Archive
Shared Parameters
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The 100kb Parameter: An Extensible Way To Store BIM Data?
Story time: I was working on developing a Revit addin for a client which required a JSON blob as an input (generated from another application). Of course the BIM manager in me immediately thought, “I’m going to need a ton of shared parameters for this data.” Then my developer brain questioned, “but wait, is there…
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Toggle Yes/No Parameters with Formulas
Often times, you’ll want formulas to drive Yes/No parameters in parameter Revit families. There are a few methods for accomplishing this, but I recently stumbled on one that I haven’t seen in my 15+ years of Revit experience. Typically, you will see formulas defined as a toggle and can negate a condition using the NOT…
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Retrieve Parameter Values Using the Revit API
When working with BIM data using the Revit API, one common step is retrieving parameter values from elements. Whether your goal is to extract or modify the data of an Element, reading parameter data programmatically is almost always going to be your first step. This is a relatively simple task, however it can be a…
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Programmatically Retrieve all Shared Parameters in a Project Model using The Revit API
A few months ago, I shared a post on OpenDefinery about a simple solution to fully purge Shared Parameters from a Revit project model. In that post, I shared my discovery that Shared Parameters have an Element ID just like any other model element, which means you can select the parameter through the Revit UI using…
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Less is More: The Minimum Viable Data Approach for BIM
First and foremost, let it be known that I am not a formally educated software development engineer or data scientist, however, I have completed an online course on data science by John Hopkins University. Does that mean I know what I’m talking about? Probably not. With that being said, I’ll leave it up to you,…
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True or False: Shared Parameters Can Be Renamed
Contrary to popular belief, Revit Shared Parameters can be renamed with this simple workaround. I founded OpenRFA in 2017 with the goal to create a set of standard Shared Parameters which are developed by a community rather than by a closed-door committee. We shared a common vision: to create a data standard that is inclusive…
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Purge Shared Parameters From a Revit Model
I made a critical mistake when launching my BIM program at one of the largest tech conglomerates in the world… Oh, and I found a way to fix it, too. I have always felt that BIM standards should always focus primarily on the data structure of models, not so much the graphical output on drawings…
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The Value of Standardized Shared Parameters
This post was originally posted to OpenRFA.org on May 8th, 2017 and is shared here for posterity. In Revit, shared parameters are unique – each shared parameter has its own Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) assigned at time of creation. This means that just like a person, parameters can have the same name but never the…
