The Building Coder

Removing Docs Zip Files, Panels and Buttons

A call for feedback on a planned change downloading a RCM from Docs, a tricky solution to remove ribbon panels and buttons, and a bunch of news bites that I found interesting on sustainability, language and AI discoveries; new EU AEC energy ruling, ecological wooden buildings in Scandinavia, spoken human language speed and information density, AI uses as a hearing aid enhancement, weather forecasting, interface assistant, AI open-source and future directions... Read more →

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 →

Journals, Logging, Progress Bar, AEC, AI and CO2

A nice new collection of Revit API, AI and AEC related topics – Accountability, Logging and Journals – WPF progress bar with abort button – Sublime text – Interesting AI motivation: ensure it goes well – Now you see it, now you don't – BIM-GPT AI BIM information retrieval – AEC greenwashing – IKEA life at home report – Climpact carbon footprint action comparison... Read more →

Dependency Injection and Model Checker API

Happy New Year! – AU 2023 classes – Dependency injection for Revit API – RevitLookup updates – Model checker API docs – ChatGPT and Maestro AI for Revit scripting – Construction spending rising in the US – Free Will – Vuca... Read more →

No Geometry, Touching Geometry and Cut Geometry

Discussions of BIM, geometry, pyRevit and AI news – pyRevit discourse – The BIM has no geometry – Get touching elements – What is a stable representation of a reference? – CUT_EDGE reference voodoo – Revit and IFC coordinate systems – Chinese influencer deepfakes livestreaming 24/7 – Generative AI use and misuse... 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 →

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 →

Onbox, DirectContext Jig and No CDN

Autumnal topics for this week – The Onbox cross-platform Revit API framework – DirectContext rectangle jig – Creating reports from AutoCAD and Revit – RevitApiDocs statistics – Stop using JavaScript CDN... 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 →

Quo Vadis Revit

An exciting announcement was made today; I add pointers to two preceding recent news items that may or may not be related – Autodesk joins Open Design Alliance – Martyn Day on the past and future of Revit – Håvard Vasshaug on the open letter... 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 →

Torsion Tools, Command Event and Info in DA4R

As always, interesting topics keep pouring in from the Revit API discussion forum and elsewhere – Torsion Tools GitHub launch and solution overview – Detect command launch – SelectableInViewFilter – Access project location in Forge – Distinguish structural elements and access volume information in Forge... 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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

Before Getting Started with Design Automation

Several people have recently asked how to get started with Forge Design Automation for Revit or DA4R. I will not get into any nitty-gritty details, since they are well covered by the Forge Design Automation API documentation, which includes DA4R tutorials and samples. Here are examples of two conversations on planning first steps for DA4R solutions – Structural analysis with DA4R – Implementing a DA4R RVT round trip... Read more →

Forum Français and Treeview Performance

As usual, I have been much too active in the Revit API discussion forum recently and worked too little for my taste here in the blog. Here are some of the recent items that I want to share plus a few pictures from my latest mountain outing – Marat's shapka ushanka and Balmer's Graetli – Naveen is a top solution author now – Revit et BIM en Français – Tree view performance optimisation – Underture... Read more →

Room Boundaries to CSV and WPF Template

Happy New Year! I spent some time during the winter break working on CSV export of room boundaries for a Forge BIM surface classification tool. Ali Asad presented a new Visual Studio WPF MVVM Revit add-in template – Export room boundaries to CSV for Forge surface classification – Visual Studio WPF MVVM Revit add-in template... 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 →

Dashboard, Regen and Revit API Panel at AU

Topics to start the week – Revit API panel at AU in Las Vegas – Automatic BIM dashboard data extraction – When to regenerate the document? – RevitLookup centre parent for forms... 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 →

That BIM Girl and AskNow

I arrived in Rome Sunday afternoon and am now happy to be here at the Forge accelerator together with my Autodesk colleagues and the other attending companies. Before diving in further into the accelerator, I would like to point out the new inspiring AEC resources shared by That Bim Girl, and also post some notes to self on Q4R4 – That BIM Girl – Notes to Self on AskNow for Q4R4... 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 →

Purge Unused using Performance Adviser

Matt Taylor of WSP shares a solution to Purge Unused using the Performance Adviser – PurgeTool.vb implements GetPurgeableElements – PurgeUnused.vb external command... 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 →

Multi-Target Add-Ins, AI, Markdown and Job Offer

Let's finish this week with a blog post completely free of source code – but not of Revit API topics – Compiling add-ins for multiple Revit versions – Generative design for office planning – Handy Markdown tutorial – Job offer for senior software engineer in Tel Aviv... 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 →