The Building Coder

SketchIt, Lookup Family Types, Definition Names

Today, we present yet another RevitLookup enhancement, a note on an undocumented built-in parameter change and a neat Forge Design Automation for Revit sample app – RevitLookup family types and parameter definition names – Bitmap aspect ratio built-in parameter renamed – DA4R SketchIt demo generates walls... Read more →

Revit 2020 C# and VB Visual Studio Add-in Wizards

Continuing the update of my development environment for Revit 2020, I now turn to the Visual Studio Revit add-in wizards. I'll also highlight a couple of recent interesting AEC related job offers, an AI 101 intro, and some really important suggestions on how to ask a question well – C# and VB Visual Studio add-in wizards for Revit 2020 – How to ask a question well – Open Autodesk AEC related positions – AI for all... Read more →

Close Doc and Zero Doc RvtSamples

Still getting up to speed with Revit 2020 and my new virtual machine that I set up for it... First, however, an interesting adaptation of RvtSamples to run in zero document state – RvtSamples adapted for zero document state – Migrating The Building Coder samples to Revit 2020 – Installing PowerTools Copy HTML Markup – Using PostCommand to close document... Read more →

What's New in the Revit 2020 API

The Revit 2020 API includes exciting enhancements for add-in developers, including numerous developer wishes and requests that have now been explicitly addressed – Information sources – Installation and migration from previous versions – What's new in previous versions – Detailed TOC of major changes and renovations – API Changes – API Additions... Read more →

RevitLookup and SDK for Revit 2020

Happy Easter! The post on What's New in the Revit 2020 API is overdue... for the time being, of course, you can refer to the documentation included with the Revit 2020 SDK, either Revit Platform API Changes and Additions.docx or the corresponding section in the help file RevitAPI.chm. I promise you there is some really juicy stuff in there! Here are some other quick notes as an Easter present for you – RevitLookup for Revit 2020 – Revit 2020 SDK posted – Generative Design with Philippe Starck... Read more →

The Revit 2020 FCS, API and SDK

Revit 2020 has been released, and we go through the same procedure as every year, looking at the DevDays online presentations highlighting the API news, getting the system requirements set up, installing, compiling the Revit SDK samples and setting up RvtSamples to load them – Revit 2020 first customer shipment – Revit 2020 DevDays Online – Setting up Windows 10 – Installing Revit 2020 and the new SDK – Visual Studio and .NET 4.7 – Compiling the Revit 2020 SDK samples – Setting up RvtSamples... Read more →

AI, Trends and Yearly API Usage Cleanup

Same procedure as every year: eliminate all deprecated Revit API usage warnings before even thinking of migrating to the next major release. First, however, two other technical news items – Self-teaching AI surpasses human knowledge – CAD trends 2019 – Deprecated API usage warnings – Replace GetRules by GetElementFilter – Deprecated material asset accessors – Update with zero compilation warnings... 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 →

Preparing a Revit Add-in for Design Automation

Today I discuss the next step in my IfcSpaceZoneBoundaries project, how to prepare a Revit add-in for use in the DA4R or Design Automation for Revit environment and figuring out how to best handle it in the VS solution – Context, add-in functionality and history – Preparing the add-in for DA4R – Local testing versus live deployment – User defined input arguments for DA4R – Logging of results... Read more →

Rebars in Host, .NET Framework, Importance of Fuzz

Here are a couple more Revit API discussion forum threads well worth highlighting – Retrieve rebars attached to structural element – Installing the .NET framework 4.7 for Revit 2019.1 add-ins – Importance of fuzz for curtain wall dimensioning... Read more →

Revit Window Handle and Parenting an Add-In Form

Access to the Revit main window handle changed in Revit 2019, raising a couple of questions – Making Revit the add-in parent – The Revit 2019 MainWindowHandle API – Docking system and multiple main window explanation – Updating The Building Coder samples... Read more →

Resources, Rotated Rebar Stirrups and Steel Stuff

I'll start this week with several solutions from the Revit API discussion forum and elsewhere, especially two different approaches to create rotated rebar stirrups – Embedded tooltip icon resource – Revit 2019 tooltip videos are MP4 – How to read and write bolt, plate and weld – Creating rotated rebar stirrups... 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 Visual Studio .NET Add-in Wizards

I updated the Visual Studio Revit C# and VB add-in templates for Revit 2019. They enable you to create a new C# or VB Revit add-in in Visual Studio with one single click on File > New > Project... > Visual Basic/Visual C# > Revit 2019 Addin and define a complete skeleton Revit add-in, ready to immediately compile and run, including an add-in manifest file, external application and external command. Just hit F5 to start debugging; the add-in manifest is installed, Revit launched and the command is immediately available... Read more →

