Select model element with user interface

laurindominik · December 26, 2020, 4:54pm

Hi all,

i have started with xaml but for me it is quite hard to connect xaml with python code.

I want that the user needs to select a revit element/face/edge whatever, when clicking the button.
Python in Dynamo works like this here:

import clr

#Import the Revit API
clr.AddReference(‘RevitAPI’)
clr.AddReference(‘RevitAPIUI’)
import Autodesk
from Autodesk.Revit.DB import *
from Autodesk.Revit.UI import *

#Import DocumentManager and TransactionManager
clr.AddReference(‘RevitServices’)
import RevitServices
from RevitServices.Persistence import DocumentManager

doc = DocumentManager.Instance.CurrentDBDocument
uiapp = DocumentManager.Instance.CurrentUIApplication
uidoc = uiapp.ActiveUIDocument

sel = uidoc.Selection.PickObject(Autodesk.Revit.UI.Selection.ObjectType.Element)

OUT = sel

What i tried with the .py file in the extension file is a def that i can call in xaml:

dependencies

import clr

clr.AddReference(‘System.Windows.Forms’)

clr.AddReference(‘IronPython.Wpf’)

#Import the Revit API

clr.AddReference(‘RevitAPI’)

clr.AddReference(‘RevitAPIUI’)

import Autodesk

from Autodesk.Revit.DB import *

from Autodesk.Revit.UI import *

#Import DocumentManager and TransactionManager

clr.AddReference(‘RevitServices’)

import RevitServices

from RevitServices.Persistence import DocumentManager

find the path of ui.xaml

from pyrevit import UI

from pyrevit import script

xamlfile = script.get_bundle_file(‘ui.xaml’)

import WPF creator and base Window

import wpf

from System import Windows

doc = DocumentManager.Instance.CurrentDBDocument

uiapp = DocumentManager.Instance.CurrentUIApplication

uidoc = uiapp.ActiveUIDocument

class MyWindow(Windows.Window):

def __init__(self):

    wpf.LoadComponent(self, xamlfile)

def selection(self, sender, args)

    sel = uidoc.Selection.PickObject(Autodesk.Revit.UI.Selection.ObjectType.Element)

let’s show the window (modal)

MyWindow().ShowDialog()

This doesn’t work

Hope somebody can help

GertjanVDB · January 18, 2021, 8:38am

Can you provide us with the output of your code? An error message of some kind? Are you running this in dynamo or in python?

A few things that are hazy in your description is:

when you call

wpf.LoadComponent(self, xamlfile)

Are you absolutely sure that the xamlfile path has been provided? (check it with a print statement if need be)

It might be that you call your selection function ‘selection’ it could be that this variable is provided as a variable in your scope. try renaming it in your xaml and your python file. Perhaps something like “onclick_selection”?

I’ll be able to help you better once you provide your console output.

laurindominik · January 31, 2021, 11:17am

Hey @GertjanVDB,

thanks for your reply.

i tried a bit more and made my code hopefully a bit more structured.

the filepath for the xaml file is defenetly provided since my window pops up when i comment out 1 line of code
i changed the name of the function a couple of times now

Here is the error:

It shows up when i click the Select face button a second time. But when i click it the first time everything in Revit is greyed out, i cannot click anything and i cannot click a face neither (which is what i want to achieve)

# dependencies

import clr

clr.AddReference('System.Windows.Forms')

clr.AddReference('IronPython.Wpf')

#Import the Revit API

import clr

import sys

sys.path.append('C:\Program Files (x86)\IronPython 2.7\Lib')

import System

from System import Array

from System.Collections.Generic import *

clr.AddReference('ProtoGeometry')

from Autodesk.DesignScript.Geometry import *

clr.AddReference("RevitNodes")

import Revit

clr.ImportExtensions(Revit.Elements)

clr.ImportExtensions(Revit.GeometryConversion)

clr.AddReference("RevitServices")

import RevitServices

from RevitServices.Persistence import DocumentManager 

from RevitServices.Transactions import TransactionManager 

clr.AddReference("RevitAPI")

clr.AddReference("RevitAPIUI")

import Autodesk 

from Autodesk.Revit.DB import *

from Autodesk.Revit.UI import *

# find the path of ui.xaml

from pyrevit import UI

from pyrevit import script

from pyrevit import forms

xamlfile = script.get_bundle_file('ui.xaml')

# import WPF creator and base Window

import wpf

from System import Windows

doc = DocumentManager.Instance.CurrentDBDocument

uiapp = DocumentManager.Instance.CurrentUIApplication 

app = uiapp.Application 

uidoc = uiapp.ActiveUIDocument

class PrintSheetsWindow(forms.WPFWindow):

    def __init__(self):

        wpf.LoadComponent(self, xamlfile)

                

    def face(self, sender, args):

        #this does not work

        a = uidoc.Selection.PickObject(Autodesk.Revit.UI.Selection.ObjectType.Face) 

        #Just a hello world functioanlity to test out def and xaml --> works (y)

        name = self.textbox.Text

        self.label.Content = "Hello {}".format(name)

        

# let's show the window (modal)

PrintSheetsWindow().ShowDialog()

laurindominik · January 31, 2021, 11:21am

Oh what i just found out is that when i click the “Select face” button the first time and then close the window, then i can select a face

PieterL_TM · September 7, 2023, 12:21pm

I know this is an old post, but for future reference, this problem has been solve in a different post: https://discourse.pyrevitlabs.io/t/select-model-element-from-ui-upon-button-click/1512

You hide and show the window before and after your selection with:
self.Hide()
self.Close()

so your code looks something like this:

def face(self, sender, args):
    self.Hide()
    a = uidoc.Selection.PickObject(Autodesk.Revit.UI.Selection.ObjectType.Face) 
    self.Close()

PieterL_TM · September 7, 2023, 1:12pm

I noticed a mistake in my previous post, this is how I do it now:

def face(self, sender, args):
    self.Hide()
    a = uidoc.Selection.PickObject(Autodesk.Revit.UI.Selection.ObjectType.Face) 
    self.ShowDialog()

By using ShowDialog(), you create a modal window once again. After some testing, I believe this gives better results than a modeless window.

GertjanVDB · October 4, 2023, 8:58am

wait , so hiding the window also stops it from blocking revit? I did not know that