The Building Coder

Roadmap AmAs and Handling Multiple Updaters

Recordings of the roadmap presentations, handling updaters and worksharing – Community conversation roadmap AMAs – Platform Services Parameters API – Handling multiple updaters – WorksharingUtils help check element status – Chuong Ho is featured Speckle developer... Read more →

SDK, Add-In Wizard and TrackChanges Updates

Analysing the recent Revit SDK update, and still setting up my new Mac PC – What's new in Revit 2023.1 – Revit 2023.1 SDK update – Add-In wizard template in VS 2022 – Track work with element lister + TrackChanges... Read more →

Extensible Storage Schema Deletion

A new team member, new Revit API and WPF tutorials, and new insights on handling extensible storage – Welcome, George! – WPF form UIApplication access – Mazri's Revit, Dynamo, web and WPF playlists – Extensible storage schema deletion – Extensible storage schema conflict... Read more →

MEP API Intro and RevitPythonShell Lookup Nuptials

Back to the beginning with a quick look at the Revit MEP API, and a great step forward for RevitPythonShell – Revit MEP API intro – RevitPythonShell RevitLookup nuptials... Read more →

Outer Walls, Lookup Update and Filtering

Freshening up a few of our favourite recurring topics – RevitLookup update – Filtering for multiple built-in categories – Retrieving all outer walls – Zen and the art of React programming... Read more →

TBC Samples 2023 and the New Structural API

Migrating The Building Coder samples, I encountered the same problems as others trying to update obsolete structural API code, so let's take a look at some resources assisting us in that area – Not migrating the derived analytical model – Revit 2023 Structural API... Read more →

What's New in the Revit 2023 API

The Revit 2023 API contains many exciting enhancements for add-in developers – Information sources – What's new in previous versions – Detailed table of contents – API Changes – API Additions... Read more →

Compiling the Revit 2023 SDK Samples

I log my work compiling the new Revit 2023 SDK and setting up RvtSamples to load the external commands – Update the RevitSdkSamples repo – Set the Revit API references – Eliminate processor architecture mismatch warning – Set up RvtSamples – DatumsModification – ContextualAnalyticalModel – CivilAlignments... Read more →

Revit 2023 and RevitLookup 2023

Revit 2023 has been released, including the Revit 2023 SDK, and so has RevitLookup 2023... Read more →

RevitLookup, WPF, Preventing Modification

Different approaches to prevent modification of certain elements and the latest news on RevitLookup – Prevent modification – RevitLookup updates – RevitLookupWpf – Pilcrow... Read more →

WallCrossSection Renaming in the Revit 2022.1 API

Breaking news from the Revit development team on the WallCrossSection to WallCrossSectionDefinition renaming in the Revit 2022.1 API update... Read more →

What's New in the Revit 2022.1 API

The Revit 2022.1 API includes some important enhancements addressing new Revit product functionality and developer wishes and requests – Information sources – What's new in previous versions – Diff to the Revit 2022 SDK – API additions... Read more →

Revit 2022.1 SDK, RevitLookup Build and Install

Exciting news with a lot of changes to RevitLookup and The Building Coder samples – Revit 2022.1 SDK released – WallCrossSection vs. WallCrossSectionDefinition – RevitLookup build and install – Bye-bye lookup builds – The Building Coder samples revamped – Copy as HTML update – Image cleanup and a robot arm... Read more →

View Sheet from View and Select All on Level

Increasing numbers of of Python and Dynamo oriented topics in the Revit API discussion forum, and a final deprecated API clean-up – The Building Coder samples clean – Retrieving all elements on level – Get ViewSheet from View – Fabrication transaction in Dynamo... Read more →

Revit Roadmap, API and DA4R Survey

Opportunities to provide feedback on the Revit product, the Revit API and the Forge Design Automation API for Revit – Revit public roadmap update – Revit and DA4R API survey 2021 – MacOS Big Sur upgrade – The Economist on ransomware and cybersecurity... Read more →

Installer, List of Failures, Adjacent Rooms and Walls

We discuss enhancements to RevitLookup, a list of all built-in Revit failures, and a neat utility to determine all room-wall adjacencies – Adjacent rooms and walls – List of all built-in failures – Recent RevitLookup updates – RevitLookup installation... Read more →

ForgeTypeId and Units Revisited

A few new aspects of the Revit 2022 unit handling API and ForgeTypeId usage – FixtureUnit ParameterType – Revit 2022 unit handling API in Dynamo – String values for Forge units – Unit conversion without knowing – How will we live together?... 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 →

What's New in the Revit 2022 API

The Revit 2022 API includes an exceptional list of exciting enhancements for add-in developers, including numerous developer wishes and requests that have now been explicitly addressed – Information sources – What's new in previous versions – Detailed tasble of contents – API Changes – API Additions... Read more →

Revit 2022 SDK and The Building Coder Samples

The Revit 2022 SDK is now available for download from the Revit Developer Centre autodesk.com/developrevit. I logged my experiences installing it, setting up RvtSamples, loading the SDK external commands, and migrating The Building Coder samples to the new release – First the logs – Revit 2022 SDK warnings – Setting up RvtSamples – The Building Coder samples migration – ParameterType and ForgeTypeId – O'Reilly answers... Read more →

