FormIt 2021.2 and New Revit Add-In Now Available
by Josh Goldstein, 24 July 2020
Hello FormIt fans!
We hope you and yours are well.
We're excited to announce FormIt 2021.2, as well as a major update to the FormIt Add-In for Revit.
FormIt Add-In for Revit 2021.1
Let's start with the FormIt Add-In! Available only for Revit 2021.1 and newer, this update addresses two of our biggest customer requests, and will help you visualize your FormIt data more accurately and effectively in Revit:
Edge Visibility Consistency
Smoothed (hidden) edges between FormIt faces will now remain hidden when converted to Revit.
Here's a design in FormIt (powered by Dynamo!) featuring dozens of curved surfaces generated using sweeps and lofts.
In Revit 2021.0, the smoothed edges become unexpectedly visible, but Revit 2021.1 keeps them hidden:
Material Consistency
Materials that were scaled or rotated on a face in FormIt, for example through the Adjust Material Placement tool or from imported geometry, will now remain at the correct orientation when converted to Revit.
Here's a simple FormIt model with several materials applied to faces. Each face has a rotation and/or scale override, which is lost in Revit 2021.0 and older, but maintained in Revit 2021.1 and newer:
Excited? You'll need to upgrade to Revit 2021.1, then do the following depending on your setup:
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If you're upgrading from Revit 2021.0 to Revit 2021.1:
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Download and install from the Autodesk Desktop App, under Revit Updates.
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Or download and install from the Product Updates section of your Autodesk Account.
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Or download and install directly from our website.
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If you're installing Revit 2021.1 as a full product install, you'll get the new FormIt Add-In automatically.
We hope you enjoy these long-awaited fixes, and we appreciate the feedback. The FormIt Add-In will continue to grow, and we have big plans in motion for the larger FormIt + Revit connection, too!
FormIt Updates
In FormIt proper, we've made several enhancements and fixes we think you'll appreciate:
Content Library: All Importable File Types
We've opened up the Content Library to support non-FormIt file types, so you can drag and drop 3D content like furniture, entourage, and supporting models from any file type that's supported already via the Import menu. (FormIt for Windows and Web only)
The impacts from this change depend on the platform. In addition to the standard FormIt AXM/AXMF file types:
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FormIt for Windows has the biggest selection of importable files, and the Content Library now supports all of them: DWG, FBX, OBJ, SAT, SKP, and STL.
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FormIt for Web supports STL and OBJ imports, and now the Content Library does, too.
New Materials
We've added about 70 new materials, and refreshed the maps on nearly 200 others, in the Material Samples directory on Windows, and in the Pro-only Material Library on Web and iPad.
This change actually went live about a week ago, as these materials are hosted on a service that can be modified without requiring an app update. This is great for everyone, as we can periodically refresh the material offerings with no inconvenience to you.
When new materials are available, you'll get them immediately in FormIt for Web and iPad, and in FormIt for Windows, the Materials panel will automatically download the new offerings (one-time) as you visit each category folder.
Dynamo: Selection-Based Storefront/Curtainwall Sample
We've updated the Storefront/Curtainwall Dynamo sample to take advantage of the new SelectFromFormIt node, so you can now select a piece of "glass" (a single face or a thin solid) around which to generate a mullion system. (FormIt for Windows only)
This improvement makes it faster and easier to get a good result given your project's unique requirements, and it also unlocks new abilities which are handy when generating a mullion system:
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Non-rectangular boundaries are now possible: the border mullions simply follow the glass boundary you select.
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Adding doors is easier than ever by removing the door openings from the glass boundary.
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If the glass shape changes, simply re-run the graph to update the mullions.
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Learn more about the Storefront Curtainwall script, including tips and hidden features.
Other Updates
With every release, we strive to fix bugs and make general reliability improvements. Here are a few from this update:
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All FormIt Platforms
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Ortho Edges: We fixed an issue where Orthographic Camera mode would incorrectly display edges that should have been hidden (occluded) by surfaces.
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Image Selection: We improved the reliability of selecting imported and satellite images in the canvas.
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No More FormIt Folder: We made a change that stops the automatic creation of the "FormIt" folder and its "Content Library" subfolder, when accessing projects in BIM 360 Docs.
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With our recent updates in this area, which have enabled nested folder and project root access, this folder became less necessary than ever, and we received requests to stop creating it automatically.
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Existing folders won't be affected, and you can continue to make your own FormIt folders (through the BIM 360 Docs web interface) if you'd like.
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FormIt for Windows
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Material Filtering: We fixed an issue where filtering for materials in the Material palette would incorrectly show empty results.
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Material Sizing: We fixed an issue where setting a material greater than 1,000 units in the Material Editor would fail.
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BIM 360 Docs Base Folder: You can now navigate to the base folder in a BIM 360 Docs project, and you can delete or replace the "Project Files" folder without causing issues.
- This also addresses many quality issues around saving and opening on BIM 360 Docs when a Project Folder had a custom or non-English name.
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FormIt for Web
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Material Search: We restored the search bar in the Pro-only Material Library dialog.
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Material Brightness: We fixed a long-standing issue where the 3D material preview rendered the materials with far too much brightness.
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BIM 360 Docs Base Folder: You can now navigate to the base folder in a BIM 360 Docs project, and you can delete or replace the "Project Files" folder without causing issues.
- This also addresses many quality issues around saving and opening on BIM 360 Docs when a Project Folder had a custom or non-English name.
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FormIt for iPad
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BIM 360 Docs: We fixed an issue where thumbnails would render the background black.
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Regional Dimensions: We fixed an issue where selecting France as the iPadOS region would break editiable dimensions.
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For a full list of what's changed, head over to the release notes for Windows, Web, and iPadOS.
You can download the update now for Windows (also available from the Autodesk Desktop App), get the updated app for iPad, or launch the updated version of FormIt Web.
We have more great improvements on the way! In the meantime, drop us a line on the forums if you have issues, questions, or want to request a feature.
Stay safe,
The FormIt Team