AutoPDF overnight?

[Anonymous]

Hello all,

Completely new to the Revit API and I just received a task I thought could be solved through the Revit API but before venturing on this journey I figured I would ask on here if it's even possible. So the task is to have our system print PDFs of our sheets onto the project PDF folder, this would have to be done for about 30 Revit projects ranging from 2014 to 2018. Is this possible using the Revit API and bluebeam?

Thanks in Advance,

Joe

[CoderBoy]

It's been done.  Check out CTC's "Plotter and Exporter" tool in their BIM Batch Suite.  https://ctcexpresstools.com/product/bim-batch-suite-2019/#plotterAndExporter 

[jeremytammik]

Dear Joe,

Welcome to the Revit API!

Thank you for your query.

Before you do anything else, you might want to check out the Revit API getting started material:

http://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/blog/about-the-author.html#2

Also, an invaluable tool that you can use to research and explore the Revit database and that should definitely install before doing any programming in RevitLookup:

https://github.com/jeremytammik/RevitLookup

Finally, what you are asking for has already been shared by The Building Coder:

http://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/blog/2013/06/auto-pdf-print-from-revit-2014.html

I hope this helps.

Best regards,

Jeremy

[Anonymous]

CoderBoy thanks I will look into this! Seems promising.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Jeremy!

Definitely excited to start using the Revit API for workflows! RevitLookup was actually the first addin I installed prior to posting so that's a good start. As for the addin you shared, apparently I'm having an error where the script can't get Revit to launch and causes it to abort the printing until I manually open Revit even if I have a session of Revit already opened. Also is there a way to switch the pdf printer to be bluebeam instead of adobe? Our office strictly uses bluebeam. Thanks for all the help, very much appreciated.

[jeremytammik]

Dear Joe,

Thank you for your appreciation.

Glad to hear you are aware of RevitLookup.

I don't know much about printing in Revit, sorry.

The sample add-in will certainly require some rework for your use.

Try to get it all running as desired manually first.

I hope this helps.

Best regards,

Jeremy

[Anonymous]

Jeremy,

Thanks for the quick reply, is the sample addin supposed to show up in the external tools tab within the addin tabs? Currently this is what I get, see screenshot below. 

Thanks again!

[jeremytammik · Accepted solution]

Dear Joe,

Thank you for your update.

Sorry, you will have to go back and do some homework before we can discuss any further.

I assume this add-in is an external application, not an external command.

You will have to learn the difference in the getting started material:

http://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/blog/about-the-author.html#2

If it is an external command, I would suggest that you also add an external command for interactive testing purposes (that will indeed appear in the external tools menu), and call that from the automated process being driven by the external application.

Sorry that I do not have the time to explain more fully, but it really is your job to learn the basics before I try to take all your work away from you.

I hope this helps.

Best regards,

Jeremy

[Anonymous]

Thank you, truly appreciate it! Time to do some homework!