Learning Revit API

[jontramos]

Thanks to http://www.revitoped.com, I (http://www.revitoped.com,%20i/) have learned where to find several free API tools that I find very useful. Now I am curious how to go about making / customizing additional tools to streamline how I use Revit.

Is there a good place for a complete newbie to begin learning how to program using the Revit API? (ex: a book, website, course, etc).

Any direction would be helpful

- Jon

[cphubb]

Join ADN (Autodesk Developer Network) they have online stuff to get you started. They also have online and classroom training for the API.

[thand]

What does API stand for? Up until this point I've assumed it was some sort of Application Programming Interface (API) Is that correct?

Thanks

[iru69]

Have you checked out the Revit API forum?
http://forums.augi.com/forumdisplay.php?f=218

If you search through there, there are some good tips on how to get started.


Is there a good place for a complete newbie to begin learning how to program using the Revit API? (ex: a book, website, course, etc).

Any direction would be helpful

- Jon

Yes, that's what it is.


What does API stand for? Up until this point I've assumed it was some sort of Application Programming Interface (API) Is that correct?

Thanks

[boostyourbim417413]

Hi,

I have just published a Revit API training course at https://www.udemy.com/revitapi/. It includes 5 hours of video lectures on 33 topics and downloadable code samples. It is a great introduction to the Revit API for novice and intermediate programmers.

Regards
Harry

[MikeJarosz]

API = Application Programming Interface

Do you know what you are getting into? I suggest you try to write a few VBA utilities in Excel. Excel VBA uses interpreted code, which means it executes each statement as you write it. You know immediately if you have made a mistake. The Revit API is compiled code, which means you have to write the entire program then compile it into machine code. You won't know what when wrong until you complete the whole program. This is a LOT more difficult. If you don't get the easy Excel exercise, you will never master the more difficult Revit compiled API. Also, VBA was more of a hobby language to make programming easy. The very word "BASIC" stands for Beginner's All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. The Revit API is targeted at professional developers. The API forces professional standards such as rigorous error-trapping. It also favors C# over Visual Basic, which I attribute to developer snobbery.

There is a new development. Someone has figured out how to put the Revit object model into Python, which is an interpreted programming environment. I have been promising myself I would check this out...........for three years now. You can google python and Revit

Good luck!

[patricks]

As much experience I have with Revit (over 9 years now, since 6.1).... this is still way over my head! :p

[MikeJarosz]

Computer programming is one of those things that you either get or don't get. I liken it to the 18 year old kid who buys a beat up car and takes the whole thing apart and puts it back together, and it works! You ask him "how'd you learn to do that?" "I dunno, it just seemed obvious to me". I actually like doing programming. I could do it in my previous firm. This one, not so much.