The Building Coder

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 →

I18n, Forge Accelerators, AEC and BIM360 Focus

An especially interesting Forge accelerator is coming up, and how to handle Revit add-in language resources – Upcoming Forge accelerators – AEC focused Forge accelerator Waldspirale – Internationalisation using .NET language resources... Read more →

Transient Graphics, Humane AI, BI and Lockdown

A quick look at various methods to integrate transient graphics into Revit and pointers to articles of interest on other current non-API-related topics such as chess AI, basic income and the effectiveness of lockdowns – Transient graphics – AI learns to emulate human-style chess – Basic income as fault-tolerant engineering – Lockdown effectivity... Read more →

Forge at AU and Open Source Property Access

Today, we take a look at a fix for the RvtVa3c custom exporter and a Forge issue related to Revit property access – Pull metadata from RVT in BIM 360 – Forge at AU class recordings – RvtVa3c updated and issues fixed... 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 →

Simple IUpdater and other TBC Updates

A nice new minimal DMU example and updates and enhancements to several other important sample applications – Simple dynamic model updater example – ExportCncFab SortMark update – RevitLookup exception on view GetTemplateParameterIds... Read more →

Dynamo Book and Texture Bitmap UV Coordinates

The week is coming to an end all too quickly... here are some compelling topics before we enter the weekend – Explaining texture UV mapping using AVF – Más Allá de Dynamo Spanish-language book – A detailed 3D model of a human cell... Read more →

Revit API Roundtable Notes

Boris Shafiro hosted the virtual Revit API expert and feedback roundtable on Thursday last week as part of the Autodesk University Idea Exchange. I took the following notes... Read more →

Expand your App – Integrate and Leverage Cloud

Expand the value and reach of your Revit add-in. Join our webinar and learn how to quickly add cloud powered capabilities to your application and business offering by leveraging Forge and BIM 360... Read more →

Join the Revit API Expert and Feedback Roundtable

I encourage all developers interested in the Revit API to join me and the Revit development team in the Revit API expert roundtable and feedback session at Autodesk University this week, on Thursday, 19 November 2020, 15:00-16:00 o'clock Central European Time, CET... Read more →

DA4R Cannot Save Directly to Cloud

Today, let's address a resurfacing question in the Forge Design Automation for Revit or DA4R context – DA4R cannot save RVT as a cloud model – Every program launch is logged... Read more →

BIM360 Scripts, Dotnet Template and Prism Goodies

Philipp Mueller highlights a set of BIM360 user management scripts and Diego Rossi shares two useful GitHub repositories – BIM360 user management scripts – External application with Prism goodies – Revit add-in dotnet template... Read more →

Doc Session Id, API Context and External Events

Some new topics, and, as always, some recurring – Document session id – Valid Revit API context and external events – Determining RVT file version for DA4R workitem – Revit API via HTTP – Parable of the polygons... Read more →

Custom Export Precision, Sheet Metadata, Project Id

Many interesting topics on pure Revit API, Forge, BIM360 and AI – Custom export precision – Dismissing a Windows dialogue with JtClicker – AU classes for construction customers – Retrieve sheet metadata in Forge viewer – Determining the BIM 360 project id – AI solves partial differential equations – AI-enhanced video editing... Read more →

Onbox, DirectContext Jig and No CDN

Autumnal topics for this week – The Onbox cross-platform Revit API framework – DirectContext rectangle jig – Creating reports from AutoCAD and Revit – RevitApiDocs statistics – Stop using JavaScript CDN... 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 →

Save and Restore 3D View Camera Settings

Valerii Nozdrenkov shares a powerful solution to save and restore the complete 3D view camera settings and Ehsan Iran-Nejad publishes his set of Revit cheat sheets – Serialising 3D view camera settings – Revit cheat sheets... Read more →

Avoid Brain Racking by Using Using

You should always keep things simple (I think). The opposite can lead to racking your brain. In one case at least, that can easily be avoided by using a using statement – Avoid brain racking by using using – On the VS operation unspecified error – Native sons... 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 →

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 →

Quo Vadis Revit

An exciting announcement was made today; I add pointers to two preceding recent news items that may or may not be related – Autodesk joins Open Design Alliance – Martyn Day on the past and future of Revit – Håvard Vasshaug on the open letter... Read more →

On Spaces in Help and Renaming a Parameter

I am busy as ever in the Revit API discussion forum. Today, let's highlight a couple of items that were not discussed there – ContextualHelp with space – On renaming a shared parameter – Build a minimal neural network from scratch... Read more →

Inside the Factory – Ask me Anything – Today!

