The Building Coder

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

Autorouting and Reference for CreatePipeConnector

Today we pick up two recent MEP related discussions, on creating a new pipe connector for a hydraulic fitting family and on automatic pipe system routing, and a couple of other odd items – The names they are a-changin – Getting a ReferencePlane for CreatePipeConnector – Auto-routing a pipe system between plumbing fixtures – Handling dialogue and failure messages – Retrieving a geometry reference... Read more →

Command Binding Conflicts and Face UV Coords

Today, let's pick up two recent discussions on the UV coordinate space on a face and the replacement of add-in command bindings – Understanding the Face BoundingBoxUV – Handling add-in command binding conflicts... Read more →

Splitting a Duct in More Depth

We recently shared a brief note on using the BreakCurve API for splitting a pipe. Matt Taylor now pointed out a much more comprehensive discussion asking, is there any API available to split a duct programmatically? That is not just an example, but an entire tutorial, so I think it is very useful to share here as well for all to enjoy.. Read more →

Split Pipe

A short note on splitting pipes... Read more →

Coding, Interior Elevations and Command Line Opts

Another inspiring guide to getting started with the Revit API, creating interior elevations and revisiting the Revit command line switches – Learning to code with interior elevations – Revit command line switches updated – World-wide connectivity... Read more →

24x24 StackedItem, Ribbon Utils, Journal Encoding

Let's start the week with some ribbon button item and encoding topics – How to create 24x24 stacked ribbon items – Update on moving a ribbon button between panels – Revit journal file character encoding... Read more →

Multi-Threading Family Instance Placement Monitor

Kennan Chen perfected his family instance placement monitor by elegantly combining the Revit API with additional .NET timer and multi-threading functionality in a novel fashion seldom seen in a Revit add-in... Read more →

Lat Long to Metres and Duplicate Legend Component

Today, we discuss duplicating legend components in Python, my own non-API Python work and some undocumented utility methods – Duplicate legend component in Python – Convert latitude and longitude to metres in Python – UIFrameworkService utility methods – Exceptions should be exceptional... Read more →

Revit WPF Add-Ins and Template

The long-standing topic of WinForms versus WPF for Revit add-in user interface seems to be nearing a conclusion – WinForms or WPF? – Revit WPF template – Readme – Build – Customize – Documentation... Read more →

DA4R, FindInserts, Deployment and SplitButton

So many interesting things going on in the Revit API discussion forum. Also, the newest DA4R recording is now available online – Forge Design Automation API for Revit recording – Design Automation for Revit supports IFC – What does the FindInserts includeShadows flag do? – Easiest solution to deploy add-in – Always show the same button in SplitButton... Read more →

Design Automation API, Stacks, Collectors and Links

The ultimatively painless introduction to the Forge Design Automation API, a solution for creating two stacked ribbon items, reinitialising filtered element collectors and picking a face in a linked file – Forge Design Automation API webinars – Stacking two 24x24 ribbon items – Reinitialising the filtered element collector – Use CreateReferenceInLink to select a face in a linked file... Read more →

UI Top Forms, Buttons, Web, etc.

Several user interface related topics are being discussed in the Revit API discussion forum – Keep my form on top of Revit! – Creating buttons and getting started with an add-in UI – Integrating a web-based UI... Read more →

Scaling an Add-In for a 4K High Resolution Screen

As high-resolution monitors grow ever more common, an important question arises on handling add-in scaling for 4K high resolution screens – Problem adapting a Revit add-in for 4K displays – Application properties for stand-alone apps – Application manifest – Separate UI component with IPC – Two solutions for adjusting Revit for 4K displays – Method 1 – Run hires monitor in low resolution – Method 2 – Adjust how Revit handles 4k displays – Discussion of the results... Read more →

Scaling, Face and Mesh Triangle Normals

Let's look at a couple of scaling and triangle orientation issues that recently came up – Transform and scaling in Forge – ModPlus and scaling text in dockable panel – Exporting view image extents – Mesh triangle orientation – PlanarFace normal... 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 →

