The Building Coder

Precast API and Cloud Open Callback

As usual, I am over-active in the Revit API discussion forum, so you can see most of what I have been up to right there. Here and now, I'll highlight one of those threads and clarify how to access the Revit 2019 Precast API – Structural Precast API – IOpenFromCloudCallback and the DefaultOpenFromCloudCallback class... Read more →

Set Floor Level and Use IPC for Disentanglement

Today, yet another introduction to Forge, a simple issue of setting the level of a floor element, and the much more complex one of gaining freedom and total independence via IPC – What is Forge? – Changing the level of a floor – Entanglement can be hell – CefSharp entanglement – Disentanglement and independence via IPC – Beer-ware license... Read more →

Retrieving and Snooping Dependent Elements

Håvard Leding of Symetri raises another exciting topic on using the the GetDependentElements method to retrieve and snoop dependent elements, e.g., the sketch of a floor and the model lines defining the floor boundary in that sketch – The GetDependentElements method – Snoop dependent elements – CmdSnoopModScopeDependents – RevitLookup update... Read more →

AI, Trends and Yearly API Usage Cleanup

Same procedure as every year: eliminate all deprecated Revit API usage warnings before even thinking of migrating to the next major release. First, however, two other technical news items – Self-teaching AI surpasses human knowledge – CAD trends 2019 – Deprecated API usage warnings – Replace GetRules by GetElementFilter – Deprecated material asset accessors – Update with zero compilation warnings... Read more →

Rebars in Host, .NET Framework, Importance of Fuzz

Here are a couple more Revit API discussion forum threads well worth highlighting – Retrieve rebars attached to structural element – Installing the .NET framework 4.7 for Revit 2019.1 add-ins – Importance of fuzz for curtain wall dimensioning... Read more →

AutoCAD Architecture 2019 API Documentation

We need to migrate our tools to AutoCAD Architecture 2019. I see no information on the new API, although it has obviously been modified. Can you share a link? ... Read more →

Revit Window Handle and Parenting an Add-In Form

Access to the Revit main window handle changed in Revit 2019, raising a couple of questions – Making Revit the add-in parent – The Revit 2019 MainWindowHandle API – Docking system and multiple main window explanation – Updating The Building Coder samples... Read more →

Revit 2019 Visual Studio .NET Add-in Wizards

I updated the Visual Studio Revit C# and VB add-in templates for Revit 2019. They enable you to create a new C# or VB Revit add-in in Visual Studio with one single click on File > New > Project... > Visual Basic/Visual C# > Revit 2019 Addin and define a complete skeleton Revit add-in, ready to immediately compile and run, including an add-in manifest file, external application and external command. Just hit F5 to start debugging; the add-in manifest is installed, Revit launched and the command is immediately available... Read more →

Reference Intersector and Deleting Reference Planes

We already looked at deleting unnamed non-hosting reference planes back in 2012 and 2014. Some things have changed since then, and the old code requires fixing and updating. Other interesting topics also want to be mentioned – Embodyment workshop – Bös Fulen mountain hike – Using ReferenceIntersector to place lighting fixture on ceiling face – Reformat stable representation string for dimensioning – Deleting unnamed non-hosting reference planes updated... Read more →

What's New in the Revit 2019.1 API

The Revit 2019.1 update has been released. It is equipped with an updated API that includes several exciting enhancements for add-in developers. Many relate directly to explicit developer wishes and requests – Information sources – What's new in previous versions – What's new in the Revit 2019.1 API – API Changes – API Additions... Read more →

Revit 2019.1, CEFSharp, Forge Accelerator in Rome

I am back from a multi-day hike of about 70 km along the Swedish Sörmlandsleden wilderness trail. In the meantime, lots of noteworthy things happened – Revit 2019.1 update and features – Revit Add-Ins using the CEFsharp library – BIM 360 Issues API – Forge Accelerator in Rome and elsewhere – Looking for a Forge development partner – New way to retrieve a parameter id... Read more →

