BIMAdvent

New Shared Parameter Tool for Revit 2012

Alan Jackson of openRevit has reconfigured a great utility to manage your company shared parameters via excel which the original framework Alan built on top of was created by Phil Cunningham.  His toolset utilized some nice .COM interops implementing a ribbon and buttons into excel for a clean look. The app can export and with a little help from one of our IBD utilities I wrote about a while back, he is able to batch write them to a revit file.

I like the approach! Its a clean, and most importantly, quick way to batch write your company shared params to a revit family. You can download and read more about Alans utility HERE.

Cheer,

Steve G.

IBD Speakers at Autodesk University 2011!!!!

The astute gentlemen of IBD Resource Group have submitted their class proposals this year for Autodesk University 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

The following list will show you exactly how to find us!

James Chun with Co-Speaker Steve Germano have the following classes:

#5437: "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Revit API"

#5456:  "Revit Apps A to Z - How to Architect a Revit App"

#5466: "Extreme Makeover! Take your Revit App to the next level by Utilizing Advanced WPF Concepts"

#5471: "Wrestling with an App? How to tag team the Revit App Development Process"

Parley Burnett with Co-Speaker Bryan Novotny have the following class:

#3502: "Reeevit....Supercharge your families for High Performance"

Bryan Novotny with Co-Speaker Parley Burnett have the following class:

#5424: "WARNING! This may void your Manufacturer's Warranty: Dissecting Revit Content from the Pros"

Please visit the website and cast your votes  http://au.autodesk.com/ and let us guide you into the future! The voting process will begin in late June.

Thanks!

Bryan Novotny

 

 

 

 

 

How to Start Programming for the Revit API Part 1

I had thought about doing a blog post on this topic some time ago, but with some persuasion from my friends over at RevitForum.org I decided to finally get to it!

Deciding to learn programming is a big decision and not something to just jump into unless you are willing to put in the time and hard work required to get past the steep learning curve. The benefits to create huge timesaving programs for you and your firm are well worth the effort. I am not a professional programmer; I am a mechanical design engineer by trade so I had to start from scratch with very little programming experience besides LISP scripting. I will outline what worked for me, the steps I took, the resources I used, and the best ways to cut down the learning curve.

STEP 1: Language Selection

There are two main languages one may choose to use vb.NET and C# (C Sharp). Both can do the same exact things, in other words you can create the same exact programs from either language as they are compiled equal to each other in binary format. With that said there are pros and cons to each, lets run down the list:

PROS

            Vb.NET

• The syntax (keywords) are written left to right in order similar to normal English
• Very well documented around the web
• Is typically the code language of choice for hobbyist coders

            C#

• This is the language of choice for the Revit API SDK
  • Most of the example code provided by Autodesk is written in C#
• Most professional programmers choose this language
  • thus there is more support around the web for it
• More support in IDE's such as Microsoft's Visual Studio
  • There are quick tools to aid you in writing your code
• Most Revit API bloggers utilize this language
  • Thus you will find more working code examples in this language around the web currently

CONS

            Vb.NET

• Little Revit API example code
• Less added features in Visual Studio
• Less community support

            C#

• NOT written like normal English
  • This causes a little steeper learning curve at first
• More characters to write in your code
  • The more you have to write the more opportunities for errors

With the Pros listed you must be thinking "why would anyone choose vb.NET over C# when this is what Autodesk prefers to use for their SDK". Well, I started in vb.NET mainly due to the fact that my co-worker who was aiding in my coding development was fluent in vb.NET and it seemed like a natural fit as it is easier to pick up. BUT, since your main goal is to program for the Revit API, my recommendation is that you learn C# just due to the amount of API examples and support out there is much greater than for vb.NET. Ok now that your language choice is complete let's move to step 2.

STEP 2: Learning the Language

    Now to dig in and learn how to code! NOT how to code for the Revit API that is, but only how to code standalone apps to help you understand the language and its syntax. There are a lot of places for reference on the web etc, but I always prefer a book or two or ten! Let's list out some options:

            Books – You will want to start at the beginner level coding books.

• Vb.NET
  • Vb 2008 Step by Step – This was the 2^nd book I purchased, very good but not as well written as number ii
  • VB 2010 in 24 Hours – The first book I purchased, I still refer to it today. Very well written and easily readable.
• C#
  • Microsoft Visual C# Step by Step – I like this series from Microsoft. Well written and believe it or not it really is step by step..
  • Sams Teach yourself Visual C# 2008 in 24 Hours: Complete starter kit – This book comes with solutions and great examples to help guide you through the working examples.
• General coding books:
  • Programming for the Absolute Beginner – This will get you up and running if you feel the other books are too advanced.

            Resources

• MSDN Library – This is one of the best places to find data on the .NET framework. Examples are provided in all languages. Note that this site does not like safari browsers….figures Microsoft doesn't like Apple J
• http://www.codeproject.com/ - There are thousands of example solutions up for free download on here. The forums here are great, get help form professional coders who live eat and sleep code.
• http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/ - great site for all c# questions
• http://www.startvbdotnet.com/language/ - Great outline of vb.net and a good reference place for syntax

I like to read the books cover to cover, but you will find a lot of chapters are about interacting with databases etc., not all of this info is relevant as a beginner and can even confuse you when you're starting out. Do the examples, and practice, practice, practice. Consider reading 1 or two books before jumping into the Revit API. While you can start API coding earlier, the more you understand the basics of .NET framework and general software engineering the more comfortable you will be coding Revit Apps.