Known Issues for Generative Design

Learn about known issues for Generative Design in Revit and for Generative Design tools in Dynamo, with work-arounds, where available.

In this topic

Known issues for Generative Design in Revit

Adding a folder with many files takes a long time

Symptom: When using Manage Folders to add a folder, you select a folder that contains lots (thousands) of files. The process appears to hang. Clicking on the + button to add another folder has no effect.

Issue: The delay is related to how the operating system processes files. In addition to looking at the files in the selected folder, the operating system also examines the files in any subfolders. However, only study types in the selected folder will be listed in the Create Study dialog.

Work-around: Wait patiently. When the operating system finishes its processing, the Manage Folders dialog becomes responsive again, and you can proceed.

Manage Folders is not sensitive to dynamic folder changes

Symptom: You use Manage Folders to add a folder, close the Manage Folders dialog, and then delete the folder on disk. On the Create Study dialog, for Choose Folder, if you select that folder, Generative Design correctly displays a warning for the missing folder. However, if you then undo the folder deletion on disk and reopen Manage folders, the folder is still displayed with a warning.

Issue: This issue occurs because the folder state is now out of date in Manage Folders. This issue may apply to any changes to files or folders during the Generative Design session.

Work-around: In the Manage Folders dialog, delete any out-of-date folder entries, and add them again.

Study type image doesn't update after switching folders

Symptom: In the Create Study dialog, you choose a folder, loading its study types and displaying their thumbnail images. You then choose a different folder, which contains a different edition of a study type of the same name but a different thumbnail image. This image does not display; instead, the image for the first edition of the study type displays in the dialog.

Work-around: Close the dialog and try again.

Explore Outcomes dialog is blank

Symptom: When you use the Cross Product method to run certain study types, the Explore Outcomes dialog is blank (shows no outcomes) for that study and for all other listed studies.

Work-around: Delete the study that uses the Cross Product method. The Explore Outcomes dialog then correctly displays the outcomes of other studies.

Known issues for Generative Design tools in Dynamo

High-resolution JPEG images cause a silent failure

Symptom: When using Dynamo to create a study type, you specify a high-resolution JPEG file. This causes a failure.

Work-around: Use PNG files or low- or medium-resolution JPEG files as study type images.

Changes to a graph are saved when you close the graph window

Symptom: You use Dynamo to edit a Generative Design graph using Manual execution mode. If you click the X for the graph window to close the grraph and cancel the changes, those changes are saved instead.

Work-around: None

Data.Remember node suggestions disappear when you use the custom node pane

Symptom: When using Dynamo to edit a Generative Design graph, Dynamo displays a + icon to indicate where you should add Data.Remember nodes to hold data. If you double-click one of the custom nodes to expand it and switch to the custom node pane, then switch back to the center pane, the suggestions disappear.

Work-around: Close and re-open the graph. If you expand a custom node, do not switch to the custom node pane.

Buttons in tools pane are clipped

Symptom: When you open the Generative Design tools and then resize the Dynamo to make it smaller, the Create Study Type or Update Study Type button may be clipped (not completely visible).

Work-around: Resize the Dynamo window to be larger.

Update Study Type workflow is active when no updates are posted

Symptom: When you use a Dynamo graph to successfully create a study type, the button label changes to Update Study Type. This button is enabled regardless of whether there are updates to the graph or its metadata.

Work-around: None

Create Study Type workflow fails when a network drive becomes unavailable

Symptom: You open a Dynamo graph that resides on a network drive, and then you use it to create a study type. If, during this process, the network drive becomes unavailable, Dynamo stops working.

Work-around: Before clicking Create Study Type, check the network drive for access.

No save prompt for Generative Design graphs when closing Dynamo

Symptom: If you're editing a Generative Design graph and you close Dynamo without saving changes, you are not prompted to save changes before exiting.

Work-around: None

Warning: Issues Found message may display when there are no issues

Symptom: You use Dynamo to edit a Generative Design graph using Manual execution mode. If you save changes, the Warning: Issues Found message displays. When you select the Issues tab in the tools pane, no issues are listed.

Issue: The message displays as designed. However, the message may be confusing to some users.

The Open in Dynamo tool circumvents help with missing dependencies

Symptom: When you use Dynamo to open a Generative Design graph (by using the Open icon or File > Open or clicking a graph on the Home screen), the Missing Dependencies warning identifies missing packages or custom nodes, and helps you install them. However, if you use the Open in Dynamo tool from the Create Study dialog to open a graph, this warning does not display.

Work-around: Open the graph from Dynamo.