Here is the persistent crash – it was happening when any RVT file was closed:
View Revit 2015 Update 5 crashes when closing any file 

Here’s what fixed the problem:
Renaming “C:ProgramDataAutodeskApplicationPlugins” folder (this disables certain integrations)

Upon further investigation, I had to move the AutodeskSiteDesignerForRevit2015.bundle out of the ApplicationPlugins folder (in other words, delete it) to correct the issue. Then, I installed R2 (Autodesk_Revit_2015_R2.sfx.exe , Autodesk Site Designer (AutodeskSiteDesignerForRevit.msi), and UR5 for R2 (Autodesk_Revit_2015_R2_UR5.sfx.exe).

Here’s what didn’t work:

  • renaming uistate.dat
  • renaming revit.ini
  • renaming  “C:ProgramDataAutodeskRevitAddins2015.ren”
  • reinstalling Revit 2015 using steps below
  • applying RVT2015UR4.msp
  • uninstalling Dynamo
  • running Revit as Administrator
  • uninstalling Sundial and other Citrix Revit versions
  • renaming Revit program folder and Addins folder and reinstalling
  • making a new user profile

Reinstall steps:

  1. Uninstall Revit 2015 from Programs and Features in Windows
  2. Start Setup from your Suite media (in my case, Building Design Suite Ultimate 2015)
  3. You will need to input your serial number
  4. Ensure only Revit 2015 is ticked (gray tick), and do not install Service Packs
  5. Also untick BIM360 addin under Revit 2015 (if it finds a newer one the setup may fail)
  6. Untick BIM360 addin under Navisworks 2015 (if it finds a newer one the setup may fail)
  7. After Revit 2015 is installed, start it up to ensure activation is ok
  8. Install R2 (Autodesk_Revit_2015_R2.sfx.exe)
  9. Install UR5 for R2 (Autodesk_Revit_2015_R2_UR5.sfx.exe)
  10. Start Revit and test closing a file

How did this bug happen? I’m not entirely sure, but I think the number of  updates and the confusion around which UR5 update is for which Revit version may have resulted in Revit 2015 getting sad. But, its happy again now… and its a good lesson to remember the ApplicationPlugins folder when diagnosing Revit problems.

Something from the journal:
ExceptionCode=0xc0000005 ExceptionFlags=0x00000000 ExceptionAddress=000007FEFCDE940D 

There are lots of design tools out there that can be used to generate MEP or HVAC fabrication drawings, including spooling and integration with Vulcan or CAMduct. Some are FABmep, CADmep, ESTmep, and Sysque.

There is an interesting discussion going over on LinkedIn regarding Revit and duct fabrication. The overall message seems to be this: if you want to use Revit as an integral piece in your MEP fabrication process, you should probably be looking seriously at SysQue:

I have posted about SP.Writer before, but this is the next iteration: BIMsets Cloud Writer.

UPDATE: if you want to update to the latest version of the add-in, in Google Sheets you may need to go to Add-on > Manage Add-Ons and then remove it, and then search for it and install again.

If you just want to build a new parameter file from scratch:

  1. Go to https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/bimsets-cloud-writer/mkcicdhocfdpjpdljamehafdafonfodh?authuser=1
  2. Press the Free+ button to install
  3. Say yes to all the prompts  
  4. In the new Spreadsheet, go to Add-ons, BIMsets Cloud Writer, and press Start
  5. Start filling in the form and pressing Add for each new parameter
  6. Parameters are created and you can choose to Export to a TXT file

If it keeps failing to Import for you, this will probably be the reason:
Can I use custom groups with this add-on? No. The add-on uses a specific set of parameter groups designed to be compatible with the Autodesk Seek Style Guide. If you have a parameter file that uses the same groups as the Style Guide it should be compatible. If you are starting brand new there should be no issues. If you have used the old SP.Writer Excel tool in the past, those files will also be compatible.
via
BIMsets – BIM Source

If you have any other issues you can contact the developer.

Heads-up:
https://twitter.com/MattBeNimble/status/542825879919792129
and

Download:
v2 of the Style Guide is here
and 2.1 here
http://revit.autodesk.com/Library/RMCSG/Revit_Model_Content_Style_Guide_v2_1.zip

This is an extreme measure, but it will get everything fixed up and create a new Default Notebook for you. If you have some corruption or severe sync problems, it may break the me@onenote.com system for your account. Here’s how to fix it:

  1. Make sure you have copied or moved or backed up everything from your entire Default Notebook (the one where me@onenote emails usually go)
  2. Close the Notebook in the desktop app and close OneNote 2013. I would also recommend closing this notebook on any other devices that may have it open.
  3. Open OneDrive and navigate to your Documents folder
  4. Select the Default Notebook (usually “YourName’s Notebook“), rename it, and then delete it
  5. On you PC, go to the OneNote backup folder (something like C:UsersLuke JohnsonAppDataLocalMicrosoftOneNote15.0Backup) and move the folder relating to your now deleted Default Notebook somewhere else
  6. Everything is basically nice and clean now. How do we get a new Default Notebook?
  7. Go to your primary email alias for Microsoft (the one you just deleted the default notebook in) and send a test email to me@onenote.com – the content doesn’t really matter
  8. At this point, OneNote will create a new Default notebook for you, it will make a Quick Notes section, and it will place the email in as a new page. Everything should now be ‘back to normal’.
  9. Restart the desktop app and re-open the Notebook
  10. Open the Notebook on any other devices

 Here is the full message you might get if your OneNote to email service is broken:
“We couldn’t save your email, please try again.”

