Copy From Link

Copy From Link lets you bring selected content from one or more linked Revit models into the current host document without binding the entire link. You can filter by category, source workset, and in-place families, then copy the results into the host at the correct transformed location.

Getting Started

Find Copy From Link on the Amorphous ribbon tab in the Experimental panel.

The command opens a four-step wizard that guides you through link selection, filtering, and copy options.

Features

Multi-link selection - Copy from one or more loaded Revit links at the same time
Category filtering - Choose exactly which categories to bring in
Workset filtering - Limit the copy to selected source worksets when linked files are workshared
In-place families only mode - Copy only in-place family content when needed
Target workset assignment - Send copied elements to a selected host workset
Post-copy organization - Optionally create a Group or Selection Set from the copied elements
Immediate follow-up actions - Select or isolate the copied elements after the operation

How to Use

Basic Workflow

Click Copy From Link on the ribbon
In Links, select one or more loaded Revit links to copy from
In Worksets, choose which source worksets to include if the selected links are workshared
In Categories, choose the categories to copy and use search to narrow the list if needed
Turn on In-Place Families Only if you only want in-place family instances
In Copy, review the summary, choose a target workset if needed, and optionally enable Create Group or Create Selection Set
Click Copy
Review the results and use Select Copied or Isolate Copied if needed

Wizard Steps

1. Links

Select one or more loaded Revit links. Each link displays its name, file path, and element count.

2. Worksets

If the selected links are workshared, choose which source worksets to include. Non-workshared links skip this step automatically.

3. Categories

Choose the categories to copy. Categories are grouped into Model, Annotation, and Other sections with element counts. Use the search box to filter the list.

4. Copy

Review the summary, pick a target host workset if the destination project is workshared, and choose optional post-copy organization actions.

Filtering Options

Option	What It Does
Links	Limits the source documents used for the copy
Source Worksets	Includes only selected worksets from workshared links
Categories	Includes only selected categories
In-Place Families Only	Restricts results to in-place family instances
Target Workset	Assigns copied elements to a selected workset in the host document

Results and Follow-Up Actions

After the copy finishes, the results view shows counts by category. From there you can:

Select Copied to select the newly created elements in the host model
Isolate Copied to isolate the copied results in the active view

These actions are useful when reviewing the copied content before cleanup or handoff.

Use Cases

Scenario	Recommended Approach
Bring in consultant content without binding	Copy only the needed categories from the linked model
Transfer in-place families from a linked file	Enable In-Place Families Only and choose the relevant categories
Copy only a coordination workset	Filter by source workset before copying
Package copied results for handoff	Enable Create Group or Create Selection Set in the final step

Tips & Best Practices

Start with narrow category filters to avoid copying more than you need
Use workset filtering when consultant links are organized cleanly by workset
Review results immediately with Select Copied or Isolate Copied
Use Selection Set when reviewing results if you are unsure whether all copied elements should be grouped
Use grouping carefully because some copied element types may not support group creation

My usual workflow is to start with the smallest possible copy. Pick one link, narrow the categories hard, copy, then verify placement before doing a larger pass. It is much faster than cleaning up an over-copy afterward.

Limitations

Limitation	Details
Loaded links only	Unloaded links are not shown
Grouping support varies	Some copied element types may not support group creation
Destination types take precedence	Duplicate type names use destination types already present in the host

Troubleshooting

Link is not listed

Possible causes:

The link is unloaded
The linked document is unavailable

Solution: Load the Revit link first, then reopen the command.

Expected categories are missing