The Building Coder

Comparing Symbols and Comparison Operators

Family symbols, aka family types, should normally be relied on to be constant. However, since families and types can actually be edited at will, they are sometimes not. Hence, the need to check and compare may arise... Read more →

Cyrillic Lookup, Moving Grids and Combining Edges

Topics to start this week – Why SVG? – Internet privacy – Pointless meetings research – Cyrillic characters in lookup tables – Moving a grid – Combining edges... Read more →

Design Automation API, Stacks, Collectors and Links

The ultimatively painless introduction to the Forge Design Automation API, a solution for creating two stacked ribbon items, reinitialising filtered element collectors and picking a face in a linked file – Forge Design Automation API webinars – Stacking two 24x24 ribbon items – Reinitialising the filtered element collector – Use CreateReferenceInLink to select a face in a linked file... Read more →

Retrieving the Electrical Load from a Fixture

Today is my birthday, so I am trying hard to work less. Very kindly, Alexander Ignatovich provided a gift for the day in the form of a new external command CmdElectricalLoad in The Building Coder samples. showing how to retrieve the value of the `Load` column in the electrical system browser for a specific fixture family instance... Read more →

The Revit Batch Processor RBP

There are so many truly wonderful pieces of software sitting around there that I am unaware of, real works of art, pinnacles of perfection, that I only happen upon by chance – Revit Batch Processor (RBP) – Latest version – FAQ – Use cases – Features – Unlimited power... Read more →

Integrating the Helix 3D Viewer with a WPF Add-In

This is The Building Coder post number 1800, in its eleventh year of existence. We celebrate by highlighting the integration of a 3D geometry and model viewer in a Revit add-in with a solution making use of several interesting techniques, including the use of IPC for add-in disentanglement from third-party library dependencies and a new custom exporter implementation for OBJ. This issue was raised in two discussions, on a plug-in that displays Revit's 3D window content and using a geometry viewer in a Revit add-in to preview results... Read more →

DLL Conflicts and Replicating Schedule Sort Order

Today I highlight the following topics – I caved in to smartphone – Handling third party library DLL conflicts – Replicating schedule sort order... Read more →

Curve Projection, Detach and FBX in DA4R

Two little hints on Forge Design Automation for Revit or DA4R issues, projecting a curve onto a planar surface and an impressive list of add-in video samples – DA4R supports FBX and IFC – DA4R wrong user – Projecting curves onto a plane – Revit add-in versus Dynamo zero-touch node – Revit add-in sample videos... Read more →

Automated PDF Report and 2D Sketch Booleans

Today, we highlight two contributions by Håvard Leding and Oliver Green – 2D Boolean interactive real-time sketch viewer – Single-click automated PDF report via InDesign – Abbreviated table of technical contents... Read more →

Visual Studio 2019 Revit Add-in Template Tags

A small enhancement to the Visual Studio Revit Add-in Template, and another interesting little AI surprise – Template tags for Visual Studio 2019 – My wizard works again – OpenAI plays hide and seek and breaks the game... Read more →

Material, Physical and Thermal Assets

Today, we concentrate fully on material, physical and thermal assets – Issues accessing and creating material assets – Access to all material asset properties – No access to material keywords – Access to environment and render settings – Determine full path to texture bitmap... Read more →

Initiating BIM360 Collaboration and Linking

Today, we look at a couple of BIM360 and cloud related issues – Programmatically initiating BIM360 collaboration – Setting up external references in BIM360 Docs – Jay Zallan the text terminator – Free for developers – Tracks on the Internet – Quantum computers explained... Read more →

Generating Graphics and Collecting Assets

Here are some relevant topics for today – Can you avoid generating graphics? – Read all thermal and physical assets – Collection of old add-in managers – Compiling an add-in without Revit installed – Xeokit 3D BIM and CAD viewer – Software development manager job opportunity... Read more →