Resources, Rotated Rebar Stirrups and Steel Stuff

I'll start this week with several solutions from the Revit API discussion forum and elsewhere, especially two different approaches to create rotated rebar stirrups – Embedded tooltip icon resource – Revit 2019 tooltip videos are MP4 – How to read and write bolt, plate and weld – Creating rotated rebar stirrups... Read more →

Icon Access and Reference Plane in Family Instance

Today I highlight two of Fair59's numerous solutions in the Revit API forum, and also mention a joke I picked up in a Swedish cartoon – Fadaesen on racism versus realism – Retrieving a reference plane location in a family instance – Accessing the Revit ribbon icons... 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 →

Creating a Warning Using the Failure API

The Failure API enables both failure definition and handling capabilities – The ability to define and post failures from within API code when a user-visible problem has occurred – The ability to respond to failures posted by Revit and by API code through code in your application This also enables the creation of a modeless warning message to the user... 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 →

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 →

Pipe Fitting K Factor, Archi+Lab and Installer

Two recent Revit MEP related cases brought up some new information on the pipe K factor table and custom calculations for pipe fittings, the Forge DevCon class recordings are now available, and I discovered Konrad Sobon's wonderful archi+lab Revit API blog, which helps resolve an installation and setup issue – Pipe K factor table – Custom K factor calculation for pipe fittings – Dynamo code to change loss coefficient – Forge DevCon 2017 class recordings – Archi+Lab – Revit add-in installer and buttons... 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 →

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 →

ForgeFader, Lookup Builds, Purge & Room Instances

Blogging despite having already exceeded my work quota for the week, but there is so much to share – ForgeFader user interface – RevitLookup builds – Purging types, families and materials – Retrieving all family instances in a room... Read more →

WTA Mech and TTT for Provision for Voids

Today is the last day of the Forge accelerator, and I am still working on the ForgeFader project. The topics today are mainly related to Revit, though – Google prettifier on GitHub – WTA mechanical family placement add-in – Provision for void – What is a provision for void? – Creating a provision for void... Read more →

Setting Active View During Idling

Here is a summary of the discussion and solution for setting ActiveView during the Idling event from the Revit API discussion forum raised and solved by Rudi 'Revitalizer' and Kinjal Desai; As per API documentation, this operation should not be invalid: no open transactions; IsModifiable is ok; IsReadOnly is ok; No pre-action events around. However, trying to do so throws an InvalidOperationException with the message "Setting active view is temporarily disabled"... Read more →

Multiple Language RESX Resource Files

A large contribution today from Andrey Bushman, and a couple of upcoming Forge events – Supporting multiple language resource files – Creating and using localised resource RESX files – Upcoming Forge accelerators... Read more →

Schedule Parameters and Shared Parameter GUID

Lots of information on, from and about schedule parameters, and a new elegant solution to a long-standing challenge – Direct access to shared parameter GUID – Getting parameter information from a schedule... Read more →

RevitLookup Supports Spot Dimension and Escape

RevitLookup sports two new useful enhancements since adding support for the NuGet Revit API package in mid-December – Close all forms using the Escape key – Support for spot dimension... Read more →

Distances, Switches, Kiss-ing and a Dino

I continued my activity in the Revit API discussion forum and had lots of interesting discussions there. One recent thread caused me to bring up a favourite topic of mine, on keeping things simple. I'll also mention two other less recent recurring questions – Distance between two points in a specific direction – Revit command-line switches – Keeping things simple with the Revit API – Dino pondering lengthening days... Read more →

Stacked Ribbon Button Panel Options

Topic: a C# .NET Revit add-in demonstrating use of a split ribbon button to access a secondary command, e.g., option settings. In the Revit API discussion forum thread on using a StackButton as a PushButton with options, Allan 'aksaks' Seidel recently proposed a neat UI trick, saying: Perhaps this idea might be usable for others. The StackButton ribbon control is a stack of different PushButton instances where the last used PushButton remains visible to be used again. That visible button is reflected in the stack button's CurrentButton property. Imagine if the StackButton control always shows the first button in the stack, and the other button(s) are secondary to the first button's purpose... Read more →

