The Building Coder

.NET Assembly and DirectShape Libraries

Two illuminating discussions on direct shapes, working with direct shape libraries, and handling Revit and third-party .NET assembly DLLs – DirectShapeType and AddExternallyTaggedGeometry – Referencing and avoiding conflict with Revit DLLs – SSSVG interactive SVG reference – Coding with eyes only... Read more →

IFC, Dimension and Reference Intersector with Links

Pros and cons of the reference intersector and how to use it with linked files and filtered element collectors, a design automation IFC exporter, dimensioning linked elements using the reference stable representation and new forays with large language models – Reference intersector with filters and links – Revit IFC exporter for APS DA – Stable representation voodoo with links – Running Dalai LLaMa locally – ChatGPT invented a game... Read more →

Geometry Options and Clean Simple Curves

Geometry options and clean simple curves – Curve loop simplify and clean up – Geometry options clarification – JtClicker 2023 – OpenMEP by Chuong Ho – Unintelligible film dialogue... Read more →

Pyramid Builder, CommandLoader, et al

Pyramid Builder, CommandLoader, and more – Dynamic load, compile and run code – DirectShape pyramids – Modify level element X and Y extents – How to filter for subsets of elements – Switch document display units – Material tags displaying '?' – Sublime Text... Read more →

Back to Basics and ChatGPT

Impressed and intrigued by what ChatGPT can and cannot do, trying out new aspects myself and with my friends – Element filtering – XYZ trigonometry – Projecting points – Using ChatGPT with Revit API – Generative AI and multi-modal learning – ChatGPT in academia, education, building a VM, DIY, payment plan, Solarpunk... Read more →

APS, Nairobi and NetTopologySuite

I am writing this in Nairobi, Kenya, getting to know the team here; also, the new APS landing page just went live, and Benoit points out a useful geometric modelling library to help power your Revit add-in – DAS team in Nairobi, Kenya – NetTopologySuite in Revit add-ins – New APS landing page – You can create RVT using APS... Read more →

APS, AU, and Miter Wall Join for Full Face

Autodesk University 2022 is in full swing and brings exciting news. Meanwhile, the Revit API discussion forum continues unperturbed with other equally exciting conversations and solutions – Forge is dead; long live APS – Forma for AEC – Linked element visibility – Visibility of a specific element in a view – Miter join walls to retrieve full faces... Read more →

Aligning Connectors

A C++ sample demonstrating how to align connectors, an impressive modern platform for implementing and streamlining online API processes, and my impressions of Harari's book on the history of mankind – Align connectors in C++ – Pipedream serverless API workflow – Harari: Sapiens Read more →

Point Clouds, Coloured Triangles and Faces

Let's look at accessing point cloud points and colouring individual triangles and faces – Assigning material to each face – DirectContext3D colorized triangles – Pick and access point cloud points... Read more →

Instances in Room and Need for Fuzz

Common tasks include finding instances with a given room, comparing real numbers, and sharing documentation online – Get family instances within room – Again, the need for fuzz – Avoid PDF for on-screen reading... Read more →

Tag Extents and Lazy Detail Components

Today, we highlight two nice contributions from the Revit API discussion forum – Determining tag extents – One-click detail family generator... Read more →

Outer Walls, Lookup Update and Filtering

Freshening up a few of our favourite recurring topics – RevitLookup update – Filtering for multiple built-in categories – Retrieving all outer walls – Zen and the art of React programming... Read more →

Corridor Skeleton, Copy and Paste API

An urgent request for feedback from the Revit development team and an especially interesting thread from the Revit API discussion forum – Copy and paste API Feedback – Corridor skeleton... Read more →

Forge Data Days and JoinGeometryUtils

Finally a chance to meet and learn live about Forge, the updated developer's guide and a nice JoinGeometryUtils sample – Revit 2023 developer's guide – Forge Data Days – Obtaining closed loops for joined element parts – Create and style your QR code – La Serre greenhouse wheelbarrow ballet... Read more →

