The Building Coder

Back Again to Unit Test, Icons, Viewports and More

Back again! – Winding up – Multi-version NUnit test – Hires Revit icons – Retrieve and update viewport types – Interact with BIM via ChatGPT – Expertise in real world contexts – Humans versus LLMs completing ARC-AGI – 2024 AI breakthroughs & controversies – LLM transformers – Short movie by Veo 2 – Current AIs are not politically neutral – Mind-reading potential of AI – Iterative spell check with Gemini... Read more →

Stable Parameter Identifier and WebView2 Plans

Embedded browser plans are maturing further, and what to use for stable parameter identification – Move from CefSharp to WebView2 – Stable parameter identifier for use in formula – CrowdStrike outage – Ai models trained on AI-generated data collapse – Open source AI is the path forward... Read more →

Material Assets, Chromium and Sorting Schedules

Material assets, built-in browser functionality, create schedules, search text and miscellaneous LLM-related news items – Personalised material asset properties – CefSharp versus WebView2 embedded browser – Twentytwo on schedule creation – Ugrep enhanced grep – AI mesh understanding – LLM self-reflection, deep stupidity, sans MatMul, and locally the easy way... Read more →

Removing Docs Zip Files, Panels and Buttons

A call for feedback on a planned change downloading a RCM from Docs, a tricky solution to remove ribbon panels and buttons, and a bunch of news bites that I found interesting on sustainability, language and AI discoveries; new EU AEC energy ruling, ecological wooden buildings in Scandinavia, spoken human language speed and information density, AI uses as a hearing aid enhancement, weather forecasting, interface assistant, AI open-source and future directions... Read more →

Revit 2025.1 and Handling Lack of UI in DA

The Revit 2025.1 update release, placing a detail group in ASP Design Automation, lacking the UI, a hacker's guide to LLM and an LLM retrieval augmented generation in 10 lines of code... Read more →

Lengthen Ducts and Highlight Links

Modifying duct length, highlighting linked elements using SetReferences and determining whether a form is currently displayed by implementing an IsMainWindowActive predicate... Read more →

Change Pipe Level and PreviewControl Border

Picking up two illuminating conversations from the Revit API discussion forum, we look at spying to suppress the PreviewControl border and changing the level of piping elements... Read more →

API Context, Input State and DA4R Debugging

We present a long-awaited solution to check for a valid Revit API context and a whole bunch of short pointers to other mostly AI-related topics of interest – Determining Revit API context – Detect Revit user input state – Easy Revit API – Gemini with image and video input – LLM is not self-aware – Generative AI transformer – Design to reduce junk data – C and C++ are risky – Ultra-processed food is toxic... Read more →

Interactive BIM Notebook, Temporary Graphics and AI

Interactivity and AI keeps growing – BIM interactive notebooks – TemporaryGraphicsManager in action – Classify line styles built-in vs user – The curious case of JavaScript – Magika AI-based file type classification – NotebookLM – AI understands videos better – Airline chatbot invented a refund policy – LLM tokenisation – Diátaxis systematic technical documentation – Amara's law – Talking about progress versus risk... Read more →

Refresh Graphics, Start View and Excel

Refreshing graphics, exchanging data, setting the start view, and random titbits related to AI, politics and climate – UpdateAllOpenViews – Refreshing spot elevation prefix – Excel data exchange options – Defining the start view – How big is a LLM – Base rate fallacy – Last year was hot – Previous climate changes negligeable – PV panel price trend... Read more →

Retrieve Rooms, Build a Schema, Sort and Animate

Using the extensible storage schema builder, retrieving adjacent rooms, embedding an animation in a tooltip and controlling detail item draw order – Schema builder quirks – Get all apartment rooms – Embed GIF in tooltip – Control draw order of detail items... Read more →

DirectContext3D, Ids and Linked Section Elements

Revit element id compilation, unique cross-document reference, AU class on DirectContext3D and determining elements present in section view... Read more →

3D View, Curved Section and Browser Round-Trip

RevitLookup update, roundtrip interaction between your own browser instance and external command, BIM element location, structural 3D view, curved section view – RevitLookup 2024.0.10 – Calling Revit command from Chromium browser – Chromium browser Js round trip callback – Element location – Create a structural-only 3D view – Creating a curved section in Dynamo – Carbon footprint of AI – Sending data by pigeon – Permaculture farm – The Valley of Code... Read more →

Camera Target and Toposolid Subdivision Material

A quick look at CefSharp and conversations shedding light on Toposolids and camera settings – Using the built-in CefSharp browser – Toposolid subdivision material – Camera target... Read more →

