The Building Coder

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 →

Design Automation for Revit in Public Beta

The long-awaited public beta phase for Design Automation for Revit (aka Revit IO and DA4R) has finally arrived! Design Automation for Revit makes the power of the Revit API available as a Forge-based service... Read more →

Face Methods and Custom Command Line Arguments

Inundated with interesting topics, let's skim a few topmost ones off – Passing an add-in custom command line parameters – Useful methods help verify a Face is rectangular – Automate complex family creation – C++ code extracts 3D line segments from point cloud – Big data visualisation and storytelling... 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 →

Design Automation for Revit at AU and in Public

One of the most exciting Revit related topics at Autodesk University is the expansion of the Forge Design Automation API to include support for Revit families and models in RFA and RVT files, aka Design Automation for Revit or DA4R – Design Automation for Revit Public Beta – FDC226894 – DA4R at DevCon at AU Las Vegas – AS226079 – Manage Revit Digital Content using DA4R – What is Forge Design Automation for Revit (Revit.io)? – Revit.io Model – Terminology – Why Revit.io? – Cloud based content management with automated client requirements and standardization – Generating native project templates through Revit I/O on the cloud – Creating Templates – Learn how to link to Forge for Real-Time query and visualization – Learn how to manipulate and manage content in the cloud... Read more →

Forge Design Automation for Revit

Today, I am presenting a class on Design Automation for Revit or DA4R at the Forge DevCon preceding the German Autodesk University in Darmstadt – What is Forge Design Automation API for Revit? – Examples? – How do you use it? – Workflow: uploading a Revit add-in – Workflow: running a client application – Things to consider – How to create a Revit add-in which works with Design Automation API? – Create an IExternalDBApplication – Determine inputs – Use the bridge library to be notified when Design Automation is executing – Create a failure handler – Logging and errors – Further reading... Read more →

Reality Solutions SDK Enables RCP File Read-Write

Today, we proudly present a DLL for reading and writing RCP files, announcing the Reality Solutions SDK, providing full access to the Autodesk proprietary point cloud format – Announcing the Reality Solutions SDK – How do I access the SDK? – Discussion and support resources... 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 →

Dynamo on the Web?

Do you Dynamo? Do you have a potential application for Autodesk Dynamo on the Cloud? If yes, we want to talk to you... Read more →

Cloud Model Predicate, and Set Parameter Regenerates

The Revit API discussion forum continues to reach ever new levels of depth and coverage. Here are a couple of recent topics – Welcome to the top solution authors, Jim! – Setting a parameter to regenerate the model – Checking model for C4R versus local file... Read more →

Forge DevCon Highlights

A "don't miss" list of the main highlights and a heads-up on some of the biggest happenings – See into the future of Forge with partner and executive keynotes – Choose from over 50 AU classes on ways to take advantage of cloud solutions – Visit the Village, an exclusive exhibit open only to Forge DevCon attendees – Demo and witness first hand the new AR/VR Toolkit – Get to know Amazon Web Services through these classes and exhibits... Read more →

Forge DevCon in Las Vegas

My plans changed and I will not be visiting Las Vegas this year after all. The most important participants in the Revit API session that I was preparing to host are the members of the Revit development team, anyway. I very strongly urge you to not miss the chance to attend both AU and the preceding Forge developer conference, though – Forge DevCon highlights and reasons to join your peers – Sneak peek at the Forge DevCon keynotes – Visit the exclusive Forge DevCon village on Monday – Get one on one with Amazon Web Services – Decide now... Read more →

AU Recording, Books, Education and Units

I completed the presentation and recording of my presentation yesterday on Rational BIM programming using Revit and Forge at Autodesk University in Darmstadt, Germany – Rational BIM Programming recording – Pleasant walks in the Odenwald – Some of my favourite recent books – Where to continue after finishing school – New AlphaGo Zero is completely self-taught – TotalPressureLoss units... Read more →

