The Building Coder

DirectShape Element to Represent Room Volume

Yesterday, I implemented a new add-in, RoomVolumeDirectShape, that creates DirectShape elements representing the volumes of all the rooms – Request to display room volumes in Forge SVF file – RoomVolumeDirectShape functionality – Retrieving all element properties – Converting a .NET dictionary to JSON – Generating DirectShape from ClosedShell – Complete external command class Execute method – Sample model and results – Challenges encountered underway – Cherry BIM Services – On the value of the "Loss Method" property – AI-generated talking head models... Read more →

Secret Reference Line Faces

The open source space around the Revit API is continuously growing richer, solutions are shared and exciting discoveries are made, both in the Revit API discussion forum and elsewhere – Debugging, code signing and HOK Mission Control – Creating connectors on a reference line... Read more →

Filtered Element Collector Benchmark

Today, let's present a benchmark monitoring filtered element collector performance. First, however, a quick note on a very useful Forge learning resource – Forge learning resource – Filtered element collector benchmark... Read more →

Rapid Prototyping, Testing and Deployment

The pyRevit rapid application development environment can be used for the entire add-in lifecycle, supporting rapid debugging, testing and deployment as well. I successfully implemented invoking an external command defined in a stand-alone Revit plugin assembly from pyRevit! It's proving extremely useful... Read more →

Set Floor Level and Use IPC for Disentanglement

Today, yet another introduction to Forge, a simple issue of setting the level of a floor element, and the much more complex one of gaining freedom and total independence via IPC – What is Forge? – Changing the level of a floor – Entanglement can be hell – CefSharp entanglement – Disentanglement and independence via IPC – Beer-ware license... Read more →

Slow, Slower Still and Faster Filtering

Today I discuss (once again) an important performance aspect of Revit element filtering, a Python script for tagging JPEG images with EXIF data, prompted by a recent ski tour, and three other interesting topics that caught my eye – Slow, slower still and faster filtering – Python JPEG EXIT filename tagging – TED talks and population growth – Objective reality does not exist – Artificial intelligence judge... Read more →

Forge Picture, Debugging, Snooping Appearances

Today, let's look at the Forge architecture, Revit add-in debug, edit and continue, and yet another RevitLookup enhancement – High-level picture of Forge – Debug and continue in a Revit add-in – Snooping appearance assets... 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 →

Accessing and Modifying Settings in the Ini File

Some interesting settings are stored in and can be modified by editing the Revit ini file. Peter @pgerz pointed out yet another possibility in his answer to the Revit API discussion forum thread on adding a project template to 'New Project' via API. Question: I noticed the UI method for adding a project template to the 'New Project' dialog on the Start Window by going to Options > File Locations and clicking the little plus symbol... Read more →

Link in and Analyse IFC File Zones and Spaces

I am working on extracting room and zone information from IFC files, both geometry and relationships, specifically room and zone boundaries and containment. My new IfcSpaceZoneBoundaries add-in project retrieves this information, exports it to CSV and demonstrates a host of other important aspects – What happens on linking in an IFC file? – Read user configuration input settings from a file – Log messages, warnings and errors to an output file – Read the IFC properties stored as shared parameters – Extract the horizontal boundary information from a DirectShape element – Export the relevant data to CSV – Programmatically link in an IFC file into a Revit RVT project – Retrieve all currently linked-in IFC files from the Revit application... 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 →

Fire Rating Zone Intersection

Let's tackle a 2D fire rating zone intersection task. Actually, it was originally raised a 3D intersection task. Reducing it to 2D makes it much more tractable – 3D solid extrusion creation and intersection task – 2D area intersection task – Jack's sample and description – Soffit subdivision sample code – Cleanup and GitHub repository... 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 →

AutoCAD Architecture 2019 API Documentation

We need to migrate our tools to AutoCAD Architecture 2019. I see no information on the new API, although it has obviously been modified. Can you share a link? ... 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 →

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 →

Five Secrets of Revit API Coding

Joshua Lumley pointed out the recording he made for his BILT submission on five secrets of Revit API C# coding. Before getting to that, here are a couple of pictures from this last weekend's mountain tour – Ruessigrat, Brotmesser and Matthorn – Five secrets of Revit API Coding... 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 →

