The Building Coder

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 →

Element Diff Compare, Shapely and RDBE

Exciting new and enhanced tools and libraries to check out – Revit element difference comparison – The Revit database explorer RDBE – The Shapely Python 2D geometry library – Measuring developer productivity... 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 →

RBP, Materials, Their Assets and the Visual API

Two very different aspects of BIM materials, filtering for annotations and a powerful batch processor utility: – GetMaterialArea behaviour varies – Material assets and the Visual API – Filter for annotation families – Revit batch processor RBP... Read more →

Unit Testing and Arc Dimensioning

Revit add-in unit testing is becoming much more accessible, and now yet another toolkit is here. We also clarify function and accessability of various Autodesk APIs and SDKs, look at programmatic dimensioning of circles in Revit and a minimalist secure file sharing tool – Revit add-in unit testing – API versus SDK – Arc dimensioning – Rotate your file... 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 →

Unit Test Your Revit Add-In

The Building Coder blog standalone on GitHub, APS accelerator in Dublin, AU announcements, learning Revit API, retrieving all fabrication item materials, Revit add-in unit testing, AI-generated code, podcasts, news and more... Read more →

Tag Extents and Lazy Detail Components

Today, we highlight two nice contributions from the Revit API discussion forum – Determining tag extents – One-click detail family generator... 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 →

Forge Data Days and JoinGeometryUtils

Finally a chance to meet and learn live about Forge, the updated developer's guide and a nice JoinGeometryUtils sample – Revit 2023 developer's guide – Forge Data Days – Obtaining closed loops for joined element parts – Create and style your QR code – La Serre greenhouse wheelbarrow ballet... Read more →

Drilling Holes in Beams and Other Projects

I am working on a few side projects and proofs of concept for my own and other teams – RvtParamDrop exports visible element properties – RvtLock3r validates BIM element properties – Drilling holes in beams... Read more →

Utility Classes and Constraining Stirrups

Taking a look at yet another overlooked Revit API utility class, rebar constraints, and learning basics of power, energy, entropy and information – ParameterFilterUtilities – Constrain stirrup to host cover – Rowers illustrate power and building energy – Wordle entropy and information... Read more →

Happy New Year with RevitExtensions

Off we go into a new adventurous year of BIM programming – Happy New Year – RevitExtensions... Read more →

DLL as Resource and Multi-Version Add-Ins

Lots of options to implement multi-version add-ins and examples showing how to store DLL dependencies in your add-in resources – Migration assistant rocks – ExportCncFab 2022 – Multi-version Revit add-in – Deploying a DLL file as a resource... Read more →

Kfpopeye Open Source, AVF and Other Cleanup

Open source projects that help clean up parameter values, the Revit model and other operations, an important AVF cleanup required to prevent crashing, and some youngsters cleaning up some cash – Kfpopeye open source projects – AVF result clean-up before design option switch – Young teen and kid sister crypto entrepreneurs... Read more →

Nina and a VS Revit Add-In Extension

Two useful community contributions and some thoughts on global warming – Nina for Revit – The BIMdev VS extension – The Economist on climate change – We are the weather... 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 →

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 →

Parameter Filter Checking Element Type and OCR

An important insight in using a filtered element collector with a parameter filter, a handy open source OCR tool and a few productivity tips – Parameter filter also checks element type – Capture2Text, a handy OCR tool – Productivity tips... 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 →

BIM360 Scripts, Dotnet Template and Prism Goodies

Philipp Mueller highlights a set of BIM360 user management scripts and Diego Rossi shares two useful GitHub repositories – BIM360 user management scripts – External application with Prism goodies – Revit add-in dotnet template... Read more →

Optimising Parameters and Full-Text Search

I have been dabbling with the Go programming language in the past week, besides optimising and answering Revit API questions – Optimising setting shared parameters – Full-text search for The Building Coder posts – Decimal point woe... 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 →

Automatically Open Correct RVT File Version

Today, let's address a couple of quick questions and share a useful utility – How to determine Revit export image coordinates – Problems compiling and installing the Revit SDK samples – RvtVerFileOpen utility opens correct RVT file version – Angular and react tutorials – Give and take... 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 →

Stair Point References, BIM360 Users, Zoom, Jobs

I hope you and your friends and family are all safe, sound and managing well. Our main solution today reveals a new trick handling multistory stairs – Point element references in multistory stairs – BIM 360 GET project users API – Zoom tips – Jobs at Autodesk... Read more →

Another Async Await, REX + Structural Analysis SDK

Here are two important utilities, one eagerly awaited, the other a nice surprise: the updated REX and Structural analysis SDKs and a powerful async and await wrapper for the Revit API external event – REX SDK and Structural Analysis SDK 2020 – Revit.Async – Background – Standard approach – Revit.Async approach... 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 →

Ini File, Localisation and Torsion Tools Two

More Revit API tutorial material and tools, plus a couple of hints from the Revit API discussion forum and the Forge blog – Torsion Tools two – Retrieve path to Revit.ini – Updated NeXLT localization URL – Volume and area of triangulated solid... Read more →