Oops! Something went wrong.


It looks like you tried to send an email with the subject line ‘…………..’ to your notebook, but we were unable to save it. Please send the message again and we’ll do our best to make sure the email gets into your notebook this time.


Still having problems? Go to our help forum to report a problem.


Thanks,
The OneNote Team


Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052
 
 
 
Related question:

Sometimes it can be difficult to get Autodesk Rendering lights in Navisworks to work properly. When doing services coordination, you don’t really want to have to deal with placing new lights just so you can see things in the federated model. In this situation, you could try using these ‘Baseline’ settings:

  1. Options – Interface – Display – Autodesk – Shader Style, set to Basic
  2. Viewpoint set to Shaded
  3. Viewpoint lighting set to Headlight

These Headlight sliders seem to work pretty well:

Personally, I prefer using Gooch and Rendered with some nice lights if I can, but this can occasionally cause problems (depending on your Graphics Card and other material settings). That is when I fall back to the baseline settings above.

Here’s another way to make a 3D PDF, this time with all native Autodesk products.

  1. Use Virtual Agent to download Inventor Publisher 2015 trial
  2. Export a view from Revit (or 3dsMax, or AutoCAD, or Navisworks) as FBX that you would like to make into a 3D PDF
  3. Start Inventor Publisher
  4. New file
  5. Select the FBX
  6. Orient the imported FBX in the view and use the Viewcube to Set Current View as Front or Top as appropriate
  7. On the Home Ribbon under Publish, choose Adobe PDF
  8. Select 3D PDF
  9. Save the file

It makes very decent quality 3D PDFs, with good colour representation.

Idea via:
http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-architecture/3d-pdf/td-p/2843148

Note: If you install the non-Subscription Update Release onto an R2 Revit, you will probably find that the nice extra things like Site Designer disappear. If this happens to you, reinstall R2 from the Subscription page and your new features should come back. The Autodesk_Revit_2015_R2_UR5.sfx.exe should hopefully not ‘break’ your R2 install.
More at:
http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit-products/downloads/caas/downloads/content/autodesk-revit-2015-update-release-5.html

Direct link:
http://download.autodesk.com/SWDLDDLM/Updates/RVT/UR5/Autodesk_Revit_2015_R2_UR5.sfx.exe

Readme:
http://download.autodesk.com/SWDLDDLM/Updates/RVT/UR5/Autodesk_Revit_2015_R2_UR5_Readme.htm

Enhancement List:
http://revit.downloads.autodesk.com/download/2015RVT_RTM/UR5/Enhancements_List_RVT_2015_UR5_forR2.pdf

EDIT: More links from Revit Clinic:
Direct links:
Revit 2015 UR5
Revit Arch 2015 UR5
Revit MEP 2015 UR5
Revit Struct 2015 UR5
Revit LT 2015 UR5
Installation Readme files and Enhancements Documentation are available on each product page.

UR5 enhancements:
Improvements made in Update Release 5 build (20141119_0715):
 

Autodesk® Revit® Architecture 2015 Updates
Improves resolving of the Revit Server saved paths.*
Corrects the behavior of placing families in a project when the family type selector is expanded.
Improves stability when loading families that contain data created by add-ins.
Improves stability when ungroup a group.
Improved stability when filter a schedule.
Improved stability when opening projects with bad dimensions.
Improves stability when making edits in the Sun Settings dialog.
Improves stability when deleting parts while modifying division.
Improves stability when canceling new label creation in family environment.
Improves stability when editing materials in families in a workshared environment.
Improves stability when clicking the Macro Manager tool in the Family Editor.
Improves stability when multiple users load families and undo their actions in a workshared file.
Improves stability when two users loaded families of the same name.
Corrects an issue with ceiling-hosted lights that caused the lights to be deleted when the ceiling was moved or copied.*
Corrected an issue related to placement of face-based families on certain part elements.*

Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2015 Updates
Improves stability when editing a conduit temporary dimension in an elevation view.

Autodesk® Revit® Structure 2015 Updates
Improves stability when exporting multi-rebar annotation into DWG format.*
Corrects an issue with incorrect warning and error messages for groups in design options with a group containing structural framing elements or columns.*
Fixed an issue with the generation of the analytical surface for a vertical floor and slab.

Autodesk® Revit® API 2015 Updates
Allows the ability to offset the end of a wire when it is connected to other elements.