The Building Coder

RevitLookup Updates, Bounding Boxes and Podcast

New releases of RevitLookup vastly expand coverage to include numerous new classes and properties – BIMrras podcast interview – RevitLookup 2025.0.3 – RevitLookup 2025.0.4 – Outline versus BoundingBox – Linking Revit files in BIM360 Docs... Read more →

Lookup Ideas, Jigs and ACC Docs Access

A request for new ideas for enhancing RevitLookup, implementing a pickpoint rubber band and opening BIMs on ACC Docs – Request for RevitLookup ideas – Transient elements for jig – Opening a model in ACC Docs – Stop using JPEG – Stop using voice id... Read more →

BIM360 Links and Programming Add-Ins

An important solution to fix a problem loading BIM 360 links and lots of advice on programming Revit add-ins in general – New Revit material appearance asset – BIM 360 links not found solution – AppStore guidelines for Revit add-in – Coding Revit add-ins the e-verse way – VS wizard template location... Read more →

ACC Summit, Model Properties, Copy Relationships

We take a look at maintaining relationships between Revit elements when copying, at ACC, the Autodesk Construction Cloud, and its APIs – ACC Model Properties API – ACC integration partner summit – Maintain relationships copying elements – Unsplash with free images... Read more →

Collaboration, Dockables, Railings, Pop-Ups, ILSpy

An invitation to the upcoming AEC collaboration webinar and overviews over dockable panels, dialogue handling, decompilation and railing geometry – AEC collaboration webinar – Dockable panels and WebView2 – Dismissing Revit pop-ups – Check API changes using decompilation – Railing geometry... Read more →

Refreshment, Cloud Model Path, Angle and Direction

An example of real-time live graphical user input feedback, cloud model functionality, the ever important need to regenerate and other important topics for this holiday day – Line angle and direction jig – Determine cloud model local file path – How to refresh GroupType.Groups – Online access to RevitAPI.chm help files – C++/C# frontend engineer... Read more →

Revit 2022 Migrates BIM360 Team to Docs

We continue the foray into Revit 2022 enhancements with a real-world migration tool using the new SaveAsCloudModel functionality and the flat migration of RevitLookup – Save as cloud model from BIM360 Team to Docs – RevitLookup 2022 – A librarian's take on corona... Read more →

Model Group and DA4R Language in Forge

Today, let's look at two Japanese Forge questions, on model groups and the Revit engine language, another RevitLookup enhancement, and, while we're talking about languages, a surprising scientific discovery on naked mole-rat dialects – Retrieving Revit model group in Forge – Specifying the Revit UI language in DA4R – RevitLookup supports ScheduleDefinition GetField – Naked mole-rats speak in community dialects – Van Gogh 360... Read more →

I18n, Forge Accelerators, AEC and BIM360 Focus

An especially interesting Forge accelerator is coming up, and how to handle Revit add-in language resources – Upcoming Forge accelerators – AEC focused Forge accelerator Waldspirale – Internationalisation using .NET language resources... Read more →

Expand your App – Integrate and Leverage Cloud

Expand the value and reach of your Revit add-in. Join our webinar and learn how to quickly add cloud powered capabilities to your application and business offering by leveraging Forge and BIM 360... Read more →

DA4R Cannot Save Directly to Cloud

Today, let's address a resurfacing question in the Forge Design Automation for Revit or DA4R context – DA4R cannot save RVT as a cloud model – Every program launch is logged... Read more →

BIM360 Scripts, Dotnet Template and Prism Goodies

Philipp Mueller highlights a set of BIM360 user management scripts and Diego Rossi shares two useful GitHub repositories – BIM360 user management scripts – External application with Prism goodies – Revit add-in dotnet template... Read more →

Custom Export Precision, Sheet Metadata, Project Id

Many interesting topics on pure Revit API, Forge, BIM360 and AI – Custom export precision – Dismissing a Windows dialogue with JtClicker – AU classes for construction customers – Retrieve sheet metadata in Forge viewer – Determining the BIM 360 project id – AI solves partial differential equations – AI-enhanced video editing... Read more →

High Performance Outline, Line-Plane Intersection

Today let's talk mainly about geometric analysis and performance – High-performance outline optimisation – Simple line-plane intersection – Set base and survey clipped and unclipped – Two German uni BIM360 construction cloud startups – AI-based face streaming hits mainstream... Read more →

Virtual AU and AEC Hackathon, Units and DAS Job

Lots of exciting items to share – No cost for Autodesk University 2020 – AU voting suggestion – Modeless Revit add-ins – Virtual AEC and BIM360 hackathon – Do not print by category – Using the new unit API to display length of multiple lines – Job opening in Developer Advocacy and Support – Intro to synchronous versus async programming... Read more →

Using ReferenceIntersector with a Linked File

Here are our topics for today – What is Forge in 90 seconds – Locally opening RVT file managed by BIM360 – Programming tools for Robobat – Using ReferenceIntersector in linked files... Read more →

