Tutorial: Create a Study Using Dynamo for Revit

Learn how to create a Generative Design study using Dynamo for Revit and a sample study type.

This method of using Generative Design does not require a subscription to the AEC Collection or other qualifiers. It only requires access to Revit.

Objective: Create a study using the Stepped Grid Object Placement study type and a sample Revit model.

Steps

1. Open and prepare the model in Revit.
2. Use Dynamo to open the study type.
3. Create a copy in a different location.
4. Arrange the Dynamo and Revit windows.
5. Determine whether Revit elements are required.
6. Select Revit elements.
7. Run the study type to validate it.
8. Create the study.

Open and prepare the model in Revit

1. Optional: Read about the Grid Object Placement study type so you understand what it does and what it needs to run successfully.
2. Download and open the sample model rac_advanced_sample_project.rvt.
3. In the model, do the following:
   1. Open the 02 - Floor plan.
   2. Zoom in to the room in the upper left corner of the building, Lounge 223.
   3. Load the family Table-Dining Round with Chairs.

      If you have downloaded Autodesk content, you can find this family in the Revit library under FurnitureTables.

      Note: For Table-Dining Round with Chairs, the family origin is defined as the center of the table. No changes are required to the origin.
      
   4. Click Architecture tabBuild panelComponentPlace a Component.
   5. In the Type Selector, select the desired table diameter for the family.
   6. Place an instance of the family in Lounge 223.

      Then press ESC twice to exit the Place a Component tool.

   7. To make it easier to select elements in the model when creating the study, type VG to open the Visibility/Graphics dialog. On the Model Categories tab, turn on visibility for the following:
      • Furniture
      • RoomsInterior Fill
      • RoomsReference
   

Use Dynamo to open the study type

1. In Revit, click Manage tabVisual Programming panelDynamo .
2. In Dynamo, open the study type:
   1. In the Dynamo window, under Files, click Open.
   2. Navigate to this location:

      %PROGRAMDATA%\Autodesk\AECGD\Revit\Samples <release>\

   3. Open the folder for the desired language and locale, such as en-US for English-United States or fr-FR for French-France.
   4. Select Stepped Grid Object Placement.dyn, and click Open.

Note: If you can't find the study type in that location, you can download it from here: Stepped Grid Object Placement study type. The ZIP file contains the DYN file and its Dependencies folder. Unzip (extract) its contents to a folder on your computer. Then proceed with the next step.

Create a copy of the study type in a different location

The sample study types are read-only. Before using Stepped Grid Object Placement to create a study using Dynamo for Revit, you need to create a copy of it in another folder.

1. In Dynamo, click FileSave As.
2. Navigate to another folder, enter a new file name, and click Save.

   A message displays titled Warning: Dependencies folder required.

3. Click OK in the message box.

   You can ignore this warning for now. A Dependencies folder is created later when you create the study.

Arrange the Dynamo and Revit windows

You want to see both windows at the same time.

• Move and resize the windows on your monitor so you can see both Dynamo and Revit.
• To see the entire study type, zoom and pan using the middle mouse button or the Zoom and Pan controls.
  
  Note: If needed, click the button in the workspace to see the graph view instead of the 3D preview.
• Colored boxes group the nodes into logical functions or steps. On the left, the gray box provides documentation. Sample groups describe how the different colors are used in the graph.
  

Determine whether Revit elements are required

In Dynamo, zoom in to the pink boxes on the left to find Revit selection nodes.

The Stepped Grid Object Placement study type has two selection nodes: Select family instance, and Select room.

The remaining pink boxes indicate other types of inputs; you'll specify those inputs later using the Define Study dialog.

Select Revit elements

Before you can create a study using Dynamo, in the model you must select the room (Lounge 223) and the family instance (Table-Dining Round with Chairs).

1. Select the room as follows:
   1. In Dynamo, for the Select room node, right-click the node's title bar and clear the check mark for Is Input.
      
   2. Click the Select tab of the node.
      
   3. In Revit, select the room for Lounge 223.
   4. In Dynamo, confirm that the selection node displays an element ID. This is the ID of the room.
      
2. Select the table instance as follows:
   1. In Dynamo, for the Select family instance node, right-click the node's title bar and clear the check mark for Is Input.
   2. Click the Select tab of the node.
   3. In Revit, select the instance for Table-Dining Round with Chairs.
   4. In Dynamo, confirm that the selection node displays the element ID.

Run the study type to validate it

1. In Dynamo, if the Graph Status tab does not display in the right pane, on the menu bar click Extensions Show Graph Status.
2. In the Run Settings bar at the bottom of the Dynamo window, click Run. (The keyboard shortcut is F5.) If the run settings are set to Automatic, the graph will run automatically.
   
3. If any issues display in the Graph Status tab, review them. For each issue, click its links to jump to those spots in the graph where adjustments are needed.

   See Troubleshoot: Errors for Generative Design in Dynamo.

4. After addressing issues, re-run the graph until all issues are resolved.
5. Save the graph. The graph (DYN file) is updated with the changes. A Dependencies folder is also created in the same location as the DYN file.

Create the study

After running the study type to validate it and saving it in Dynamo, create the study to generate multiple outcomes.

1. On the menu bar, click Generative DesignCreate Study.

   Wait a moment for the Create Study dialog to open. It may open in a different part of the screen.

2. In the Create Study dialog, for Choose Folder, select the folder where the current study type resides. Then select the study type.

   If the folder doesn't appear in the Choose Folder list, add it. Then select it from the Choose Folder drop-down list, and select the study type.

3. In the Define Study dialog, complete the fields and click Generate.

The outcomes display in the Explore Outcomes dialog.

Now you can do the following:

• Explore more outcomes of the study. Examine their details.
• Create a new study using different criteria in the Define Study dialog.
• Integrate a selected outcome into the Revit model.