The Building Coder

Integrating the Helix 3D Viewer with a WPF Add-In

This is The Building Coder post number 1800, in its eleventh year of existence. We celebrate by highlighting the integration of a 3D geometry and model viewer in a Revit add-in with a solution making use of several interesting techniques, including the use of IPC for add-in disentanglement from third-party library dependencies and a new custom exporter implementation for OBJ. This issue was raised in two discussions, on a plug-in that displays Revit's 3D window content and using a geometry viewer in a Revit add-in to preview results... 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 →

Roadmap, Rebar Curves, Wizard Zip and More

Topics for this week – Revit public roadmap July 2019 – Rebar curves – Built-in zip utility for add-in wizard – Only detail section views can be used for top view direction – Displaying an RFA family instance in DA4R – Revit 2020 alters the TEMP file system variable – Lattice multiplication... Read more →

Room Closed Shell DirectShape for Forge Viewer

I explored three main topics here at the Forge accelerator – Room closed shell solid visibility in the Forge viewer – Rebar simplification: replace rebar elements with simplified solids or model curves – glTF export – Today, I'll dive deeper into the first – IFC exporter utility adds new built-in parameter – Barcelona Forge accelerator – Room closed shell in the Forge viewer – Triangulate the solid face by face – Triangulate entire solid – Tessellation accuracy control documentation error... Read more →

Revit Camera Settings, Project Plasma, DA4R and AI

Here are this week's interesting items I want to share with you – Map Forge Viewer camera settings back to Revit – Project Quantum becomes Plasma – Mikako's DA4R overview – AI is affecting human game strategies – AI can convert speech to gesture – Barcelona Forge accelerator – Open positions at Autodesk... Read more →

SketchIt, Lookup Family Types, Definition Names

Today, we present yet another RevitLookup enhancement, a note on an undocumented built-in parameter change and a neat Forge Design Automation for Revit sample app – RevitLookup family types and parameter definition names – Bitmap aspect ratio built-in parameter renamed – DA4R SketchIt demo generates walls... 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 →

What’s New Webinar and Forge vs. A360

Following up on yesterday's discussion of What's New in the Revit 2019 API, here is a webinar invitation to walk through the results live from the product point of view. I also share a high-level comparison of some aspects of Forge versus A360 for a total newbie thinking about building a solution for a client to manage 3D models and collaborate on them with sub-contractors – Webinar on What’s New in Revit 2019 – Forge versus A360... Read more →

Women Coders, Forge and Revit API Docs Updates

Updates on Revit 2017, Revit 2018, and above all our treasured Revit API Docs. Plus, the clock is running now on two Forge enhancements. Finally, notes on DevCon, AU, female coders and the Women Who Code conference – Revit 2018 added to Revit API Docs – Revit 2018.0.1 hot fix – Revit 2017.2.1 update – Forge scopes enforcement by May 22 – Forge View and Data API countdown – Forge DevCon call for speakers is open – Autodesk University call for proposals – Five Autodeskers speak at Women Who Code... Read more →

Forgify

I am officially taking time off right now, but still jumping in here and there anyway, e.g. in an urgent case to reduce the RVT model file size before passing it into the Forge translator – RvtForgify – Forge read-write – Forge in an Enterprise Service Bus... 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 →

Work Half, AKS Opener, RvtFader and ForgeFader

I completed a first revision of the ForgeFader project, bringing it up to par with RvtFader. It is pretty cool seeing the same functionality implemented in two such different ways, on completely different platforms, using different tools. Alan Seidel shared another exciting Revit add-in. First and not least, another exciting topic for me personally is switching to half-time work – Work half – AKS Opener – Video – GitHub repository – Why? – Specific interest – RvtFader – ForgeFader... Read more →

Three.js Raytracing in the Forge Viewer

Yesterday, I showed how you can add custom geometry to the Forge viewer for debugging or other purposes and to control graphically what is going on. Today, I address the ray tracing required to determine the number of walls between the user selected signal source point and the other target points spread out across the picked floor slab. Please note the important information in the final section: the viewer implements built-in raycast functionality that obviates the need for this – Connecting Visual Studio Code to the Chrome debugger – Creating a three.js mesh from Forge viewer fragments – Use built-in viewer raycast instead... Read more →

Adding Custom Geometry to the Forge Viewer

I am in Gothenburg supporting the Forge accelerator. My project here is ForgeFader, implementing the same end user functionality as the RvtFader Revit C# .NET API add-in that I implemented last week. I have not quite finished it yet, but the existing functionality looks as if it already ought to be very useful indeed to anyone working with geometry in the Forge viewer – Working in Visual Studio Code – ForgeFader – Implementation – Adding custom geometry to the Forge Viewer – Next steps... Read more →

1500 Posts, DevDay and Storing a Dictionary

Welcome to The Building Coder post number 1500! I returned safe and sound to Europe from Autodesk University 2016 in Las Vegas and recuperated from jetlag over the weekend. Today I discuss upcoming events, new simple samples to embed a Forge viewer in a web page or blog post, and strategies to embed a dictionary into the Revit database – DevDay Europe in Munich – AEC Symposium in New York – Embedding a Forge viewer – Storing a dictionary in the Revit database... Read more →

[email protected], 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 – [email protected] agenda – Getting started with Dynamo – Forge news – New Forge resources – Forge events and community – DevDays – Developer Day conferences and accelerators... Read more →

