AR20841

Dynamo for Revit - Baby Steps for the Non-Genius

Jay Polding
SolidCAD Solutions
Hany Iwamura
Director of Digital Practice, KPMB Architects

Learning Objectives
1. Learn when Dynamo is ideal, or not
2. Learn how to install Dynamo and Node Packages
3. Learn how to make simple, practical Dynamo Graphs
4. Learn common terminology used by Dynamo

Description
How do you go from crawling to running Dynamo for Revit? Baby steps. Jay Polding will
methodically walk with you through 4 simple and practical examples that will save you pain and
time in uncovering the basic principles of Dynamo. You can expect to walk out of this class with
7 practical Dynamo example files and the confidence needed to run with Dynamo.

Your AU Experts
Jay Polding has earned 20 years of experience in the architecture, engineering, and
construction industry both in Canada and internationally. He is a BCIN Accredited Designer in
Ontario, a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP),
an Autodesk Certified Implementation Expert, and an Autodesk Certified Instructor (ACI). In
addition to these accreditations, Polding has consulted on over 1 million square feet of Building
Information Modeling (BIM) projects at top design firms in Canada. Ten years ago he helped
establish the Ontario Revit Users Group (ORUG), which boasts over 500 members. He is the
author of 6 best-selling instructional videos on Revit software, and he contributes to industry
magazines, speaks at industry events, and has taught over 2500 professionals, garnering much
positive feedback.

Hany Iwamura is the Director of Digital Practice at KPMB Architects in Toronto, Canada. Lead
KPMB vision, application, and integration of digital design technologies, including 3D modeling,
design computation, design analysis, virtual reality, and project delivery tools. Continually
seeking technologies and methods that improve the quality, cost-effectiveness and performance
of their designs. He has been using Autodesk products for over 20 years including AutoCAD,
3ds Max, and Revit. In 2015, he was awarded 1st place in the Innovation Category and 2nd Place
in the Presentation category at the Revit Technology Conference.

Page 1
Introduction

Dynamo not Ideal when…

 Distributing to many people, without training
 Large, multi-stepped routines
o Only runs one graph at a time
 Tracking ‘live’ information.
o Not intended to be running constantly

Dynamo is Ideal when…

 Automating something that is repetitive and takes a long time
o i.e. filling out Room info from Excel, Making Views
 Copying information from one place to another
o i.e. schedule Filled Region area
 Made and used by one person

Page 2
Installing Dynamo
Dynamo should be pre-installed in the Manage Tab in Revit 2017. If not go to this link:
http://dynamobim.org/download/

Page 3
Example 1: Make a Wall in Revit using Dynamo
Files: Make a Revit Wall Using Dynamo.dyn

Rule: Always set Run to Manual when starting a new Graph

Tip: F5 key on keyboard runs Graph

Rule: Always save Revit and Dynamo BEFORE running a Graph

Tip: Look at Symbols in description

Tip: Hover over Node Inputs to get default values

Page 4
 3D VIEW AND GRAPH VIEW

IMAGE OF GRAPH: MAKE A REVIT WALL USING DYNAMO.DYN

Page 5
Example 2: Make Flexible Auditorium Seating
Files:

Auditorium Seating_2D.dyn

Auditorium Seating.rvt

Tip: If you close and reopen a Dynamo Graph in the same file Dynamo will try to adjust the same
objects.

TIP: USE THE DYNAMO FORUM HTTPS://FORUM.DYNAMOBIM.COM/

Page 6
CONSOLIDATE NODES IF POSSIBLE

Page 7
WHEN RENAMING A SINGLE NODE, LEAVE THE ORIGINAL NODE NAME VISIBLE.

MAKE GROUPS TO ORGANIZE NODES.

Page 8
IMAGE OF GRAPH: AUDITORIUM SEATING_2D.DYN

Page 9
Example 3: Read From and Write to Excel
Files:

Read and Write to Excel.dyn

rac_basic_sample_project_Read From and Write to Excel.rvt

IMAGE OF GRAPH: READ AND WRITE TO EXCEL.DYN

Page 10
Example 4: Filled Region Areas
Files:

Filled Region Areas.dyn

Filled Region Areas-Automated.dyn: writes filled region areas to Project information and Title block

rac_basic_sample_project_Filled Region Areas.rvt

Tip: Dynamo only ‘Gets and Sets’ to Instance Parameters by default. Use Rhythm Get and Set by Type or
Instance Nodes.

