Complete Guide to Dynamo for Revit

Get oriented with Dynamo's interface: the workspace, library panel, toolbar, and package manager. Understand how the visual programming environment connects to Revit, enabling you to automate repetitive tasks and create parametric geometry. We cover placing nodes, connecting wires, and running your first simple scripts.

Learn to read node states: active (grey), warning (orange), and error (red) indicators that help debug scripts. Use code blocks to write cleaner definitions without cluttering the canvas with nodes. Master lists and nested lists, then apply lacing—shortest, longest, cross product—to control how data flows between nodes when inputs have different lengths.

Start automating Revit documentation. Create levels using the "Level.ByElevation" node, then rename multiple views at once with "Element.SetParameterByName"—the node you'll use constantly throughout the course. Install the Spring Nodes package to access "Current Selection" for grabbing elements directly from your Revit selection.

Export multiple Revit schedules to a single Excel file using the Bimof package's schedule extraction node. Select specific elements with "Select Model Elements" and extract parameters like room names, areas, and volumes. Create custom parameters—calculate room height from volume and area using V=A×H—and write values back to Revit with "Element.SetParameterByName".

Build reusable scripts for daily Revit tasks. Create levels with "Level.ByElevationAndName" to set both elevation and name in one node. Generate dependent views with scope boxes, join geometry automatically, and place Revit families at locations extracted from imported CAD data. Save these as master scripts to reuse across projects.

Model the Arena Tower (Baltimore Tower) in London by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The building's floors rotate in one direction from ground to level 13, then reverse direction to the top. You'll script this changing rotation angle, scaling reference images to derive floor plan dimensions, and creating the twisting geometry parametrically.

Create parametric facades in Dynamo. First, build a wavy pattern facade by generating a point grid in X and Z, applying randomized Y offsets with a sine function, then lofting curves through the points. Second, design an interior ceiling system. Third, use attractor points to vary panel sizes based on proximity—panels closer to attractors scale differently than those further away.

Recreate the leaf-shaped facade panels from Zaha Hadid Architects' King Abdullah Financial District Metro Station in Riyadh. Import reference images, trace outer boundaries with spline curves on reference planes, loft surfaces between the curves, and divide them into triangulated panels. Export the geometry back to Revit and array the leaf modules to build the full facade.

Convert high-contrast black and white images into 3D patterns. Import an image using "Image.ReadFromFile", extract pixel brightness values with "Image.Pixels", and map those values to a point grid. Dark pixels receive one value, light pixels another—use this to control extrusion heights or panel sizes, turning any graphic pattern into buildable geometry.

Auto-generate floor plans and reflected ceiling plans from your project levels. Extract levels using "All Elements of Class", create views with "FloorPlanView.ByLevel" and "CeilingPlanView.ByLevel", then apply view templates to each. A separate script handles renaming views to match your naming conventions—no manual view setup required.

Create sheets and place views automatically following ISO naming standards. Script sheet numbers using project code, originator, volume, level, type, role, and revision fields. Assign floor plans to 1000-series sheets, ceiling plans to 3000-series. Use "Sheet.ByNameNumberTitleBlockAndView" to create sheets with title blocks and place your generated views in one operation.

Build bidirectional data exchange between Revit and Excel. First script: export room parameters (name, number, area, department) to Excel using "Data.ExportExcel". Second script: import updated data from Excel back into Revit, matching rows to elements by ID and writing values with "Element.SetParameterByName". Useful for coordinating room schedules with stakeholders who work in spreadsheets.

Automate tagging and dimensioning in Revit. Place room, door, and window tags by selecting elements, calculating tag positions, and setting alignment options. Automate wall dimensions by extracting wall endpoints, creating reference arrays, and placing dimension lines. Customize tag offsets and dimension styles to match your firm's standards.

Batch export sheets to PDF, DWG, and DXF formats. Configure export nodes with file paths, naming conventions (sheet name, number, revision), and format-specific options like hiding crop boxes and maintaining scale. Run the script to export all project sheets at once instead of exporting manually one by one.

Combine all documentation scripts into one master automation workflow. Extract levels, generate floor and ceiling plan views, apply view templates, create sheets with ISO numbering, place views on sheets, add tags and dimensions, and export to PDF/DWG/DXF—all from a single Dynamo definition. Run it once to document an entire project.