The Building Coder

News Reel, Roadmap and RevitLookup Updates

More news and updates related to Revit 2024, and some little titbits on AI and literature: – News reel and AEC roadmaps – Revit API training – RevitLookup 2024 updates – Free Dolly open-source instruction-tuned LLM – Websites powered by AI – Walkaway by Cory Doctorow... 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 →

Forge, RevitApiDocs, Materials and Stacked Items

Here are some exciting Forge, Revit API and other topics for today – Forge online training in April 2021 – RevitApiDocs support for Revit 2021 – Welcome, AEC BIM Tools – Visual materials API in Dynamo – 24x24 stacked ribbon items – Innovative drone fly-through film... Read more →

Birthday, DevDays, PostCommand + SendKeys

Birthday in the past, DevDays in the future, and running a Revit command in the present moment – Happy Birthday, Autodesk! – DevDays online 2021 – For everyone – For ADN members – PostCommand + SendKeys – SVG tutorial... 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 →

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 →

API Survey and Forge DevCon

We repeat the call to participate in the Revit API survey, and heartily invite you to register for the Forge DevCon conferences in Europe and North America – Revit API and Design Automation API Survey – Forge DevCon 2019 at AU in Las Vegas – Forge DevCon 2019 at AU in Darmstadt... Read more →

That BIM Girl and AskNow

I arrived in Rome Sunday afternoon and am now happy to be here at the Forge accelerator together with my Autodesk colleagues and the other attending companies. Before diving in further into the accelerator, I would like to point out the new inspiring AEC resources shared by That Bim Girl, and also post some notes to self on Q4R4 – That BIM Girl – Notes to Self on AskNow for Q4R4... 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 →

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 →

My First Revit Plugin Enhancements

Today, let's return to the recurring topic of getting started with the Revit API, its SDK samples, and programming in general – My First Revit Plugin enhancements – Getting started with web programming – FreeCodeCamp – ModelessForm_ExternalEvent initialisation... 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 →

Forge DevCon at AU in Darmstadt and Las Vegas

I'll be attending the two Autodesk University conferences in Darmstadt, Germany, October 17-18, and Las Vegas, USA, November 14-16. Both of these are preceded by a Forge DevCon developer conference. You may be interested only in Revit and its API or other desktop oriented programming and asking yourself why you should care about Forge and all that cloud stuff. If so, you might want to expand your horizon and take a look at Stephen Preston's analysis and explanation in his article on 'developing for Autodesk desktop software? Here's why you should care about Forge DevCon (and Autodesk University)'... Read more →

BIM 360 Hackathon and Bounding Boxes

Topics for today – BIM 360 and Forge Hackathon and Webinar Series – IsCreatedLocal versus IsLocal – Getting the building height – FamilyBoundingBox enhanced taking instances into account... Read more →

RVT Properties to XLS and Forge Accelerators

Are you interested in easy access to your Revit model properties? Well, you can have that even without a need to install Revit. The Forge Model Derivative API extracts a streamlined copy of all geometry, BIM element hierarchy and properties from over fifty file formats, and Revit RVT files are just one of them. Augusto Goncalves implemented a Forge sample to read all the properties on all BIM elements in an RVT file and export them to an XLSX spreadsheet – Test run it yourself – Source code on GitHub... 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 →

BIM@TuDa, DevDays, Forge News and More Events

I am in Darmstadt preparing the Forge and BIM presentation and hands-on workshop at Technische Universität Darmstadt, Institut für Numerische Methoden und Informatik im Bauwesen, the institute for numerical methods and computer science in the construction industry at the technical university here. Many other larger events are coming up after this – BIM@TuDa agenda – Getting started with Dynamo – Forge news – New Forge resources – Forge events and community – DevDays – Developer Day conferences and accelerators... Read more →

Revit API Connecting Desktop and Cloud @ TUDa

The RTC Revit Technology Conference Europe and my stay here in Porto is nearing its end – Wrapping up in Porto – Connecting BIM and Cloud @ TUDa – Creating a Revit add-in with one single click – Connecting Revit and Forge in 55 minutes... Read more →

