Namespace: Autodesk.Revit.DB

ExternalDefinition

Class

Description:
The ExternalDefinition object adds properties specific to Autodesk Revit shared parameter definitions.

Remarks:

The ExternalDefinition object can be created by a definition Group object from a shared parameters file. External parameter definition must belong to a Group which is nothing more than a collection of shared parameter definitions. The following process should be followed to add a parameter to an element: Open the shared parameters file, via the Application.OpenSharedParameterFile() method. Access an existing or create a new group, via the DefinitionFile.Groups property. Access an existing or create a new external parameter definition, via the DefinitionGroup.Definitions property. Create a new Binding object with the categories to which the parameter will be bound using an InstanceBinding or a TypeBinding object. Finally add the binding and definition to the document using the Document.ParameterBindings object.

Shared parameters added to elements are typically visible to interactive users. To add data to elements that is never visible to interactive users, use Extensible Storage to construct and populate the needed structured data.

Inheritance Hierarchy:
System.Object
Autodesk.Revit.DB.Definition
Autodesk.Revit.DB.ExternalDefinition

Syntax

public class ExternalDefinition : Definition, 
	IDisposable

Public Class ExternalDefinition _
	Inherits Definition _
	Implements IDisposable

public ref class ExternalDefinition : public Definition, 
	IDisposable

Examples

private void ReadEditExternalParam(DefinitionFile file)
{
    // get ExternalDefinition from shared parameter file
    DefinitionGroups myGroups = file.Groups;
    DefinitionGroup myGroup = myGroups.get_Item("MyGroup");
    if (myGroup != null)
    {
         ExternalDefinition myExtDef = myGroup.Definitions.get_Item("MyParam") as ExternalDefinition;
         if (myExtDef != null)
         {
             DefinitionGroup newGroup = myGroups.get_Item("AnotherGroup");
             if (newGroup != null)
             {
                 // change the OwnerGroup of the ExternalDefinition
                 myExtDef.OwnerGroup = newGroup;
             }
         }
    }
}

Private Sub ReadEditExternalParam(file As DefinitionFile)
   ' get ExternalDefinition from shared parameter file
   Dim myGroups As DefinitionGroups = file.Groups
   Dim myGroup As DefinitionGroup = myGroups.Item("MyGroup")
   If myGroup IsNot Nothing Then
      Dim myExtDef As ExternalDefinition = TryCast(myGroup.Definitions.Item("MyParam"), ExternalDefinition)
      If myExtDef IsNot Nothing Then
         Dim newGroup As DefinitionGroup = myGroups.Item("AnotherGroup")
         If newGroup IsNot Nothing Then
            ' change the OwnerGroup of the ExternalDefinition
            myExtDef.OwnerGroup = newGroup
         End If
      End If
   End If
End Sub