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Adding Support for a New Revit Version

This guide explains the step-by-step process to add support for a new Revit version to pyRevit.

Prerequisites

Before starting, gather the following information:

  1. Revit Version Year (e.g., 2028)
  2. Target .NET Framework:
    • Revit 2021-2024: net48
    • Revit 2025-2026: net8.0-windows
    • Revit 2027+: net10.0-windows
  3. Check if a new .NET version is required - If the new Revit uses a different .NET version than previous releases, additional steps are needed (see sections 4 and 5)

Step 1: Create the Runtime Project

Create a new runtime project for the Revit version.

1.1 Copy an existing project folder

cd dev/pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.Runtime
cp -r 2027 2028

1.2 Rename and update the project file

Rename pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.Runtime.2027.csproj to pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.Runtime.2028.csproj and update its contents:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <UseWpf>true</UseWpf>
    <UseWindowsForms>true</UseWindowsForms>
  </PropertyGroup>
  
  <PropertyGroup>
    <RevitVersion>2028</RevitVersion>
    <TargetFramework>net10.0-windows</TargetFramework>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

!!! note Adjust the TargetFramework based on which .NET version the new Revit uses.

Step 2: Update Build Configuration

2.1 Add version constants

Edit dev/Directory.Build.targets and add a new PropertyGroup for the version constants:

<PropertyGroup Condition="'$(RevitVersion)' == '2028'">
    <DefineConstants>$(DefineConstants);REVIT2028;REVIT2021_OR_GREATER;REVIT2022_OR_GREATER</DefineConstants>
</PropertyGroup>

2.2 Add target framework mapping (if new .NET version)

If the new Revit uses a new .NET version, add a mapping in the NetFolder section:

<PropertyGroup>
    <NetFolder Condition="'$(TargetFramework)' == 'net48'">netfx</NetFolder>
    <NetFolder Condition="'$(TargetFramework)' == 'net8.0-windows'">netcore</NetFolder>
    <NetFolder Condition="'$(TargetFramework)' == 'net10.0-windows'">netcore</NetFolder>
    <!-- Add new framework mapping here if needed -->
</PropertyGroup>

2.3 Add default version mapping (if new .NET version)

<PropertyGroup>
    <RevitVersion Condition="'$(RevitVersion)' == '' and '$(TargetFramework)' == 'net48'">2021</RevitVersion>
    <RevitVersion Condition="'$(RevitVersion)' == '' and '$(TargetFramework)' == 'net8.0-windows'">2025</RevitVersion>
    <RevitVersion Condition="'$(RevitVersion)' == '' and '$(TargetFramework)' == 'net10.0-windows'">2027</RevitVersion>
    <!-- Add new default here if needed -->
</PropertyGroup>

Step 3: Copy Support Libraries

Copy the Xceed.Wpf.AvalonDock.dll from the previous version:

mkdir dev/libs/Revit/2028
cp dev/libs/Revit/2027/Xceed.Wpf.AvalonDock.dll dev/libs/Revit/2028/

This DLL is required for the dockable console functionality in supported Revit versions.

Step 4: Update Host Registry

Add entries for the new Revit builds in release/pyrevit-hosts.json. CI copies this file into bin/ at build time.

Example entry:

{
    "build": "20270115_1200",
    "meta": {
        "schema": "1.0",
        "source": "https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/..."
    },
    "notes": "",
    "product": "Autodesk Revit",
    "release": "Revit 2028",
    "target": "x64",
    "version": "28.0.0.0"
}

!!! note Build numbers are released by Autodesk with each update. Add new entries as updates are released.

Step 5: CI/CD Updates (New .NET Version Only)

If the new Revit requires a new .NET version, update the GitHub Actions workflow.

5.1 Add .NET SDK setup

Edit .github/workflows/ci.yml (and wip.yml / release.yml if they install their own SDKs) and add a new setup step:

- name: Prepare .NET XX.0
  uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v5
  with:
    dotnet-version: XX.0.x

Step 6: Installer Updates (New .NET Version Only)

6.1 Add dependency procedure

Edit release/CodeDependencies.iss and add new procedures for the .NET runtime.

Copy the latest procedures from the upstream InnoDependencyInstaller repository. Look for procedures like Dependency_AddDotNetXX0 and Dependency_AddDotNetXX0Desktop.