Forge Formats, Webinars and Fusion 360 Client API

I updated the WebGL and Forge introduction for BIM programming and its GitHub source for the presentations in the coming days at the RTC Revit Technology Conference Europe and the ISEPBIM Forge and BIM workshops at ISEP, in Porto, implemented two little curl wrapper scripts to help me list the supported file formats, explored why they changed and updated the hackathon webinar overview. Before getting to that, I'll also highlight a helpful note by Christian on how to access the 'Symbolic Representation' setting – 'Symbolic Representation' setting parameter – Forge intro for BIM programming – cURL wrapper scripts to list Forge file formats – Updated Forge file formats – Forge hackathon webinar series and Fusion 360 Client API recording... Read more →

Forge Webinars on Design Automation and BIM360

The Forge webinar series continues. The recording of session 5 on the Design Automation API held by Albert Szilvasy is now available. For code samples on Design Automation, please refer to Albert's tutorials and the Developer-Autodesk Forge Platform samples on GitHub, filtering for Design.automation... Read more →

Solid From Bounding Box and Forge Webinar 4

I submitted the handout for my presentation on connecting the desktop and cloud for the RTC Revit Technology Conference Europe in Porto next month. I still have to finish my work on the roomedit3dv3 sample to demonstrate connecting the desktop with the cloud by enabling a real-time round-trip modification of the BIM via the Forge viewer; yesterday I integrated the transform viewer extension; now I have to hook up the socket.io messaging back to the Revit add-in to update the BIM – Create solid from bounding box – Forge webinar series 4 – Viewer... Read more →

Warning Swallower, Roomedit3d Viewer Extension

I continue my work on the roomedit3dv3 sample connecting the desktop with the cloud by enabling a real-time round-trip modification of the BIM via the Forge viewer, mention a neat solution enabling a Revit add-in to swallowing warning messages, and point out the Forge webinar session on the Forge Viewer later today – Warning swallower – Roomedit3dv3 transform viewer extension – Forge webinar series... Read more →

Forge Webinar Series and Roomedit Starting Points

I am still in the initial steps of preparing for my upcoming presentations on connecting the desktop and the cloud and exploring more Forge sample starting points. At the same time, we are in the midst of the Forge and AppStore online hackathon webinars, with one down and nine more to come – More Roomedit3dv3 starting points – Forge webinar series... Read more →

Forge and AppStore Online Hackathon Webinars

For the fourth year in a row, we are hosting an online hackathon. In fact, it already started: the Autodesk App Store Forge and Fusion 360 Hackathon is running from September 1 until October 31. This time, the focus is on building apps using Forge APIs and Fusion 360 and extending the Forge ecosystem. Forge is a development platform – a set of cloud services that connects design, engineering, visualization, collaboration, production and operations workflows for all domains. At this early stage of Forge, many people may be interested in learning more about the Forge APIs with no obligation to publish an app; you are more than welcome to attend the free API webinars... 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 →

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 →

Forge and Autodesk University Call for Proposals

In the beginning of the week, I listed my things to do next, including the most important and exciting one, attending and presenting at the Forge DevCon developer conference in San Francisco June 15-16. My to-do list also includes the Forge accelerators being held in Barcelona May 16-20 and in San Francisco June 19-24. Now the calls for proposals have opened for both Autodesk University and the Forge accelerator in San Francisco... Read more →

BIM Programming Madrid and Spanish Connectivity

I spent this week in Madrid, presenting at the BIM Programming conference and teaching the subsequent two-day workshop on the Revit API and connecting the desktop and the cloud – BIM Programming mainstage presentation – The Spanish nature of connectivity – Castafiore – Zazen – Matins – AlphaGo, machine learning and intuition... Read more →

Era of Connection, Families and Data Handling

Let's end this week by taking a look at two new AEC and BIM related publications: a new Autodesk eBook, Era of Connection, and a Dutch architectural design student project exploring Revit families and data handling – Era of Connection – Revit Families and Data Handling... Read more →

Retrieving All Model Elements

Let's revisit the ever-recurring topic of retrieving all model elements, and also look at a well-documented workflow for retrofitting historical buildings, the renovation of the Milano Teatro Lirico opera house... Read more →

