Linear Dimension Style Does Not Duplicate In 2018

[Anonymous]

When duplicating a linear dimension style in Revit 2018, the name of the duplicated type is not (eg) "MyType" but some obscure string "SecretInternalLinAngDimStyle...". This was working fine in 2017 and previous. Please find the code to reproduce this behaviour in the attached file.

Thanks.

[matthew_taylor · Accepted solution]

Hi Paul,

It's something to do with DimensionTypes that aren't user visible ones. You're trying to duplicate one of those, not a 'user visible' type.

There are probably other ways to check which ones they are, but I noticed that the non-user visible ones have no parameters in their ParameterMap. I'll leave it up to you to find a more dependable check.

Anyways, here's some working code:

Imports System.Linq

Imports Autodesk.Revit
Imports Autodesk.Revit.Attributes

<Transaction(TransactionMode.Manual)> _
<Regeneration(RegenerationOption.Manual)> _
<Journaling(JournalingMode.NoCommandData)> _
Public Class InternalDuplicateDimStyle
    Implements UI.IExternalCommand
#Region "IExternalCommand Members Implementation"
    Public Function Execute(ByVal commandData As UI.ExternalCommandData, ByRef message As String, ByVal elements As DB.ElementSet) As UI.Result Implements UI.IExternalCommand.Execute
        Dim app As ApplicationServices.Application = commandData.Application.Application
        Dim doc As DB.Document = commandData.Application.ActiveUIDocument.Document
        Dim docUi As UI.UIDocument = commandData.Application.ActiveUIDocument

        CreateDimensionStyle(doc)
        Return UI.Result.Succeeded

    End Function



    Public Shared Function CreateDimensionStyle(ByVal doc As DB.Document) As DB.DimensionType
        Dim dimensionType As DB.DimensionType = New DB.FilteredElementCollector(doc) _
        .OfClass(GetType(DB.DimensionType)) _
        .Cast(Of DB.DimensionType) _
        .Where(Function(dt) dt.StyleType = DB.DimensionStyleType.Linear) _
        .Where(Function(dt) dt.ParametersMap IsNot Nothing AndAlso dt.ParametersMap.Size > 0) _
        .FirstOrDefault()

        Using tx As DB.Transaction = New DB.Transaction(doc, "Create new dimension style")
            tx.Start()
            Dim dimensionType2 As DB.DimensionType = dimensionType.Duplicate("NewName1")
            doc.Regenerate()

            dimensionType2.Name = "NewName1"

            tx.Commit()
            MsgBox(dimensionType2.Name)
            Return dimensionType2
        End Using
    End Function
#End Region
End Class

[Anonymous]

Hi Matt,

Fantastic! I guess one of these 'hidden styles' got introduced in 2018 as it was working before then.

Best regards

Paul