REX SDK Templates for Revit Structure 2019

Apparently, the Revit SDK REX Visual Studio templates are obsolete. Let's fix that problem. Also, two little notes on a C# optimisation trick for math-heavy code, and the current status of the Forge Design Automation API for Revit – Revit Structure 2019 REX Extension SDK Visual Studio Templates – Improve C# Performance Using Struct Instead of Class – Update on the Forge Design Automation API for Revit... Read more →

Revit 2019 SDK and My First Plugin Update

Slowly but surely and one by one, the Revit 2019 updates are percolating through to the Revit Developer Centre – Revit 2019 SDK published – My First Revit Plugin update... Read more →

Installing the Revit 2019 SDK April Update

After the significant struggle I had to compile the initial release of the Revit 2019 SDK samples and set up RvtSamples 2019, I am happy to report that installing and compiling the Revit 2019 SDK April 27 update is a lot easier – Downloading the April 27 SDK update – Initial compilation – 41 warnings – Processor architecture mismatch suppressed – 5 warnings – Update reference to RevitAPISteel.dll – 3 warnings – Setting up RvtSamples – Updated RvtSamples download... Read more →

New Opportunities in the Forge Evangelist Team

I am excited to announce a number of new opportunities to come and join me and my closest colleagues in our work supporting external developers in their use of the Forge web programming technologies. Also, before closing for the week, I'll mention two interesting reads for the weekend, by Sasha Crotty on moving from Collaboration for Revit to BIM 360 Design, and by the World Economic Forum WEF on an action plan to accelerate BIM adoption – Would you like to come and work with us? – From Collaboration for Revit to BIM 360 Design – An action plan to accelerate BIM adoption... Read more →

What’s New Webinar and Forge vs. A360

Following up on yesterday's discussion of What's New in the Revit 2019 API, here is a webinar invitation to walk through the results live from the product point of view. I also share a high-level comparison of some aspects of Forge versus A360 for a total newbie thinking about building a solution for a client to manage 3D models and collaborate on them with sub-contractors – Webinar on What’s New in Revit 2019 – Forge versus A360... Read more →

What's New in the Revit 2019 API

The Revit 2019 API includes numerous exciting enhancements for add-in developers. Many relate directly to explicit developer wishes and requests – Information sources – Installation and migration from previous versions – What's new in previous versions – What's new in the Revit 2019 API – API Changes – API Additions... Read more →

RvtSamples 2019

I set up RvtSamples for the Revit 2019 SDK samples. Just like the migration to previous versions, this is not a trivial undertaking. To cut a long story short and simply share my current working RvtSamples source code for the Revit 2019 SDK, here is RvtSamples_2019.zip containing my modified files... Read more →

Forge RVT to IFC, ADN Xtra, TBC, AdnRme Updates

I already described how I installed Revit 2019, compiled the Revit 2019 SDK samples and migrated RevitLookup to the new version. I now migrated some of the other basic samples and utilities and have some Forge news to share – The Building Coder samples for Revit 2019 – The AdnRme MEP HVAC and electrical samples for Revit 2019 – AdnRevitApiLabsXtra for Revit 2019 – Convert RVT to IFC via Forge – Forge accelerators – Forge webinars – Open position for an infrastructure BIM implementation consultant... Read more →

RevitLookup 2019 and New SDK Samples

I migrated RevitLookup to Revit 2019, which was very easy. Next, I compared the directory contents to discover the new SDK samples – RevitLookup 2019 – New Revit 2019 SDK samples... Read more →

Compiling the Revit 2019 SDK Samples

I installed Revit 2019 and compiled the Revit 2019 SDK. That was quite a struggle – Installing Revit 2019 – Installing the Revit 2019 SDK – Installing the .NET Framework 4.7 – Compiling the Revit 2019 SDK samples – Processor architecture mismatch warnings – DimensionLeaderEnd OutputPath missing – Numerous Revit API assembly reference conflicts – SampleCommandsSteelElements lacks components – AppearanceAssetEditing using deprecated API... Read more →