Revit Error Explained7 min read

Revit "There is no open view that shows any of the highlighted elements": how to find the element

What the Show command is telling you when it cannot find a view, why the element is invisible everywhere, and how to get it back on screen.

Updated: October 2026·Revit 2023 - 2027

Revit dialog after clicking Show

There is no open view that shows any of the highlighted elements. Searching through the closed views to find a good view could take a long time. Continue?

Revit message when the search finds nothing

No good view can be found

Quick answer

What it means: the Show command (in the warnings dialog, Select by ID or a schedule) first checks the open views, then the closed ones. If neither displays the element, the element is hidden in every view of the project, usually by a phase, a design option, a workset or a category.

Fastest fix: click Cancel instead of waiting for the search. Create a new default 3D view, set its Phase Filter to Show All and its Phase to the last phase, turn off the Section Box, then select the element with Manage > Select by ID. If it is still not drawn, check its Design Option and Workset in Properties.

01Phases

The element belongs to a phase no view shows

Every model element has Phase Created and Phase Demolished. A view shows only the phases allowed by its own Phase and Phase Filter. An element created in a later phase than any view, or demolished before the phase a view displays, is not drawn anywhere, so Show has nothing to navigate to. This often happens with copied elements from another project or after phases were renamed or merged.

Fix

Select the element by ID and read Phase Created and Phase Demolished in Properties. In the new 3D view set Phase to that phase and Phase Filter to Show All. If the element should exist in the current phase, change its Phase Created.

Quick Check

Phase Demolished set to anything other than None means most New Construction views will not draw it.

02Design Options

The element sits in a secondary design option

Views display the primary option of each option set unless Visibility/Graphics > Design Options says otherwise. Elements in a secondary option are invisible in every view that uses the default setting. The warning that sent you to Show can still list them, because warnings are checked for all options.

Fix

Read the Design Option parameter in Properties. In Visibility/Graphics > Design Options, switch the option set to that option for the new 3D view, or enter the option from Manage > Design Options to edit it.

Quick Check

Design Option shows anything other than Main Model = the element is option-controlled.

03Worksets

The workset is closed or not visible in any view

In a workshared model an element on a closed workset is not loaded into memory and cannot be displayed. A workset with Visible in all views turned off is hidden in every view unless a view switches it on in Visibility/Graphics > Worksets. Both make Show fail.

Fix

Open Collaborate > Worksets, find the element's workset, set it to Open and check Visible in all views. If the element was moved to the wrong workset, move it back once it is visible.

Quick Check

Closed worksets are listed with Opened = No in the Worksets dialog. Open them before any other visibility check.

04Category and Element Hiding

Category off in every view template, or the element hidden per view

If every view uses a template that turns the category off, or the element was hidden with Hide in View > Elements in each view where it would appear, Revit has no view that draws it. View filters with Visibility unchecked have the same effect on all elements that match.

Fix

In the new 3D view set View Template to <None>, check the category in Visibility/Graphics and switch off filters. Turn on Reveal Hidden Elements (the light bulb) to see per-element hiding, then right-click > Unhide in View > Elements.

Quick Check

Elements hidden per view appear in magenta with Reveal Hidden Elements on; hidden categories show the same way.

05Location and Clipping

The element is far away or outside every crop and section box

An element placed kilometres from the origin (often from a CAD import or a bad paste) lies outside every cropped plan, section box and far clip plane. It is in the model, but no view frames it. Elements hosted on a deleted or unused level can also have no plan that shows them.

Fix

In the default 3D view turn off the Section Box and crop, then use Zoom to Fit (ZF). If the model suddenly zooms out to a tiny cluster, the stray element is the dot far away. Move it back or delete it.

Quick Check

Zoom to Fit in a new 3D view showing a much larger extent than the building is a sure sign of an element far from the origin.

The element is visible in one view but not in another? That is a different problem with 16 possible causes, from view range to filters. Work through the 16-point Revit visibility checklist.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 'There is no open view that shows any of the highlighted elements' mean in Revit?

Revit's Show command could not find any open view that draws the selected element. It offers to search the closed views. If that search also fails, the element is hidden in every view of the project, typically by phase, design option, workset or category settings.

Should I click Continue and let Revit search the closed views?

In a small model it is fine. In a large model the search opens views one by one and can take minutes. It is usually faster to cancel, create a new default 3D view with Phase Filter set to Show All and no Section Box, and select the element by ID there.

How do I find an element by its ID in Revit?

Use Manage > Inquiry > Select by ID and paste the ID from the warning or the error report. The element is selected even if it is not drawn, so you can read its Phase, Design Option and Workset in Properties right away.

Can I delete an element that no view shows?

Yes. Select it with Manage > Select by ID and press Delete. Check its parameters first: if it belongs to a secondary design option or a later phase, it may be intentional rather than a stray element.

Why does a warning list an element that I cannot find?

Warnings are checked across the whole model, including secondary design options, all phases and elements hidden in every view. The warning is valid even though no view displays the element, which is why Show fails.

Find out why an element is hidden in one click

Karo.WhyHidden checks categories, filters, worksets, phases, design options, view range and crops for the selected element and points to the setting that hides it.

Explore Karo.WhyHidden (14-Day Free Trial)Read 16-Point Checklist Guide