2021 Migration, Add-In Language, BIM360 Research

I am too busy! Ouch! Here are just a few of today's topics – BIM360 Question? Join Accelerator! – What language to choose for a Revit Add-In? – The Building Coder samples 2021 migration... Read more →

Revit 2021 Cloud Model API

A nice big egg has been laid just in time for Easter, with the beautiful springtime in full bloom – Revit 2021 – BIM 360 Docs folder permission API – Revit 2021 multi-region cloud model API – Cloud model API changes – How to open a cloud model – How to save a local file to a non-workshared cloud model – SaveAsCloudModel information in web browser and via the Forge DM API... Read more →

Stair Point References, BIM360 Users, Zoom, Jobs

I hope you and your friends and family are all safe, sound and managing well. Our main solution today reveals a new trick handling multistory stairs – Point element references in multistory stairs – BIM 360 GET project users API – Zoom tips – Jobs at Autodesk... Read more →

DevDays Online and Add-In Migration

I share a contribution from fellow blogger Eric Boehlke and the announcement of the upcoming yearly DevDays Online presentations – Add-in migration – Update API references – Join us for our DevDays Online webinars... Read more →

C# Book, Chinese Revit API Tutorial and Insight

I very much enjoyed my quick visit to Swissbau Basel yesterday and meeting so many wonderful people there. Here are some recent getting started tips on various areas: programming in general, C#, the Revit API and Insight – The C# Yellow Book – Chinese Revit API tutorial – Insight into Insight... Read more →

Dashboard, CreateViaOffset and Room Outer Outline

An inconclusive struggle to use CurveLoop.CreateViaOffset leads us once again to thank the powers that be for the integer-based 2D Boolean Clipper library, and some thoughts on project dashboards – Extracting data for project dashboard – Specifying a list of offsets to CreateViaOffset – Alternatives to determine room outline including surrounding walls... 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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

Register for DevDays Online

Revit API and Forge updates – keep up to date with the new enhancements by joining the upcoming webinars; also enjoy the fact that your Revit knowledge is a valuable skill – DevDays online schedule – Revit is one hot job skill... Read more →

Forge DevCon Keynote and BIM360 Model Access

The November Forge DevCon keynote address has been published. Fittingly, some new hints on accessing Revit models from BIM360 – Forge DevCon 2018 keynote – Accessing BIM360 models... Read more →

BIM 360 Issues API

Today, I am presenting a class on Design Automation for Revit or DA4R and the BIM 360 Issues API at the German Autodesk University in Darmstadt. The first and main part is similar to yesterday's presentation at the Forge DevCon conference. Therefore, I will just share the BIM 360 slides here and now – Overview – Four types of issues – Permissions – Attachments – Assignee – Issues API – Get issues – Create issues – Issue type and root cause of field issue – Directly attach local files (photo) to issues – Pushpin Forge viewer extension – .NET core sample – Node.js samples – API Limitations... Read more →

Revit Add-In Locations and BIM360 EU

I am just getting ready to leave for Darmstadt, for the Forge DevCon and German Autodesk University. Here are some quick recent topics I want to share before jumping on the train – BIM 360 Docs API change for European data centre access – Revit add-in locations – Autodesk AppStore bundle format – Juli Zeh über das Turbo-Ich – YouTube video subtitles and auto-translation... Read more →

Support DLL, Zero Doc State and Forge Accelerators

If you are interested in Forge programming, don't miss the upcoming deadline for proposals for the Boston Forge accelerator! Looking at the Revit API, I migrated my sample demonstrating how to enable ribbon items in zero document state to Revit 2019. Let's look at that, and another recurring topic, on loading add-in support DLLs – Migrating the ZeroDocPanel to Revit 2019 – Loading add-in support DLLs – Rome and Boston Forge accelerators... 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 →

BAM Digital Construction and Drawing a Model Line

I am attending the BAM Digital Construction Live event in the UK and presenting on Forge for that domain. Today, I'll share my slide deck from this event and welcome my colleague Xiaodong answering his first Revit API cases – Forge for Digital Construction – Welcome Xiaodong and invoking the Draw Model Line command... Read more →

BIM360 and Forge for AEC Message and Samples

I am participating in a Digital Construction Live event in the UK next week and presenting there on Forge for the BIM domain. Today, let's focus on the real message and some live samples putting it to use: – The real message – BIM collaboration roles and magnitudes – Forge for AEC Sample Live – Connecting Forge with BIM360 Sample... Read more →

Forge for AEC and BIM360 Overview

I am participating in a Digital Construction Live event in the UK next week and presenting there on Forge for the BIM domain. In preparation, I'll jot down some notes here on what I learned about this myself lately – Forge for AEC in Five Minutes – What do the Forge APIs do? – BIM360 – Connect the Docs – Overview – Packages – Platform and Subscriptions – Subscription Entitlements – Docs – Design – Glue – Build – Summary... 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 →

