Add Revit Links to Project with C#

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

I'm in my first attempt to create some custom Add-ins for Revit written in C# and the first tool I'm struggling to get working is one that takes some *.rvt files from a folder and links them in the active project.

In order to get started I simplified the functionalities of the script and right now I'm just trying to link a file that is hard coded in the script but it is still not working and I'm not too sure on the reason. I suspect it might have to do with the transaction needing to be started and/or closed.

This is where I got so far with my code:

#region Namespaces
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;
using System.Collections;
using System.Linq;
using Autodesk.Revit.ApplicationServices;
using Autodesk.Revit.Attributes;
using Autodesk.Revit.DB;
using Autodesk.Revit.UI;
using Autodesk.Revit.UI.Selection;
using Autodesk.Revit.Creation;
#endregion

namespace LinkRVT_test
{
    [Transaction(TransactionMode.Manual)]
    public class Command : IExternalCommand
    {
        public Result Execute(
          ExternalCommandData commandData,
          ref string message,
          ElementSet elements)
        {
            // Get application and document objects

            UIApplication uiapp = commandData.Application;
            UIDocument uidoc = uiapp.ActiveUIDocument;
            Autodesk.Revit.ApplicationServices.Application app = uiapp.Application;
            Autodesk.Revit.DB.Document doc = uidoc.Document;

            try
            {
                using (Transaction transaction = new Transaction(doc))
                {
                    transaction.Start("Link files");

                    string testFile = @"C: \Users\atassera\AT\C#\Revit\LinkRVT_test\Utilities\AR-GAM-3DM-FACADE-RVT.rvt";

                    ModelPath linkpath = ModelPathUtils.ConvertUserVisiblePathToModelPath(testFile);

                    RevitLinkOptions options = new RevitLinkOptions(false);

                    RevitLinkLoadResult result = RevitLinkType.Create(doc, linkpath, options);

                    RevitLinkInstance.Create(doc, result.ElementId);
                    RevitLinkInstance instance2 = RevitLinkInstance.Create(doc, result.ElementId);
                    Location location = instance2.Location;
                    return Result.Succeeded;

                }
            }

When I start debugging, Revit opens and I go in the Add-Ins panel, External Tools and click the tool I'm creating but nothing happens.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thank you

Andrea

[Dale.Bartlett]

1. Yes, the .ShowDialog() does what is says
2. The openFileDialog1 variable is an OpenFileDialog object, one property of which is .FileNames
3. There was nothing wrong with your array variable: string[] filesInFolder = openFileDialog1.FileNames;

I have had so much help on these forums, the odd time I can return that is a real pleasure. Dale 

[Anonymous]

Hey guys,

I was wondering if there's a way to specify the positioning of the links within the script. Similarly to what you do in

I had a look in the APIs to the properties and to the options but I didn't really find anything.

Am I missing something?

Thanks!

Andrea

[jeremytammik]

Dear Andrea,

I asked the development team for you.

Cheers,

Jeremy

[Anonymous]

Hi @jeremytammik,

Thank you very much for the help! Much appreciated!

Let me know if you have any news.

Thanks,

Andrea

[jeremytammik]

Dear Andrea,

The development team replied:

You can do origin-to-origin or by-shared-coordinates. If you want another placement option you have to move the instance after the fact. This means there's no elegant way to do center-to-center. We think most users don't care about that option; please let us know if you think differently.

It's an option on RevitLinkInstance.Create(), not RevitLinkType. There's a new version of the instance creation function which takes an ImportPlacement and lets you pick By Shared Coordinates. This is available in Revit 2018 and later versions.

Cheers,

Jeremy

[Anonymous]

Thanks @jeremytammik,

That's exactly what I needed and origin-to-origin or by-shared-coordinates are actually what I care about. I went checking the options though and I found this:

Now, I guess Origin and Shared stand for origin-to-origin and by-shared-coordinates. So what are Site and Centered?

Thanks!

Andrea