Here is a last-minute heads-up for the first online Inside the Factory live AMA (Ask me Anything) style session today, Thursday, September 10, with Aaron Vorwerk, Senior Technical Marketing Manager, Harlan Brumm, Senior Product Manager of Architecture and Sasha Crotty, Senior Product Manager, Revit Platform & Services... Read more →

Optimising Parameters and Full-Text Search

I have been dabbling with the Go programming language in the past week, besides optimising and answering Revit API questions – Optimising setting shared parameters – Full-text search for The Building Coder posts – Decimal point woe... Read more →

Preview, Code Signing and Element Type Predicates

A few interesting threads from the Revit API discussion forum and AI news – Revit add-in code signing YAML – Preview control rotates model – Element type predicates – AI ethics... 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 →

RevitLookup Continuous Integration and GraphQL

Let's start the week with a look at the new RevitLookup CI system and a GraphQL interface for Revit – RevitLookup CI on GitLab – GitLab CI YAML – GraphQL for Revit – The Tamm Tree... Read more →

Compile and Compare Revit 2021.1 SDK Samples

I document my compilation, adaptation and installation of the Revit SDK samples and the RvtSamples external application loading them all – Compiling the Revit 2021.1 SDK samples – Architecture mismatch warning and RvtSamples.txt – New SDK sample CivilAlignments... Read more →

Revit 2021.1 SDK and What's New

The updated SDK (Software Developer's Kit) for the Revit 2021.1 update release is now available from the Revit developer centre – The Revit 2021.1 SDK – ConnectorType API – Export API – Save As API – API additions – Civil Alignments API – Dimension API – Shared Coordinates API – Reset Shared Coordinates – Clipped state of BasePoint – MEP API – Building and Space Type – Zone additions... Read more →

Cyrillic Encoding and Categories for Legends

Solutions, criticism, opportunities – Categories for legend components – Encoding issue with Cyrillic characters fixed – AEC customers demand better value – Construction executive job... Read more →

IFC 21.1 and AEC Hackathon Presentations

More on Revit 2021.1, IFC 21.1, and nearing the end of the AEC Hackathon – Revit 2021.1 questions – IFC 21.1 released – AEC Hackathon final presentations... Read more →

Revit 2021.1 and Normalising Custom Export UV

The Revit update release is now available, and some insights on normalising UVs in the custom exporter – The Revit 2021.1 update – Normalising UVs in custom exporter – Set up your own free VPN server... Read more →

Selection in Link, Cancel in Export, Multithreading

Cool topics to wrap up this hot and exciting week – Are you using the derived analytical model? – Pick room in current project or linked model – Determine whether custom export was cancelled – Multi-threading with the single-threaded Revit API – Beginner’s guide to abstraction... Read more →

Virtual AU and AEC Hackathon, Units and DAS Job

Lots of exciting items to share – No cost for Autodesk University 2020 – AU voting suggestion – Modeless Revit add-ins – Virtual AEC and BIM360 hackathon – Do not print by category – Using the new unit API to display length of multiple lines – Job opening in Developer Advocacy and Support – Intro to synchronous versus async programming... 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 →

Duct Shape, BipChecker Facelift and @ Fonts

I begin this week with a rather mixed bag of interesting issues from the last – Get MEP duct shape update – Determining differences between DLL versions – BipChecker facelift – Fonts with '@' prefix... Read more →

Creating Material Texture and Retaining Pixels

A bunch of interesting discussions on creating material with texture, modifying element level, cutting off image pixels and other things – Creating a material with texture in Revit and Forge – Export image cutting off pixels – Change level of existing element – Physics is cool – Forge job openings... Read more →

Changing Element Colour and Material

The question of how to change the colour and material of individual elements has come up repeatedly over time – Change element colour in a view – Assign new material to an element – Replace a material in a wall or floor... Read more →

Revit 2021 Visual Studio Add-in Templates

Our tidbits for today – Revit 2021 Visual Studio add-in templates – Four important design patterns – Invisible shared parameters don't make it into Forge... 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 →

Setting up RvtSamples for Revit 2021

Another busy week so far – Loading all Revit 2021 SDK samples – Loading The Building Coder samples and labs – What database is best for Revit data?... Read more →

Compiling the Revit 2021 SDK Samples

Let's start the week with two pretty fundamental topics – Compiling the Revit 2021 SDK samples – Reading the value of a parameter... 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 →

Revit Camera FOV, Forge Partner Talks and Jobs

Today we resuscitate a five-year old Revit API answer, still as fresh and useful as ever, followed by Forge and job opportunities truly fresh off the presses – Determining the Revit Camera FOV – Forge Partner Talks – Jobs at Autodesk... Read more →

DA4R I/O, Logging, Updater and Custom Properties

Forge Design Automation for Revit or DA4R is really starting to take off – Display custom properties – Upgrade Revit file version – Logging – Input and output files – CesiumJS open source 3D mapping – Banksy's wife hates home office – Virtual Forge accelerator... Read more →

2021 Migration, Add-In Language, BIM360 Research

I am too busy! Ouch! Here are just a few of today's topics – BIM360 Question? Join Accelerator! – What language to choose for a Revit Add-In? – The Building Coder samples 2021 migration... Read more →

Revit 2021 Unit Types in Family Type Catalogues

Unfortunately, the new unit type name functionality can cause a problem loading a family with a type catalogue – Unit type update affects family type catalogue loading – New FreeCodeCamp courses – Padlocking The Building Coder... Read more →