The Building Coder

UV, Emergence, Fuzz and the get_ Prefix

Current topics of interest from the Revit API discussion forum and elsewhere – Switch metric + imperial units – What is UV? – What is fuzz? – What is get_Parameter and get_Geometry? – Default localised workset names – Bing Chat Python and Dynamo tutor – Claude on Slack summarises and answers questions – Emergence and sparks of artificial general intelligence... Read more →

Can You Avoid Chaining Idling?

AU 2022 classes are available online now, as well as a new Dynamo book and resources project. I also present some ongoing nitty-gritty discussions on external events and Idling – Modern add-in deployment and testing – Parametric curvature in families – Awesome Dynamo online book project – Launching command after closing form – Chaining Idling events and other solutions... Read more →

Home Planet and to Dy or Not to Dy

Let's look at two serious choices that we are facing – one more serious than the other – To Dynamo or not to Dynamo – Home planet at great risk... Read more →

Analysis of Macros, Journals and Add-In Manager

Looking at Revit macro usage, add-in manager debug/trace functionality and journal analysis in Python and Dynamo – Revit macro study shareback – Add-in manager with debug trace – Journal file analysis – Plugging the HSL colour format... Read more →

Getting Started Once Again

Welcoming my new colleague Carol leads to a renewed look at getting started – Access permission to load my first add-in – My first Revit plug-in todo – Books on Python for Revit Dynamo – pyRevit saves insane amounts of time – Newtonsoft Json.dll version conflict – Lost in the World by Steve Cutts... Read more →

Hiding Edges, AU, Roadmaps and Vasa

Numerous exciting announcements leading up to AU this week – Revit roadmap update and AMA at AU – Structural news at AU – Revit category guide – How to hide internal edges of solids – VASA 3D voxel-based architectural space analysis... Read more →

Snooping Parts, C# Templates and Python Topics

A neat RevitLookup enhancement, powerful new Revit add-in template, and a couple of Python related topics – RevitLookup handles PartUtils – Nice3point Revit add-in C# template – IronPython hosting in C# add-in – Python 3, CPython, pyRevit and Dynamo... Read more →

View Sheet from View and Select All on Level

Increasing numbers of of Python and Dynamo oriented topics in the Revit API discussion forum, and a final deprecated API clean-up – The Building Coder samples clean – Retrieving all elements on level – Get ViewSheet from View – Fabrication transaction in Dynamo... Read more →

Triangle Count, New Floor and Slab Creation

Getting back into the flow after my summer break – Model polygon or triangle count – Floor creation API clarification – Dynamo Studio EOL – My solar power project... Read more →

Naughty Updaters, DIY Add-In Manifest, GD, AI, etc.

Lots of exciting discussion going on in the Revit API discussion forum and elsewhere – No redemption for naughty updaters – DIY Add-in manifest – Generative design in C# – AI identifies and classifies BIM elements in 2D sketch... Read more →

Addin File, Learning Python and IFC.js

Today, we look at the add-in manifest, learning Python and Dynamo, the status of the Revit Python shell and a useful stand-alone IFC viewer – Personalised add-in manifest – Learning Python and Dynamo – Quo vadis, RevitPythonShell? – IFC.js... Read more →

Splits: Persona, Collector, Region, Tag, Modification

I need to come to terms with a split personality. Meanwhile, lots more going on in the Revit API discussion forum – Two Jeremys – Multiple collectors versus multiple filters – RevitLookup handles split region offsets – Python and Dynamo autotag without overlap – Custom errors and preventing changes – Ecological cost of crypto currency and art... Read more →

Line Subcategory Filter, Modification Tracker and NW

I played around a bit with the NavisWorks API and discovered a nice Revit project modification tracking tool in Dynamo – Filter for detail lines subcategory – Revit project modification tracking – Retrieving all NavisWorks model properties – Node.js best practices – Early history of programming and C... Read more →

Forge Design Automation and DesignScript

Today, I'll mainly pick up some non-desktop issues – DesignScript with Dynamo and Revit – Forge getting started material – Getting started with DA4R – DA4R local debug tool – AI vision model images – Vonnegut on technology... Read more →