DevCon Invitation and Dynamo for Infrastructure

Let's highlight another class from BILTNZ and a personal invitation to the upcoming DevCon in Las Vegas – Invitation to Forge DevCon in Las Vegas – Visual Programming in Infrastructure – Class description – Table of contents – Placing an instance along an edge – Most popular programming languages 1965-2019... Read more →

Design Automation API for Revit Going Public

The hugely popular Design Automation APIs for Revit, Inventor, and 3ds Max will be officially released to the public on October 28. In a completely different vein, I found a very simple solution to download photos from an Android phone to the Mac – Public Forge Design Automation APIs – What can you do with Design Automation API for Revit? – Easy solution to transfer photos from Android to Mac – Gadgets in 1990 vs. 2018... Read more →

Dynamic Model Updater Macro

Let's take a quick look at implementing a dynamic model updater in a macro – Task – Solution – Drill up the filter... Read more →

Secret Series 2, CAD Link Status and DWG Blocks

Joshua Lumley shares video #2 in his secret series, access to the CAD link status string and block in DWG export – Secrets of Revit API coding part 2 – Video 2 in the secret series – Getting CAD link status – Making blocks in Revit DWG export... Read more →

TestRunner – Run Unit Tests in Revit

A new Revit add-in unit testing framework, a short note on support assembly locations, and an article on importing PDF files – Revit.TestRunner runs unit tests in Revit – Getting started with TestRunner – Unconfusing support assemblies – Importing PDFs made easy... Read more →

Starter Kit, Books and Music

A search for Revit API related books, a very nice new Revit API starter kit, a richer and much more complex literary AI-related book, and a quick bottleneck steel guitar blues recording not related with any technical topic whatsoever – A very basic book on Revit API – Revit API starter kit – Machines like me – Bottleneck blues guitar... Read more →

Pet Change – Python + Dynamo Swap Nested Family

Pieter Schipper worked hard at solving the task of swapping nested families using Python and Dynamo and very kindly shares his solution here with us today, including his four Python scripts – Task at hand – Problems faced – Solution and detailed implementation – Collect all family instances in document – Export families via SaveAs – Update Nested Family Definitions – Reload updated families... Read more →

Get Project Parameter Id and Prevent Updater Loop

Let me once again highlight two helpful answers in the Revit API discussion forum and the newest pair of Forge Design Automation samples – Get project parameter id from its name – Preventing an updater loop – New Forge and Design Automation samples... Read more →

Extensible Storage, External Event, DLL, Pipe Face

Preserving another couple of interesting recent threads from the Revit API discussion forum on various extensible and external topics – Extensible storage reading trouble – External event implementation – External DLL loading – External side face of a pipe... Read more →

UI Top Forms, Buttons, Web, etc.

Several user interface related topics are being discussed in the Revit API discussion forum – Keep my form on top of Revit! – Creating buttons and getting started with an add-in UI – Integrating a web-based UI... Read more →

DevCon, Sun with True North and RVT without Revit

Please note that the European Forge DevCon in Darmstadt is looming imminent. Furthermore, here are some notes on two recent Revit programming discussions and a pointer to some of the top-rated online classes – DevCon Darmstadt – Personal DevCon invitation from Jim Quanci – Sun direction adjusted for project true north – Reading an RVT file without Revit – The top 100 free online courses... Read more →

What's New in the Revit 2020.1 API

Revit 2020.1 was released and an updated Revit SDK has now been published for it – Additions to the Revit 2020.1 API – Systems analysis API additions – Mechanical analytical systems – Zone equipment – System zones – Systems analysis and analysis reports – Export to gbXML – View API additions – Temporary view mode API – Schedule API additions – Striped rows – Path of travel API additions – Reveal obstacles mode for path of travel – Options API additions – Color options – Rebar API additions – Rebar constraints – Installation and compilation – RvtSamples Setup... Read more →

