PointCloudType.Create or PointCloudInstance.Create

[travis_cadnetics]

Revit does not allow point clouds to be inserted into a Revit Family. I thought maybe this was an oversight.

I tried seeing if it could be inserted via the API instead.

The documentation says the methods for both Pointcloud "Create" needs a Document. Is there a way to make the Document be the Family Document?

I tried setting the Document = NewFamilyDocument, but the error I get from revit when trying to insert the point cloud is that the Document is not a project document.

I am new to both programming and revit API, so maybe theres something im missing when i make the next assumptions.

The Documentation says that a Document is needed. Isnt a familyDocument a type of document?

Does this seem theoretially possible? I not looking for anyone to do the work. But since I am new, I can be attempting something that is impossible..and do not want to spend more time than I have to trying.

If this isnt possible...WHY NOT?!!

[jeremytammik · Accepted solution]

Dear Tjohnson,

Thank you for your query.

In general, if a feature is not available in the Revit product manually through the user interface, then the Revit API will not provide it either.

Therefore, before thinking about possibly automating any task, it is important to explore the possibilities and develop an optimal solution through the user interface first. For that, I would suggest asking an application engineer, product usage expert, or product support for help on finding a suitable workflow and laying down best practices.

Can you verify that a point cloud can be inserted manually into a family document?

If not, it is almost certainly not possible through the API either.

In that case, I fully agree that the error message could be improve to clearly state this requirement.

I hope this helps.

Best regards,

Jeremy

[travis_cadnetics]

A point cloud is not able to be inserted into a Revit Family. I was hoping that it was just something that was "excluded" for some reason. The process of using Pointcloud to create a family is very common.

The work around even though very inefficient is to export a small section of the points as a DXF. Insert that into AutoCAD. Then import that CAD file with the DXF points.

Oh well, hopefully it gets added eventually.

Thank you very much.

[jeremytammik]

Dear Tjohnson,

Thank you for checking.

Sorry about that.

Yes, that sounds extremely inefficient indeed.

If this is of any significant interest to you, I would suggest not just 'hoping' for something 'eventually', but ensuring that a wish list item is raised, with a clear explanation of your exact needs, why you require this, and a business case to underline its importance.

Best regards,

Jeremy