Command Binding Conflicts and Face UV Coords

Today, let's pick up two recent discussions on the UV coordinate space on a face and the replacement of add-in command bindings – Understanding the Face BoundingBoxUV – Handling add-in command binding conflicts... 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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

Dynamo, Symbol vs Type and Exporter Exception

Today we discuss a couple of Dynamo considerations, Revit family and element fundamental concepts, and an exception handler required for a custom exporter – Revit API versus Dynamo for Revit – Dynamo 2.0.X versus 1.3.3 – Difference between FamilySymbol and ElementType – Custom exporter Execute may throw – Turned on Git LFS... Read more →

Revit Unit Test Framework Improvements

The UpCodes AI team shared some significant Revit Test Framework improvements – Created a NuGet package – Added the ability to group tests by the model – Added ability to use wildcards for model filenames – Clear messaging and indication of failures... 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 →

Efficiently Retrieve Crop Box for Given View

Konrads Samulis shared a very nice solution to retrieve the crop box for a given view using a highly efficient parameter filter in his comment on rotating a plan view. In digging up this old thread, I found something quite curious in the API in 18.1, that I'm not sure was there before. The method of using a temporary transaction (with rollback) to find the element id of the crop box was taking a very long time on a large model, so I did a bit of digging to see how I could improve it. I noticed that in the built-in parameter ID_PARAM of the crop box contains the element id of the view it's in. E.g., the crop box 'points' to the id of the view it is in using ID_PARAM... Read more →

Autodesk University Past and Future

Quick notes on the best speakers at the last event in Las Vegas, and your chance to become one of them at the next in London – Best AU Speakers in Las Vegas 2017 – CFP for Autodesk University London 2018... Read more →

Revit 2018.1 and the Visual Materials API

The Revit 2018.1 update was released last month. It implements one of the most important and long-standing API wishes, providing programmatic access to materials – Dynamo Player improvements – Visual Materials API – Fabrication parts centre line length API – MAJ file creation API... Read more →

Finding an Exit Path and ElementId Parameter Values

As usual, lots of exciting discussions are being conducted in the Revit API discussion forum. I'll just highlight two of them going on right now – Finding a path through the BIM – Finding all possible ElementId values for specific Parameter... Read more →

Family Bounding Box and AEC Hackathon Munich

I briefly mentioned the AEC Hackathon in Munich yesterday. Here is some more information on that, highlighting the exciting speaker line-up and target topics, plus a solution for determining the bounding box of an entire family – AEC Hackathon Munich Topics and Speakers – Family bounding box – Continuous integration for RevitLookup? Read more →

Distances, Switches, Kiss-ing and a Dino

I continued my activity in the Revit API discussion forum and had lots of interesting discussions there. One recent thread caused me to bring up a favourite topic of mine, on keeping things simple. I'll also mention two other less recent recurring questions – Distance between two points in a specific direction – Revit command-line switches – Keeping things simple with the Revit API – Dino pondering lengthening days... 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 →

Trusted Signature Motivation and Fishing

Topics for today – How does code signing of Revit add-ins increase security? – What happened to LoadCaseArray? – How and where to search for help on a Revit API question? – Dynamo 1.1 Update... Read more →

Retrieving a C# out Argument Value in Python

Here is a short note on two interesting little items that just cropped up – Retrieving a C# out argument value in Python – ETH Zurich Sandstone Vault at the Venice Architecture Biennale... Read more →

The pyRevit IronPython Script Library

Two weeks ago, Maltezc raised a question on the availability of a version of RevitLookup for Python. I am not aware of any Python version of RevitLookup, but you can certainly call into RevitLookup from RevitPythonShell. Maltezc pointed out the pyRevit IronPython script library. Ehsan Iran-Nejad, pyRevit creator and maintainer, now wrote a blog post describing this powerful and popular collection... Read more →

Pi Day, Meeting, Ski Tour, Revit Server Bar Separator

You may be surprised to hear that today is Pi Day :-) – as well as the birthday of my S.O.S. or significant other's son. I had an exciting week with the ADN team meeting in London followed by a ski tour during the weekend. To round this off, I'll also tuck in one little Revit API item here for you – Happy Pi Day and Dan's birthday – EMEA ADN team meeting in London – Ski tours in the Alvier group – Revit Server model path requires bar separator... Read more →