What's New in the Revit 2019.1 API

The Revit 2019.1 update has been released. It is equipped with an updated API that includes several exciting enhancements for add-in developers. Many relate directly to explicit developer wishes and requests – Information sources – What's new in previous versions – What's new in the Revit 2019.1 API – API Changes – API Additions... Read more →

Parameters, Walls and Driving Revit via WCF Service

Exciting news from Russia and some mundane updates on other repetitive topics – Driving Revit from a modeless context via a WCF service – Room walls' directions – Retrieving all exterior walls – Getting and setting a shared parameter value... Read more →

What's New in the Revit 2019 API

The Revit 2019 API includes numerous exciting enhancements for add-in developers. Many relate directly to explicit developer wishes and requests – Information sources – Installation and migration from previous versions – What's new in previous versions – What's new in the Revit 2019 API – API Changes – API Additions... Read more →

RvtSamples 2019

I set up RvtSamples for the Revit 2019 SDK samples. Just like the migration to previous versions, this is not a trivial undertaking. To cut a long story short and simply share my current working RvtSamples source code for the Revit 2019 SDK, here is RvtSamples_2019.zip containing my modified files... Read more →

Forge RVT to IFC, ADN Xtra, TBC, AdnRme Updates

I already described how I installed Revit 2019, compiled the Revit 2019 SDK samples and migrated RevitLookup to the new version. I now migrated some of the other basic samples and utilities and have some Forge news to share – The Building Coder samples for Revit 2019 – The AdnRme MEP HVAC and electrical samples for Revit 2019 – AdnRevitApiLabsXtra for Revit 2019 – Convert RVT to IFC via Forge – Forge accelerators – Forge webinars – Open position for an infrastructure BIM implementation consultant... Read more →

RevitLookup 2019 and New SDK Samples

I migrated RevitLookup to Revit 2019, which was very easy. Next, I compared the directory contents to discover the new SDK samples – RevitLookup 2019 – New Revit 2019 SDK samples... Read more →

Updated ADN Web Site, Revit API Labs, Tag Creation

Here are a couple of Revit API related updates to take note of – Autodesk Developer Network ADN web site update – Revit Developer Centre update – ADN Revit API Training Labs update – Revit API Training Labs Xtra update – New top solution author record score... Read more →

AreaLoad Force Direction, CMake and SDK Access

Here are some of the topics I dealt with in the last couple of days – CMake and YoAudio – AutoCAD and Revit SDK Access and Content – Determining AreaLoad direction and value from its force vectors – ExportCncFab 2018... 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 →

What's New in the Revit 2018.2 API

Let's discuss the Revit API enhancements added since the initial release of Revit 2018 – Revit 2018.2 Product Update and Resolved API Issues – Revit 2018.2 SDK Update – Major Additions to the Revit 2018.1 API – Material API additions – Geometry API additions – BrowserOrganization API additions – IFC additions – Rebar API additions – Major Additions to the Revit 2018.2 API – Fabrication API additions... Read more →

Migrating PlaceInstances to Revit 2018

Migrating a Revit add-in to a new release of the Revit API is generally very easy. The API features slight changes from version to version. Modifications are announced a year or two in advance, and signalled during compilation by deprecated API usage warnings. If you clean up your code every year or two and remove all API usage that causes warning messages, you will normally have very little to do to migrate it later on... Read more →

ADN Xtra Labs and API Changes since Revit 2013

As usual, I am answering Revit API cases and maintaining the documentation and training material. What I really should be doing is preparing my upcoming class for Autodesk University in Darmstadt. Here are some of the things I dealt with today – API changes from Revit 2013 to Revit 2017 – ADN Xtra Revit API Labs for Revit 2018 – Access to modified combo box setting... Read more →

SDK Update, RvtSamples and Setting Grid Endpoint

An updated version of the Revit SDK was published, I set up RvtSamples for Revit 2018, which I use to load The Building Coder samples, and we present a useful employment of the DatumPlane class methods GetCurvesInView and SetCurveInView – Revit 2018 SDK Update – RvtSamples for Revit 2018 – How to Modify Grid Curve End Points... Read more →

Prompt Cancel Throws Exception in Revit 2018

In Revit 2018, cancelling family instance placement during a call to PromptForFamilyInstancePlacement throws an OperationCanceledException exception – Easily fixed, once discovered – Question – Change in Behaviour – Exceptions Should be Exceptional – Answer – The Building Coder samples CmdPlaceFamilyInstance... Read more →