Example (based on .NET 10):

procedure Dependency_AddDotNet110;
begin
  // https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/11.0
  if not Dependency_IsNetCoreInstalled('Microsoft.NETCore.App', 11, 0, 0) then begin
    Dependency_Add('dotnet110' + Dependency_ArchSuffix + '.exe',
      '/lcid ' + IntToStr(GetUILanguage) + ' /passive /norestart',
      '.NET Runtime 11.0.0' + Dependency_ArchTitle,
      Dependency_String('https://builds.dotnet.microsoft.com/dotnet/Runtime/11.0.0/dotnet-runtime-11.0.0-win-x86.exe', 'https://builds.dotnet.microsoft.com/dotnet/Runtime/11.0.0/dotnet-runtime-11.0.0-win-x64.exe'),
      '', False, False);
  end;
end;

procedure Dependency_AddDotNet110Desktop;
begin
  // https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/11.0
  if not Dependency_IsNetCoreInstalled('Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App', 11, 0, 0) then begin
    Dependency_Add('dotnet110desktop' + Dependency_ArchSuffix + '.exe',
      '/lcid ' + IntToStr(GetUILanguage) + ' /passive /norestart',
      '.NET Desktop Runtime 11.0.0' + Dependency_ArchTitle,
      Dependency_String('https://builds.dotnet.microsoft.com/dotnet/WindowsDesktop/11.0.0/windowsdesktop-runtime-11.0.0-win-x86.exe', 'https://builds.dotnet.microsoft.com/dotnet/WindowsDesktop/11.0.0/windowsdesktop-runtime-11.0.0-win-x64.exe'),
      '', False, False);
  end;
end;

!!! tip The upstream repository is regularly updated with the latest .NET runtime download URLs. Check there first for ready-to-use procedures.

6.2 Call the dependency in the installer

Edit release/pyrevit.iss and add calls in the InitializeSetup function:

function InitializeSetup: Boolean;
begin
  // .NET 8 for Revit 2025-2026
  Dependency_AddDotNet80;
  Dependency_AddDotNet80Desktop;
  // .NET 10 for Revit 2027+
  Dependency_AddDotNet100;
  Dependency_AddDotNet100Desktop;
  // .NET XX for Revit 20YY+ (add new dependencies here)
  Result := True;
end;

Step 7: Handle Revit API Breaking Changes

Check the Revit API release notes for breaking changes. Common patterns include:

Conditional compilation

Use preprocessor directives to handle API differences:

#if REVIT2028_OR_GREATER
    // New API for 2028+
    element.NewMethod();
#else
    // Legacy API
    element.OldMethod();
#endif

Adding new version constants

If needed, add new _OR_GREATER constants in dev/Directory.Build.targets:

<PropertyGroup Condition="'$(RevitVersion)' == '2028'">
    <DefineConstants>$(DefineConstants);REVIT2028;REVIT2021_OR_GREATER;REVIT2022_OR_GREATER;REVIT2028_OR_GREATER</DefineConstants>
</PropertyGroup>

Step 8: Build and Test

8.1 Build the products

The build is driven by the C# ModularPipelines project under build/. Run from build/:

cd build
dotnet run -c Debug -- ci
cd ..

For Release stamping on the new Revit version, run with Build__Channel=release (or wip) instead of the default none. See build/README.md for full options.

8.2 Attach and test

.\bin\pyrevit.exe attach dev default --installed

8.3 Verify in Revit

  1. Launch the new Revit version
  2. Check that pyRevit loads without errors
  3. Test core functionality (ribbon, scripts, console)

Quick Reference: Key Files

File Purpose
dev/pyRevitLabs.PyRevit.Runtime/YYYY/*.csproj Runtime project per Revit version
dev/Directory.Build.targets Version constants and framework mappings
dev/Directory.Build.props Common project properties and NuGet packages
dev/libs/Revit/YYYY/ Version-specific DLLs (Xceed.Wpf.AvalonDock)
release/pyrevit-hosts.json Revit build registry for version detection (staged to bin/ by CI)
.github/workflows/ci.yml, wip.yml, release.yml CI/CD pipeline configuration
release/CodeDependencies.iss .NET runtime installer procedures
release/pyrevit.iss Main pyRevit installer script

Troubleshooting

Build errors about missing types

This usually means a Revit API has changed. Check the API documentation and add conditional compilation (#if REVITxxxx_OR_GREATER).

Runtime errors in new Revit version

Check for reflection-based code that may behave differently on new .NET versions. Submodules like IronPython may need updates for new .NET compatibility.

Xceed.Wpf.AvalonDock errors

Ensure the DLL was copied to the correct dev/libs/Revit/YYYY/ folder.