Let’s talk about Revit Lookup, the interactive Revit BIM tool that allows you to explore your data. If you’ve ever had a conversation with me about BIM, you understand that I put most of my efforts towards data within my Revit models. Yes, Revit can produce clean drawings and beautiful renderings, but data within our models is what sets us apart from our predecessors. Revit Lookup is one of the most powerful Revit add-ins for reviewing said data, giving its users the capability to view most of the raw database including several data points that are typically not visible from the frontend. In the screenshot below, you can see that Revit Lookup exposes element data such as element ID, the BoundingBox (x, y, z coordinates), the level ID, and location. All of which are available through the Revit API, but otherwise invisible to the end users.
One feature that stands out is the Snoop DB tool included with the Revit Lookup add in. This tool allows users to view data associated with parameters within a Revit project. It helps identify if a parameter is read-only, whether it is has a value, and if it is a shared parameter or not. Very helpful when focusing on the data side of Revit.
Revit Lookup isn’t packaged like other add-ins; there is no installer executable and the source code is hosted on GitHub which means it requires users to compile the code in Visual Studio just to install the add in. This is typically out of the comfort zone of most Revit users. The good news is, Peter Hirn of Build Informed GmbH has launched a website dedicated to Revit Lookup builds and publishes the add-in files to make it easier for users to install RevitLookup. All you need to do is simply copy the add in and DLL files to your Revit add in folder to install.
In conclusion, Revit Lookup is extremely helpful when learning the Revit API as it allows to view and navigate element properties and relationships. If you’re interested in learning how the Revit database is structured, Revit Lookup is the tool for you.