topic Re: Create an installer to deploy an add-in in Revit API Forum

Create an installer to deploy an add-in

christostsar — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 13:28:21 GMT

I am looking for information on how to deploy a finished Revit Add-in and really can't find all of it gathered in one place.

Some of the questions I have:

1) Do we need to create separate add-ins for 32 / 64bit? From what I can find online, Revit 2023 and the APIs are only 64 bit, would like to confirm this is the case.

2) Is there a bulletproof way of checking if a Revit version is installed on the target machine?

3) Is there a bulletproof way of finding the Addin folder on the target machine? I have read this.

Re: Create an installer to deploy an add-in

Mohamed_Arshad — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 14:36:35 GMT

HI @christostsar

There are several Installers available among that I use WIX Toolset. But there is no proper documentation particularly for Revit Add-in Deyployment. I found a real-Time Example for the Revit Addin Deplyoment. Kindly follow the step by step approach mentioned in the Below Link.

URL

https://github.com/chuongmep/RevitAddInManager/blob/dev/Installer/Installer.cs

Hope this will Helps 🙂

Re: Create an installer to deploy an add-in

harrymattison — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 14:44:55 GMT

I use the free version of https://www.advancedinstaller.com/

Just install the app for all versions of Revit that you want to support, regardless of whether or not they are installed on the user's computer

I install the files here and it works fine

You can see an example here

https://bitbucket.org/BoostYourBIM/boostyourbimterrifictools/src/master/Boost%20Your%20BIM%20Terrific%20Tools.aip

Re: Create an installer to deploy an add-in

ricaun — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 17:59:18 GMT

I use the InnoSetup with the plugin in a bundle.

Here is an implementation that I created for the RevitLookup: https://github.com/ricaun/RevitLookup.Installation

And answering your questions:
1: You don't need separate add-ins for 32 / 64bit, just create the 64 bit and your plugin is good.
2: If you are using the bundle way you don't need to worry about what version is installed on the machine.
3: Check the link to know how bundle works in Autodesk products: https://ricaun.com/appbundle/

I have an automation that builds all the plugin solutions and creates installations using the bundle format.

Re: Create an installer to deploy an add-in

christostsar — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 08:59:48 GMT

Thanks for the info, hopefully one of these will end up doing the job for me as well. A follow-up question:

From the instructions I found online for publishing add-ins in the store, it followed that the installer should be created by me and uploaded.

In some other presentation, I am reading as if the app-store is going to create the installer for me.

What is the procedure after all?

Re: Create an installer to deploy an add-in

ricaun — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 13:22:42 GMT

Both are valid options.

If you send the bundle.zip folder to the Autodesk app store, Autodesk gonna create an installation for you.

Or create your plugin installation and send it to the Autodesk app store, and usually gonna have a line in your app store description, 'Note: This app uses a custom installer (and not the standard App Store installer).'