objects is a "floor mass" and have yet to be fully converted to a floor-object with floor-type properties, then apply a floor-type to the masses floor face to complete the model and convert the plane to a full-fledged building component. If your floor-object is categorized as a finish (ex: carpet, painted) or room area, then use the existing outline of this object to trace and add a new floor-object. Repeat the create cove.tool views command to generate a new view with the correctly identified floor-object.
Skylights: An empty skylight-view is the most common cause. If your project does not have skylights, then your cove.tool skylight-view will automatically return as empty. This is not an error and can be overlooked during the exporting process. In the case where your project does include skylight(s) and the skylight-view is empty, the likely problem is a misidentified skylight-object. Opening a temporary hidden view and un-hiding your skylight-object to make it visible in the normal skylight-view should be the best way to get your skylight-object back.
Windows: An empty windows-view may be the hardest case to identify both the issue and the solution. All solutions will vary on the window object's categorization. Here is a list of possible window-type categories inside Revit, a modeler may label a window-object as Windows, Walls, Curtain Walls, Curtain Systems, and the Generic Models. Windows with Window and Curtain Wall tags, should have no issues as they are already correctly marked, and will be automatically filtered into the cove.tool window's view. If your Window object is in the Wall or Curtain System category then your object should just be un-hidden in the cove.tool window view. These object types will have their area values properly exported once visible, no matter the family tag. However, if you repeat the 'create cove.tool views' command, these objects will again be filtered out and you will have to repeat the un-hide step to return them to this view. If your window object is a generic model, then the views command or export tool will not read this object because this object type is a model placeholder in Revit and has no area information, even though it may have a height and width component. This object should have its family tag change or be remodeled as a compatible window object type. Also note, that exterior door and mullions will show up in the view as for an energy model equation, those areas are necessary for the EUI calculation and should be categorized as window objects because of their poor insulation properties, so do not worry if these objects show up in your windows-view.
Interior or Exterior Walls: An empty wall-view is also a common cause to see in the Revit Plugin process. The most likely scenario is a mislabeled function tag for your wall objects. Inside every wall type, listed in the Type Properties window, is a line titled Function (screenshot below). Every wall-object will have its function listed as either 'exterior or interior'. The objects that are filtered into the 2 views based on their function markers. Changing this function is easy and will automatically correct all other wall objects with this family tag. Also, un-hiding these wall objects in the view should be fine, and be ready for the wall geometry export.
How the Revit Plug-in creates cove.tool views:
The ‘create cove.tool views’ command uses the Family Tags and Function properties of an object to filter them into the correct cove.tool geometry export views. Objects which are tagged in the wrong family/ building properties, will not filter into these views but can be updated to correctly show the objects with the steps listed above.
Users may have custom view templates to help with the design workflow that can be automatically applied to any newly created views, including cove.tool views. One indication that this is occurring is that every newly created cove.tool view has the same objects visible and hidden that do not include all of the objects you need. If this is occurring, look into the view template properties under the identity data section and uncheck box next to new views are dependent on template. Save the settings and re-create the cove.tool views.
