# Creating phases / Renaming phases **URL:** \ **Category:** Revit\ **Created:** [April 29, 2026, 1:14pm UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/creating-phases-renaming-phases/114509 "2026-04-29T13:14:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sage.Hlavacek](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.dynamobim.com/sage.hlavacek/32/160446_2.png) [@Sage.Hlavacek](https://forum.dynamobim.com/u/Sage.Hlavacek)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 1:14pm UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/creating-phases-renaming-phases/114509/1 "2026-04-29T13:14:26Z")
Hi all, I stubled upon a task to automate adding 10 new phases to cca 200 files. I googled, searched through forum and find out that it is not possible to automate this by API cause it’s not published for this. But because I am too busy to open 200 files manualy I decided to go a bit deeper (with a help of Gemini) and found a solution to this issue. In fact the sollution is pretty simple - **Workflow** - Let the script open the Phase pop-up window - just before thata start a simple script (VBScript / Py - depends on your preferences, for this case I used a VBScript ) that simulates keystrokes of user (no mouse, just keyboard hits) - the script is running behind and executing all the “user” keystrokes - then executes “Enter” to close the window - It has just one little but important issue → don’t touch your mouse or keyboard when you hit “Run” Depending on your situation you have to modify the number of “Tab” keystrokes you need to accomplish your case My code: `# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-` `import os` `import subprocess` `import tempfile` `# Standard Dynamo Revit imports` `import clr` `clr.AddReference('RevitAPIUI')` `from Autodesk.Revit.UI import RevitCommandId` `clr.AddReference("RevitServices")` `import RevitServices` `from RevitServices.Persistence import DocumentManager` `# Get the UIApplication in Dynamo` `uiapp = DocumentManager.Instance.CurrentUIApplication` `# You can either hardcode the values here like your original script:` `phases_to_add = ["E1", "E2", "E3","E4","E5","E6","E7","E8","E9","E10"]` `rename_phase = "E0"` `# OR uncomment the lines below to feed them in dynamically from Dynamo nodes:` `# phases_to_add = IN[0] # Feed a list of strings into IN[0]` `# rename_phase = IN[1] # Feed a string into IN[1]` `def generate_and_run_killer_script(phases):` ` vbs_code = 'Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WScript.Sleep 2500\n'` ` ` ` # Tab 5 times to reach the last phase` ` vbs_code += 'WshShell.SendKeys "{TAB}"\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WScript.Sleep 300\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WshShell.SendKeys "{TAB}"\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WScript.Sleep 300\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WshShell.SendKeys "{TAB}"\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WScript.Sleep 300\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WshShell.SendKeys "{TAB}"\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WScript.Sleep 300\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WshShell.SendKeys "{TAB}"\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WScript.Sleep 300\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WshShell.SendKeys "{}"\n'.format(rename_phase)` ` vbs_code += 'WScript.Sleep 300\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WshShell.SendKeys "{TAB}"\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WScript.Sleep 300\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WshShell.SendKeys "{TAB}"\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WScript.Sleep 300\n'` ` ` ` for phase in phases:` ` # 1. 'F' shortcut to Insert After` ` vbs_code += 'WshShell.SendKeys "f"\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WScript.Sleep 300\n'` ` ` ` # 2. Tab once to enter the Name cell` ` vbs_code += 'WshShell.SendKeys "{TAB}"\n'` ` ` ` # Wait a tiny bit longer for the cell to fully enter "Edit Mode"` ` vbs_code += 'WScript.Sleep 400\n'` ` ` ` # 3. Type the phase name` ` vbs_code += 'WshShell.SendKeys "{}"\n'.format(phase)` ` vbs_code += 'WScript.Sleep 300\n'` ` ` ` # 4. Tab 3 more times to escape the Name and Description parameters` ` vbs_code += 'WshShell.SendKeys "{TAB}"\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WScript.Sleep 300\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WshShell.SendKeys "{TAB}"\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WScript.Sleep 300\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WshShell.SendKeys "{TAB}"\n'` ` vbs_code += 'WScript.Sleep 300\n'` ` ` ` # Hit Enter to click OK and save all changes` ` vbs_code += 'WshShell.SendKeys "{ENTER}"\n'` ` ` ` # Write to temp .vbs file` ` temp_dir = tempfile.gettempdir()` ` vbs_path = os.path.join(temp_dir, "revit_phasing_killer.vbs")` ` ` ` with open(vbs_path, "w")` **`as`** ` f:` ` f.write(vbs_code)` ` ` ` # Launch the VBScript as a detached process` ` subprocess.Popen(["wscript.exe", vbs_path])` `# --- MAIN EXECUTION ---` `generate_and_run_killer_script(phases_to_add)` `# Post the command to open the Phasing Dialog` `cmId = RevitCommandId.LookupCommandId("ID_SETTINGS_PHASES")` `# Standard output variable for Dynamo` `output_msg = ""` `if cmId ` **`is`** ` ` **`not`** `None` **`and`** ` uiapp.CanPostCommand(cmId):` ` uiapp.PostCommand(cmId)` ` output_msg = "Success: Posted command and running VBScript."` `else:` ` output_msg = "Failed: Cannot post command in the current state."` `# Output to Dynamo` `OUT = output_msg` Showcase of what it does: Now you’re curios if you can use it for other not exposed API calls? And I have to say, YES DEFINITELY I did accomplish to automate “Bind link” with this exact technique p.s. although I must admit that for the 200 files I ditched Dynamo for [pyRevit](https://discourse.pyrevitlabs.io/) to get maximum speed - sorry for that. But I hope that next time someone will search “How to add / create / copy phase” they’ll stumble at this post and will make their work a bit more effective 😉