Autodesk Revit software offers APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that empower developers and advanced users to create custom plugins tailored to their needs, enhancing productivity and workflow efficiency. Over time, the Revit API has evolved significantly, becoming more robust and developer-friendly.
Today, the Revit API provides extensive capabilities, allowing users to:
- Create, delete, and modify elements within projects.
- Develop plugins that customize the user interface.
- Generate new project files programmatically.
- Perform various BIM analyses.
- Automate repetitive and large-scale tasks through plugin development.
- Integrate with other software and conduct structural analysis.
In essence, the Revit API enables virtually all operations available within Revit to be automated or enhanced.
The use of the Revit API depends on the Revit software being active, as it functions within the Revit environment. The core of this extensibility is the RevitAPI.dll, which contains all the interfaces necessary for designing and interacting with Revit’s features.
To connect and manipulate Revit data within custom programs, users work with three main interface types:
1. IExternalCommand
When developing secondary applications using external commands, users implement the IExternalCommand interface. This interface requires overriding the Execute method, where the command logic is defined. Note that objects created by external commands are not saved within Revit; the command runs once and completes upon execution.
2. IExternalApplication
Developers can use the IExternalApplication interface to load custom programs into Revit. These external applications are loaded via .addin files. This approach allows developers to extend Revit’s functionality by reloading abstract functions and integrating plugin features directly within the software.
3. IExternalDBApplication
Unlike the previous interfaces, there is no direct interface for external applications at the database level. However, IExternalDBApplication is primarily used to handle database-related events. By implementing this interface, developers can add essential external applications for managing Revit’s database events.
Similar to Microsoft Office’s multi-document interface, Revit uses a multi-document model where each open Revit document corresponds to an application object. This design enables users to access and manipulate Revit documents and their associated information programmatically.
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