Detailed 2D Text and Other Element Geometry

The 2D custom exporter provides a basis for a new and much more powerful approach to access detailed 2D geometry – Retrieve dimension text height and width – Determine text font geometry – Retrieve 2D geometry of any element... Read more →

Symbol, Instance, Material, Data, Journal, Break

We close this year with an eclectic mix of topics – Symbol vs instance geometry clarification – Create new material with texture – RVT dashboard data access – Marking and retrieving a custom element – Advanced remote batch command processing – Midwinter break... Read more →

Installer Asset, FormIt and Quaternions

Notes on FormIt and its JavaScript API, the new automatically generated RevitLookup MSI installer asset, transformations and quaternions – FormIt API and geographical context – RevitLookup MSI installer asset – Transform and quaternions... 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 →

Autodesk University 2021, Python, Fuzz and Break

AU registration is open, fuzzy comparison is important for real numbers, Python learning material and time for a break – Autodesk University 2021 open and free – Real number comparison requires fuzz – Getting started with Python – Vacation time... 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 →

Painting Stairs and Shooting for the Beams

Two Revit API discussion forum threads that I am currently involved in – Painting stairs – Ray tracing vs bounding box to find beams intersecting columns... Read more →

Flip, Mirror, Transform and Transient Graphics

How are reflections like flip and mirror reflected in the BIM element transform? – Transient elements hack – Temporary incanvas graphics API video – Shared versus non-shared parameter creation – Direct PDF export and DA4R... Read more →

RevitLookup Update, Fuslogvw and Override Joins

Here are a couple of the interesting topics that came up in the last couple of days – Numerous RevitLookup enhancements – Revit API Labs training material 2022 – Visual Studio Revit add-in templates 2022 – The SetGeometryCurve overrideJoins argument – Exploring assembly reference DLL hell with Fuslogvw... Read more →

Roadmap Today and Sorting Non-Planar Curve Loops

Very short notice on the Ask Me Anything session taking place later today, and a vastly enhanced method for sorting curve loops – Today: Inside the Factory, Ask Me Anything – Sorting non-planar curve loops... Read more →

Sneak Peek, Automatic Column, Arc Angle, Career

A new version of Revit coming soon, solutions for automatic column type creation and instance placement, handling arc angles, career opportunities and a sustainable economic model – What's new in Revit 2022 sneak peek – Creating column types from list – Normalising arc start and end angle – Many exciting opportunities at Autodesk – The sustainable doughnut economic model... Read more →

Boundary Elements and Stirrup Constraints

A lengthy and fruitful conversation on implementing valid rebar stirrup constraints and more advice on determining boundary elements for the entire building and individual rooms – Rebar stirrup constraints – Exterior bounding walls – All walls including non-bounding interior walls – Floors and ceilings – Revit API and UX style guide – Today's collective action problem... Read more →

Exterior Walls and Room Bounding Elements

Let's look at the outer boundaries of both buildings and rooms today – Finding exterior walls continued – Retrieving room bounding elements – Comic Sans is a public good... Read more →

Face Triangulation LOD, .NET 5 and Core

Today, we discuss cores, splinters and data – Using .NET 5 and Core – Controlling face triangulation LOD – SQL versus NoSQL... Read more →

Sketch-Based Creation and Editing API Preview

The wish to be able to programmatically access and modify sketch-based elements is long-standing, e.g., for editing an existing slab boundary. Here is an invitation to take a look at the Revit Preview (aka beta), offering a chance to provide feedback on several new sketch-based element creation and editing APIs... Read more →

FireRevit, Deprecated API and Elbow Centre Point

Topics for today – Revit 2021 DisplayUnitType – Eliminated TBC samples deprecated API usage – Calculating the elbow centre – FireRevit identifies room location for fire escape routes... 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 →

Custom Parameters and Tile Packing

Parameter changes and tile packing using the Revit API and AI, plus some other notes on Forge and general stuff – Parameter type changes to Custom – Determining cut tiles in room – Optimal banana sandwich slice packing with AI – Forge solution showcase – Effect of home office on meeting culture – Motivating kids can be harder than business success... Read more →

