Support for BCF API

[bkj102070]

Can anyone answer if Revit supports the BCF API to allow for third party integrations?

[jeremytammik · Accepted solution]

I searched the Internet for 'bcf api' and found this:

https://github.com/BuildingSMART/BCF-API

Is that what you are talking about?

Being a REST API, you can use it perfectly well from your own .NET add-ins.

The BCF API GitHub repo points to a C# client:

https://github.com/rvestvik/BcfApiExampleClient

You can try integrating that very code into a Revit add-in and see how it goes.

Cheers,

Jeremy

[jeremytammik]

Out of interest, I took a slightly deeper look.

I see that BCF stands for BIM Collaboration Format.

I also see that the C# sample can easily be integrated into a Revit add-in.

Cheers,

Jeremy

[bkj102070]

Yes the BCF Rest API is what I was asking about.

Thank you for your response, great information.

[bkj102070]

Another question: Can you tell me if the Revit API will create the JSON for us or would we be required to create it via the addin?

[jeremytammik]

I was not aware of BCF until you raised this question, and I am pretty sure that Revit does nothing to support it.

So if the JSON is BCF specific, you will probably have to create it with your own custom add-in.

[jeremytammik]

Please take a look at my new project:

https://github.com/jeremytammik/RvtBcfApiExampleClient

How can I obtain the required BCF API access credentials to test it?

  string clientId = "YOUR_CLIENT_ID";
  string clientSecret = "YOU_CLIENT_SECRET";

Thank you!

Cheers,

Jeremy

[jeremytammik]

One step forward...

https://github.com/BuildingSMART/BCF-API

tells me that "Your applications 'ClientID' is the username, your 'ClientSecret' is the password."

That begs the next question:

Where can I obtain the required user name and password?

Thank you!

Cheers,

Jeremy

[jeremytammik]

I completed my Revit sample app.

It works, or to be more precise:

It fails in the exact same way as original BCF-API sample, in the line:

  login.ShowDialog();

The error message says:

  Serverfehler in der Anwendung /.
  Die Ressource kann nicht gefunden werden.
  Beschreibung: HTTP 404. Die gesuchte Ressource oder eine ihrer Abhängigkeiten wurde möglicherweise entfernt, umbenannt oder ist vorübergehend nicht verfügbar. Überprüfen Sie folgende URL, und stellen Sie sicher, dass sie richtig geschrieben wurde.
  Angeforderter URL: /bcf/f

It looks like this:

As said, exact same behaviour in both the original BcfApiExampleClient and my Revit add-in RvtBcfApiExampleClient, so I count that as a success.

I raised an issue for the failure in the original sample:

https://github.com/rvestvik/BcfApiExampleClient/issues/2

Do you or Jim have any connections to ensure that it is attended to?

Thank you!

Cheers,

Jeremy

[jeremytammik]

Good news.

I received a reponse to the issue I raised, saying "a few things in the Api have changed since the example client was written. I'll see to get a small working example by the weekend":

https://github.com/rvestvik/BcfApiExampleClient/issues/2

I'll be back...

Cheers,

Jeremy

[jeremytammik]

The stand-alone BcfApiExampleClient has been updated now and works again:

https://github.com/rvestvik/BcfApiExampleClient

I adapted the Revit version of it, retested, and it works fine too:

https://github.com/jeremytammik/RvtBcfApiExampleClient

Please also note this comment by Georg Dangl:

https://github.com/rvestvik/BcfApiExampleClient/issues/2

He says: In December we had another Hackathon in Munich where Veni Lillkall created a small sample app in C#:

https://github.com/BIMit/BCF-Hackathon-Munich/tree/Team_C%23

This might give you some ideas how to use the BCF API itself.

Cheers,

Jeremy

[bkj102070]

This is great Jeremy.  Thank you for your work on this.

- Brian

[jeremytammik · Accepted solution]

Dear Brian,

I published a summary of the results and the pointer to GitHub now:

http://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/blog/2016/05/bcf-api-and-manually-setting-up-an-add-in.html

Cheers,

Jeremy

[bkj102070]

Brilliant!  This is awesome Jeremy!

- Brian