Unit Testing and the UsesInstanceGeometry Method

Quick notes on two recent interesting Revit API discussion forum threads – Unit testing – UsesInstanceGeometry IFC utility method... Read more →

Unit Migration Toggle Imperial and Metric Project Unit

I just helped address a wish in the Revit Idea Station. I also started taking a course on AI, designed for absolutely everybody – Single-click imperial and metric project unit toggle – Solution – Elements of AI – crash course for everyone – Zhonghu solo music... Read more →

The Revit Batch Processor RBP

There are so many truly wonderful pieces of software sitting around there that I am unaware of, real works of art, pinnacles of perfection, that I only happen upon by chance – Revit Batch Processor (RBP) – Latest version – FAQ – Use cases – Features – Unlimited power... Read more →

Automated PDF Report and 2D Sketch Booleans

Today, we highlight two contributions by Håvard Leding and Oliver Green – 2D Boolean interactive real-time sketch viewer – Single-click automated PDF report via InDesign – Abbreviated table of technical contents... Read more →

Generating Graphics and Collecting Assets

Here are some relevant topics for today – Can you avoid generating graphics? – Read all thermal and physical assets – Collection of old add-in managers – Compiling an add-in without Revit installed – Xeokit 3D BIM and CAD viewer – Software development manager job opportunity... Read more →

Design Automation API for Revit Going Public

The hugely popular Design Automation APIs for Revit, Inventor, and 3ds Max will be officially released to the public on October 28. In a completely different vein, I found a very simple solution to download photos from an Android phone to the Mac – Public Forge Design Automation APIs – What can you do with Design Automation API for Revit? – Easy solution to transfer photos from Android to Mac – Gadgets in 1990 vs. 2018... Read more →

TestRunner – Run Unit Tests in Revit

A new Revit add-in unit testing framework, a short note on support assembly locations, and an article on importing PDF files – Revit.TestRunner runs unit tests in Revit – Getting started with TestRunner – Unconfusing support assemblies – Importing PDFs made easy... 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 →

The Revit 2020 FCS, API and SDK

Revit 2020 has been released, and we go through the same procedure as every year, looking at the DevDays online presentations highlighting the API news, getting the system requirements set up, installing, compiling the Revit SDK samples and setting up RvtSamples to load them – Revit 2020 first customer shipment – Revit 2020 DevDays Online – Setting up Windows 10 – Installing Revit 2020 and the new SDK – Visual Studio and .NET 4.7 – Compiling the Revit 2020 SDK samples – Setting up RvtSamples... Read more →

Retrieving and Snooping Dependent Elements

Håvard Leding of Symetri raises another exciting topic on using the the GetDependentElements method to retrieve and snoop dependent elements, e.g., the sketch of a floor and the model lines defining the floor boundary in that sketch – The GetDependentElements method – Snoop dependent elements – CmdSnoopModScopeDependents – RevitLookup update... Read more →

Room Boundaries to CSV and WPF Template

Happy New Year! I spent some time during the winter break working on CSV export of room boundaries for a Forge BIM surface classification tool. Ali Asad presented a new Visual Studio WPF MVVM Revit add-in template – Export room boundaries to CSV for Forge surface classification – Visual Studio WPF MVVM Revit add-in template... Read more →

Python Rotate Picked Around Bounding Box Centre

Let's highlight a nice interactive didactical Python-based Revit API learning challenge on how to get the bounding box from a Revit element and determine its centre – Cyril's Python HVAC blog – Rotating elements around their centre in Python – Retrieve element and bounding box from picked reference – Use location point instead of bounding box centre – Final working solution... Read more →

Roadmap, CI for RTF, Geometry Library Limitations

Lots going on, and off to Rome next week for the Forge accelerator. Meanwhile, here three of the many topics recently discussed – Revit Public Roadmap – September 2018](#2) – Configuring CI to use the RevitTestFramework RTF – Revit Geometry library limitations... Read more →

Revit 2019 Visual Studio .NET Add-in Wizards

I updated the Visual Studio Revit C# and VB add-in templates for Revit 2019. They enable you to create a new C# or VB Revit add-in in Visual Studio with one single click on File > New > Project... > Visual Basic/Visual C# > Revit 2019 Addin and define a complete skeleton Revit add-in, ready to immediately compile and run, including an add-in manifest file, external application and external command. Just hit F5 to start debugging; the add-in manifest is installed, Revit launched and the command is immediately available... Read more →

Purge Unused using Performance Adviser

Matt Taylor of WSP shares a solution to Purge Unused using the Performance Adviser – PurgeTool.vb implements GetPurgeableElements – PurgeUnused.vb external command... 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 →

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 →

Standalone BasicFileInfo and ExtractPartAtom

A discussion with Håvard Dagsvik on the use of TransmissionData, standalone access to the BasicFileInfo without the need for a valid Revit API context, and a Revit-independent method replacing Family ExtractPartAtom – No document required for TransmissionData access – TransmissionData requires a valid Revit API context – Standalone GetFamilyXmlData method replacing ExtractPartAtom – Windows explorer BasicFileInfo right click utility... Read more →