Kids@Work and AEC Technology Symposium Videos

I am busy preparing my presentations for Autodesk University. In spite of that, I spent the day yesterday taking my SON (significant other's nephew :-) to the Kids at Work event in the Autodesk Neuchâtel offices – AEC Technology Symposium Videos... Read more →

RTC, Budapest and the Revit API Panel

Last week, I listed my three Revit Technology Conference classes on connecting the desktop and the cloud, The Building Coder chatroom, and the full detailed handout of the lab on getting started with Revit macros. All three went very well. Today, I'll present the questions and answers from The Building Coder chatroom, which turned into a really interesting Revit API panel discussion, with the help of several fellow developers. Here are also some of the pictures I took... Read more →

Sharing, Dynamo and a Chinese Book

I returned from the Autodesk Cloud Accelerator in Prague, where I finished off cleaning up the FireRating in the Cloud sample and made some good inroads into the new CompHound project. Some learning resources and sharing philosophy – Håvard Vasshaug on Learning Dynamo and Sharing Content – Open Source BIM, IFC and FreeCAD – Chinese Revit API Book... Read more →

F# Procedural Modelling and Z3 Constraint Solving

F# Mantis Procedural Modelling and Z3 Constraint Solving: Matthew Moloney presents the potential of interactive F# coding in Revit, like the Tsunami Rhino plugin, with a number of improvements, similar to the Revit Python Shell but for the F# programming language, bringing advantages including full code completion, error checking, performance, design scalability and access to powerful procedural modelling and constraint solving tools... Read more →

Grevit, FireRating in the Cloud Deployment, Vacation

I have been extremely busy the past few days implementing my FireRating in the Cloud sample, a migration of the standard Revit SDK FireRating sample to a cloud-based multi-project implementation – reflected in this week's GitHub contributions: Also, I heard from Max Thumfart about his very interesting Grevit project: FireRating in the cloud demo and deployment Grevit Vacation time soon FireRating in the Cloud Demo and Deployment I'm just about done with my FireRating in the Cloud project. I published... Read more →

Dynamo, Centroid & Volume Calculation Migration Blitz

My French colleague Olivier Bayle, co-author of the French AEC-related Village BIM blog, just re-raised the topic of my old solid centroid and volume calculation add-in. Let's also point out one or two of the numerous topics we tackled in the past few days on the Revit API discussion forum: Graphically displaying the centre of gravity using Dynamo GetCentroid on GitHub and blitz migration across four Revit API releases Finding the orientation of welded pipe outlets How to set the... Read more →

Selection Filters, Adjacency and the Good Universe

Today, let's look at: A generic selection filter implementation Determining adjacent rooms and spaces The good universe A Generic Selection Filter Implementation Yesterday, I presented my new JtPairPicker element pair selection utility class. It included a templated selection filter class. I later realised that I could make use of that in several other places as well, replacing the existing explicit Wall, CurveElement and Pipe selection filters by a generic JtElementsOfClassSelectionFilter one instead: ///

/// Allow selection of elements of... Read more →

Autodesk Open Source All Over – Germany and Japan

Here are some notes on Autodesk Open Source involvement from AU Germany, the Japan hackathon, and two other nice topics for today: Autodesk University Germany Japanese View and Data API hackathon projects CAD Term Translation Cool presentation gimmick Autodesk University Germany In the keynote session, Carl Bass introduced Spark, Autodesk's new 3D printer and total commitment to open source: Connected – Spark connects digital information to 3D printers in a new and streamlined way, making it easier to visualize and... Read more →

Wishlist, Blogging, Smartgeometry, Dynamo and FormIt

Here is today's bunch of exciting topics: Revit API wishlist survey results Blogging tips and tricks Smartgeometry 2014 conference Dynamo enhancements Dynamo and FormIt win Best in Show at AIA 2014 Completely lacking hardcore API stuff, for a change. Revit API Wishlist Survey Results The results of the Revit API wishlist survey are in. Most participants: Are shipping a Revit add-in used in production Work in architectural design Automate repetitive tasks Ask for more access to 3D model elements and... Read more →