Ten Years Anniversary, MVVM, WPF and WinForm

Today is The Building Coder's tenth birthday! The first post was a warm welcome on August 22, 2008. Very many thanks to the entire community for all your support, interest, comments and above all numerous contributions over the years! Today, let's pick up the recurring topic of accessing the Revit API from a modeless context... 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 →

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 →

Multi-Targeting Revit Versions, CAD Terms, Textures

Here comes another solution for efficiently compiling add-ins for multiple Revit version targets from one single code base, a note on resources for CAD term databases for consistent terminology translation, and a discussion on accessing custom texture maps in Forge and Revit – Multi-targeting Revit versions using TargetFrameworks – Further enhancement using the CSPROJ Import tag – CAD terminology resources for consistent translation – Showing a custom Revit texture map in the Forge Viewer... Read more →

REX SDK Templates for Revit Structure 2019

Apparently, the Revit SDK REX Visual Studio templates are obsolete. Let's fix that problem. Also, two little notes on a C# optimisation trick for math-heavy code, and the current status of the Forge Design Automation API for Revit – Revit Structure 2019 REX Extension SDK Visual Studio Templates – Improve C# Performance Using Struct Instead of Class – Update on the Forge Design Automation API for Revit... 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 →

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 →

Scaling a Bitmap for the Large and Small Image Icons

Every time I created a ribbon button, I was faced with the task of creating appropriately scaled icons for it to populate the PushButton large and small image icon properties LargeImage and Image. They seem to expect a 32 x 32 and 16 x 16 icon, respectively. I finally solved that once and for all by implementing a couple of methods to perform automatic bitmap scaling – BitmapImageToBitmap – convert a BitmapImage to Bitmap – BitmapToBitmapSource – convert a Bitmap to a BitmapSource – ResizeImage – resize an image to the specified width and height – ScaledIcon – scale down large icon to desired size for Revit ribbon button – Usage sample – putting them together... Read more →

Compiling the Revit 2019 SDK Samples

I installed Revit 2019 and compiled the Revit 2019 SDK. That was quite a struggle – Installing Revit 2019 – Installing the Revit 2019 SDK – Installing the .NET Framework 4.7 – Compiling the Revit 2019 SDK samples – Processor architecture mismatch warnings – DimensionLeaderEnd OutputPath missing – Numerous Revit API assembly reference conflicts – SampleCommandsSteelElements lacks components – AppearanceAssetEditing using deprecated API... Read more →

Revit 2018.3, SetValueString and External Events

I installed the latest Revit update, and want to highlight two of the numerous interesting ongoing Revit API forum discussions – Revit 2018.3 update – Avoid SetValueString – Passing Data via ExternalEvent.Raise... Read more →

Standalone BasicFileInfo and ExtractPartAtom

A discussion with Håvard Dagsvik on the use of TransmissionData, standalone access to the BasicFileInfo without the need for a valid Revit API context, and a Revit-independent method replacing Family ExtractPartAtom – No document required for TransmissionData access – TransmissionData requires a valid Revit API context – Standalone GetFamilyXmlData method replacing ExtractPartAtom – Windows explorer BasicFileInfo right click utility... Read more →

Contextual Help Best Practice

Dragos Turmac of the Revit development team solved the Revit API discussion forum questions on contextual help not working from within a command and on F1 help for add-in only by explaining the current best practice to implement online help – Question: I'm trying to add contextual help for all commands (press F1 to go to a location). It's working fine when the tooltip is shown for my commands, but, when the add-in form is open, pressing F1 opens the Autodesk knowledge site for Revit instead... Read more →

Export Geometry and Snoop Stable Representation

Александр Пекшев aka Modis @Pekshev submitted a very succinct and useful pull request for RevitLookup that I integrated right away, and provides many other valuable inputs as well – Snoop stable representation of References – Project point on plane correction – Revit export geometry to AutoCAD via XML – RevitExportGeometryToAutocad – Description – Versions – Using – Example... Read more →

Create Swept Blend DirectShape in C++

Question: I am trying to create a swept blend geometry and assign it to a DirectShape element. The initial code threw an exception when calling the GeometryCreationUtilities CreateSweptBlendGeometry method. How can I fix this? Answer: The path parameters assume that they should be normalised or that the curve has a range of parameterisation from 0 to 1... Read more →

Magic Number, Magic Automation and Magic Season

Time to wind down for the year... Here are some last things to share before signing off – Magic number for schedule instance bounding box margin – Using PostCommand with the Windows Automation API – Programmer jokes – Season's greetings... Read more →

