139 Pinned Elements

Table of Contents

• Key Features
• Requirements
• What This Tool Does
• Interface Guide
• Step-by-Step Guide
• Example Workflows
• Understanding Pinned Elements
• Tips and Best Practices
• Common Use Cases
• Troubleshooting

Key Features

• Automatic Discovery: Finds ALL pinned elements across the entire model
• No Manual Selection: No need to hunt for pinned elements
• Comprehensive View: Uses 88 Element Properties interface for detailed metadata
• Category Analysis: See what types of elements are pinned
• Location Tracking: View coordinates of pinned elements
• Workset Information: Identify which worksets contain pinned elements
• Export Capabilities: Export pinned element list to CSV or Excel
• Bulk Management: Select, zoom to, or document multiple pinned elements
• Level Distribution: See which levels have pinned elements
• Phase Information: View creation and demolition phases

Requirements

Essential Components

1. Valid Bonus Tools License: Active license key required
2. Open Revit Project: Active project to analyze
3. Pinned Elements: Elements must be pinned in the model (tool works even if none found)

Recommended Setup

• Updated Model: Ensure model graphics are regenerated
• Workset Visibility: All worksets opened for comprehensive search
• No Active Filters: Disable selection filters for complete results

What This Tool Does

Automatic Process

1. Launch: Click "139 Pinned Elements" from Bonus Tools ribbon
2. Scan: Tool automatically scans entire model for pinned elements
3. Display: Opens 88 Element Properties window with results
4. Title: Window shows "139 Pinned Elements" instead of default name

What You Get

Immediate Information:

• Count of all pinned elements (shown in "Total" field)
• Complete list with detailed properties
• All 13+ property columns available
• Ready for filtering, sorting, and analysis

No Input Required:

• Tool handles all searching automatically
• No need to select elements first
• No need to filter views manually
• Comprehensive model-wide scan

Interface Guide

The tool opens the 88 Element Properties (Advanced) interface with pinned elements pre-loaded.

Grid Columns

Core Information:

• Id: Element identifier for reference
• Family Name: Family (if family instance)
• Type Name: Element type or name
• Category: What kind of element (Walls, Doors, etc.)
• Select: Checkbox for operations

Context Information:

• View: Owner view (for view-specific elements)
• Level: Associated level
• Host: Host element (if applicable)
• Phase Created: Creation phase
• Phase Demolished: Demolition phase
• Location: XYZ coordinates
• Is Grouped: Group membership
• Workset: Assigned workset

Available Operations

Selection Tools:

• Select All: Select all pinned elements
• Select None: Deselect all
• Select Selected: Toggle highlighted rows

Action Buttons:

• Go to View: Zoom to selected elements in Revit
• Select and go to Revit: Select in Revit and close tool
• Delete: Remove selected elements (with confirmation)
• Delete & Close: Quick delete and exit

Export Options:

• CSV: Export to CSV format
• Excel: Export to Excel spreadsheet

Utility:

• Reset Filters: Clear all column filters
• About: Version information
• Close: Exit tool (ESC key works)

Step-by-Step Guide

Basic Workflow

1. Launch the Tool

   • Go to Bonus Tools ribbon
   • Click "139 Pinned Elements"
   • Tool scans model automatically

2. Review Results

   • Check "Total" count to see how many pinned elements exist
   • Review grid columns for details
   • Scroll horizontally to see all properties

3. Analyze the Data

   • Sort by Category to group element types
   • Filter by Level to see distribution
   • Check Workset assignments
   • Review locations if needed

4. Take Action

   • Export list for documentation
   • Select elements to zoom to
   • Document why elements are pinned
   • Unpin if needed (done manually in Revit)

Finding Specific Pinned Elements

1. By Category

   • Click Category column filter
   • Enter category name (e.g., "Walls")
   • Review filtered results

2. By Level

   • Click Level column filter
   • Select specific level
   • See which elements on that level are pinned

3. By Workset

   • Click Workset column filter
   • Filter to specific workset
   • Review workset's pinned elements

4. By Location

   • Sort by Location column
   • Export to Excel for coordinate analysis
   • Identify patterns or clusters

Documenting Pinned Elements

1. Export Full List

   • With no filters applied
   • Click "Excel" or "CSV"
   • Choose save location
   • File opens automatically

2. Create Report

   • Apply desired filters first
   • Export filtered view
   • Use in Excel for formatted reports
   • Share with team or archive