Transform Utils, DirectShape Builder and DevDays Online Webinars

Revitalizer shared two important hints: a performance issue using ElementTransformUtils and a problem reporting mechanism built into the TessellatedShapeBuilderResult method GetIssuesForFaceSet. First, though, let's highlight an even more important upcoming event, the series of DevDays online webinars – Register now for Autodesk DevDays online webinars – Avoid using ElementTransformUtils for batches – Finding cause of DirectShape generation problem... Read more →

NuGet Package Update, Rooms and Views in Forge

Two little items to point out before we end the week – Select Rooms and Views to Publish to the Cloud – Revit 2018.1 API NuGet Packages... Read more →

Revit versus Forge, Ids and Add-In Installation

Forge versus Revit programming – Access Revit BIM data and element ids from BIM360 – Unique IDs for Forge viewer elements – Edit and export Revit properties in Forge – Upcoming Forge accelerators – Updated Visual Studio Revit add-in wizard installation – Question on RevitLookup installation – RevitLookup cannot snoop everything... Read more →

BIM 360 Hackathon and Bounding Boxes

Topics for today – BIM 360 and Forge Hackathon and Webinar Series – IsCreatedLocal versus IsLocal – Getting the building height – FamilyBoundingBox enhanced taking instances into account... Read more →

Dockable Pane, Point Cloud, AI, BIM360, Forge, AU

Summer is here. Autodesk shut down for the first week of July. I went on a few mountain hikes. Explorations to apply artificial intelligence in construction projects are under way. World-wide Autodesk University, Forge Accelerator and BIM360 events have been announced – Forge accelerators in India and France – BIM 360 online hackathon – BIM 360 integration and partnering webinar recording – Call for add-in developers using dockable pane and point cloud engine – Forge at Autodesk University in China, Japan, Germany and Las Vegas – Deep learning analyses photos and videos of industrial sites... Read more →

Forgify

I am officially taking time off right now, but still jumping in here and there anyway, e.g. in an urgent case to reduce the RVT model file size before passing it into the Forge translator – RvtForgify – Forge read-write – Forge in an Enterprise Service Bus... Read more →

BIM 360, Docs, Issues, Forge, DevDay and Accelerator

Good news on BIM 360 itself, Docs, Issues, and high time to prepare for the DevDay conference and accelerator next week – BIM 360 and C4R Success Story – Forge Web Services – BIM 360 Docs – The Forge Issues Service API – 24 Forge DevCon Presentation Recordings – Forge Hackathon Webinar Series Recordings – DevDay Europe and Forge Accelerator in Munich... Read more →

DevDay Conference at Autodesk University

Yesterday afternoon, I checked into the Venetian hotel for AU and the preceding DevDay conference – Desert day and night versus hotel morning – DevDay general session and Forge – AEC breakout – Revit API news, roadmap and idea station – BIM 360 – InfraWorks 360 and Civil 3D – Forge's first birthday party... Read more →

Forge Formats, Webinars and Fusion 360 Client API

I updated the WebGL and Forge introduction for BIM programming and its GitHub source for the presentations in the coming days at the RTC Revit Technology Conference Europe and the ISEPBIM Forge and BIM workshops at ISEP, in Porto, implemented two little curl wrapper scripts to help me list the supported file formats, explored why they changed and updated the hackathon webinar overview. Before getting to that, I'll also highlight a helpful note by Christian on how to access the 'Symbolic Representation' setting – 'Symbolic Representation' setting parameter – Forge intro for BIM programming – cURL wrapper scripts to list Forge file formats – Updated Forge file formats – Forge hackathon webinar series and Fusion 360 Client API recording... Read more →

Material Asset Textures, Forge Webinar Recordings

Today is the last day before my one-week vacation, directly followed non-stop by the ISEPBIM Forge and BIM workshops at Porto University, the RTC Revit Technology Conference Europe, and the Forge Accelerator in Munich. Before leaving, here is a note about another recording of the Forge webinar series and a happy resolution of a recent material asset texture related Revit API issue: – Forge webinar series and BIM360 recordings – Listing material asset textures and sub-textures... Read more →

Need to Commit Twice, Roomedit3dv3 and Forge

Lots of exciting news for today, like every day, once again on the pure Revit API, connecting the desktop and the cloud, and Autodesk Forge – Isolating an element in a newly created view requires two transactions – Forge research enquiry – Connecting desktop and cloud – Roomedit3dv3 live – Could you demo this remotely? – Connecting desktop and cloud draft handout – Table of contents... Read more →

Forge Webinars on Design Automation and BIM360

The Forge webinar series continues. The recording of session 5 on the Design Automation API held by Albert Szilvasy is now available. For code samples on Design Automation, please refer to Albert's tutorials and the Developer-Autodesk Forge Platform samples on GitHub, filtering for Design.automation... Read more →

Roomedit3dv3 Up and Running with Demo Recording

I completed the roomedit3dv3 project – Enhancements to the Forge Node.js boilerplate code – RoomEditorApp Revit add-in update – Roomedit3dv3 demo recording – Samples connecting desktop and cloud – Forge Webinar Series 5 – Design Automation API... Read more →