Rational BIM Programming at AU Darmstadt

I am attending Autodesk University in Darmstadt, Germany, and putting the final touches to my presentation tomorrow on Rational BIM programming using Revit and Forge. Here are the slides and the handout document in their current state in PDF format – Slide deck – Handout document – For your convenience, here is the full text of the latter as well... Read more →

Revit Server Download and Hiding Point Cloud Scan

Today, I have two important results to share based on hard work by Tim Burnham and Pierre Navarra – Download from Revit Server requires RSN.INI entry – Hiding a point cloud scan RCS in an RCP instance... Read more →

My First Revit Plugin Enhancements

Today, let's return to the recurring topic of getting started with the Revit API, its SDK samples, and programming in general – My First Revit Plugin enhancements – Getting started with web programming – FreeCodeCamp – ModelessForm_ExternalEvent initialisation... 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 →

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 →

External Access to the Revit API

We are currently being flooded with questions about a topic that has already been discussed repeatedly and in depth in the past, external access to the Revit API. Possibly, the cause is the growing interest in implementing web driven solutions to generate RFA and RVT files. It is in fact possible to implement a web server driving Revit in the background to execute such tasks, as demonstrated by the old sample showing how to drive Revit through a WCF service and other examples listed in the topic group on Idling and external events for modeless access and driving Revit from outside – Revit I/O and Forge – Question – Answer... 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 →

AU Day One, Keynote and DevLab

Today Autodesk University started up for real. For me personally, the morning was occupied with booth preparation, the exciting keynote presentations and the afternoon DevLab Q&A – Autodesk University Keynote – Jeff Kowalski, CTO – Machine learning – Generative design – Virtual reality – Robotic systems – Exciting times – Guest Speakers Christian Benimana and Anna Nixon – Carl Bass, CEO – DevLab – Forge Pricing – Cl3ver, Chaos Group and V-Ray... 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 →

BIM@TuDa, DevDays, Forge News and More Events

I am in Darmstadt preparing the Forge and BIM presentation and hands-on workshop at Technische Universität Darmstadt, Institut für Numerische Methoden und Informatik im Bauwesen, the institute for numerical methods and computer science in the construction industry at the technical university here. Many other larger events are coming up after this – BIM@TuDa agenda – Getting started with Dynamo – Forge news – New Forge resources – Forge events and community – DevDays – Developer Day conferences and accelerators... Read more →

Revit API Connecting Desktop and Cloud @ TUDa

The RTC Revit Technology Conference Europe and my stay here in Porto is nearing its end – Wrapping up in Porto – Connecting BIM and Cloud @ TUDa – Creating a Revit add-in with one single click – Connecting Revit and Forge in 55 minutes... Read more →

Connecting Desktop and Cloud RTC Material

I am in the last stages of preparing my presentation this afternoon on connecting the desktop and the cloud for the RTC Revit Technology Conference Europe. For your and the audience's convenience, here are the materials I am presenting, and some of the main links to further information – Handout – Slide deck – Recording – Samples Connecting Desktop and Cloud... 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 →

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 →

Retrieving and Broadcasting the Roomedit3dv3 Translation

As I discussed last week, the translation tool emits info about its activity via socket.io. Now I want to pick up that information higher up, in the viewer transform extension, and relay it to the node.js web server or broadcast it to the rest of the world. The existing sample call to emit is inside onTxChange, which is called on each mouse move. We do not need to track each mouse movement in such fine detail... Read more →

Solid From Bounding Box and Forge Webinar 4

I submitted the handout for my presentation on connecting the desktop and cloud for the RTC Revit Technology Conference Europe in Porto next month. I still have to finish my work on the roomedit3dv3 sample to demonstrate connecting the desktop with the cloud by enabling a real-time round-trip modification of the BIM via the Forge viewer; yesterday I integrated the transform viewer extension; now I have to hook up the socket.io messaging back to the Revit add-in to update the BIM – Create solid from bounding box – Forge webinar series 4 – Viewer... Read more →

