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About Creating Dynamo Graphs for Revit

Use Dynamo to create graphs that automate repetitive tasks, explore complex design problems, and streamline BIM workflows in a Revit model.

By using Dynamo to create a graph that meets your specific needs, you can save hours of work. You may be able to find and use a graph that others have created, or use an existing graph as a starting point to create your own.

For example, Dynamo provides sample Revit graphs that do the following (located in %PROGRAMDATA%\Dynamo\Dynamo Revit< product year >\Samples< language >\Revit):

  • Place adaptive components relative to selected elements in a Revit model
  • Identify areas within a tolerance, and override colors in the active view to communicate the tolerance
  • Use coordinates and line lengths to generate a structurally framed and floored tower
  • Import a solid form into Revit
  • Place a number of solar panels and write unique numbers to their Mark parameter

In addition, Dynamo Player provides the following graphs (located in %PROGRAMDATA%\Dynamo\Dynamo Revit< product year >\Samples< language >\Revit\DynamoPlayer-3):

  • Add a specified number of levels above a selected level
  • Calculate room occupancy load
  • Calculate the total length of selected lines
  • Delete mark values from MEP content
  • Select all elements not keynoted in the active view
  • Select all taggable elements not tagged in the active view
  • Update sheet names to uppercase

Explore these graphs to determine whether they are useful to you or can be modified to meet your specific modeling and documentation needs. Study the graphs to learn how to use Dynamo to get the most out of your Revit building information model.

Use a graph template to get started

Before creating a graph, download this graph template to use as a guide. It describes and demonstrates best practices, such as the following:

Use groups (colored rectangles), labels, and notes to organize and annotate the graph. Organize inputs, variables, outputs, and functions as described in the template. For more best practices, see the Graphing Strategies page of the Dynamo Primer.

You can also create your own templates and use them to open a new workspace. To create a template, save the .DYN file you want to use as the basis of your template, then move or paste it to the templates folder location. You can view this folder location under Dynamo Preferences General Templates. Then, go to File Open Template (CTRL + T), and select the template you want to base your new graph on.

Dynamo learning resources

Dynamo offers many resources to help you get started.

  • DynamoPrimer.com introduces you to Dynamo graphing, describing important concepts and demonstrating techniques with full examples.
  • Dynamo for Revit is a chapter of the Dynamo Primer that focuses on using Dynamo with Revit models.
  • DynamoBim.org/learn provides videos, tutorials, examples, and sample data sets to explore.
  • The Dynamo help center allows you to search for answers to your graphing questions.
  • The Dynamo forum connects you with the community to learn from your peers.

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