You want to be able to create powerful geometry and data in TestFit, but also be able to pass that information into Revit and AutoCAD for more detailed design and documentation. We’ve already created a process to export to AutoCAD and we’re happy to share we’ve created some new, more robust workflows to get your data and buildings from TestFit to Revit and vice versa.
At the moment, we believe that Dynamo is the best way for TestFit users to pass data back and forth. Although there are easier ways to do this (we’re looking at creating a Revit Add-in in the future), Dynamo allows you to customize the geometry and data you want to manipulate in Revit. We’re breaking down the 5 scripts below or you can skip ahead to download the scripts.
1. TestFit Building to Revit
Let’s say you’ve created a fantastic building in TestFit and TestFit has created all the data you need to know to turn this deal into a building. No one wants to rebuild or redraw a building they have in one software into another. With this script you can choose the Revit families you want to describe your walls, floors, roofs, etc. and create the building from the TestFit .RSD file.
Try it yourself with our TestFit Building to Revit Knowledge Base article.
2. Revit to TestFit Kit of Parts (KOP)
Your firm has a library of typical apartment units you pull from for every project. To make it easy, we’ve created this workflow to allow you to bring those units and their descriptions into TestFit as a Kit of Parts (KOP). Select the walls and input the unit type and it will save it as a .KOP file so it can always be accessed in the TestFit unit editor.
Try out Revit to TestFit KOP with our Knowledge Base article.
3. Revit Interior Fitout with TestFit Building and Revit Typical Units
After bringing your building into Revit you can fit out the interior of the apartment units with this script. By creating model groups of the typical apartments, this script will take those units, associate them to the unit types in TestFit and place them accordingly into the Revit building. From there, if you’d like to make an edit to any of the unit types, all you have to do is edit the main model group and your changes will occur in the rest of the units.
4. TestFit Property Line to Revit Model Lines
Just select the .RSD file that contains a property line in TestFit and this script will bring the geometry into Revit as model lines.
5. Revit Model Lines to TestFit Property Line
This script allows you to do the opposite; bring Revit model lines into TestFit as property lines. Simply select the model lines in Revit and location of the .RSD file to save it.
Dynamo Setup
Step 1: Download the TestFit Dynamo scripts package by filling out this form:
Step 2: Download the amazing packages that our scripts are powered by. To do this open Dynamo, go to Packages>Search Packages, and download them there:
a. Clockwork
b. Archi-lab
c. Spring nodes
d. JsonData
e. Data-Shapes
f. TestFit Dynamo
Please note: These scripts are based on Dynamo 2.6 however should work with any Dynamo version above 2.0. They have not been tested against versions lower than Dynamo 2.0.
Dynamo Player
Most of the TestFit Dynamo scripts can be run directly out of Dynamo Player. Just point your Dynamo Player Directory to the location you placed the scripts and press the play button for the script you want to run. If you want to see what is happening in the background, you can click on the pencil icon next to the play button.
Pro tip: placing the script folder on a network drive is a great way for more employees to be able to easily access them and make sure all of you are working off the same version of them.
Our user interfaces are powered by the Data-Shapes package, which allows us to make simple user interfaces for you to work with. This prevents what we call “Spaghetti Shock”, the feeling when you open a large and complicated Dynamo or Grasshopper script and feel utterly worthless. When you press play in Dynamo Player, one of these UIs should pop up. Input the necessary parameters and run the script!
Example TestFit Dynamo script
We’ll use the TestFit Building to Revit script as an example. If you’ve followed the above steps correctly, your Dynamo Player should look like the images above. Click the play button for the TestFit Building to Revit Script and a UI will appear. The dropdown box titles will vary depending on the families in your Revit project.
Select the filepath of the TestFit .RSD file you want to bring into Revit and select the family types you would like for each TestFit geometry. Click import and you are done! Depending on the complexity of the building, it could take somewhere between 10 seconds and 5 minutes. You should be able to see progress bars in the bottom left of the Revit window.
Make Revit go brr
With these scripts we hope that we empower you to better utilize the geometry and data you create in TestFit in other stages of the design process. If you have any feedback on the scripts, suggestions on other ways to improve TestFit, or just want to send us a funny gif, don’t hesitate to send it to Nat.
New to TestFit? Sign up for a free trial.
Special thanks again to the great Dynamo packages we used to power these workflows:
- Clockwork by Andreas Dieckmann aka @a_dieckmann. GitHub.
- Archilab by Konrad Sobon aka @arch_labroratory. GitHub.
- Spring Nodes by Dimitar Venkov aka @5devene. GitHub.
- JsonData by Alvaro Pickmans aka @alvpickmans. GitHub.