Warning Swallower, Roomedit3d Viewer Extension

I continue my work on the roomedit3dv3 sample connecting the desktop with the cloud by enabling a real-time round-trip modification of the BIM via the Forge viewer, mention a neat solution enabling a Revit add-in to swallowing warning messages, and point out the Forge webinar session on the Forge Viewer later today – Warning swallower – Roomedit3dv3 transform viewer extension – Forge webinar series... Read more →

Roomedit3d Broadcast, Teigha BIM, Forge Webinar 3

My discussion with Philippe on integrating roomedit3dv3 with the rest of his Forge node.js boilerplate samples continues, as does the Forge hackathon webinar series. Furthermore, the Open Design Alliance made an interesting Revit related announcement – REST vs WebSocket and Roomedit3dv3 broadcast architecture – Teigha BIM announcement – Forge webinar series... Read more →

Flipping a Section View and Forge Webinar 3

I already created a starting point for the new roomedit3d incarnation last week, in its own repository. This week, I agreed with Philippe to retain the new project in an own branch within the Forge boilerplate code sample collection. Hopefully, that will simplify keeping my BIM sample synchronised with any future updates make to that. Now I need to get started implementing and testing the actual viewer extension functionality itself. My main topic today is something different and purely Revit API oriented, besides the next Forge session – Flipping a section view – Forge webinar series... Read more →

The Birth of Roomedit3dv3 and Forge Webinar 2

I made my choice on the starting point for the new roomedit3d incarnation, and the second Forge webinar was successfully held – The birth of Roomedit3dv3 – Forge webinar session 2 on OAuth and the Data Management API... Read more →

Forge Webinar Series and Roomedit Starting Points

I am still in the initial steps of preparing for my upcoming presentations on connecting the desktop and the cloud and exploring more Forge sample starting points. At the same time, we are in the midst of the Forge and AppStore online hackathon webinars, with one down and nine more to come – More Roomedit3dv3 starting points – Forge webinar series... Read more →

Roomedit3d Update for Connecting Desktop and Forge

As I already pointed out, it is really high time now for me to get started preparing for the upcoming presentations on connecting the desktop and the cloud. Let's look at what I prepared for that in the past, in the recent almost-present for the Forge DevCon in June, and plans for the future – Past connecting desktop and cloud samples – DevCon Forge sample for Freeing Your BIM Data – Roomedit3dv3 starting point – Augusto's node.js sample guidelines and naming conventions – Forge Viewer access to Revit 2D views... Read more →

Forge and AppStore Online Hackathon Webinars

For the fourth year in a row, we are hosting an online hackathon. In fact, it already started: the Autodesk App Store Forge and Fusion 360 Hackathon is running from September 1 until October 31. This time, the focus is on building apps using Forge APIs and Fusion 360 and extending the Forge ecosystem. Forge is a development platform – a set of cloud services that connects design, engineering, visualization, collaboration, production and operations workflows for all domains. At this early stage of Forge, many people may be interested in learning more about the Forge APIs with no obligation to publish an app; you are more than welcome to attend the free API webinars... Read more →

Exporting RVT BIM to JSON, WebGL and Forge

I am happy to say that I returned safe and sound to Switzerland from my travels for the Forge DevCon and Cloud Accelerator. Since then, I rounded off the hierarchical MEP system exporter to a JSON graph for interaction with it in the Forge viewer, worked on an update of the ADN JSON mesh exporter and helped my son Christopher getting started with C# scripting to drive audio effects for professional spatialized sound design for computer games – More TraverseAllSystems updates – CustomExporterAdnMeshJson updates – ADN JSON Exporter Alternatives to View RVT in WebGL – vA3C – The Forge Viewer – Getting started with Unity C# scripting – Opendesk at Autodesk Forge Accelerator Barcelona... Read more →

