I think I’m learning that I can only access the Sheet’s name and number from a liked file? Is this correct?
Ideally I was hoping to get more elements on that sheet. Viewports, View names, among other elements.
Is this an expected limitation in Dynamo / Revit?
Thank you for any insight to this.
It should be possible with some Python modifications. Most OotB and custom nodes assume you’re querying elements in your current document. In order to look at linked elements you would have to specify the linked document as well.
Hi @tlivingston
Unfortunately that workflow will fail as Sheet.Duplicate only functions on the active document. If you input sheets from an external document it wont be able to find them as it expects to find them in the active document.
In addition, duplicating (copying is a more accurate description) views from an external file is notoriously problematic as there are so many variables: different coordinates and rotations from true North which affect the location of scope boxes, cameras etc. Then there are different view templates, filters, view types, annotations. It goes on… elevation markers cant be located so alternative methods have to be used (they are needed to create elevation views, even through the API). Some views cant be accurately recreated, like 3D views with a customised focal distance as its not exposed in the API.
It is feasible with compromises - I think…its in my R+D pipeline - but given its complexity, its safe to say that its not supported and the above technical problems should also help shed some light on why Revit only provides view imports for Sheets (with no views), Drafting Views and Schedules as none of them suffer from the problems that are countered once coordinate space enters the equation.
Oh Nick, you said the P-word! I have a while before I can get into Python.
But as far as proof of concept, this could work?
Thank you for the clarification.
Some of it could work. As @Thomas_Mahon mentioned, some things, while technically possible, don’t really play well across linked models. In general however it is possible to get a lot of information from a linked model, including some of the information you are looking for.
It is good to get familiar with Dynamo before jumping into Python, but don’t wait forever. Getting comfortable with even the basics of Python can make things a whole lot quicker and easier. It opens up a lot of possibilities with Dynamo. And in reference to what you need in this post it’s actually a pretty minor change you would have to make to an existing Python workflow. In most cases you would just have to replace the current document with the linked document you’re looking at.
