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();
    System.Collections.Generic.List<Autodesk.Revit.DB.Solid> solids = new System.Collections.Generic.List<Autodesk.Revit.DB.Solid>(); 

    //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 System.Collections.Generic.List<Autodesk.Revit.DB.Solid> 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.Add(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.