Section to Crop, Linked Boundary and Intersection

Two beautiful Revit API solutions to – Set view crop to section box and – Access room boundaries and intersections in linked models... Read more →

Split Pipe Tutorial and Related Cases

Today, let's focus on splitting pipes and other things, starting with a nicely structured tutorial – Abdelaziz' split pipe tutorial – Calling the SL split element command – Splitting a conduit... Read more →

Automatically Open Correct RVT File Version

Today, let's address a couple of quick questions and share a useful utility – How to determine Revit export image coordinates – Problems compiling and installing the Revit SDK samples – RvtVerFileOpen utility opens correct RVT file version – Angular and react tutorials – Give and take... 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 →

Convex Outer Loop, Non-Migration and 15-Year Stint

Various noteworthy items this week, both Revit API related and not – My second stint of 15 years at Autodesk – Forge trainee career launched – Why does my add-in still run? – Determine outer loop around points... Read more →

References to Symbol versus Instance Geometry

Sooner or later, every serious Revit add-in developer will be scratching her head a bit over symbol versus instance geometry. Here is a nice juicy challenge... Wrap you head around this one in depth and future challenges in this area will seem trivial. Retrieving references from symbol versus instance geometry when placing an instance on a line throws an ArgumentsInconsistentException... 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 →

Satellite Images and Instance Transforms

I hope you are doing well and remaining healthy! Topics for today – Transforming symbol geometry to instance placement – Importing and displaying satellite images – Free time? Learn! Free code camp... Read more →

Autorouting and Reference for CreatePipeConnector

Today we pick up two recent MEP related discussions, on creating a new pipe connector for a hydraulic fitting family and on automatic pipe system routing, and a couple of other odd items – The names they are a-changin – Getting a ReferencePlane for CreatePipeConnector – Auto-routing a pipe system between plumbing fixtures – Handling dialogue and failure messages – Retrieving a geometry reference... 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 →

Adjust Wall Location Curve and Visual Presentation

An exciting discussion on applying minimal adjustments to the model, and yet another research result on the effectivity of visual presentation – Adjusting versus recreating wall location curve – Multimedia communication versus bullet points... Read more →

Ini File, Localisation and Torsion Tools Two

More Revit API tutorial material and tools, plus a couple of hints from the Revit API discussion forum and the Forge blog – Torsion Tools two – Retrieve path to Revit.ini – Updated NeXLT localization URL – Volume and area of triangulated solid... Read more →

Search for Getting Started Tutorials and Videos!

Getting started material and questions galore. Please search before asking, and work through the available material before trying to shoot yourself in your feet, knees, and elsewhere – Marko's plugin development playlist – Overview – Table of contents – Getting started with an API script – Getting started with a macro – OBJ mesh import with materials – 2D Booleans in the Revit API... Read more →

Unit Testing and the UsesInstanceGeometry Method

Quick notes on two recent interesting Revit API discussion forum threads – Unit testing – UsesInstanceGeometry IFC utility method... Read more →

Swissbau Basel and Comparing Family Part Atoms

Here is a last-minute announcement that I will be attending the Swissbau Basel on Wednesday, a quick hint to answer a support case that just came in today, a forum thread issue, and a pointer to a drum solo – Attending Swissbau Basel on Wednesday – Comparing families using part atoms – Maximum area rectangle in polygon – Neil Peart drum solo... Read more →

Extrusion Analyser and 2D Boolean Element Outline

Happy New Year to the Revit add-in developer community! My main holiday project was the implementation of an external command to determine the 2D plan view outer boundary of a room in the XY plane, including all its bounding elements' geometry – How to generate a 2D polygon representing the birds-eye view of an element – CmdExtrusionAnalyzer element outline using ExtrusionAnalyzer – Cmd2dBoolean element outline using 2D Booleans – CmdRoomOuterOutline outer room outline using 2D Booleans... 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 →

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 →