Working with Revit, we usually face repetitive, manual tasks during which we can make mistakes. For example, renaming all the rooms in a hotel according to the floor they are on: the first floor ones would begin at 101, 102, 103… the second floor ones at 201, 202, 203, etc. The situation is even more complicated when differing from rooms and their bathrooms, or the spaces for installations on each floor…

A way to make sure we do not make any mistake is through programming. This way, we will make the computer do the “dirty work”, allowing technicians to spend more time on higher-added-value tasks.

However, dominating a programming language is uncommon amongst professionals in the AEC field. Thus the success of what we call visual programming: a programming method aimed at allowing people without background programming knowledge to develop routines to improve the project’s production process. Dynamo is a visual programming tool that adapts to Revit in order to expand its capabilities.

In an intuitive way, the designer places different pieces with specific functions on the Dynamo board and fits them together to build the application code.

Without the user noticing, Dynamo establishes connection with the database of the Revit project and manipulates it following the user’s instructions. It also allows us to extract data, manipulate it with other applications and introduce them all over again into the Revit Project.

In IDP, we use the Dynamo application to automate processes, contributing to improve the quality of the projects and to reduce production schedules.