Autodesk® Revit® Customization for Mere Mortals:

Save Time (and Your Sanity) with Revit Macros

Michael Kilkelly AIA
Principal – Space Command

Join us on Twitter: #AU2013

 Work smarter, not harder.

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 Revit is your pickup truck.

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What is Customization?

 Get under the hood of

your software
 Application Programming
Interface
 Microsoft .Net
Framework 4.0

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What Customization Can Do For You

 Automate repetitive
(and really boring) tasks
 Take advantage of
computer’s speed and
accuracy
 More fun writing a
macro than clicking the
mouse 1000 times
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What Customization Can Do For You

 Extend the functionality

of the software
 New tools and
processes
 Analysis Framework
 Performance Advisor

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What Customization Can Do For You

 How much time should

you spend?
 Save more time than
you spend
 Reuse existing macros

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Types of Customization in Revit

 Macros
 External commands
 External applications
 Database applications
The Revit 2014 Software Development Kit

 Download from
www.autodesk.com
 Install on hard drive
 Revit API help file
 Macro samples
Your first macro!
Choose a Programming Language

 Microsoft .Net Framework 4.0

 C#
 VB.Net
 Python
 Ruby
Choose a Programming Language

 History
C#  Based on C and C++
 Pros
 Lots of Revit specific code
samples available
 Cons
 Code not as readable as
other options
 Syntax is terse and case-
sensitive
Choose a Programming Language

 History
VB.Net  Evolved from MS Basic
 Pros
 Code is easier to read and
not as strict as C#
 Cons
 Code is “wordier” than C#.
 Considered not as elegant
as other options
Choose a Programming Language

 History
Python  Created by Giudo van
Rossum in 1991
 Pros
 Lots of general code
samples available
 Great for beginners
 Cons
 Not many Revit specific
code samples available
Choose a Programming Language

 History
Ruby  Created by Yukihiro
Matsumoto in 1995
 Pros
 Lots of general code
samples available
 Easy to learn
 Cons
 Not many Revit specific
code samples available
Converting Code

 Convert code from

one language to
another in
SharpDevelop
 Useful for converting
code samples
 Project > Convert
Learn to Write Code

 Patience
 Persistence
 Trial and error
 Lots of resources
available

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Learn the Revit API

 It’s a roadmap,
not a narrative
 Namespaces
 Code samples
Troubleshooting Macros

 Debug.Print and the

Output window
 Stepping into macros
 Using breakpoints
 Commenting your code
 Dealing with exceptions

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Macro Security

 Enable / disable macros

 Macro security options
Your next macros!
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Additional Resources
 Blogs
 Boost Your Bim - http://boostyourbim.wordpress.com/
 The Building Coder - http://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/
 Spiderinnet - http://spiderinnet.typepad.com/blog/
 The Proving Ground - http://wiki.theprovingground.org/revit-api

 Online Forums
 Augi - http://forums.augi.com/forumdisplay.php?218-Revit-API

 Online Courses
 Learn to Program the Revit API - https://www.udemy.com/revitapi/

 Books
 Autodesk Revit 2013 Customization with .Net How-to by Don Rudder
www.archsmarter.com
Contact Me

 michael@spacecmd.com
 @MichaelKilkelly
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in this document. © 2013 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.