Correction of complex shape spaces

[Anonymous]

The out-of-the-box method to create spaces uses closed wall loops. It doesn't work for spaces of complex "vertical" shape.

At the same time there is a BuildingEnvelopeAnalyzer Class which provides an opportunity to use a "flood-fill" algorithm to recognize gaps in space boundaries and model elements. It is used to create an Energy Analytical Model to transfer it to GBS, and it produces results of great accuracy.

THE QUESTION: how to make Revit to implement this algorithm when we place a space in a model? To get a correct shape right inside Revit, not only in EAM.

[jeremytammik]

Dear Nikolay,

Your first port of call when asking a question like this should obviously always be the Revit API documentation, developer guide, SDK and samples:

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

Have you lookes at the AddSpaceAndZone Revit SDK sample?

Cheers,

Jeremy

[Anonymous]

Hello, @jeremytammik, thanks for the quick reply. I am still in progress of sorting out SDK documentation and API itself - it is there I found that class. I've looked at the example but it is quite hard for me. The function would be extremely useful and I've decided to ask the solution here rather than learning programming for 2-3 months more, sorry 🙂

[jeremytammik]

Dear Nikolay,

Well, you will probably not be able to complete your add-ion without learning programming, I'm afraid, howeverr many questions you ask and get answered  🙂

In this case, my next question and suggestion is: how you you get your new space defined manually, though the user interface?

The Revit API mostly does not support any additional funcitonality beyond what is provided by the UI.

Therefore, one normally determines the manual solution first, and then how to automate it.

Cheers,

Jeremy

[Anonymous]

One fool can ask more questions than seven wise men can answer. Let's start :)))

The first is: what is a space or room for Revit? What does define it?

Creation class contains 4 "types" of methods: to create unplaced spaces (one or several at a time) and to create and place spaces in the model (one or several at a time). All these are realized as "black box" - you need to specify the name, phase, level and a point and then Revit does all the rest. Does it mean that inside Revit Database spaces or rooms are defined by these values and to modify spaces in Revit the only thing we can do is to change its name, phase, level and the point? If not, can we access (I mean edit) other parameters (what are they)?

The second question: what does define its shape? 

Spaces and rooms are quite interesting elements in Revit. You can see their geometry (boundaries and section area) on plans and sections but not on 3D views. When you modify related elements Revit automatically  recalculates boundaries and volumes of all spaces touched by the element (e.g. a wall). Does it mean that space geometry is something temporal and is not "hardcoded" in Revit database, so it has to recalculate it each time we creae a new flat view or make a modification in the model? If the geometry is explicetly presented in the DB can we modify it to correct the shape? Will it affect on special elements association, e.g. will air diffusers from a "hole" be associated correctly with the new shaped space?

And the last but not least: is my original idea worth at all?

I mean if you look at the mentioned Analyzer class, you'll see that it returns only the id's of elements which actually enclose some "space volumes" (there is no explanation in SDK docs what it is, it is "just" an integer variable...). That's a very low level and ambiguous information - may be it is impossible at all to use it further inside Revit, not for export option... Original research demonstrates performance analysis applications, not just geometry calculation. May be the work is still in progress (as usual with all good ideas inside Autodesk) and we'll see the result 3-5 years later?