Using Dynamo to Automate the “I” in BIM (Update 2)

Nearly a decade ago, Rob Snyder of Bentley Systems, when speaking to me about Bentley’s then groundbreaking computational modeling product Generative Components (GC), told me, “I foresee a day when people will deliver computational modeling definitions as add-ins rather than traditional macros or apps.” I think that, with Dynamo, that vision is becoming a reality.

Luke Johnson recently presciently wrote in a post on his What Revit Wants blog that generative modeling tools excel at what their platform applications excel at. For GC+MicroStation and Grasshopper+Rhino, that’s advanced freeform modeling. For Dynamo+Revit, that’s leveraging, managing and documenting the “I,” or information, in "BIM."

I first saw an example of Dynamo being used to manage BIM information when I posted about the BIM Troublemaker using Dynamo to link Revit with Excel. Lately, I’ve noticed a groundswell of other practical applications of Dynamo as evidenced by the following tweets, several of which come from a post on What Revit Wants.

Renumbering in #Revit got you down? This tutorial by @williamwong will cheer you up #DynamoBIM http://t.co/F38yaydetL pic.twitter.com/vXlgENDgSz

— CASE (@case_inc) March 12, 2015

Dynamo script that creates revit sheets from excel drawing register(built checks). Finished #ukbimcrew #DynamoBIM https://t.co/XkygjFTrqh

— Brendan cassidy (@brencass86) March 16, 2015

create grids in Revit using @DynamoBIM its easy! Why use #DynamoBIM to do this? See post http://t.co/7h25FnEizZ pic.twitter.com/6iPfwOFrDr

— marcello sgambelluri (@marcellosgamb) March 22, 2015

Interesting: Want to view your #Revit Rooms in 3D? You cant in Revit... Use #DynamoBIM http://t.co/Qy5dtCiKuw

— David Barco Moreno (@qbimgest) February 5, 2015

Presented a paper on model checking with #DynamoBIM today at #eCAADe2014 http://t.co/sDJ73pCRAI

— Andreas Dieckmann (@a_dieckmann) September 12, 2014

Nice work RT@60secondrevit: Create Worksets in #Revit with @DynamoBIM http://t.co/oVpICkAvy2

— Luke Johnson (@lukeyjohnson) June 16, 2015

Collect Elements in Rooms Across Linked Files, and Write #Room Data Directly to… http://t.co/Qvae4c3AjO #revit

— Luke Johnson (@lukeyjohnson) June 4, 2015

How to Check for ##Inplace Families, the #Dynamo Way: I've added this checking node… http://t.co/blliQPAbpe #revit

— Luke Johnson (@lukeyjohnson) June 3, 2015

One click construction fence following topography using @DynamoBIM just saved me quite a bit of time! #BIM #Revit pic.twitter.com/do2mPXcmUS

— Jeffrey A. Pinheiro (@TheRevitKid) June 15, 2015

Created Entourage/Railing/Planting/Furniture /Door Window container files in minutes not hours. thanks to @DynamoBIM pic.twitter.com/JQ03LNElhT

— Aaron Perry (@AaronPerryArch) June 4, 2015

@DynamoBIM Calculate #occupancy load per level using Rooms and Areas & update #tags in a plan automatically. pic.twitter.com/Ozb3QCFSsx

— Cesar Escalante (@VCDwhiz) May 6, 2015

Map +300 existing trees in 30 secs #DynamoBIM connects dwg survey points + arborist data + #REVIT #landscape geometry pic.twitter.com/i3GZ5uWK4x

— Cesar Escalante (@VCDwhiz) May 21, 2015

600+ rms created, enclosed and labeled in under a minute!!! w/ @DynamoBIM #clockwork #rhynamo & #JBE. #CADinterop pic.twitter.com/V9hewXNtxE

— Nicholas Pryor (@nic_pryor) May 20, 2015

keep north arrow symbol aligned w/ project true north in Revit using @DynamoBIM C Pic or Post http://t.co/hCcm41d5dP pic.twitter.com/LalCdW0rKM

— marcello sgambelluri (@marcellosgamb) April 7, 2015

Create Levels in Revit using @DynamoBIM its easy! and it just takes 2 Nodes! See Pic and Post http://t.co/I5S1lxiAE8 pic.twitter.com/RaJP2SH9yK

— marcello sgambelluri (@marcellosgamb) April 2, 2015

Updated 7/8/2015 to include the following tweets.

Very excited to be sharing our open-source tools for fabrication within @DynamoBIM! http://t.co/haniOsjxiQ #dynamobim #digitalfabrication

— becausewecan (@becausewecan) July 6, 2015

kudos to @ptrbyr for this clear explanation on how to build your own @DynamoBIM nodes in multiple ways https://t.co/SzMnrkCEYt

— Brian Ringley (@brianringley) July 1, 2015

@mpdiker automatic FormWork in Revit via @DynamoBIM http://t.co/7hru2Qb9oq pic.twitter.com/tx3xatHDkJ

— Zach Kron (@ZachKron) June 27, 2015

Calculating window to wall ratio w/ @DynamoBIM to inform design & material selection #DynamoBIMBoston pic.twitter.com/yTUJsyzj12

— Kyle C Martin (@KCMarchitect) June 29, 2015

New printing nodes for @DynamoBIM were published to archi-lab package. Get them while there are hot! http://t.co/7F94fB6CZs

— Konrad K Sobon (@arch_laboratory) July 6, 2015

So good! Auto pdf naming with @DynamoBIM and driving Revit batch print settings thanks to @arch_laboratory https://t.co/sWOF2JeUzW

— Luke Johnson (@lukeyjohnson) July 7, 2015

Get your structural design across platforms with #DynamoSAP: @AutodeskRevit -> @DynamoBIM -> SAP2000 pic.twitter.com/vDCmtDCMTM

— Ana García Puyol (@anagpuyol) June 30, 2015

#bumblebee just got published. An Excel Interop for Dynamo that let's you do A LOT MORE than OOTB @DynamoBIM http://t.co/r5NtEkbTBp

— Konrad K Sobon (@arch_laboratory) June 30, 2015

Update 2: Added the following tweets on 7/23/2015...

Running a short workshop exercise in flat panels and surface analysis. Thank you for color, @ikeough and @DynamoBIM! pic.twitter.com/qY4hJ61iaZ

— Nathan Miller (@archinate) July 23, 2015

Visualizing #residentialdevelopment unit mix with color in @DynamoBIM #DynamoBIMBoston pic.twitter.com/AaabjGoQxg

— Kyle C Martin (@KCMarchitect) July 17, 2015

Pt. 3: use @DynamoBIM & #excel #interop to automate space planning creation in @AutodeskRevit #conditionalformatting pic.twitter.com/0vVX0EkSFT

— Kyle C Martin (@KCMarchitect) July 17, 2015

And on and on and on...

Don't know Dynamo yet? Should you?

Scripting (like with Dynamo!) is an essential skill for tomorrow's designers. http://t.co/xsIWHfyAjT pic.twitter.com/LGFxHuFQ6r

— Dynamo (@DynamoBIM) June 3, 2015

Ready to learn? This might be a good place to start...

Dynamo Primer now available. First chapters of many to come. http://t.co/83F44QfUbj pic.twitter.com/8iGW1LnYxr

— Dynamo (@DynamoBIM) May 26, 2015

Exciting times!

Related: Other computational modeling related posts.