The Building Coder Samples 2017

Last night, I migrated The Building Coder samples to Revit 2017 – Flat Migration – Updated RvtSamples Include File – Automatic Transaction Mode is Obsolete – Obsolete Plane Constructors and NewPlane Methods – Obsolete NewPlane Method Taking a CurveArray Argument – Replace View.SetVisibility by SetCategoryHidden – Use DirectShape ApplicationId and ApplicationDataId – All Obsolete Revit API Usage Eliminated... Read more →

Real-Time BIM Update via a Windows Forms Client

Today, I address the first item in yesterday's to do list – Document and improve FireRatingClient, the stand-alone Windows client – we will need this to demonstrate the real-time BIM update from arbitrary sources – Context – FireRatingClient – Adding the modified Field – Updating the modified Field on Edit – FireRatingClient Live BIM Update Demo Recording – Download – To Do... Read more →

Real-Time BIM Update with FireRatingCloud 2017

Yesterday, I migrated RoomEditorApp to Revit 2017 and mentioned the BIM and cloud related projects I am working on. Next, let's focus on the FireRatingCloud sample. The main goal there is to implement fully automatic real-time BIM update from the cloud. Now, 24 hours after writing the previous sentence, I can tell you that I succeeded. Well, add another six hours to edit this post... Here is the updated FireRatingCloud custom ribbon tab with its new set of commands... Read more →

Adding a Stacked Split Button to the Ribbon

I have been rather busy on the Revit API discussion forum these last few days. One of the issues I got involved with was Michał Helt's thread on RibbonPanel.AddStackedItems and SplitButton, discussing how to add a split button to a ribbon panel using the AddStackedItems method. Question: Currently, Split Buttons cannot be created in the ribbon using the AddStackedItems method. Only PushButtons, PulldownButtons, ComboBoxes and TextBoxes can be added this way. Would it be possible to remove this limitation?... Read more →

Drop-down Enumerated Parameter Values

I repeatedly hear from developers who wish to define a specific enumerated set of parameter values for their add-ins and limit the selection to these values in the element property palette user interface. Internally, Revit does implement a system to handle this, for instance by using negative element ids for element property drop-down list enumerations. This has also been a long-standing wish list item, and unfortunately still remains in that state, currently incorporated in the issue CF-3498 API wish: drop-down enumeration parameters for combo box... Read more →

PickPoint with WPF and No Threads Attached

Here is another contribution from Saied Zarrinmehr, of the BIM-SIM Research Group at the Texas A&M University, on the thread safety of the Selection.PickPoint method in Revit 2014 and 2015, resulting in a sample testing different methods for hiding and unhiding a WPF window. I trust they are interesting and useful for people working with Revit 2016 as well. Before getting to that, Calvin and Hobbes anniversary... 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 →

Filtering Samples and RAC 2016 Features

The issue of simple filtered element collector samples was raised in a private message. I do not like to receive private messages and avoid answering them in private. I always prefer to discuss everything I do in public and enable the entire community to contribute and share when possible. In this case, such a message led to the discussion below. I'll also point to an overview of Revit Architecture 2016 Features... 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 →

The Responsive Building Coder

I suffer from acute and chronic responsiveness. That is unpleasant for me, although hopefully pleasing and useful for the rest of humanity. What I mean is, I tend to answer other people's questions and needs before taking care of my own. I am forever trying to stop doing that. One of these days, I certainly will. The topic I refer to above is not me, personally, though, but The Building Coder blog. Nowadays, web pages should be based on a... Read more →

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 →

Element Selection Changed Event

Many add-in developers are interested in being notified when the current selection changes in the Revit user interface. Among other things, it led to the implementation of the selection watcher using the Idling event and was one aspect of the discussion of element level events. Checking for Selection Changes in Idling Event Handler Ken Goulding submitted a comment on that, saying: When you mentioned "Element Level", I was hoping that included element selection events, but that does not seem to... Read more →