Custom Quality Check Add-In using PyRevit in Revit

Project Overview

In a large-scale infra project, ensuring design quality and compliance with specific client requirements was critical. To streamline the quality check process, a custom add-in was developed using PyRevit, allowing tailored checks based on the client's unique specifications.

Challenges

The project faced challenges related to:

1. Client-Specific Quality Standards: The need to perform checks aligned with the client's specific quality standards and guidelines.
2. Efficiency in Quality Assurance: Ensuring an efficient and automated quality check process to identify design discrepancies and deviations promptly.
3. Customization and Flexibility: Develop a solution that offers customizable checks adaptable to different project phases and design elements.

Creating a custom add-in with PyRevit for quality checks in Revit involves several steps, and a case study example can illustrate this process effectively:

Add-In Development

Step 1: Environment Setup The PyRevit environment was set up within the Revit software to enable Python scripting capabilities for add-in development.

Step 2: Custom Quality Check Scripting A Python script was created within PyRevit to perform quality checks based on the client's requirements. This script utilized Revit API functions to access and analyze model elements.

Sample Scripts

from pyrevit import revit, DB

def custom_quality_check():
    # Access all walls in the Revit project
    collector = DB.FilteredElementCollector(revit.doc)
    walls = collector.OfCategory(DB.BuiltInCategory.OST_Walls).WhereElementIsNotElementType().ToElements()
    
    # Perform client-specific checks on walls
    for wall in walls:
        # Example quality check: Check wall height
        if wall.LookupParameter("Height").AsDouble() < client_standard_height:
            print(f"Wall {wall.Id} does not meet height requirements.")
            # Add corrective action or notification as per client instructions
        

import pandas as pd
from pyrevit import revit, DB

def read_client_requirements_from_excel(file_path):
    try:
        # Read client requirements from an Excel file
        data = pd.read_excel(file_path)
        
        # Extract specific requirements from the Excel data
        client_standard_height = data.at[0, 'Standard Height']
        client_standard_thickness = data.at[0, 'Standard Thickness']
        client_material_check = data.at[0, 'Preferred Material']
        
        # Access all walls in the Revit project
        collector = DB.FilteredElementCollector(revit.doc)
        walls = collector.OfCategory(DB.BuiltInCategory.OST_Walls).WhereElementIsNotElementType().ToElements()
        
        # Perform client-specific checks on walls
        for wall in walls:
            # Check wall height
            wall_height_param = wall.LookupParameter("Height")
            if wall_height_param and wall_height_param.AsDouble() < client_standard_height:
                print(f"Wall {wall.Id} does not meet height requirements.")
                # Implement corrective action: Adjust height or flag for review
            
            # Check wall thickness
            wall_thickness_param = wall.LookupParameter("Thickness")
            if wall_thickness_param and wall_thickness_param.AsDouble() != client_standard_thickness:
                print(f"Wall {wall.Id} does not meet thickness requirements.")
                # Implement corrective action: Adjust thickness or flag for review
            
            # Check wall material
            wall_material_param = wall.LookupParameter("Material")
            if wall_material_param and wall_material_param.AsString() != client_material_check:
                print(f"Wall {wall.Id} does not have the preferred material.")
                # Implement corrective action: Change material or flag for review
                
            # Add more specific checks based on client requirements from the Excel file
        
        print("Quality checks based on client requirements completed.")
        
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error reading client requirements: {str(e)}")

# Example usage: Provide the file path to your Excel file containing client requirements
file_path = 'path/to/your/client_requirements.xlsx'
read_client_requirements_from_excel(file_path)
        

from pyrevit import revit, DB

def custom_quality_check():
    # Define client-specific parameters or standards
    client_standard_height = 3000  # Client's required wall height in millimeters
    client_standard_thickness = 200  # Client's required wall thickness in millimeters
    client_material_check = "Brick"  # Client's preferred wall material
    
    # Access all walls in the Revit project
    collector = DB.FilteredElementCollector(revit.doc)
    walls = collector.OfCategory(DB.BuiltInCategory.OST_Walls).WhereElementIsNotElementType().ToElements()
    
    # Perform client-specific checks on walls
    for wall in walls:
        # Check wall height
        wall_height_param = wall.LookupParameter("Height")
        if wall_height_param and wall_height_param.AsDouble() < client_standard_height:
            print(f"Wall {wall.Id} does not meet height requirements.")
            # Implement corrective action: Adjust height or flag for review
        
        # Check wall thickness
        wall_thickness_param = wall.LookupParameter("Thickness")
        if wall_thickness_param and wall_thickness_param.AsDouble() != client_standard_thickness:
            print(f"Wall {wall.Id} does not meet thickness requirements.")
            # Implement corrective action: Adjust thickness or flag for review
        
        # Check wall material
        wall_material_param = wall.LookupParameter("Material")
        if wall_material_param and wall_material_param.AsString() != client_material_check:
            print(f"Wall {wall.Id} does not have the preferred material.")
            # Implement corrective action: Change material or flag for review
        
        # Add more specific checks based on client requirements (e.g., fire rating, structural integrity, etc.)
        

Step 3: Client Requirements Integration The script was tailored to include specific quality checks requested by the client. This involved parameters, dimensions, or design aspects specific to the project that needed validation.

Step 4: Add-In Integration and Execution The Python script was integrated into PyRevit as an add-in. This add-in appeared as a custom tool within Revit's interface, allowing users to execute the quality check process at their convenience.

Results and Outcomes

The developed add-in empowered the project team to:

1. Execute Custom Checks: Perform automated quality checks aligned with the client's standards, identifying deviations efficiently.
2. Streamline Quality Assurance: Facilitate quick identification and resolution of design discrepancies, minimizing errors in the project.
3. Enhance Collaboration: Encourage collaboration among team members by providing a standardized tool for quality assessment.

Conclusion

The creation of a custom quality check add-in using PyRevit significantly enhanced the project's quality assurance process. By tailoring checks to meet client requirements and integrating them seamlessly into Revit, the project team ensured adherence to specific quality standards, resulting in a more refined and compliant infra design.