RTC Classes and Getting Started with Revit Macros

I am presenting three classes at the Revit Technology Conference RTC – Autumn walk over Schauenburg – Full moon fire – Revit 2016 R2 – Session #44 Connecting the Desktop and the Cloud – Session #130 The Building Coder Chatroom – Session #161 Getting Started with Revit Macros... Read more →

Revit Answer Day and Creating a Roof

Today I'll highlight two items, plus an addendum for Kinjal and Carolina – Revit Answer Day – Creating a Roof – Setting FootPrintRoof Slope... Read more →

Sharing, Dynamo and a Chinese Book

I returned from the Autodesk Cloud Accelerator in Prague, where I finished off cleaning up the FireRating in the Cloud sample and made some good inroads into the new CompHound project. Some learning resources and sharing philosophy – Håvard Vasshaug on Learning Dynamo and Sharing Content – Open Source BIM, IFC and FreeCAD – Chinese Revit API Book... Read more →

Family Category, Element Ids, Transaction Undo and Updates

Lots of topics from Revit API discussion forum threads and GitHub updates: Family category; Keeping track of elements; Undoing a transaction; RevitLookup, GetRevisionData and ADN Revit API Training Labs update... Read more →

ADN Labs Xtra, Multi-Version Add-Ins and CNC Direct

Let's discuss some more Revit add-in migration aspects and yet another completed migration task: ADN Revit API training labs Xtra migration Multi-version add-ins and CNC Direct ADN Revit API Training Labs Xtra Migration I recently mentioned that the official ADN Revit API Labs Training Material for Revit 2016 is available from the Revit Developer Centre and the Revit API Training GitHub repository. They are used for our standard two- or three-day hands-on Revit API introduction training courses. They are also... Read more →

Autodesk University, Q1, ADN Labs and Wizard Update

I submitted my yearly Autodesk University proposal for the Revit API expert panel. Time for you to submit yours as well. The call for proposals closes in one week – the deadline is May 26th. Besides that, here are some other things I want to point out: Titbits from the Q1 report Autodesk University proposals ADN Revit API labs training material for Revit 2016 Updated Visual Studio add-in wizards for Revit 2016 Titbits from the Q1 Report Autodesk posted a... Read more →

First Cloud Accelerator Success – Second Coming Up

The first Autodesk Cloud Accelerator completed last week with great success. As a result, the Autodesk Cloud Accelerator v2 has already been announced, in quick succession, on June 1-12, 2015. What is this cloud accelerator thing? Simply put, a two-week intensive workshop for creative developers, hosted by Autodesk in San Francisco, to expand your business in the cloud. Read more about it on the web site and in my announcement of the first Autodesk Cloud Accelerator two months ago. Apply... Read more →

Determining the Face Tangent at a Picked Point

Happy Valentine's Day! I keep repeating how much I love all kinds of geometric problems – besides my sweetheart, of course – merci filmool fier di scheeni Bliemli! Unfortunately, there are far too few of them around :-) Happily, Jordi just raised one in the Revit API discussion forum thread on an API C# question, providing another welcome opportunity to make use of the Face Project and ComputeDerivatives methods: Question: I'm coding a plugin for Revit 2015 that inserts a... Read more →

Family Instance Area and Auto-Loading a Project File

I have been pretty busy answering queries on the Revit API discussion forum in the last few days. Here are two that I quite like that came up today, on calculating areas occupied by furniture and equipment family instances and loading a project file automatically on Revit start-up. Calculating Areas Occupied by Furniture and Equipment Family Instances This query was raised by Vyom Dixit on how to calculate model group elements area: Question: I am new to the Revit API.... Read more →

Autodesk Internship in California and Sorting Edges

We have an internship opening coming up, and geometrical topics like sorting face loop edges is always fun: Wanted more alive than alive: intern Sorting face loop edges Wanted More Alive than Alive: Intern Are you or someone you know currently pursuing a bachelor or master's degree in computer science or a discipline with a strong computing component? Are you looking for a potentially life-changing internship experience this summer? Look no further; the Autodesk Developer Network is looking for an... Read more →

