The Building Coder

RevitLookup in Python Shell and Multi-Release Solution

Here is some exciting news from Daren Thomas on RevitLookup and the Revit Python Shell. The Python and Ruby shells came up a couple of times recently, and I also mentioned Daren's initial thoughts on making the RevitLookup snoop functionality easily accessible from within the interactive Python IDE: Curved wall elevation profile implementation in Python Live development Revit 2016 Python shell and RevitLookup incorporation Revit 2016 Ruby shell This idea has now come to fruition, and more easily than one... Read more →

CopyElements, Revit 2016 Scalability, Python and Ruby

Here are a bunch of infos on and updates for Revit 2016, as well as some important hints on the use of the ElementTransformUtils.CopyElements method: CopyElements view argument is for 2D only Revit 2016 scalability enhancements Revit 2016 Python shell Revit 2016 Ruby shell RevitLookup for Revit 2016 CopyElements View Argument is for 2D only You should only use the ElementTransformUtils.CopyElements views argument when working with view dependent elements, i.e., 2D elements. This was pointed out by Arnošt Löbel in... Read more →

Live Development and a Share Bar

Let's reiterate a question that comes up quite regularly, on live development, i.e. debugging and editing your code without having to restart Revit and reload a model every time you make a change. First, however, let me say a few words about the new share bar. The Building Coder Share Bar I spent a couple of hours last night adding the share bar that you now see on the right hand side. Kean Walmsley added a ShareThis button to Through... Read more →

Wrangling Revisions with Ruby

Here is a write-up by Andy Holmes, Integration Specialist at OPX design consultancy on a Ruby project that uses a lot of different Revit API features, e.g., revisions on sheet, DMU updaters, Idling and document events, and creating a Ruby 'add-in' by using an application-level macro that has no macros in it. This write-up will soon be made available on the redesigned OPX website, and the code is already freely available on GitHub. Andy adds that Mat is colleague who... Read more →

Intimate Revit Database Exploration with the Python Shell

I keep repeating the importance of being able to explore the Revit database model efficiently to understand what is going on. This can even be important for end users, and is certainly much more so for developers. The first and foremost important tool is obviously RevitLookup. The BipChecker is less important and yet also handy for exploring element parameters. The disadvantage of these two is that they only explore existing values provided by properties and parameters. They do not offer... Read more →

Python and Ruby Scripting Resources and the Sharp Glyph

Do you know very little about scripting and want to get started? Here are some recommendations on getting started with Python and Ruby from Steven Mycynek of the Revit API development team and Saikat Bhattacharya of Autodesk Consulting. I am writing this from the most wonderful organic restaurant ever, life alive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on my way to the Boston airport to fly back home. Steven's Recommendations Ruby and Python are the two main scripting languages Revit is working with.... Read more →

RevitRubyShell for Revit 2014

Håkon Clausen of dRofus AS published an updated version of RevitRubyShell. In Håkon own words: I have updated the add-in to 2014 and added new docking and idling features. It was all completely modal in Revit 2013, which was a little inconvenient. There was some trouble with the key input focus working with modeless and idling in earlier versions, e.g., using the tab and enter keys. In Revit 2014, the new dockable panel feature in combination with idling solves that... Read more →