GETTING STARTED WITH THE ETABS API USING DYNAMO AND C#

Hello
When I was first looking into how to get started with using the ETABS api for making my own addins I found no easy examples out there. I thought I would simplify this process for you.
Simply follow the steps below to get started. I chose Dynamo since it is an easy way to "call" these methods.

Make sure you have the proper references loaded into your class library project in visual studio.
Also you could reference the API docs that are installed in your ETABS install directory although they will not be as easy to understand as the example above.
Have questions? There is a dynamo package that has all the API methods exposed called "Simplex"
Don't know about Dynamo? Learn about it here. https://dynamobim.org/
Also Simplex comments post here. https://github.com/marcellosgamb/SIMPLEX


Good luck!!!!

New Dynamo for RAM just added to the Dynamo SIMPLEX package

Good News everyone.
The Simplex Package now has Dynamo for RAM.
I will add more examples in the future.
Also added were descriptions and an new github site
https://github.com/marcellosgamb/SIMPLEX


Check it all out

GET THE NTH ITEM FROM EACH LIST USING DYNAMO BIM AND LIST AT LEVEL

Have you ever wanted to get the nth item out of a nested list that is just 2 levels deep in Dynamo? For example you want to get the first entry from a nested list so you want the first entry from the first list, the first entry from the second list and so on? Its easy. See the image below that gets the top surface of a list of cube faces and learn how.

The trick here is to use "list at level" and it removes the need in this cast to use "list.map"
Have fun getting those nth items!

VISUALIZE A VECTOR NORMAL TO A CURVE IN DYNAMO BIM

Have you ever wanted to know how to show a vector that is normal to a curve in Dynamo?
Just follow the image below and learn how!

The next question is why would you ever want to know this? Why would you not want to know it?

If you have a curve, placing a vector and showing its direction normal (perp) to your curve reveals a lot about the local behavior of your curve, including what direction the curve would offset when you need to move the curve. There are many other ways to show the orientation and normal vector to a curve. This is just one method. 

Also, OOTB Dynamo does not show a physical representation of a vector so using a single straight line to represent the vector is helpful to visualize the abstract vector.

The question is why, when creating a vector in dynamo, it does not display. However dynamo will display a plane and IMHO that is just as abstract as a vector. Oh well. Let us not wait for that to happen and use the method above to visualize that vector!

1st Place Speaker Award for AU 2018

I am pleased to announce that the class that I taught at AU 2018

 "Getting Started with Customizing Dynamo for the Non-Programmers Using C#"  

has been rated the top lab class at AU2018!

If you want to see the class click on the link here. 

https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/class/Getting-Started-Customizing-Dynamo-Non-Programmers-Using-C-2018

I want to thank everyone who has followed me on this blog, listened to the podcast and supported my efforts to help the AEC community over the years.

I never dreamed in a million years I would ever be teaching at such great conferences such as  Autodesk University and BILT let alone winning any top speaker awards.

If you were ever curious how my speaker ranking landed for each year I presented at both these conferences since 2011 see the image below and Thank you again.

GET ANALYSIS RESULTS FROM ETABS USING DYNAMO AND SIMPLEX PACAKGE

Hello Readers!
Did you know that Dynamo does not only talk with Revit?
It now talks with ETABS structural analysis software!
Get the new SIMPLEX package from the Dynamo Package Manager
see the image below, follow the steps and get those results!

Why do this? ETABS is a rich database just like Revit.
Why do Dynamo for Revit?
The same applies for Dynamo for ETABS.
Dynamo for ETABS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH REVIT FYI.

That means Dynamo for ETABS does not link Revit with ETABS.

Again....
Why Dynamo for ETABS?
Why Dynamo for REVIT?

If you don't use ETABS then find someone who does and
point them to this post. You will be their hero.
Everyone wins
Good Luck

New Dynamo for ETABS, Dynamo for SAP and Dynamo for Tekla just added to the Dynamo SIMPLEX package

Good news everyone,
I have just finished updating the Simplex package for Dynamo.

The Simplex package has 3 major categories.
SIMPLE
This collection of Nodes allow you to do some tasks with Revit including copying
3D families from unopened Revit files to the Current (opened) Revit File and wrapping and unwrapping elements.

This also has the only known set of nodes (has far as I know) that allow you to read text from word (.docx) files

COMPLEX
This set of nodes create complex dynamo geometry shapes including the Dynamo Cow. Why? Why not!

STRUCTURE

These set of nodes allow you to access the databases of 

ETABS version 2016 and this contains over 800+ nodes

If you want to get started using these nodes that first open ETABS 2016 

and use the example to get started. I will post more on these later. This example gets analysis results.

SAP version 19 and this contains over 800+ nodes

If you want to get started using these nodes that first open SAP version 19 first 

and use the example to get started. I will post more on these later. This example gets frame lengths.

and Finally TEKLA version 2016 and this contains over 30+ nodes

If you want to get started using these nodes that first open TEKLA version 2016 and then open Dynamo with the simplex package installed. 

There are some sample nodes shown below. for example you could get the Beam finshes or convert TEKLA beam geometry to Dynamo solid geometry or even create beams with start and end points similar to Dynamo for Revit.

Since there are over 1800 nodes in the simplex package now it is not fully documented. 

It is a work in progress and I wanted to get this out to the AEC community ASAP so it is still
 in Beta it is not uploaded to GITHUB so use it at your own risk

Comments? Post them Here. And thanks to Scott Hegie for his efforts in helping put these nodes together.

If you are a Hard core expert or beginner in  ETABS or SAP or TEKLA or Revit I am sure the Simplex pacakge will have something to offer you.

Good Luck and I will be posting more indepth examples on how to use 

each of these 

SIMPLE
COMPLEX
and
STRUCTURAL 

TEKLA
ETABS
AND SAP
Nodes in the future.