ARCH653 - BIM Project

PROJECT2-ARCH 653

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this project is to learn and use the visual programming in BIM, Revit Dynamo is used as the visual programming software for this project. In this project2, we were to extend the functionality and creativity of the parametric BIM using Dynamo. For a project with complex geometry Dynamo keeps track of every element and geometry and makes it easy to control the parameters in the modeling interface.

For this final project I chose to design/model new building which is Rock and Roll Hall of Fame instead of extending the midterm project. I have created the mass model of this project. I have set parameters to the model and developed a parametric model which works in the Revit. Later, I also developed code for changing these parameters of model in Dynamo and ran the code which was successful.

The additional capabilities I tried to develop in this project using Dynamo are to change the thickness of the panels, color of the panels and change the size of the openings in the panel along with the colors. I have also used a different mass model other than the building to show these changes.

DYNAMO CODE FOR PARAMETRIC CHANGES

I have created the parametric model of the building and loaded it into another family so that the parameters can be seen in the properties window then only they can be used in the Dynamo code.

Fig. Mass Model

We should select the model element and it is linked to the node elemnt set parameters with the parameters names used in the revit and their dimensions are changed by using integer slider node. By changing the value of the dimensions in the Dynamo code we can observe the changesin the Revit model.

Fig. code to change parameters

CREATING CURTAIN PANEL

I have created two different panels rectangle and octagonal. The octagonal panel is plain and has a thickness of 2 feet named as thickness of panel and the two different rectangular panels are created one is plain with thickness of 2 feet and other panel is created with the circular void in the center with a radius of 3 feet which is named as the “radius of void”. Different radius values of radius are given in the dynamo code which can be changed along with the panel color change.

Fig. Rectangular panel with circular void

Fig. octagonal panel

DYNAMO CODE PANELS

Dynamo helps the users to build Revit models without the use of learning Revit API it also help to track and control the model information of Revit this helps the Revit users to reduce the work flow and learning curve. Dynamo is a recent tool and it has undergone various changes in each upgraded version. The dynamo code has lot of nodes which are sequentially connected to one another. One should know the function of each and every node and their order of connecting which makes this process difficult and also due to the upgrading of tool every time node names differ. This problem can be considered as the backlog for the usage of dynamo tool.

DYNAMO CODE USED FOR THE PROJECT:

Fig. Code for changing the panel colors

In the first code only the color of the panel is changed along with the material. The main parts of this code is to select dived surface and select different materials with color variation and for randomizing the colors for different panel excel sheet is used

Fig. divided surface node

The ‘select divided surface families’ node helps to select the divided surfaces of the model from the Revit Environment. By connecting a watch node to it we can see the selected panels along with their ID numbers and shape of the selected panel can also be seen in the watch list.

Fig. List node for Material

Five different materials are selected with different colors and all these materials are grouped individually using list option.

USING EXCEL SHEET FOR RANDOMIZING COLORS

After the curtain panel is selected for the divided surface then the color of these applied panels has to be changed using dynamo code and each panel should have random color this cannot be done by selecting every panel separately hence, Excel is used by using the function “RANDBETWEEN” colors of the panels can be altered and I have 5 different colors for my code. This function updated the sheet with random numbers from ‘0 to 4’ and these numbers vary in the number of cells, equal to the number of panels on the divided surface of the model.

Fig. Random values from Excel

In the second code the thickness of the panel and opening of the void in the panel changes along with the color and material of the panel and for this code I have used rectangular panel with circular void. Extra parameter thickness and void openings is used in this code and different thickness and opening values are given ranging from 1 to 5 which matches the color variation number.

Fig. list node for thickness and void opening values

All the panels on the divided surface from the watch node is plugged into the final ‘set Element Parameter’ node. This parameter actually shows the result in the Revit mass family.

The final code including all three paramters that rae color of the panel, thickness of the panle and the void radius change in the panel is achived by the following code

Fig. Final Dynamo code

PYTHON SCRIPT

Instead of writing a big if-else statement to randomize the thickness and opening along with the color Python Script can be used in the Dynamo code. If Dynamo script is not used then Dynamo screen will look too clustered with lot of if-else nodes. Python script makes this process easy and simple. The main work of the python script is it links the one input color with the single panel thickness value and radius value and these values changes as the selected color is changed. For example if the material selected is poche with blue color, corresponding opening radius is 2 ft and thickness is 3 ft and if the color is Default-Red corresponding opening radius is 3 ft and thickness is 4 ft.

In the present Dynamo code Excel sheet controls the randomness of the colors and materials applied for the panels, and two different Python Scripts are used one to script links the list of the material colors with the list of the opening radius values. Simultaneously another Python Script is used to change the thickness of the panel with the change in the color of panel.