Roomedit3dv3 Diff from Forge Boilerplate Code

I am preparing the Forge and BIM presentation and hands-on workshop this coming Friday 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 in Darmstadt. Now I prepared a detailed analysis of the exact changes I made to the forge-boilers.nodejs boilerplate code to implement the roomedit3dv3 sample connecting BIM with the cloud – Comparing the root folder contents – Comparing the Forge node.js boilerplate – Starting fresh from scratch – Copy, install and load the viewer extension – Adding the link to load the viewer extension – Renamed viewer extension base and toolkit js modules – All Viewer Extension Modifications – Successful test and final diff – 25 lines of code... 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 →

Connecting Desktop and Cloud RTC Material

I am in the last stages of preparing my presentation this afternoon on connecting the desktop and the cloud for the RTC Revit Technology Conference Europe. For your and the audience's convenience, here are the materials I am presenting, and some of the main links to further information – Handout – Slide deck – Recording – Samples Connecting Desktop and Cloud... Read more →

Need to Commit Twice, Roomedit3dv3 and Forge

Lots of exciting news for today, like every day, once again on the pure Revit API, connecting the desktop and the cloud, and Autodesk Forge – Isolating an element in a newly created view requires two transactions – Forge research enquiry – Connecting desktop and cloud – Roomedit3dv3 live – Could you demo this remotely? – Connecting desktop and cloud draft handout – Table of contents... Read more →

Roomedit3dv3 Up and Running with Demo Recording

I completed the roomedit3dv3 project – Enhancements to the Forge Node.js boilerplate code – RoomEditorApp Revit add-in update – Roomedit3dv3 demo recording – Samples connecting desktop and cloud – Forge Webinar Series 5 – Design Automation API... Read more →

Retrieving and Broadcasting the Roomedit3dv3 Translation

As I discussed last week, the translation tool emits info about its activity via socket.io. Now I want to pick up that information higher up, in the viewer transform extension, and relay it to the node.js web server or broadcast it to the rest of the world. The existing sample call to emit is inside onTxChange, which is called on each mouse move. We do not need to track each mouse movement in such fine detail... 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 →

Roomedit3d Broadcast, Teigha BIM, Forge Webinar 3

My discussion with Philippe on integrating roomedit3dv3 with the rest of his Forge node.js boilerplate samples continues, as does the Forge hackathon webinar series. Furthermore, the Open Design Alliance made an interesting Revit related announcement – REST vs WebSocket and Roomedit3dv3 broadcast architecture – Teigha BIM announcement – Forge webinar series... Read more →

Flipping a Section View and Forge Webinar 3

I already created a starting point for the new roomedit3d incarnation last week, in its own repository. This week, I agreed with Philippe to retain the new project in an own branch within the Forge boilerplate code sample collection. Hopefully, that will simplify keeping my BIM sample synchronised with any future updates make to that. Now I need to get started implementing and testing the actual viewer extension functionality itself. My main topic today is something different and purely Revit API oriented, besides the next Forge session – Flipping a section view – Forge webinar series... Read more →

The Birth of Roomedit3dv3 and Forge Webinar 2

I made my choice on the starting point for the new roomedit3d incarnation, and the second Forge webinar was successfully held – The birth of Roomedit3dv3 – Forge webinar session 2 on OAuth and the Data Management API... 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 →

Roomedit3d Update for Connecting Desktop and Forge

As I already pointed out, it is really high time now for me to get started preparing for the upcoming presentations on connecting the desktop and the cloud. Let's look at what I prepared for that in the past, in the recent almost-present for the Forge DevCon in June, and plans for the future – Past connecting desktop and cloud samples – DevCon Forge sample for Freeing Your BIM Data – Roomedit3dv3 starting point – Augusto's node.js sample guidelines and naming conventions – Forge Viewer access to Revit 2D views... 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 →

Selecting RVT 3D Views for Forge Translation

By default, the SVF translation process for the Forge Viewer extracts and transmits all 2D views from a Revit RVT BIM project file, but only the standard "{3D}" view. This behaviour can be modified manually by installing A360 Collaboration for Revit (C4R), launching 'Views for A360' and selecting the desired additional views. How can I programmatically select which views are being extracted from a Revit document so they show up in the Forge Viewer? Read more →

Exporting RVT BIM to JSON, WebGL and Forge

I am happy to say that I returned safe and sound to Switzerland from my travels for the Forge DevCon and Cloud Accelerator. Since then, I rounded off the hierarchical MEP system exporter to a JSON graph for interaction with it in the Forge viewer, worked on an update of the ADN JSON mesh exporter and helped my son Christopher getting started with C# scripting to drive audio effects for professional spatialized sound design for computer games – More TraverseAllSystems updates – CustomExporterAdnMeshJson updates – ADN JSON Exporter Alternatives to View RVT in WebGL – vA3C – The Forge Viewer – Getting started with Unity C# scripting – Opendesk at Autodesk Forge Accelerator Barcelona... Read more →

MEP System Structure in Hierarchical JSON Graph

Yesterday, I presented the new TraverseAllSystems add-in to traverse all MEP system graphs and export their connected hierarchical structure to JSON and XML that I am helping the USC team with here at the San Francisco cloud accelerator. I continued with that today, and also integrated a minor enhancement to RevitLookup – TraverseAllSystems updates – Shared parameter creation – Options – Bottom-up JSON structure – Top-down JSON structure – TraversalTree JSON output generator – TreeNode JSON output generator – Download and to do – RevitLookup updates... Read more →