Automatic Wall Creation

Alexander Ignatovich shares an exceedingly elegant solution for automatic wall creation, illustrating a number of important concepts and implementing the following functionality very succinctly indeed – Retrieve all the cube family instances – Retrieve their height parameter value – Retrieve their solids making use of the .NET yield operator – Extract their horizontal outline contours using an ExtrusionAnalyzer – Create walls along each contour curve segment – Place a door family instance at the midpoint of each wall... 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 →

Do Not Reuse an Existing GUID

Several Revit API objects make use of a GUID to uniquely identify themselves. When you copy and paste source code including any such GUID, you need to take care to replace the original GUID by your own one... Read more →

Disjunct Planar Face Outer Loops

I am attending the Forge DevCon conference in Darmstadt, Germany, right now, and putting the final touches to my presentation on Rational BIM programming using Revit and Forge at the European Autodesk University on Wednesday. We discussed several different approaches to retrieve the outer loop of a planar face. Richard Thomas recently shared a possible solution to determine the outer-most EdgeLoop. He now posted a new approach: I found a more straightforward and likely reliable way of getting outer loops of planar faces. This method also allows for faces made up of disjointed parts... Read more →

Modeless Form Keep Revit Focus and On Top

I am back from a nice break in Italy. Next, I am attending the European Autodesk University in Darmstadt, Germany. Meanwhile, solutions for two issues on keeping Revit focused and on top when working with a modeless form, and an important heads-up warning from the Revit development team on a future change coming. We here at Ideate Software are seeing what appears to be Revit add-in ownership issues with Revit's main window. The behavior has changed between Revit 2017 and Revit 2018 for modeless add-ins. For Revit 2018, when a modeless add-in is closed, Revit does not retain is focus; it is pushed behind another application... Read more →

Edge Loop, Point Reference Plane and Column Line

A whole bunch of exciting Revit API topics to start the week – RevitLookup updated to use NuGet Revit API package – Determining the outer-most EdgeLoop – How to determine the location curve for a steel column – Determining a reference plane from a reference point... Read more →

Birthday Post on the XYZ Class

Today is The Building Coder's ninth birthday. We'll celebrate by discussing the pretty fundamental issue of XYZ points versus vectors, and how to distinguish different points – XYZ point versus vector – How to distinguish XYZ points... Read more →

Unit Abbreviations

Håvard Dagsvik of Symetri implemented code to automatically generate a dictionary mapping the Revit DisplayUnitType to corresponding UnitSymbolType display strings. The developer guide describes these classes like this – UnitType – type of physical quantity to be measured, for example length or force (UT_Length or UT_Force) – DisplayUnitType – units and display format used to format numbers as strings or convert units (i.e. DUT_METERS) – UnitSymbolType – unit symbol displayed in the formatted string representation of a number to indicate the units of the value (i.e. UST_M)... Read more →

Forge, Installed Version, Move Group, Name Filter

A biggish post rather late in the week... still answering too many cases – Forge for AEC demos and sample code – Determining the starting view – Detecting installed Revit version – Detecting installed C3D version – Moving items inside a detail group – Filtering for family instances and types by family name... Read more →

Copy Local False and IFC Utils for Wall Openings

New important issues are researched and brilliant solutions shared daily in the Revit API discussion forum. Here are two from the current crop – IFC helper returns outer CurveLoop of door or window – Setting Copy Local to False resolves AddIn Manager issue... Read more →

Determining RVT File Version Using Python

We discussed several approaches to read the BasicFileInfo and RVT OLE storage, aka COM Structured Storage, to retrieve stuff like the file version and preview image, and, more lately, alternative access to BIM data via Forge... 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 →

Handling Third Party Library DLL Conflicts

A recurring question just came up again, on handling conflicts between DLLs loaded by Revit add-ins. For instance, this can be caused by a scenario in which add-ins A and B both make use of library DLL C, but specify different versions. A soon as the first add-in has loaded its version of C, the second add-in is prevented from loading the version it requires and cannot run... Read more →

Sensors, BIM, AI, RevitLookup, Fuzzy Comparison

We continue patrolling the well-trodden paths of BIM, AI, Revit precision and RevitLookup – Connected BIM – Intuitive AI – Fuzzy Comparison – RevitLookup 2018.0.0.1... 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 →

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 →

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 →