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... Continue reading

One of the most exciting Revit related topics at Autodesk University is the expansion of the Forge Design Automation API to include support for Revit families and models in RFA and RVT files, aka Design Automation for Revit or DA4R – Design Automation for Revit Public Beta – FDC226894 – DA4R at DevCon at AU Las Vegas – AS226079 – Manage Revit Digital Content using DA4R – What is Forge Design Automation for Revit (Revit.io)? – Revit.io Model – Terminology – Why Revit.io? – Cloud based content management with automated client requirements and standardization – Generating native project templates through Revit I/O on the cloud – Creating Templates – Learn how to link to Forge for Real-Time query and visualization – Learn how to manipulate and manage content in the cloud... Continue reading

We return to the question on how to combine multiple transactions into one undo with a new answer by Arnošt Löbel, ex Senior Principal Engineer of the Revit development team – How do I know how many transactions, and which ones, are assimilated into group? – What if I start a transaction before starting a group (in the same API context) and then call Assimilate, will this ahead started one also be assimilated into the group? – I can leave the API context (external event or Execute method) with the transaction group still open... Continue reading

A solution to a longstanding question on the view template 'include' setting – Does the Revit API provide any access to the view template 'include' settings defined by the check boxes in this form? – I can get the 'includes' via viewTemplate.GetNonControlledTemplateParameterIds. The method returns a list of parameter ids, and you can then use viewTemplate.Parameters to map them... Continue reading

I have a whole bunch of exciting overdue topics lined up. Let's start with these – Tailor Your BIM sums room areas with F# – Control view for design option elements with F# – Copy legend view and component from background file – Forge RVT to IFC translation defaults to 2x3 – Latitude and longitude in Revit IFC export – Takeoff creation requires branch duct... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

Today, I am presenting a class on Design Automation for Revit or DA4R and the BIM 360 Issues API at the German Autodesk University in Darmstadt. The first and main part is similar to yesterday's presentation at the Forge DevCon conference. Therefore, I will just share the BIM 360 slides here and now – Overview – Four types of issues – Permissions – Attachments – Assignee – Issues API – Get issues – Create issues – Issue type and root cause of field issue – Directly attach local files (photo) to issues – Pushpin Forge viewer extension – .NET core sample – Node.js samples – API Limitations... Continue reading

Today, I am presenting a class on Design Automation for Revit or DA4R at the Forge DevCon preceding the German Autodesk University in Darmstadt – What is Forge Design Automation API for Revit? – Examples? – How do you use it? – Workflow: uploading a Revit add-in – Workflow: running a client application – Things to consider – How to create a Revit add-in which works with Design Automation API? – Create an IExternalDBApplication – Determine inputs – Use the bridge library to be notified when Design Automation is executing – Create a failure handler – Logging and errors – Further reading... Continue reading

I am just getting ready to leave for Darmstadt, for the Forge DevCon and German Autodesk University. Here are some quick recent topics I want to share before jumping on the train – BIM 360 Docs API change for European data centre access – Revit add-in locations – Autodesk AppStore bundle format – Juli Zeh über das Turbo-Ich – YouTube video subtitles and auto-translation... Continue reading

I am making my last preparations for going to DevCon Europe in Darmstadt next week; DevCon Asia took place in Tokyo in August, and DevCon for the rest of the universe is coming up next month – DevCon Europe at AU Germany in Darmstadt – DevCon at Autodesk University in Las Vegas... Continue reading

The Forge accelerator in Rome is winding down with the demonstrations of what was achieved being recorded as I write. An interesting conversation I had at the celebratory dinner last night gave me an idea for a solution to a longstanding question on family tampering protection – Roma accelerator group photo – Protecting a family from tampering – Implementing a canonical key for geometrical objects... Continue reading

Today, we focus on two pure programming questions from the Revit API discussion forum – Area of an exterior floor above a room – Mysterious element hiding activity... Continue reading

Still at the Forge Accelerator in Rome and looking further into the Forge Design Automation API for Revit. Althpough it is not yet available or documented, you can still start preparing your add-in for the day when it comes – Aspects to consider – Accessing the Revit Application object – DB application add-in manifest – Next steps... Continue reading

One important step to take before trying to run your Revit API code fully automated and unattended is to ensure that it does not create or modify UI in any way. For example, you must ensure that it does not cause Revit to display any warnings. This can be achieved with a warning swallower. Let's implement one for the StairsAutomation SDK sample... Continue reading

I arrived in Rome Sunday afternoon and am now happy to be here at the Forge accelerator together with my Autodesk colleagues and the other attending companies. Before diving in further into the accelerator, I would like to point out the new inspiring AEC resources shared by That Bim Girl, and also post some notes to self on Q4R4 – That BIM Girl – Notes to Self on AskNow for Q4R4... Continue reading

I am making final travel preparations for the Forge accelerator in Rome next week, and need to start preparing for DevCon Europe as well. As always, when you have no time to spare, something else urgent cropped up as well requiring immediate attention – Forge DevCon Europe coming – Hijacking Typepad search input for Google site search... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

Today, we proudly present a DLL for reading and writing RCP files, announcing the Reality Solutions SDK, providing full access to the Autodesk proprietary point cloud format – Announcing the Reality Solutions SDK – How do I access the SDK? – Discussion and support resources... Continue reading

My colleague Zhong John Wu just solved a Revit API discussion forum issue on how to create dimension line for rebar. I took this as a prompt to clean out a bunch of other dimensioning related issues lurking in my infinite and growing to-do list – Create dimension line for rebar – Newly created dimensioning not displayed – Dimension leader remains visible after removal – Dimension wall centreline, centre and faces of core – Grid references for dimensioning... Continue reading

If you are interested in Forge programming, don't miss the upcoming deadline for proposals for the Boston Forge accelerator! Looking at the Revit API, I migrated my sample demonstrating how to enable ribbon items in zero document state to Revit 2019. Let's look at that, and another recurring topic, on loading add-in support DLLs – Migrating the ZeroDocPanel to Revit 2019 – Loading add-in support DLLs – Rome and Boston Forge accelerators... Continue reading

Joshua Lumley pointed out the recording he made for his BILT submission on five secrets of Revit API C# coding. Before getting to that, here are a couple of pictures from this last weekend's mountain tour – Ruessigrat, Brotmesser and Matthorn – Five secrets of Revit API Coding... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

We already looked at deleting unnamed non-hosting reference planes back in 2012 and 2014. Some things have changed since then, and the old code requires fixing and updating. Other interesting topics also want to be mentioned – Embodyment workshop – Bös Fulen mountain hike – Using ReferenceIntersector to place lighting fixture on ceiling face – Reformat stable representation string for dimensioning – Deleting unnamed non-hosting reference planes updated... Continue reading

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