Share and learn how-to tips, workflows, and general knowledge articles about Informed Design and the future of the Industrialized Construction industry.
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Informed Design helps manufacturers productize their building components and offer configurable content for use in Revit projects.
As a product manufacturer, you may already have a configurable model in Autodesk Inventor. By publishing to Informed Design, you can make your designs available to your Revit customers.
Your Revit customer can select a variant of your product and insert it into Revit as a loadable family (RFA).
Click here to learn more about Autodesk Informed Design.
Why do I need iLogic AND codeblocks
One question we get asked is,
‘Why do I have to define rules with iLogic, and Codeblocks?’.
What is iLogic?
ilogic is a rule engine that is built into Autodesk Inventor. iLogic can be used to standardize and automate many tasks. In the context of Informed Design, iLogic is used to create configurable models.
Inventor also supports table-driven configuration, known as ‘Model States’. Model States can be used to define a list of variants, each with unique parameter values and feature or part suppression states.
iLogic is unique because it allows more than a finite list of variants. iLogic gives the flexibility to use logic statements, producing an almost infinite combination of variables.
iLogic is defined in two parts, Rules and Forms. Logic statements are defined in iLogic Rules. ILogic can be used to build user input forms, which help communicate how to interact with the configurable Inventor model.
Click here to read ‘Getting started with iLogic’
An iLogic form in an Autodesk Inventor Model
What are Codeblocks?
Codeblocks are used in Informed Design to specify the layout, logic and behaviour of the Input Form in the Rules workspace of a Product Definition.
The input form is designed by the Inventor user and allows the Inventor user to communicate allowable input values to the Revit user, ensuring that the Revit user cannot enter values that would result in unmanufacturable variants.
Click here to read ‘Codeblocks for Industrialized Construction’.
The Codeblock editor in an Informed Design Product Definition.
When should I use iLogic, and when should I use Codeblocks?
iLogic design rules
iLogic is used to create the design rules for your configurator. iLogic is saved within your Inventor files. When your Inventor model is published to Informed Design, your iLogic rules are embedded in your model.
When the Revit designer requests a variant of your product, the Informed Design service uses the Design Automation service on Autodesk Platform services (APS) to open your Inventor model, make the changes requested by the Revit user, and create a loadable Revit family (.RFA) of the variant.
Codeblock input rules
Codeblocks define input logic. They communicate the available inputs to the Revit user, limit inputs to allowable values, and provide error messages and feedback.
The input rules ensure that the requested input values meet the Inventor user's criteria before a variant (a specific product configuration) is defined and an RFA gets generated by Informed Design.
an Informed Design configuration Form in Autodesk Revit
Why can’t I use my iLogic form?
You may already have an iLogic form for your Configurable Inventor model.
‘Why can’t the Revit user use my iLogic form?’
The answer is simply that iLogic is only supported by Inventor. Revit does not support iLogic, and cannot use an iLogic form.
Click here to read ‘Autodesk Inventor iLogic forms to communicate design intent’.
Do I have to create my Form twice?
It depends…
If you want your Inventor users to configure your model, an iLogic form is a good idea.
If you want to publish your configurable model for your Revit customers to use, you’ll need to create an input form with Informed Design.
The two input forms are for different use cases and groups. Depending on your needs, you may choose to support both.
Can’t my iLogic form be converted to Codeblock rules somehow?
We agree, that would be pretty awesome! Unfortunately, it is not technically feasible or practical to convert an iLogic form (i.e., a Windows form) into the kind of Form needed to support the Informed Design workflow (i.e., a Web Form).
Share your ideas for future product features directly with the Autodesk Informed Design product team, and help us to understand your priorities. Click here to post your request on the Informed Design Ideas board.