Revit addin UI which launches command(s) programming architecture

[Anonymous]

BACKGROUND:

I'm developing a Revit Addin (C#) which has:

1. User interface to show and browse external data

2. Button to update selected item's properties in the model

I have an addin skeleton that executes an external command from the ribbon. My command then opens a non-modal dialog and returns.

CHALLENGE:

My fellow Revit developers told me that nr.2. requires my Addin to stay in the IExternalCommand::Execute context to be able to call Revit API functions.

They said that easiest is to do a Modal UI in the Execute function and run the API calls from that "context".

I can't "do modal" if I need the user to browse both the Revit model view and browse the external data shown by my addin UI.

My first idea was to:

1. open the non-modal Addin UI

2. start an event pump in the Execute function

3. and exit the event loop when my Addin UI is closed

QUESTION(s):

- Am I shooting myself in the foot with this approach?

- What would be the recommended way to design the run-time architecture of such an addin?

- Would a better approach be to register two Addins; The UI Addin, and an additional External command and do like in the example "Revit 2017 Add-In Executing a Custom External Command"

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-api-forum/revit-2017-add-in-executing-a-custom-external-command...

[aignatovich · Accepted solution]

Hi!

Read about ExternalEvents framework, which allows you to execute Revit API function in valid context when you are dealing with modeless dialogs, multiple threads and others. Look at Samples\ModelessDialog\ModelessForm_ExternalEvent\CS in Revit SDK for appropriate example

[jeremytammik]

Thank you Alexander for the good answer.

I fully agree.

Here is all you need to know on this topic:

http://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/blog/about-the-author.html#5.28

Best regards,

Jeremy

[Anonymous]

Thanks, I will definitely read up on this - plus running commands from a dockable ui panel, that could be my next version.