Cloud Accelerator and More Revit Stuff

Last opportunity to make one more New Year's Resolution! Submit a proposal for the cloud accelerator: Cloud Accelerator Revit API Discussion Forum Activity C# Samples and Getting Started with the Revit API 2D Coordinates of Curve Endpoints in View3d Edit IFC Import to Write Extensible Storage Cloud Accelerator Talking about opportunities to dive deep and fast into cool web oriented technology, check out the Autodesk Cloud Accelerator, a two-week workshop in March 2015 in our San Francisco office for up... Read more →

The Revit API Panel at Autodesk University

The Revit API expert panel session took place directly after the keynote session... Read more →

Cloud Accelerator, VDC and Transaction Groups

Wow, hark these cool topics for today: Autodesk Cloud Accelerator workshop invitation BIM becomes VDC Using Transaction Groups to Relinquish Elements Without Saving or Syncing Autodesk Cloud Accelerator Workshop Invitation Autodesk just announced the 2015 Autodesk Cloud Accelerator, a two-week workshop in March 2015 in our San Francisco office for up to 14 creative software developers. For two weeks, March 9 to March 20, 2015, participants will work intensively on their chosen project with the help, support, and training of... Read more →

Functional Programming, View and Data API Demos

I spent Monday evening at the interesting meetup workshop on functional programming in JavaScript led by basel.js meetup group regular Lukasz Gintowt. All available seats were taken with 20 participants. Follow the link above to get to all the interesting material we looked at. It reminded me somewhat of the early days of AutoCAD programming, where the more elegant AutoLISP solutions tended towards functional programming... Remember car, cdr, mapcar, apply and lambda? Basically, that is part of what we talked... Read more →

Hackathon, the Climate and my CO2 Footprint

Last week, I attended an interesting and rather sobering presentation on sustainability by Niko Paech entitled Befreiung vom Überfluss – liberation from excessive abundance – the German title is shorter and sounds better, for a change. That prompted me to have a look at my own CO2 footprint. This just happened to coincide more or less with the People's Climate March taking place simultaneously all around the world, including ten thousand participands in Berlin, Geneva and Zurich. Before getting to... Read more →

Job Opportunities, Events, Plans and Planes

Lots of stuff is going on and we have an exciting heavy duty weekend ahead of us: ADN API evangelist job opportunities Autodesk Exchange Apps hackathon this weekend October events and travel in Europe Comparing a plane and a face ADN API Evangelist Job Opportunities I recently mentioned an ADN API evangelist job opening in San Francisco. We are actually looking for other talented new people to join the ADN DevTech team as well. The main openings right now are... Read more →

ADN Labs Xtra on GitHub and RvtVa3c in Three.js

I had several cases recently discussing advanced Revit API exploration issues with experienced application developers new to the Revit API. Therefore, once again, the topic of available tools and their various uses came up. One important tool for me is the simple element lister, which is currently still part of the ADN Xtra labs, the precursor to the official ADN Revit API training labs. I had not yet migrated those to Revit 2015, so I now finally did so and... Read more →

Autodesk View and Data API Webinar

I listed a whole bunch of upcoming events last week. Now I have yet another one to announce, a webinar introducing the Autodesk View and Data API, immediately preceding the exchange apps hackathon. Autodesk Exchange Apps Hackathon – September 20-21, 2014 There are less than two weeks left before the Autodesk Exchange Apps Hackathon, a two-day virtual web based coding 'festival' that will run from September 20 through to September 21, 2014. This year's event is bigger and better than... Read more →

DevDay, Meetup and Hackathon Event Calendar

Here is a list of upcoming events, most of which I will be involved in in one way or another: DevDays 2014 DevDay & DevHack in Las Vegas Meetups and Hackathons DevDays 2014 Here is the list of cities and dates where our DevDays events 2014 will be held around the world later this year. These events are accessible to ADN members. If you are not an ADN member and still would be interested in learning more about application development... Read more →

Autodesk Exchange Apps Hackathon

I am having a nice break. Here is a little news item on an exciting and profitable upcoming event to let you know I am still alive. Let's start with a brief historical flashback: Autodesk Exchange Apps Portathon September 13-14, 2013 Last year, we held the first Autodesk Exchange App Portathon: Earn $100 submitting an Autodesk Exchange app Exchange App Videos and DevTV YouTube Channel Portathon Reminder Cloud and AppStore Usage Growth Portathon Day One Portathon Day Two This year,... Read more →