[SOLVED] Defining the start view using Revit API

[_CraigF]

Hi,

Is it possible to define the start view using the API ?
At the moment, I can only find a way to access the parameter and find out if a view is defined as the start view.

Thanks 😉

[jeremy_tammik]

Yes, you can. You could probably subscribe to and use the ApplicationInitialized event and the UIDocument.ActiveView property to achieve this:

• https://www.revitapidocs.com/2024/f35ba9fc-0b6b-4284-60eb-91788761127c.htm
• https://www.revitapidocs.com/2024/b6adb74b-39af-9213-c37b-f54db76b75a3.htm
  `

[_CraigF]

Thank you for your answer.

It's not quite what i want to do. with your solution the start view will be activated provided the plugin is installed. I prefer "Specify the Starting View for a Model".

Do you think it's possible ?

[jeremy_tammik]

If you want a solution that does not require programming, I am sorry to say that this is the wrong place to ask. Sorry.

[_CraigF]

Of course, I want to program.

I simply want to define the starting view once through programming, and then each time the file is opened, no plug-in is required (for example, if I send my mail to a customer).

[jeremy_tammik]

Aha. Well, as always, perform some research first to ensure that this functionality is present manually in the Revit end user interface. If not, the API will probably not be able to help.

[_CraigF]

Sure this is possible manually, as explained here : Specify the Starting View for a Model

The GetStartingViewSettings method lets you know if a view is already defined as the starting view. But I'd like to be able to define the starting view automatically via the API ?

[studio-a-int · Accepted solution]

use this method to set your Starting View

void SetStartingView ()
{
// Code provided courtesy of:
// Studio A International, LLC
// http://www.studio-a-int.com
// The below code set the Starting View to a specific view that exists in Active Project
FilteredElementCollector feCollector = new FilteredElementCollector(activeDoc);
myView = feCollector.OfClass(typeof(Autodesk.Revit.DB.View)).Cast<Autodesk.Revit.DB.View>().Where<Autodesk.Revit.DB.View>(v => ViewType.ThreeD == v.ViewType && v.IsTemplate == false && v.Name == "my3DStartingView").ToList().FirstOrDefault();
FilteredElementCollector svsCollector = new FilteredElementCollector(activeDoc);
Autodesk.Revit.DB.StartingViewSettings svs = svsCollector.OfClass(typeof(StartingViewSettings))
.Cast<Autodesk.Revit.DB.StartingViewSettings>().ToList().FirstOrDefault();
if (myView is object)
{
ElementId myViewId = new ElementId(Convert.ToInt32((myView.Id.ToString())));
if (svs.IsAcceptableStartingView(myViewId))
{
using (Transaction t = new Transaction(activeDoc, "Set Starting View"))
{
t.Start("Set Starting View");
svs.ViewId = myViewId;
t.Commit();
}
}
}
}

[_CraigF]

@studio-a-int It works perfectly ! Thanks a lot ! 😲😁

[jeremy_tammik]

Just out of principle, to continue my endless (and hopeless?) struggle against unnecessary calls to ToList, may I point out that you can replace .ToList().FirstOrDefault() by a more efficient simple single call to FirstElement:

https://www.revitapidocs.com/2024/c8c1cae0-4ac8-a309-e915-6d491137d47e.htm

If your model happens to contain 1000 views, the call to ToList will marshal all 1000 views objects and their entire data into a list before throwing out the 999 unneeded ones.