When you acquire coordinates from a linked model or file, the coordinates of the linked model establish the shared coordinate system of the host model.
For example, the following image illustrates acquiring grid coordinates from a DWG file that is linked to the host Revit model.
The host model also acquires True North from the linked model. The origin of the linked model's shared coordinates becomes the origin of the host model's shared coordinates. There is no change to the host model's internal coordinates.
When a Revit model acquires coordinates from a linked DWG file, the grid coordinates of the linked DWG file establish the shared coordinate system of the host Revit model. The Y axis of the DWG becomes True North, and the origin of the DWG becomes the origin of the shared coordinate system of the Revit model. See About Using Grid Coordinates from a Linked DWG.
To acquire coordinates
The link can be topography, a DWG or DWF file, or a Revit model.
The host model now shares coordinates with the link. If other loaded linked models share coordinates with the host model, they also acquire the new coordinates.