Revit 2018 Visual Studio .NET Add-in Wizards

I updated the Visual Studio Revit C# and VB add-in templates for Revit 2018. They enable you to create a new C# or VB Revit add-in in Visual Studio with one single click on File > New > Project... > Visual Basic/Visual C# > Revit 2018 Addin and define a complete skeleton Revit add-in, ready to immediately compile and run, including an add-in manifest file, external application and external command. Just hit F5 to start debugging; the add-in manifest is installed, Revit launched and the command is immediately available... Read more →

What's New in the Revit 2018 API

The Revit 2018 includes numerous exciting enhancements for add-in developers. The What's New section always provides very important information, both for discovering and exploring the newly added API functionality and for later reference. If you encounter any issues migrating your existing add-ins between different versions, this is one of the first places to look... Read more →

RevitLookup 2018 and Forge DevCon CFP

Revit 2018 has been released. The Revit 2018 SDK is available from the Revit Developer Centre. I migrated RevitLookup and The Building Coder samples. Finally, the call for proposals has opened for the Forge DevCon at Autodesk University in Las Vegas – Revit 2018 Software Developers Kit – RevitLookup 2018 – The Building Coder samples 2018 – Forge DevCon call for proposals... Read more →

RvtFader, AVF, Ray Tracing and Signal Attenuation

I implemented a neat new little sample add-in, RvtFader, that calculates and displays signal attenuation caused by distance and obstacles, specifically walls. It uses two very interesting pieces of Revit API functionality – AVF, the Analysis Visualisation Framework, for displaying graphical data in a transient manner directly in the BIM – The ReferenceIntersector ray tracing functionality to detect walls and other obstacles between two points. In the course of implementing the AVF part of things, I also resuscitated my trusty old RevitWebcam add-in – RevitWebcam – RvtFader – Task – Implementation – Further Reading... Read more →

RevitLookup and DevDays Online API News

Unprecedented exciting information to share with you today! DevDays Online recordings are available right now, before the product launch! Furthermore, we are proud to present another little update of the revamped version of RevitLookup – Forward-looking DevDays Online API news – Revit API news for the next major release – Revit API news slide deck contents – Must do – New functionality – Revit roadmap – RevitLookup enhancements... Read more →

UIView Windows Coordinate Ray Casting Tooltip

I revisited the custom tooltip implementation that I prepared to demonstrate the Revit 2013 API features including the View API and its UIView class. It class still provides the only possibility to convert back and forth between Revit model coordinates and Windows device screen points. That functionality can be combined with the ReferenceIntersector to shoot a ray through the model to determine what Revit database element is located under the current cursor position and display a custom tooltip presenting information about it or anything else you please... Read more →

Material Shared Parameters and ADN Xtra Labs

How to attach a shared parameter to Material elements? – Updated ADN Xtra labs to remove all deprecated API usage – A new addin that creates and populates a shared parameter to provide material information for each element – Autodesk University 2016 class materials have now been posted, including the recording of my session on connecting desktop and cloud – Linking Material elements to external database entries – Binding a shared parameter to elements – Attaching a shared parameter to Material elements – Create and populate a shared parameter ForgeMaterial – Cornelius story – cured by natural remedies... Read more →

What's New in the Revit 2017.1 API

I recently mentioned the updated Revit 2017.1 SDK and its API enhancements. They are documented in full detail in the section Major additions to the 2017.1 Revit API of the Revit 2017.1 API help file RevitAPI.chm included with the SDK, which is also provided there in the separate stand-alone document Revit Platform API Changes and Additions.docx. For convenient, easy and effective web searching, here is the online version of that information... Read more →

DirectObjLoader for Revit 2017

Here is a last quick Sunday morning post before I head off on vacation, on the DirectObjLoader migration to Revit 2017, handling the changes in DirectShape.CreateElement and TessellatedShapeBuilderResult... 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 →

Revit Macro Samples Migrated to Revit 2017

I recently received requests for a migration of the macro samples provided in the Revit_Macro_Samples.rvt project. The version included in the Revit 2017 SDK miraculously is still based on Revit 2013 pre-release version, according to the update message displayed when opening it, and the macros cannot be executed successfully due to a number small Revit API enhancements made in the intervening years – Problem – Solution – Sam comes to the rescue – See the diffs on GitHub... Read more →

Trusted Signature and Revit 2017 API Resources

Here is a bunch of long overdue news items to round off this hot week – Trusted add-in signature – Revit 2017 API news summary – ADN training labs for Revit 2017 – ADN Xtra labs Revit 2017 migration – We had an extensive discussion on the topic of equipping each Revit add-in with a trusted signature in order to avoid the warning presented before loading it that otherwise pops up and needs to be manually confirmed by the user... Read more →

