Here you will find an explanation and best practices for solving Unexpected Data related synchronization errors.  

Category: Unexpected Data

Unexpected data refers to data within a dataset that does not align with the expected values. Dealing with unexpected data involves identifying the source of such data and deciding how to correct it.

 

Unexpected Reference File data

Duplicated data can be introduced in different situations and can cause duplicated graphics and attributes to appear in the iModel, which is not desired. 

Error: Dwg_0199

 Error message: "Model [FileName.DWG, INSERT ID=11A] was not imported.<File name> MissingInputFile: <File path>.

Issue:
One or more references in the master design file could not be resolved. This can cause missing data in the Model. 

Cause:

• Reference files have been disassociated from the master file 
• The reference file is damaged
• The reference file is 0 bytes in size

Solution:

• Check if you can successfully open the reference file. If the error is shown while loading the file, follow the design application error guidelines to resolve the issue.
• Open the master design file and check if the references are loaded and visible. If the references are not loading, fix the reference relations in the design application.
• If using ProjectWise, run a Reference scan and check if the references have been resolved automatically. Read more about Reference Scan in ProjectWise Explorer.
• Reference relations can be fixed manually by using MicroStation Connect Edition Desktop Reference dialog. Read more about References.
• Read more about why Reference scanning is important. 
• Contact Bentley Support for assistance if errors can not be resolved. 

 

Invalid Input Data

Fatal: SPPID_0001

 Fatal message: "Drawing.xml was not found inside ZIP archive. Input file is not a valid SmartPlant ZIP file.."

Issue:

Import failure because of the invalid or corrupted ZIP source file.

Cause:

• The input file format is incorrect.
• The Drawing.xml file is missing in the ZIP file.

Solution:

• If these kinds of issues are occurring, the ZIP file was likely not created by SPPID. Please follow the instructions on exporting here: Converting SmartPlant PID for iTwin.pdf

Fatal: SPPID_0002

 Fatal message: "Input file is not a valid SmartPlant PID/ZIP file"

Issue:

Import failure because of invalid source file format or .pid file is missing in the .zip file.

Cause:

• The input file (.zip file) format is not correct
• Graphics.pid file is missing in the .zip file. The .zip file should have both Drawing.xml and Graphics.pid files.

Solution:

• If these kinds of issues are occurring, the ZIP file was likely not created by SPPID. Please follow the instructions on exporting here: Converting SmartPlant PID for iTwin.pdf

View

Warning: Revit_0014

 Warning message: The 'View Name' view has 3050 excluded elements. This high number of excluded elements could decrease display performance."

Issue:

An excluded element list is maintained in the iModel to hide it in a view. But if the number of elements in the list increases, the display performance decreases.

Cause:

In Revit there are many ways an element can be hidden. But in the iModel we can hide the elements by category. So an excluded element list is provided to hide elements which can't be made hidden using a category.

Solution:

Hiding individual elements using an excluded element list in an iModel can significantly degrade display performance, especially when the number of hidden elements becomes large. While Revit offers various methods for hiding elements, the iModel environment is optimized for hiding by category, which is much more efficient. Using element-level hiding should be avoided whenever possible; instead, visibility should be controlled through categories to maintain better performance and ensure smoother interaction with the model.

 

Parasolid

Warning: DgnV8_01344

 Warning message: "ACIS elements were found. This will cause slow processing every time the file is synchronized."

Issue:
Slow Synchronization performance due to ACIS elements in the iModel.

Cause:

ACIS elements were converted or imported from Autodesk or other software.

Solution:

To optimize synchronization performance, ACIS elements need to be converted to a more efficient format. Conversion can be done in a Design application. This is a one-time operation that will improve performance during synchronization.

Steps to fix ACIS elements:

1. Open the Bentley Design application (for example MicroStation, OpenBuildings Designer, or any application you are using) and please type Key-in in the Search Ribbon. 

2. Type convert acistoparasolid all. 

3. Click Enter and on the lower ribbon you will see if and how many ACIS elements have been converted.

Conversion and importing processes require attention. If you want to open the non-DGN file in MicroStation, it is important to convert it to a suitable format. Read more about  MicroStation supported formats. 

 

Text Encoding

Warning: IfcOda_0002

Warning message: "Text literal with invalid encoding: <text literals> "

Issue:

The IFC file contains a text literal that is not valid in the expected encoding (typically UTF‑8), which can result in garbled text or data loss for that value.

Cause:

• The source application exported the IFC using a character encoding that does not match the expected encoding (e.g., legacy code pages instead of UTF‑8).
• Manual edits or intermediary tools introduced invalid byte sequences into text fields.

Solution:

1. Verify and configure the authoring application to export IFC files using UTF‑8 (or the encoding documented as required by the connector).
2. Identify the problematic text from the error message and the badger report, then:
   • Remove or replace invalid characters in the source model,
   • or Normalize text using scripts or cleaning tools.
3. If there are many occurrences, consider an automated pre‑processing step to scan and sanitize text values before synchronization.
4. Re‑export the IFC after correcting encoding issues.