Tip: Use Clockwork Node Math.RoundtoPrecision

IMAGE OF GRAPH: FILLED REGION AREAS.DYN

Page 11
 RIGHT CLICK ON CANVAS TO SEARCH
Tip: When searching, spaces matter i.e. getparam, wall type

Page 12
Dynamo Packages

How to get Packages…

TIP: USE ‘SORT BY DOWNLOAD’ TO GET THE MOST POPULAR GRAPHS

Page 13
TIP: USE ‘SHOW ROOT DIRECTORY’ TO GET SAMPLE GRAPHS

Page 14
Clockwork

Useful Node:

Page 15
Archi-Lab Grimshaw

Useful Nodes:

Page 16
Rhythm

Useful Nodes:

Page 17
Glossary
Dynamo Terms

Node: Command

Graph: The finished product. A dyn file. A bunch of Nodes wired together to do something.
Similar to the word ‘Script’. Sometimes called an App or routine.

Page 18
Canvas: Area where you work and see stuff

Page 19
Curve: Line(s) or Arc(s), or both. Outline

PolyCurve: Lot of Curves together as one. Similar to PLine in AutoCAD

Page 20
Double: Number which can contain decimals. (Dynamo counts from ‘0’. In other words if there
are 4 items they will be listed as 0,1,2,3)

Integer (or Int): number which cannot contain decimals

Page 21
Lacing: Cross Product will array in all directions

Boolean (Bool): True or False. Can be used as an on/off or yes/no switch. Most of the time all
you need to do is click the opposite to what is there and then Run.

Page 22
Common Node Combinations

Select everything on a particular category

Get an Instance parameter from one place and set it into another place

Page 23
Double-Click on Canvas for a ‘Code Block’. This can either be a String or a Number. If it’s a
String add “ ”. If it’s a number just type the number.

Filter by Boolean Mask. A way to filter a list by a criteria

Page 24
Get a Type parameter from one place and set it into another place

Get Wall Curves (and other important information)

Page 25
Appendix
More Graphs

Make Levels, Walls and Floors by an Outline

File: Make Levels, Walls and Floors by an Outline.dyn

Page 26
Auditorium Seating with Z Slope

File: Auditorium Seating with Z Slope.dyn

Page 27
Spatial Separation (Percentage of unprotected openings)

Files:

STEP1_Filled Region Areas_Spatial Separation_Make Views.dyn

STEP2_Filled Region Areas_Spatial Separation_Get and Set Filled Regions.dyn

rac_basic_sample_project_Filled Region Areas_BEGIN.rvt

rac_basic_sample_project_Filled Region Areas_COMPLETE.rvt

Notes:

The purpose of these Graphs is to make a Schedule showing unprotected areas on building
faces. This routine is run using two separate Dynamo Graphs/Files. The first one makes Views
and applies View Templates to those Views. The second Dynamo Graph is looking for specific
Parameter and Filled Region names (which are set in the example file.) It then will write the key
data to one of the Filled Regions.

Steps:

1. Open rac_basic_sample_project_Filled Region Areas_BEGIN.rvt

2. Open and run: STEP 1_Filled Region Areas_Spatial Separation_Make Views.dyn

3. In Revit ‘Exterior’ Views make Filled Regions for Exposed and Unprotected areas. Detail Groups
are provided to speed this up.

4. Close and Reopen Dynamo

5. Open and run: STEP 2_Filled Region Areas_Spatial Separation_Get and Set Filled Regions.dyn

a. If you want to run the Dynamo Graph again without closing and reopening Dynamo then
find the Boolean node (far left on Canvas), click the opposite radio button and run.

6. Look at ‘Site Plan’ Sheet to make sure the Exterior Wall Areas have been filled out.

Page 28
Show Property Line in 3D
Files:

Show Property Line in 3D.dyn

Show Property Line in 3D.rvt

Page 29