Scaling an Add-In for a 4K High Resolution Screen

As high-resolution monitors grow ever more common, an important question arises on handling add-in scaling for 4K high resolution screens – Problem adapting a Revit add-in for 4K displays – Application properties for stand-alone apps – Application manifest – Separate UI component with IPC – Two solutions for adjusting Revit for 4K displays – Method 1 – Run hires monitor in low resolution – Method 2 – Adjust how Revit handles 4k displays – Discussion of the results... Read more →

pyRevit Home and ApiDocs Code Sample Collection

Two exciting Revit API related news announcements from Ehsan Iran-Nejad and Gui Talarico – New comprehensive pyRevit home page – ApiDocs.co code search sample collection... Read more →

Cylinder Intersection and Vision of Online Assets

A surprising new aspect of Revit's built-in solid intersection algorithms and a ten-year vision for online assets – No face to face intersection without edges – Evolution of media creation – Vision of online assets... Read more →

TLS Requirement, PDF Data and Collada DAE Exporter

An important Revit add-in requirement regarding Transport Layer Security (TLS) settings, a short note on accessing PDF image data from an import instance, and an update of the Collada DAE custom exporter for use in Revit 2020 – Required Transport Layer Security (TLS) settings – Accessing imported PDF image data in Revit – Custom Collada exporter updated and fixed... Read more →

API Survey and Forge DevCon

We repeat the call to participate in the Revit API survey, and heartily invite you to register for the Forge DevCon conferences in Europe and North America – Revit API and Design Automation API Survey – Forge DevCon 2019 at AU in Las Vegas – Forge DevCon 2019 at AU in Darmstadt... Read more →

GetSimilarTypes, SnappingService and Title Labels

So many interesting discussions and inspiring solutions in the Revit API discussion forum! Here are a few, plus one non-forum beginner case – GetSimilarTypes filters for curtain wall door symbols – SnappingService – what does it actually do? – Get title block label parameters... Read more →

Parameters and Hiding DirectShape Edges

I still have a backlog of questions from last week to process. Here are some of the discussions that came up – Shared parameter is either type or instance – Transferring element parameters – Hiding DirectShape internal face edges... Read more →

Face Intersect Face is Unbounded

My work on setting up a new PC is nearing completion. There is also a need to clarify the use of the Face.Intersect(Face) method – The unbounded Face.Intersect method – Making use of the unbounded face intersection – Rectangular face intersection ideas – Copy as HTML update – Visual Studio Revit add-in wizard update... Read more →

Auto-Executing an External Command

I had an extensive discussion on automatically driving Revit from outside to auto-execute a simple functionality with no user input, originally implemented by an external command. Also, a big thank you to all for the numerous congratulations on The Building Coder's eleventh birthday – Auto-executing an external command – Eleventh birthday congratulations... Read more →

11 Years and Revit API Docs Full Text Search

Happy Birthday to The Building Coder! The online Revit API documentation now supports full text search. Dynamo implements a new ViewCone functionality... Read more →

Zero Touch Node Wrapper and Load from Stream

Here are some topics that came up last week – Dynamo Zero Touch Node Revit element wrapper – Loading a .NET assembly from a memory stream – How to become a successful freelancer – Talking about memory streams, I hiked up Rio Chillar in Nerja, Andalusia... Read more →

Revit API and Design Automation API Survey

The Revit product team is conducting a survey to improve the functionality of the Revit services. Please help them prioritise new features and upcoming enhancements to future releases of the Autodesk Revit API and the Forge Design Automation for Revit API by taking a brief survey... Read more →

MEP Ductwork and Changing Pipe Direction

One of today's Revit API discussion forum threads prompted a discussion of MEP duct- and pipework creation topics – Changing pipe direction – MEP ductwork creation tip... Read more →

IFC Update, Instance Geometry, Parameters

I completed the move to my new computer, and happily all systems go now. Here are some other topics that came up in the past few days – Revit-IFC Release 20.1.0 – Community discussion on Revit – Solid or instance, depending – Exporting parameters to Access – Store globals on custom DataStorage, not ProjectInfo – Iranian civil engineering project video... Read more →