.NET Core Preview and Open Source Add-In Projects

Open-source related discussions, interesting Revit API and AI related news – Revit preview release with C# 7 – RevitLookup 2024.0.9 is here – RevitPythonDocs for Dynamo and pyRevit – New Revit SDK sample browser and launcher – Purge add-in with rave reviews – SpeedCad tools OptionsBar and StatusBar – Managing multiple Revit API versions – DesignScript, Rhino, and other geometry libraries – Trading glass beads for AI IP... Read more →

OptionsBar and Bye Bye to DA4R 2018

A great new open-source productivity enhancement tool making use of the built-in OptionsBar provides handy access to frequently used information, utilities, element selection options and more, and a reminder of the deprecated DA4R Revit 2018 engine... Read more →

GasTools, Cmd Ids, Key Schedule et al

A nice, varied bouquet of topics – GasTools – Key schedule browser API – Revit command id list – AI generates 3D model from 2D drawings – Careful with infant screen use – Baroque typography in the digital world... Read more →

Resx Language Management and APS DevCons

The Autodesk Platform Services APS Developer Conferences are coming up, and we all need to deal with application localisation and i18n issues – Resx language management – Ribbon panel localisation – Creating the localised WinForms... Read more →

Sustainability, Lookup, Sub-Elements and Wall Types

Forma sustainability flyer – RevitLookup 2024.0.6 and support for previous releases – Modify view workset editable – Selection SetReferences – WallType naming best practices... Read more →

Dark Icons, NewFamilyInstance and AI News

Hacks for dark icons supporting Revit 2024 theme switching and news from the ever-accelerating AI revolution – Dark theme icons by ImageMagick – Embed dark theme icon name in BitMapSource – New NewFamilyInstance overload – Open-source AI surging ahead – Timeline of major milestones crossed – Non-technical explanation of AI and deep learning – Using AI to read your thoughts – AI emergent abilities may not be emergent after all – Risk of AI manipulation... Read more →

Lookup Ideas, Jigs and ACC Docs Access

A request for new ideas for enhancing RevitLookup, implementing a pickpoint rubber band and opening BIMs on ACC Docs – Request for RevitLookup ideas – Transient elements for jig – Opening a model in ACC Docs – Stop using JPEG – Stop using voice id... Read more →

Geometry Options and Clean Simple Curves

Geometry options and clean simple curves – Curve loop simplify and clean up – Geometry options clarification – JtClicker 2023 – OpenMEP by Chuong Ho – Unintelligible film dialogue... Read more →

New Roadmaps, Dark Theme Possibility Looming

Happy New Year of the Rabbit, xīnnián hǎo, 新年好! Pondering the looming possibility of a dark theme in the Revit UI and API – Dark theme switching – API – icons – Code example: handling themed ribbon icons – New public roadmaps... 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 →

Deleting Storage and Picking a Symbol

Interesting hints from the forum and thoughts on feedback, community and communication – Unload IFC links to delete extensible storage – Picking, selection and UI design – Feedback is always a great gift – Scott Peck and community building... Read more →

Point Clouds, Coloured Triangles and Faces

Let's look at accessing point cloud points and colouring individual triangles and faces – Assigning material to each face – DirectContext3D colorized triangles – Pick and access point cloud points... Read more →

Revit Server and View Filter Alert

Non-API Revit Server access, exporting Outlook email text, and using a view filter to alert to missing data... Read more →

Collaboration, Dockables, Railings, Pop-Ups, ILSpy

An invitation to the upcoming AEC collaboration webinar and overviews over dockable panels, dialogue handling, decompilation and railing geometry – AEC collaboration webinar – Dockable panels and WebView2 – Dismissing Revit pop-ups – Check API changes using decompilation – Railing geometry... Read more →

Flip, Mirror, Transform and Transient Graphics

How are reflections like flip and mirror reflected in the BIM element transform? – Transient elements hack – Temporary incanvas graphics API video – Shared versus non-shared parameter creation – Direct PDF export and DA4R... Read more →

Refreshment, Cloud Model Path, Angle and Direction

An example of real-time live graphical user input feedback, cloud model functionality, the ever important need to regenerate and other important topics for this holiday day – Line angle and direction jig – Determine cloud model local file path – How to refresh GroupType.Groups – Online access to RevitAPI.chm help files – C++/C# frontend engineer... 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 →

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 →

Boundary Elements and Stirrup Constraints

A lengthy and fruitful conversation on implementing valid rebar stirrup constraints and more advice on determining boundary elements for the entire building and individual rooms – Rebar stirrup constraints – Exterior bounding walls – All walls including non-bounding interior walls – Floors and ceilings – Revit API and UX style guide – Today's collective action problem... 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 →

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 →