Dynamo vs lisp

[marie-laurence.pollet]

Hello the Community.

I need an informed opinion.
I work on Autocad civil 3d 2024 which I master well, and I need to improve my skills in automating commands or creating commands that do not exist. I do not know much about programming so I started with Dynamo, but I admit that I am quite disappointed by the possibilities, but I do not know if it is due to my inexperience.
For example, I have not found a simple way/node allowing me to extract the coordinates of the vertices of a polyline, and each action seems very complex to me, even sometimes impossible. Sometimes we do not even know if the node in question exists? and in which package? For example I heard about the node Object.Geometry but I never found it! 

Another example, I tried to make a script to export polylines in SHP with their elevation, which seems very simple, but even with the help of chatGPT I never find the appropriate nodes.
So I need your advice, should I persevere with Dynamo, or should I learn programming to make lisp, which now seem easier to me... I heard that Dynamo was very good with Revit, but less with Civil, is that true?
Thanks in advance for your feedback!

[nkiakas · Accepted solution]

Hi @marie-laurence.pollet 

I am a fun o Dynamo and i admit that Lisp is too much powerful than Dynamo.

I have the right to say this because i am also writing code (intermediate started with VB, now with .NET C#).

Dynamo (its VPL, visual programming language, tailored for people never wrote any piece of code) is amazing to do to repeated and boring task as you mentioned above. Lisp and .NET are for more "heavy" and sophisticated tasks.

I started since Dynamo 2023 and i was about to abandon it, till the version 2025 came with LOT OF NEW HELPULL NODES and already i am developing the library of the organization i am working in.

As you understood, try to give a try in 2025 version and of course install the PROPER NODES PACKAGES (they are free, at least till now...😂).

If you find it interested there is a nice forum with questions and answer to problems (like the current forum) in the link below.

https://forum.dynamobim.com/

Regards

[marie-laurence.pollet]

Hello @nkiakas, this is an interesting point of view!

For the moment I have only Civil2024, I guess I will ask for the 2025 before I take a decision...

Thank you!

[nkiakas · Accepted solution]

Hi @marie-laurence.pollet 

Till you receive the 2025 (recommended the latest 2025.2) install (use the package manager) the packages The Civil Nodes, Civil3DToolkit, Arkance Systems and Camber (you will find LOT OF INTERESTING NODES there) and try to do some basic tasks as you mentioned above, for example the points from polyline. With these packages you will find the node matching to your task.

Regards

[cwr001 · Accepted solution]

Hi!

I don't want to sound rude, but I think your disappointment really comes from your inexperience. 🙂

Judging from your examples, you are at the very beginning of your journey into Dynamo and I think it would be a good idea to install Civil3d 2025, watch as many tutorials as possible and go through all the sample graphs that are now provided with the install - they are great!

There's also a dedicated Dynamo forum with a ton of examples and a very friendly and helpful community.

If you are considering LISP over Dynamo you're in for quite a suprise, as in my opinion, LISP is far more complex than Dynamo with a much steeper learning curve. It's more potent but the syntax alone offers challenges you'll not face with Dynamo.

You can find Object.Geometry by typing "Object.Geometry" into the search field of the library or access it via AutoCAD --> Objects --> Object --> Geometry.

Your second example might sound simple but it actually involves some steps and the whole process of learning any programming language will be more tasking than prompting ChatGTP.

Here's an example for extracting the coordinates of polyline-vertices and write it into a *.txt-file.

Without the export, it's only four straight foward nodes - it doesn't get much easier than that.

[marie-laurence.pollet · Accepted solution]

Thank you Clemens for your answer!

Indeed I installed 2025 and now I have access to Object.Geometry. (I was going crazy looking for it in the previous versions...)

I will make a new try with this version, I hope I will get used to.

To be continued!

[TiStars · Accepted solution]

You might be interested in having a read of below as it seems heaps features appear in the recent releases which make it far easier to find the nodes and get help.

Dynamo for Civil 3D 2025.1 Release - Dynamo BIM

Dynamo for Civil 3D 2025.2 Release - Dynamo BIM

[joaquim.moral]

Hi @marie-laurence.pollet  

Did the information provided by @TiStars answer your question? 
If so, please use Accept Solution so that others may find this in the future. 

Thank you very much!