Revit 2022 Migrates BIM360 Team to Docs

We continue the foray into Revit 2022 enhancements with a real-world migration tool using the new SaveAsCloudModel functionality and the flat migration of RevitLookup – Save as cloud model from BIM360 Team to Docs – RevitLookup 2022 – A librarian's take on corona... Read more →

PDF Export, ForgeTypeId and Multi-Target Add-In

Revit 2022 has been released. Two important features are parameter API enhancements and built-in PDF export functionality – Replace deprecated ParameterType with ForgeTypeId – Multi-target 2021 and 2022 using MSBuild – PDF export default paper format can fail – PDF export output file naming – Five beginner mistakes... Read more →

Revit 2022 Released

Revit 2022 has been released – Revit 2022 SDK coming soon – What's new – Enhancements – Bimsmith take – Microservices and serverless architecture – Questioning the standard model theory... Read more →

Model Group and DA4R Language in Forge

Today, let's look at two Japanese Forge questions, on model groups and the Revit engine language, another RevitLookup enhancement, and, while we're talking about languages, a surprising scientific discovery on naked mole-rat dialects – Retrieving Revit model group in Forge – Specifying the Revit UI language in DA4R – RevitLookup supports ScheduleDefinition GetField – Naked mole-rats speak in community dialects – Van Gogh 360... 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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

What's New in the Revit 2021 API

The Revit 2021 API includes exciting enhancements for add-in developers, including numerous developer wishes and requests that have now been explicitly addressed – Information sources – What's new in previous versions – Detailed TOC of major changes and renovations – API Changes – API Additions... Read more →

RevitLookup 2021 with Multi-Release Support

I hope you are happy and healthy and enjoyed your Easter eggs! During the holiday, I updated RevitLookup for Revit 2021, and Harry Mattison added his multi-release building enhancements into the main solution as well – Revit 2021 add-ins require .NET 4.8 – RevitLookup flat migration to Revit 2021 – Support for multi-release building... Read more →

Revit 2021 Cloud Model API

A nice big egg has been laid just in time for Easter, with the beautiful springtime in full bloom – Revit 2021 – BIM 360 Docs folder permission API – Revit 2021 multi-region cloud model API – Cloud model API changes – How to open a cloud model – How to save a local file to a non-workshared cloud model – SaveAsCloudModel information in web browser and via the Forge DM API... Read more →

Visual Studio 2019 Revit Add-in Template Tags

A small enhancement to the Visual Studio Revit Add-in Template, and another interesting little AI surprise – Template tags for Visual Studio 2019 – My wizard works again – OpenAI plays hide and seek and breaks the game... Read more →

What's New in the Revit 2020.1 API

Revit 2020.1 was released and an updated Revit SDK has now been published for it – Additions to the Revit 2020.1 API – Systems analysis API additions – Mechanical analytical systems – Zone equipment – System zones – Systems analysis and analysis reports – Export to gbXML – View API additions – Temporary view mode API – Schedule API additions – Striped rows – Path of travel API additions – Reveal obstacles mode for path of travel – Options API additions – Color options – Rebar API additions – Rebar constraints – Installation and compilation – RvtSamples Setup... Read more →

TLS Requirement, PDF Data and Collada DAE Exporter

An important Revit add-in requirement regarding Transport Layer Security (TLS) settings, a short note on accessing PDF image data from an import instance, and an update of the Collada DAE custom exporter for use in Revit 2020 – Required Transport Layer Security (TLS) settings – Accessing imported PDF image data in Revit – Custom Collada exporter updated and fixed... Read more →

Revit API and Design Automation API Survey

The Revit product team is conducting a survey to improve the functionality of the Revit services. Please help them prioritise new features and upcoming enhancements to future releases of the Autodesk Revit API and the Forge Design Automation for Revit API by taking a brief survey... Read more →

IFC Update, Instance Geometry, Parameters

I completed the move to my new computer, and happily all systems go now. Here are some other topics that came up in the past few days – Revit-IFC Release 20.1.0 – Community discussion on Revit – Solid or instance, depending – Exporting parameters to Access – Store globals on custom DataStorage, not ProjectInfo – Iranian civil engineering project video... Read more →

Accelerator, Dash Pattern Fix, Rotation and Phase

I am participating in the Forge Accelerator in Barcelona this week. Let me mention some pending Revit API issues before diving into any accelerator topics – AddMaterials enhancements – Retrieving element rotation – Changing the phase created parameter... Read more →

AI, Boundaries, Loops and RevitApiDocs 2020

Yet another eagerly awaited update for the Revit 2020 API, a couple of interesting Revit API discussion forum threads, and some thoughts on how AI might affect and be used in an architectural context – RevitApiDocs updated with the Revit 2020 API – More room boundary segments than expected – How to get width and height of a CurveLoop – AI and architecture... 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 →