Example: Retrieve Geometry Data from a Beam

This section illustrates how to get solids and curves from a beam. You can retrieve column and brace geometry data in a similar way. The GeometryElement may contain the desired geometry as a Solid or GeometryInstance depending on whether a beam is joined or standalone, and this code covers both cases.

Note: If you want to get the beam and brace driving curve, call the FamilyInstance Location property where a LocationCurve is available.

The sample code is shown as follows:

Code Region 20-10: Getting solids and curves from a beam

public void GetCurvesFromABeam(Autodesk.Revit.DB.FamilyInstance beam, Autodesk.Revit.DB.Options options)
{
        Autodesk.Revit.DB.GeometryElement geomElem = beam.get_Geometry(options);

        Autodesk.Revit.DB.CurveArray curves = new CurveArray();
        Autodesk.Revit.DB.SolidArray solids = new SolidArray();
        
        //Find all solids and insert them into solid array
        AddCurvesAndSolids(geomElem, ref curves, ref solids);
}

private void AddCurvesAndSolids(Autodesk.Revit.DB.GeometryElement geomElem, 
                                ref Autodesk.Revit.DB.CurveArray curves, 
                                ref Autodesk.Revit.DB.SolidArray solids)
{
        foreach (Autodesk.Revit.DB.GeometryObject geomObj in geomElem)
        {
                Autodesk.Revit.DB.Curve curve = geomObj as Autodesk.Revit.DB.Curve;
                if (null != curve)
                {
                        curves.Append(curve);
                        continue;
                }
                Autodesk.Revit.DB.Solid solid = geomObj as Autodesk.Revit.DB.Solid;
                if (null != solid)
                {
                        solids.Append(solid);
                        continue;
                }
                //If this GeometryObject is Instance, call AddCurvesAndSolids
                Autodesk.Revit.DB.GeometryInstance geomInst = geomObj as Autodesk.Revit.DB.GeometryInstance;
                if (null != geomInst)
                {
                        Autodesk.Revit.DB.GeometryElement transformedGeomElem =  geomInst.GetInstanceGeometry(geomInst.Transform);
                        AddCurvesAndSolids(transformedGeomElem, ref curves, ref solids);
                }
        }
}

The above example uses the FamilyInstance.Geometry property to access the true geometry of the beam. To obtain the original geometry of a family instance before it is modified by joins, cuts, coping, extensions, or other post-processing, use the FamilyInstance.GetOriginalGeometry() method.

Note: For more information about how to retrieve the Geometry.Options type object, refer to Geometry.Options.