3. Visual Verification

   • Select elements of interest
   • Click "Go to View"
   • Verify in Revit
   • Document in screenshots if needed

Example Workflows

Workflow 1: Pinned Element Audit

Goal: Document all pinned elements and understand why they're pinned

Steps:

1. Launch 139 Pinned Elements
2. Export complete list to Excel
3. Add column for "Pin Reason" (manual entry)
4. Review each category:
   • Walls: Often pinned during design
   • Detail Items: May be pinned to prevent movement
   • Annotations: Tags/dimensions pinned for stability
   • Structural: Pinned for coordination
5. Filter by workset to assign review responsibility
6. Document findings in project standards

Analysis Questions:

• Are critical structural elements pinned?
• Are unnecessary elements pinned?
• Which discipline pinned each element?
• Are there legacy pins from previous phases?

Workflow 2: Pre-Coordination Cleanup

Goal: Identify and remove unnecessary pins before coordination meeting

Steps:

1. Run tool to see all pinned elements
2. Filter to specific categories for cleanup
3. Sort by Level to work systematically
4. For each element:
   • Click "Go to View"
   • Assess if pin is still needed
   • Note ID for unpinning
5. Export "keep pinned" list for reference
6. Manually unpin elements in Revit
7. Re-run tool to verify cleanup

Key Decisions:

• Keep pins on reference elements
• Remove pins on work-in-progress
• Document permanent pins
• Coordinate pins with team

Workflow 3: Workset-Based Pin Management

Goal: Review pinned elements by workset ownership

Steps:

1. Launch tool
2. Filter by Workset column
3. For each workset:
   • Review pinned element count
   • Assess if appropriate
   • Document critical pins
4. Export workset-specific lists
5. Distribute to workset owners
6. Request justification for pins
7. Develop unpinning strategy

Workset Analysis:

• Which worksets have most pins?
• Are consultant model elements pinned?
• Do design worksets need pins?
• Are there orphaned pins?

Workflow 4: Level-by-Level Review

Goal: Systematically review pins on each building level

Steps:

1. Run 139 Pinned Elements
2. Filter to first level (e.g., "Level 1")
3. Review all pinned elements on that level
4. Document necessary vs. unnecessary pins
5. Export level-specific list
6. Move to next level
7. Repeat for all levels
8. Create summary report

Level Analysis:

• Which levels have most pins?
• Are pins concentrated in certain areas?
• Do similar levels have consistent pins?
• Are there pattern anomalies?

Workflow 5: Category-Specific Pin Review

Goal: Review all pinned elements of specific category

Steps:

1. Launch tool
2. Filter Category to target (e.g., "Doors")
3. Review why doors are pinned
4. Check if pins are justified:
   • Coordination requirement?
   • Prevent accidental movement?
   • Legacy from previous work?
5. Select unjustified pins
6. Note IDs for unpinning
7. Export list for documentation

Common Categories to Review:

• Doors/Windows: Usually shouldn't be pinned
• Walls: May be pinned during design freeze
• Structural Framing: Often pinned for coordination
• Detail Items: May be pinned in templates
• Annotations: Sometimes pinned to prevent moves

Workflow 6: Phase-Based Pin Analysis

Goal: Understand pin distribution across project phases

Steps:

1. Run tool
2. Sort by "Phase Created"
3. Analyze pins by phase:
   • New Construction phase pins
   • Existing phase pins
   • Demo phase pins
4. Filter to specific phases
5. Review if phase-appropriate
6. Document findings
7. Create phase-specific pin policies

Phase Questions:

• Are existing elements appropriately pinned?
• Should new work be pinned?
• Are demo elements properly managed?
• Do phases have consistent pin approach?

Understanding Pinned Elements

What Does Pinning Do?

