How to create an in-place mass

[Anonymous]

Hi there,

Does anybody know if and how one can make an in-place mass with the revit api. All examples I can find is the mass is created as seperate .rfa family and I don't want that. I need an in-place family of type mass.

So, I know doc.Create.NewExtrusionForm works in an familydocument, but I am searching for it's equivalent in project document.

[jeremytammik]

Dear Remy,

Creating an in-place mass is not supported by the Revit API.

That is why people create families in the background instead, and insert an instance of them:

http://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/blog/2011/06/creating-and-inserting-an-extrusion-family.html

And that, again, is why the DirectShape element was introduced in Revit 2015 -- it allows you to create faceted geometry directly in the project without the need for an extra background family definition:

http://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/blog/2014/05/directshape-performance-and-minimum-size.html

http://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/blog/2014/11/directshape-versus-families-category-and-texture.ht...

https://github.com/jeremytammik/DirectObjLoader

Cheers,

Jeremy

[Anonymous]

Thanx Jeremy, actually I already thought this wasn't possible but sometimes you hope your wrong 🙂 I will give directshape a try.

[jeremytammik]

Dear Remy,

I thought you would know that.

And yes, while there is life, there is hope!

So it is always worthwhile asking... again and again...  🙂

Thank you!

Cheers,

Jeremy

[m.buehler1]

I am keeping asking for an in-place mass API - Specially after we worked with Autodesk consultant service on a workflow which places adaptive families (curtain wall panels) to points/lines in-place mass.

The workflow defined by Autodesk turned out soon as impossible without API - Now we define the model elsewhere, store to a database the workpoints and create them inside Revit by DirectShape. Plus adding commands to update..

But we keep asking..

[jeremytammik]

Dear Michael,

Have you voted for API access to the in-place mass in the Revit Idea Station?

That is the main driving force for implementation of developer requests nowadays.

Do you have a number for a wish list item? I am pretty sure one exists.

I would name both the wish list item number and the link to the Revit Idea Station entry in a post like yours.

Furthermore, have you looked into using a direct shape element instead of an in-place mass?

https://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/blog/about-the-author.html#5.50

It is a much more modern element with better API support.

Cheers,

Jeremy

[m.buehler1]

Hi Jeremy

Yes I voted for the 'Revit API on in-place mass'; I found this one:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-api-forum/how-to-create-an-in-place-mass/m-p/8393398

And yes: Currently we are working on a DirectShapes based implementation. However, the use of DirectShapes requires custom commands to create/modify which is not ideal. In our case reference lines to drive manufacturing data (similar as shown in AU 2018 Las Vegas presentation 'The Future of Workflow Forge Automation'..  I will send a more detailed feedback to those guys directly)