Is it possible to copy and/or open a C4R model without using Forge?

[dantartaglia8696]

Hi,

I have the need to copy and open Collaboration for Revit models in Revit 2018 and 2019. Can this be done using the Revit API or is the purchase of Forge needed? I know the models are stored in a local cache folder but for my process to work I need the latest version from the C4R central model.

Thanks,

Dan

[jeremytammik]

Dear Dan,

Thank you for your query.

Just for clarification, you cannot 'purchase' Forge.

Forge is (almost completely) a set of web services that can be called via REST on a subscription basis.

Whatever the answer, please be aware that the behaviour and functionality probably changed between Revit 2018 and Revit 2019.

Actually, C4R stopped existing with Revit 2019 and is now BIM 360 Design:

http://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/blog/2018/04/new-opportunities-in-the-forge-evangelist-team.html...

For the rest of your question, one workaroundish answer was recently provided here:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-api-forum/open-c4r-document-programmatically/m-p/7600405

That thread also points to a previous, older and more exhaustive one on the topic pre-2019:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-api/browsing-model-files-in-the-cloud-a360-c4r/m-p/6537130

In both of them, Callum @callumf Freeman points to his workaround for Collaboration for Revit -- Finding local copies of files:

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit-products/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles...

To get the latest and greatest news update on this topic, however, I have also forwarded the question to the development team for you.

I hope this helps.

Best regards,

Jeremy

[dantartaglia8696]

Hi Jeremy,

I had a long reply but for some reason it got erased before I finished (**** Microsoft Edge!). We Use BIM 360 Design and C4R and the Design Collaboration part of Design seem the same but may be very different under the hood. Long story short, I was hoping the traditional API would have the ability to access Documents in Design so I wouldn't have to use multiple methods to copy and open Revit models from version 2016 through 2019 and beyond no matter if they exist in the traditional Revit environment or the web service (i.e. wrapper Document methods would exist in the API using REST) but the answer is no. I currently do not need Forge for anything else yet. Would I need to use the Design Automation for Revit to do this?

Thanks,

Dan

[jeremytammik · Accepted solution]

Dear Dan,

Thank you for your update.

Oh dear, sorry about the crash and lost while editing.

Long live notepad, copy and paste, and all that super-simple-local-text-jazz. I avoid editing in non-local storage.

Nope, not Design Automation at all, much simpler; to just access the model files, the Data Management API ought to suffice:

https://developer.autodesk.com/en/docs/data/v2/overview/

The Data Management API provides a unified and consistent way to access data across BIM 360 Team, Fusion Team (formerly known as A360 Team), BIM 360 Docs, A360 Personal, and the Object Storage Service.

With this API, you can accomplish a number of workflows, including accessing a Fusion model in Fusion Team and getting an ordered structure of items, IDs, and properties for generating a bill of materials in a 3rd-party process. Or, you might want to superimpose a Fusion model and a building model to use in the Viewer.

I believe the Forge translation process and the Design Automation API are the main points of cost in the process, so I can imagine that the Data Management API might possibly save you expense.

I hope this helps.

Best regards,

Jeremy