Element Pinning:

• Prevents element from being moved
• Prevents element from being deleted (requires unpin first)
• Visual indicator in Revit (pin icon)
• Affects element and all its hosted elements

Why Elements Get Pinned

Legitimate Reasons:

• Coordination: Prevent changes to coordinated elements
• Reference: Lock reference/datum elements
• Design Freeze: Prevent changes during construction docs
• Critical Elements: Protect important elements
• Template Standards: Standardized pinned elements

Problematic Reasons:

• Accidental: User pinned unintentionally
• Legacy: Pins from old project phases
• Over-Protection: Unnecessary defensive pinning
• Forgotten: Pins left after reason no longer applies

Pin Best Practices

When to Pin:

• Reference elements for coordination
• Elements in locked down areas
• Critical structural elements
• Standardized template elements
• After coordination approval

When to Unpin:

• Active design areas
• Elements needing modification
• After coordination changes approved
• When transferring ownership
• Before major design changes

Tips and Best Practices

Search Strategy

Comprehensive Search:

• Tool searches ALL elements in model
• Includes all worksets (even if hidden)
• Includes all phases
• Includes all views
• No manual filtering needed

Understanding Results:

• Zero results = no pinned elements (rare)
• Large counts = review pin policy
• Unexpected categories = investigate
• Missing expected items = may not be pinned

Analysis Approach

Start Broad:

1. Review total count
2. Group by category
3. Analyze by level
4. Check workset distribution
5. Drill into specifics

Document Everything:

• Export complete list before unpinning
• Track pin reasons
• Note unpinning decisions
• Maintain pin policy documentation

Coordination Best Practices

Before Meetings:

• Run tool to get current state
• Export for distribution
• Identify questionable pins
• Prepare unpin list

After Meetings:

• Update pin status
• Document agreed pins
• Remove unnecessary pins
• Re-run tool to verify

Reporting Tips

Executive Summary:

• Total pin count
• Pins by category (top 5)
• Pins by workset
• Recommended actions

Detailed Report:

• Full export to Excel
• Pivot tables by category, level, workset
• Location analysis
• Phase distribution

Common Use Cases

Model Quality Control

Pin Audit:

• Regular reviews (monthly recommended)
• Track pin count trends
• Identify pin creep
• Maintain pin hygiene

Cleanup Operations:

• Pre-milestone reviews
• Phase transitions
• Workset reorganization
• Model optimization

Coordination

Multi-Discipline:

• Identify consultant pins
• Review coordination pins
• Verify pin agreements
• Maintain pin documentation

Change Management:

• Document existing pins before changes
• Verify critical elements protected
• Review after major updates
• Track pin modifications

Documentation

Project Records:

• Pin status at milestones
• Pinned element inventory
• Pin policy compliance
• Historical pin tracking

Handover Documentation:

• Final pin list
• Pin reasons documentation
• Critical element identification
• Operations guidance

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Problem: "Tool shows zero elements but I know some are pinned"

• Cause: Elements may be on closed worksets or in closed design options
• Solution:
  • Open all worksets
  • Activate all design options
  • Reload linked models
  • Check if elements are actually pinned
  • Verify in Revit directly

Problem: "Expected pinned elements not showing"

• Cause: Elements may not actually be pinned
• Solution:
  • Verify pin status in Revit
  • Check if in locked group (different from pinned)
  • Review element properties
  • May be constraint-locked vs. pinned

Problem: "Too many pinned elements to review"

• Cause: Excessive pinning in model
• Solution:
  • Filter by category for focused review
  • Work level by level
  • Prioritize by workset
  • Create unpinning plan
  • Process in batches

Problem: "Cannot export - too many elements"

• Cause: Excel/CSV row limits
• Solution:
  • Filter before export
  • Export by category
  • Export by level
  • Use Excel 2016+ for higher limits
  • Split into multiple exports

Problem: "Pin status changes but not reflected in tool"

• Cause: Tool shows snapshot from launch time
• Solution:
  • Close and re-run tool
  • Tool doesn't auto-refresh
  • Manual refresh required
  • Export shows state at launch time

Problem: "Some categories missing that I expected"

• Cause: Those categories may not have pinned elements
• Solution:
  • Verify in Revit that category has pins
  • Check workset visibility
  • Review design option settings
  • May be in linked model (not detected)

Performance Issues

Slow Loading:

• Large models may take 30-60 seconds
• Progress bar shows scanning status
• Be patient during initial scan
• Consider model size optimization

Memory Usage:

• High element counts use more memory
• Close tool when analysis complete
• Restart Revit if sluggish
• Consider model performance review

Data Interpretation

Understanding Empty Fields:

• Not all properties apply to all elements
• "NA" indicates not applicable
• Empty Level = not level-based element
• Empty View = model element (not view-specific)

Workset Information:

• Only shown in workshared models
• Check worksharing is enabled
• Verify worksets are opened
• Central model may show different results than local

Need Help? Contact support or refer to additional Bonus Tools documentation.

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