Freeing Your BIM Data and Roomedit3d Forge OAuth

The Forge DevCon took off yesterday with a big bang, as you have certainly heard by now. The 3D Web Fest evening event was also very cool. Today is the big day for me, with my presentation on Freeing your BIM Data coming up this afternoon. Here are all the roomedit3dv2 resources for you to explore at your own leisure – Detailed discussion – Slide deck – Demo recording – Source code – Live test... Read more →

Highlighting Revit Rooms in the Forge Viewer

I am leaving Athens today. The Athens Forge meetup and web server workshop at The Cube went well. Now it is full steam ahead towards the Forge DevCon in San Francisco week after next. Not to forget the 3D Web Fest on June 15, in parallel with Forge DevCon, showcasing the best of the 3D web as live performance art with a catered reception in a film festival atmosphere... Read more →

Roomedit3d Live Real-Time Socket.io BIM Update

I completed the first running version of my roomedit3d project connecting BIM and the cloud demonstrating two cool possibilities to enhance interaction with the View and Data API – A viewer extension enabling interactive model modification, i.e., translation of selected elements – Real-time communication of the modification back to the source CAD system using a direct socket.io connection to broadcast from the web server to any number of desktop clients... Read more →

Roomedit3d Console Test and Rendering Assets

I returned from the trip to Barcelona last week for the Forge Accelerator and was immediately inundated with overdue tasks. One issue that I addressed has to do with rendering assets – Roomedit3d Revit-Independent Implementation Aspects – Connecting BIM and the cloud – Demonstrating cool possibilities to enhance interaction with the View and Data API – A viewer extension enabling interactive model modification, i.e., translation of selected elements – Real-time communication of the modification back to the source CAD system using: – A REST API POST call from the viewer extension to the node.js web server – A direct socket.io connection to broadcast from the web server to any number of desktop clients... Read more →

Idea Station and TextNote Bounding Box

Thank you for your questions during the Autodesk answer day. I am still busy supporting the Barcelona Forge Accelerator participants in the Autodesk office. I am also working on a very exciting new project connecting BIM and the cloud using a direct socket.io connection to communicate changes back to the desktop, instead of the inefficient polling mechanism I implemented in previous projects. Once again, it consists of two parts, the node.js web server and View and Data API handler and the C# .NET Revit API add-in client – Revit Idea Station – TextNote Bounding Box Requires Regen – Regeneration Performance Benchmark... Read more →

Forge Accelerator, DevCon and Answer Day

In case you wonder why I am so quiet: I am busy in Barcelona at the Forge Accelerator in the Autodesk office in Poble Nou. Furthermore, I am preparing for the Forge DevCon in San Francisco next month. As if that was not enough, on Wednesday, I am also participating in the worldwide Autodesk Answer day, taking place from 6am to 6pm Pacific Time. This one will be the biggest yet, focusing on seven products: 3ds Max, AutoCAD, Civil3D, Inventor, Maya, Revit, and Vault... Read more →

Forge and Autodesk University Call for Proposals

In the beginning of the week, I listed my things to do next, including the most important and exciting one, attending and presenting at the Forge DevCon developer conference in San Francisco June 15-16. My to-do list also includes the Forge accelerators being held in Barcelona May 16-20 and in San Francisco June 19-24. Now the calls for proposals have opened for both Autodesk University and the Forge accelerator in San Francisco... Read more →

FireRatingCloud Context and Architecture

A picture says more than a thousand words. I find a compelling and clear picture takes a lot of work, though. I created the image below to explain the context and architecture of the FireRatingCloud and other samples connecting BIM and the cloud like RoomEditorApp, followed by some musings on using Revit as a server – FireRatingCloud context and architecture – You cannot use Revit as a server... Read more →

Real-Time BIM Update via a Windows Forms Client

Today, I address the first item in yesterday's to do list – Document and improve FireRatingClient, the stand-alone Windows client – we will need this to demonstrate the real-time BIM update from arbitrary sources – Context – FireRatingClient – Adding the modified Field – Updating the modified Field on Edit – FireRatingClient Live BIM Update Demo Recording – Download – To Do... Read more →