Revit links graphic overrides

[Anonymous]

Hello,

Is there a way to access the "Revit links graphic overrides" (cf : picture) from the API. I can't find any properties/methods to manipulate them, and if I use the builtin parameter associated to it (BuiltInParameter.VIS_GRAPHICS_RVT_LINKS) it always returns null. Any idea?

[FaustoMendezcom]

Here is some info about that : http://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/blog/2009/01/hiding-linked-files.html and http://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/blog/2008/12/linked-files.html

you can also use GetElementOverrides Method http://www.revitapidocs.com/2018/af0a58fc-7bdf-02fb-4a20-944ffbe9057b.htm and SetElementOverrides Method http://www.revitapidocs.com/2018/a6f1ced3-1f1c-dd42-c0ca-f15f301d1cad.htm by view.

            UIDocument uidoc = this.ActiveUIDocument;
			Document doc = uidoc.Document;
            Autodesk.Revit.DB.View view = doc.ActiveView;
            
            Reference sel = uidoc.Selection.PickObject(ObjectType.Element,"select Revit Link") ;
            Element e =doc.GetElement(sel.ElementId);             

            // Get Element Overrides
            view.GetElementOverrides(e.Id).
            
            OverrideGraphicSettings ogs = new OverrideGraphicSettings();

            //Set Halftone Element
            using (Transaction tx = new Transaction(doc))
                    {
                       tx.Start("Halftone");

		       ogs.SetHalftone(true);
		       view.SetElementOverrides(e.Id,ogs);
                        tx.Commit();
					}
            

[Anonymous]

I don't see any underlay property. Is it included under the transparency one?

Edit : It's not working, the given ovg is wrong. Even though I set Halftone to true manualy from Revit, the one I retrieved through the API is set to false.

[FaustoMendezcom]

looks like is there is not posible in the API yet..

here is some info I found :

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-api-forum/change-revit-link-display-settings-and-design-options...

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-architecture-forum/rvt-link-display-settings-batch-changes/td-p...

Edit: maybe using a view Template...

[Anonymous]

That's what I taught...

I found those post too, but they were talking about display settings. Since i'm only interested in halftone and underlay, I had some hope.

I used RevitLookup too, to find that there is a parameter for views and templates about V/G graphics settings Rvt Link. But it always return null...

[FaustoMendezcom]

You can still use Windows Automation API and Revit PostCommand to get and set those fields. 

RevitCommandId vgCmdId = RevitCommandId.LookupCommandId("ID_VIEW_CATEGORY_VISIBILITY");

uidoc.Application.PostCommand(vgCmdId);

 Jrn.TabCtrl "Modal , Visibility/Graphic Overrides for 3D View: 3D View And Sheets Start View , 0" _
         , "AFX_IDC_TAB_CONTROL" _
         , "Select" , "Revit Links"

Jrn.Grid "ChildControl; Page , Revit Links , Dialog_Revit_RvtLinkVisibility; ID_TREEGRID_GRID" _
        , "MoveCurrentCell" , "1" , "Halftone"

Jrn.Grid "ChildControl; Page , Revit Links , Dialog_Revit_RvtLinkVisibility; ID_TREEGRID_GRID" _
        , "PartialEdit" , "1" , "Halftone" , "Yes"

Jrn.Grid "ChildControl; Page , Revit Links , Dialog_Revit_RvtLinkVisibility; ID_TREEGRID_GRID" _
        , "MoveCurrentCell" , "1" , "Halftone"

 Jrn.PushButton "Modal , Visibility/Graphic Overrides for 3D View: 3D View And Sheets Start View , 0" _
         , "OK, IDOK"

[jeremytammik]

Dear Fausto,

Thank you for this important hint!

I think a lot of people would be very interested in using this combination of PostCommand with a bit of .NET Automation API to drive numerous workflows.

I would like to promote this idea to a blog post on The Building Coder, if you don't mind.

Do you have anything more to add to this code snippet, other, similar, examples to share, or any other useful information that could usefully be included?

Thank you!

Cheers,

Jeremy

[FaustoMendezcom]

sure, I will write an example and more post more info. 

Thank you. 

[jeremytammik]

Dear Fausto,

I grabbed what you provided so far and shared that, for safety's sake:

http://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/blog/2017/12/magic-number-magic-automation-and-magic-season.html...

Thank you!

Cheers,

Jeremy

[Anonymous]

Dear Fausto,

Could you please tell me how you manage to send Journal commands to a running Revit session?

Best Regards,
Ahmed Nabil

[Anonymous]

Does there happen to be any videos available that show this process in action?

[SwainStrain]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to check if there is any news about this subject.

I am dealing with the same problem, I got how to launch the Visibility/Graphics modal window through the Postable command, but how can I manage the following steps? (Select the Revit Links tab and change the value of the Halftone property?)

This is my Journal file, how can I simulate the Jrn.TabCtrl, Jrn.Grid and Jrn.PushButton actions?

Thank you very much!

[patrickD2V99]

Did you ever figure this out?

[Ta7a]

hello

how to deal with journal commands in C#

best regards!

[jeremy_tammik]

> how to deal with journal commands in C#

First of all, please be aware that use of the journal file for customisation and programming purposes is not officially supported, so if you make use of it, it is at your own risk, and the risk of your customers.

The Building Coder shared some experiences in the journal category, and the latest is from Harry Mattison:

• https://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/blog/about-the-author.html#5.25.3
• https://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/blog/2023/11/journal-magic-adjacent-rooms-and-room-boundary.htm...

> Could you please tell me how you manage to send Journal commands to a running Revit session?

I do not believe you can. You can supply a journal file to the copmmand line starting up Revit.exe, but not to a running session, afaik.

[samernajjar]

There has been an update in Revit 2024.2, 2025 and there seems to be some level of access available to control the Visibility Graphics override for Revit Links.
It is still undocumented in https://www.revitapidocs.com/ though

[steven.williams.as]

Revit API Docs has the functions documented now: SetLinkOverrides Method (revitapidocs.com)

However, it still does not appear to control Halftone or Underlay: RevitLinkGraphicsSettings only has a ByHostView/ByLinkView for display settings.

[jeremy_tammik]

Afaik, RevitApiDocs has not been updated since Revit 2024.0, so you will have to check the Revit API help file in the SDK to look for documentation on newer functionality.

[Luffy11]

Hi @steven.williams.as , I tried the GetLinkOverrides method, but it returns None. Do you know why? My purpose is to retrieve the overrides of Revit links in a view of a model, then use SetLinkOverrides to set them to the same view in another model (assuming I have two open documents with the same view and links).

[naveen.kumar.t]

Hi @Luffy11 ,

I am unable to reproduce the issue on my end. 

We already have sample code demonstrating how to use the GetLinkOverrides method. You can pass Id of RevitLinkType or RevitLinkInstance.

For example, if you have one Revit Link Type with multiple Revit Link Instances, the result of the GetLinkOverrides method depends on the Id you provide. The method will return the corresponding RevitLinkGraphicsSettings—either for the Revit Link Type itself or for the each specific Revit Link Instance in the view.