Namespace: Autodesk.Revit.DB

Category

Class

Description:
Represents the category or subcategory to which an element belongs.

Remarks:
Categories are an important tool within Revit for identifying the inferred type of an element, such as anything in the Walls category should be considered as a wall. The API exposes access to the built in categories within Revit via the Document.Settings.Categories property.

Inheritance Hierarchy:
System.Object
Autodesk.Revit.DB.APIObject
Autodesk.Revit.DB.Category

Syntax

public class Category : APIObject

Public Class Category
	Inherits APIObject

public ref class Category : public APIObject

type Category = 
    class
        inherit APIObject
    end

Examples

Element selectedElement = null;
foreach (ElementId id in uidoc.Selection.GetElementIds())
{
    selectedElement = document.GetElement(id);
    break;  // just get one selected element
}

// Get the category instance from the Category property
Category category = selectedElement.Category;

BuiltInCategory enumCategory = category.BuiltInCategory;

// Format the prompt string, which contains the category information
String prompt = "The category information of the selected element is: ";
prompt += "\n\tName:\t" + category.Name;   // Name information

prompt += "\n\tId:\t" + enumCategory.ToString();    // Id information
prompt += "\n\tParent:\t";
if (null == category.Parent)
{
    prompt += "No Parent Category";   // Parent information, it may be null
}
else
{
    prompt += category.Parent.Name;
}

prompt += "\n\tSubCategories:"; // SubCategories information, 
CategoryNameMap subCategories = category.SubCategories;
if (null == subCategories || 0 == subCategories.Size) // It may be null or has no item in it
{
    prompt += "No SubCategories;";
}
else
{
    foreach (Category ii in subCategories)
    {
        prompt += "\n\t\t" + ii.Name;
    }
}

// Give the user some information
TaskDialog.Show("Revit",prompt);

Dim selectedElement As Element = Nothing
For Each id As ElementId In uidoc.Selection.GetElementIds()
    selectedElement = document.GetElement(id)
    ' just get one selected element
    Exit For
Next

' Get the category instance from the Category property
Dim category As Category = selectedElement.Category

Dim enumCategory As BuiltInCategory = category.BuiltInCategory

' Format the prompt string, which contains the category information
Dim prompt As [String] = "The category information of the selected element is: "
prompt += vbLf & vbTab & "Name:" & vbTab + category.Name
' Name information
prompt += vbLf & vbTab & "Id:" & vbTab & enumCategory.ToString()
' Id information
prompt += vbLf & vbTab & "Parent:" & vbTab
If category.Parent Is Nothing Then
    ' Parent information, it may be null
    prompt += "No Parent Category"
Else
    prompt += category.Parent.Name
End If

prompt += vbLf & vbTab & "SubCategories:"
' SubCategories information, 
Dim subCategories As CategoryNameMap = category.SubCategories
If subCategories Is Nothing OrElse 0 = subCategories.Size Then
    ' It may be null or has no item in it
    prompt += "No SubCategories;"
Else
    For Each ii As Category In subCategories
        prompt += vbLf & vbTab & vbTab + ii.Name
    Next
End If

' Give the user some information
TaskDialog.Show("Revit", prompt)

Category Class Members:

Name	Description	Inherited From
AllowsBoundParameters	To check if the category can have project parameters.
AllowsVisibilityControl	Whether the visibility can be controlled by the user for this category in this view.
BuiltInCategory	Gets the BuiltInCategory value for this category.
CanAddSubcategory	Indicates if subcategories can be assigned to the category.
CategoryType	Gets the category type of this category.
HasMaterialQuantities	Identifies if elements of the category are able to report what materials they contain in what quantities.
Id	Returns the category id associated with the category object.
IsCuttable	Indicates if the category is cuttable or not.
IsReadOnly	Identifies if the object is read-only or modifiable. (Inherited from APIObject )	APIObject
IsTagCategory	Identifies if the category is associated with a type of tag for a different category.
IsValid	Indicates if the Category is valid or not.
IsVisibleInUI	Identifies if the category is visible to the user and should be displayed in UI.
LineColor	The color of lines shown for elements of this category.
Material	Retrieves or changes the material of the category.
Name	The category name.
Parent	Returns the parent category of this category.
SubCategories	Returns a map containing all of the subcategories of this category.
Visible	Retrieves or changes the visibility of the category in the active view.

Name	Description	Inherited From
Dispose	Causes the object to release immediately any resources it may be utilizing. (Inherited from APIObject )	APIObject
Equals	Determines whether the specified object is equal to the current object. (Inherited from Object )	Object
GetBuiltInCategory	Gets the BuiltInCategory value corresponding to the given built-in category identifier.
GetBuiltInCategoryTypeId	Gets the ForgeTypeId identifying the given built-in category.
GetCategory(Document, BuiltInCategory)	Retrieves a category object corresponding to a BuiltInCategory id.
GetCategory(Document, ElementId)	Retrieves a category object corresponding to the category id.
GetGraphicsStyle	Gets the graphics style associated with this category for the given graphics style type.
GetHashCode	(Overrides Object . GetHashCode () )
GetLinePatternId	Gets the line pattern id associated with this category for the given graphics style type.
GetLineWeight	Retrieves the line weight assigned to the category for the given graphics style type.
GetType	Gets the Type of the current instance. (Inherited from Object )	Object
IsBuiltInCategory	Checks whether a ForgeTypeId identifies a built-in category.
IsBuiltInCategoryValid	Checks if a Category exists for a given BuiltInCategory.
SetLinePatternId	Sets the line pattern id associated with this category for the given graphics style type.
SetLineWeight	Sets the line weight for the given graphics style type.
ToString	Returns a string that represents the current object. (Inherited from Object )	Object