New PC, KLH Snoop, Annotations and Vertex Handling

I have been very busy and motivated indeed setting up a new computer this week. Nonetheless, I was able to keep going full steam with Revit API related issues as well – Setting up a new MacBook – KLH Engineers RevitDeveloperTools snooping tool – Pulling text from annotation tags – Vertex handling – The true meaning of pizza... Read more →

Auto-Dimension Filled Region Boundary

I am back from my break and picked up the question about creating dimensions for a filled region boundary – Programmatically creating dimensions for a filled region – Coding suggestion – Final solution... Read more →

Roadmap, Rebar Curves, Wizard Zip and More

Topics for this week – Revit public roadmap July 2019 – Rebar curves – Built-in zip utility for add-in wizard – Only detail section views can be used for top view direction – Displaying an RFA family instance in DA4R – Revit 2020 alters the TEMP file system variable – Lattice multiplication... Read more →

BIM365 Getting Started, Materials API, CPU Voltage

I am on vacation right now, enjoying splendid weather camping on the coast of the Atlantic. Meanwhile, here are a few items that cropped up in the past few days – Getting started and programming buttons with Revit API – Links to API to modify visual appearance of materials – Improving performance by optimising CPU voltage... Read more →

Element Identifiers in RVT, IFC, NW and Forge

A recent internal discussion clarifies Revit element identification in Forge, Navisworks and IFC, some new thoughts on consciousness versus AI, and a couple of topics of personal interest – Two Nice summer mountain hikes – Revit element ids in Forge via Navisworks and IFC – Some aspects of consciousness may be beyond reach of ai – Trees might help against global warming – Holidays ahead... Read more →

Room Volume glTF Generator

I travelled home from the Barcelona Forge accelerator and continued working on the room volume exporter. I now implemented support for glTF, the GL Transmission Format. A few more little items to wrap up the Barcelona topic – Kean Walmsley's report on this year's Forge Accelerator in Barcelona – My two favourite restaurants in Poblenou... Read more →

Room Closed Shell DirectShape for Forge Viewer

I explored three main topics here at the Forge accelerator – Room closed shell solid visibility in the Forge viewer – Rebar simplification: replace rebar elements with simplified solids or model curves – glTF export – Today, I'll dive deeper into the first – IFC exporter utility adds new built-in parameter – Barcelona Forge accelerator – Room closed shell in the Forge viewer – Triangulate the solid face by face – Triangulate entire solid – Tessellation accuracy control documentation error... Read more →

Accelerator, Dash Pattern Fix, Rotation and Phase

I am participating in the Forge Accelerator in Barcelona this week. Let me mention some pending Revit API issues before diving into any accelerator topics – AddMaterials enhancements – Retrieving element rotation – Changing the phase created parameter... Read more →

Revit Camera Settings, Project Plasma, DA4R and AI

Here are this week's interesting items I want to share with you – Map Forge Viewer camera settings back to Revit – Project Quantum becomes Plasma – Mikako's DA4R overview – AI is affecting human game strategies – AI can convert speech to gesture – Barcelona Forge accelerator – Open positions at Autodesk... Read more →

SketchIt, Lookup Family Types, Definition Names

Today, we present yet another RevitLookup enhancement, a note on an undocumented built-in parameter change and a neat Forge Design Automation for Revit sample app – RevitLookup family types and parameter definition names – Bitmap aspect ratio built-in parameter renamed – DA4R SketchIt demo generates walls... Read more →

Access BIM360 Cloud Links, Thumbnail and Dynamo

This post is somewhat overdue and hence rather full of various topics, mainly due to my struggles with my MacBook slowing to an unbearable crawl in the heat last week – Accessing BIM360 cloud links – Retrieve RVT preview thumbnail image with Python – Paolo's Dynamo primer and slide deck compendium – Slow MacBook with kernel_task using several 100% CPU – Failings of the political establishment... Read more →