Automatically Reload Links After Migration

Today, my colleagues Michael Brian Lee and Miroslav Schonauer share a solution for links that are not automatically reloaded after migrating the model to Revit 2016... 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 →

Visual Studio 2015 Revit 2017 Add-in Wizards

I updated the Visual Studio Revit C# and VB add-in wizards for Revit 2017. They enable you to create a new C# or VB Revit add-in in Visual Studio with one single click on File > New > Project... > Installed > Templates > Visual Basic/Visual C# > Revit 2017 Addin. The wizard creates a complete Revit add-in skeleton, ready to immediately compile and run. Just hit F5 to start debugging; the add-in manifest is automatically created, copied to the proper location, Revit launched in the debugger, and your shiny new add-in is available in the external tools menu... Read more →

BCF API and Manually Setting Up an Add-In

The time is overdue to migrate the Visual Studio Revit Add-In Wizards to Revit 2017. This time, instead of a simple flat migration like in previous years, I decided to set up a new Visual Studio C# .NET Revit add-in project manually, by hand, completely from scratch, just to see whether anything significant changed since I did that last, and to ensure that the wizard is really using all the required Visual Studio settings. I tried it out in by implementing a buildingSMART BCF API sample client. Basically, that requires the following steps – Create a new pure Visual Studio class library – Rename Class1 to Command – Add references to the Revit API assemblies – Implement an external command – Implement an add-in manifest – Define an add-in GUID – Implement a post-build event to auto-install the add-in... Read more →

The Building Coder Samples 2017

Last night, I migrated The Building Coder samples to Revit 2017 – Flat Migration – Updated RvtSamples Include File – Automatic Transaction Mode is Obsolete – Obsolete Plane Constructors and NewPlane Methods – Obsolete NewPlane Method Taking a CurveArray Argument – Replace View.SetVisibility by SetCategoryHidden – Use DirectShape ApplicationId and ApplicationDataId – All Obsolete Revit API Usage Eliminated... Read more →

Real-Time BIM Update with FireRatingCloud 2017

Yesterday, I migrated RoomEditorApp to Revit 2017 and mentioned the BIM and cloud related projects I am working on. Next, let's focus on the FireRatingCloud sample. The main goal there is to implement fully automatic real-time BIM update from the cloud. Now, 24 hours after writing the previous sentence, I can tell you that I succeeded. Well, add another six hours to edit this post... Here is the updated FireRatingCloud custom ribbon tab with its new set of commands... Read more →

Room Editor – First Revit 2017 Addin Migration

A wonderful Monday morning to you. We are enjoying perfect April weather, rapidly oscillating back and forth between warm sprintime sunshine, sleet and hail. Meanwhile, I am continuously striving hard yet failing miserably to reduce my pure Revit API focussed case answering and Revit API activity – Things To Do – Forge DevCon developer conference – RoomEditorApp for Revit 2017 – Roomedit CouchDB installation on Windows – FireRatingCloud enhancements completed and upcoming – First Revit 2017 deprecated API clean-up – Where BIM hasn't gone... Read more →

What's New in the Revit 2017 API

Here is the online version of the 'What's New' section of the Revit 2017 API help file RevitAPI.chm included in the Revit SDK, which is also provided in the separate document Revit Platform API Changes and Additions.docx. This is very important information, both for exploring thee new features and for later reference. If you encounter any issues at all migrating your add-in between different versions, this is one of the first ports of call... Read more →

RvtSamples for Revit 2017

Setting up RvtSamples for Revit 2017 – Copy Html Markup in Visual Studio 2015 – Running Revit 2017 in the Visual Studio 2015 debugger – 'Security – Unsigned Add-In' message – RvtSamples DLL and TXT should be together – Specifying the Revit SDK samples root path – Correcting errors in individual SDK sample entries – PlacementOptions description line is missing – The five FabricationPartLayout external commands – RvtSamples loads and RvtSamples.txt is cleaned up... Read more →

Revit 2017, RevitLookup and SDK Samples

Revit 2017 was released yesterday. Here is the official Autodesk statement stating that Revit 2017 advances BIM for the future of designing buildings. I downloaded and installed my version from the Autodesk Revit family free trial web site. Let's look at what I did to install and first add-in compilation experiences – Uninstalling prior versions and cleaning the registry – Dummy API assembly folder for compiling samples – Resolving hiccups compiling Revit 2017 SDK samples – RevitLookup for Revit 2017... Read more →