Sunday, March 22, 2015

How to create grids in Revit using DynamoBIM

Its easy to create grids in Revit using DynamoBIM.
If you use design script then it only takes two nodes.
The image below summarizes this process.
The key is to use range values that I discussed in a previous post here and then multiple grids will be generated.

This example only shows grids in one direction. If you wanted grids in the other (east west) direction then simple create these nodes again and switch the x and y values!

Enjoy I hope this helps.

PS.
You may be asking yourself why would I want to create grids using dynamobim because you may not want DynamoBIM to "monitor" the grids locations.
This may be true but that does not mean you should not use DynamoBIM. In other words, you could use DynamoBIM to help create the grids then cut the link with DynamoBIM from your Revit model. Really? Yes! I do this all the time. Remember DynamoBIM is an amazing parametric tool used for computational design but it is also just an amazing Revit modeling tool.

I ask myself these questions on every modeling task in Revit............................

How long does it take for me to model the grids/(any element) myself in Revit? 

How long does it take me to create a DynamoBIM graph to create the grids/(any element) in Revit?

Then I use the method that takes the shortest amount of time....





5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can you tell me what the purpose is of Dynamo ?
Is it supposed to be AutoDesk's covert way of heading their parametric products towards Generative Components in terms of presenting a code based way for BIM users to model ?
What is the point here of having to code ? or go through a variety of text based code lines to be able to do things, which (in my opinion) we ought not have to do to achieve the modeling result we want ?
Similarly, there are many modelling products on the market that are able to do these tasks without the need for any User intervention code ? (just because we can, should that be a reason to ?).
I look at this development and see lots of possibilities, however, also a long time user of AutoDesk products makes me very wary of what this is really about.

This is not a case of a troll, its standing back and being aware of Revit , Solidworks, Generative Components type products et al, and wondering why transformations, and a range of other more varied modelling tools are not being developed inside Revit, but rather, this seems to be aimed at another path altogether, and one which is probably more aimed towards creating yet another slab of new products that add in / add on or become necessarily additional to the work inside Revit, such that it is an additional workflow tool and not an improvement for Revit.
If this is the case, then it is another example of how Revit is not being developed and continued but spring boarding for loads more probably unnecessary tools that ought to be built inside Revit as part of its growing functionality - we should not forget that it has always been hailed as a "premium product" and subscription holders have been paying that premium for many years but have not seen the type of development of the product ti could be having but rather, the range of additional products to drive new markets.
I suspect that Dynamo is such a product here.
We should have tools that are easier to use with the smarts being under the hood, rather than promoting a set of additional tools, that require ongoing upskilling just to use at the fundamental level.
Dynamo might seem smart and easy to use to those particularly interested in coding, or cool to those whose bent is deeply inside Revits chambers, however, it is not necessarily a smart tool when it takes lots of effort to use and rather than being inside Revit, is just another add on.
thanks



Unknown said...

How can I create grids in Revit using Dynamo, if I have the grid coordinates in an excel spreadsheet from another program? And does it create radial grids?

Anonymous said...

When I try to rename my grid 'a' it changes the whole grid to an alphabetical order starting from 'b'. It seems to "remember" that 'a' was used and continue from there. How can i make the grid being generated start from 'a' in stead of 'b'?

Marcello Sgambelluri said...

In your case to start with a You have to set the grids using the set parameter nodes
Not difficult
That's what I do

Unknown said...

Hi Marcello, I wish you answer to the first comment. Though, I can answer to that, but I would really love to hear from you first.