The Ultimate Guide to

DYNAMO Written by Carol Dunn & Christopher Riddell

The Ultimate Guide to Dynamo | ASTI.COM 1

ASTI.com
Table of Contents
Dynamo Studio.............................................................................................................................................................. 2
Dynamo Revit................................................................................................................................................................ 2
System Requirements For Dynamo 2017, Entry Level Configuration............................................................................... 4
Uses Of Dynamo............................................................................................................................................................ 5
Generative Design......................................................................................................................................................... 5
Fabrication.................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Technical Notes............................................................................................................................................................. 7
Civil Engineering............................................................................................................................................................ 7
BIM............................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Training......................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Purchasing..................................................................................................................................................................... 8

The Ultimate Guide to Dynamo | ASTI.COM 1

Explore and analyze with Autodesk Dynamo, a programming environment that requires no programming
experience.
Dynamo enables designers to create visual logic so they can explore a wide range of parametric conceptual
designs using logic, simple data and analysis without the need to create a physical prototype. Dynamo also
automates repetitive design tasks so designers can use their productive time more wisely.
There are two versions of Dynamo.

Dynamo Studio
Dynamo Studio, considered the lightweight version, can be used as a standalone product or alongside Revit.
It helps make BIM-connected computational design workflows fluid and efficient because even collaborators
without Revit can participate on a model. Collaboration takes place live in a shared environment – no need for
exports. Geometry can be analyzed inside Dynamo Studio without any separate applications.

Dynamo Studio does not have the Revit API connection and cannot directly communicate with Revit. Instead,
it relies on the geometry it can create and import, and it does not need to use or manipulate geometry directly
from Revit. Because Dynamo Studio operates as a standalone design tool, geometry is analyzed inside Dynamo
Studio without a separate application like Revit. Parametric geometry can also translate into Revit families.
Standalone Dynamo Studio is available on Autodesk Subscription.

Dynamo Revit
“Dynamo” is typically a reference to the version that now ships with Revit that has access to the Revit API
for performing operations within Revit, including the ability to use Revit elements for their properties and
geometry. It works interactively with Revit for computational building information modeling (BIM) and does
not function as a standalone product.
Both versions allow for data manipulation.
Dynamo ships with Revit, so you get it for free if you have a Revit license.
In summary, both versions enable designers to develop a simple, real-time workflow for importing and
exporting data to and from:
 Excel
 CSV
 Image formats
 DWG and other modeling applications

The term “programming” may cause certain things to automatically spring to mind, like Java, Python, C#,
Visual Basic, Swift. But programming with Dynamo is different. Using Dynamo does not require previous
programming experience. The software offers open source graphical programming that employs a simple
scripting interface that is easy to use. It is complementary to Revit, enabling BIM-connected computational
design.

The Ultimate Guide to Dynamo | ASTI.COM 2

Designers can analyze and visualize projects using surface and solid geometry. The behavior of the design
model can be “tested,” complex design challenges can be addressed, and geometric problems can be visualized
using graphical logic.

The fact that no programming experience is required makes Dynamo an important tool in bridging the
gap between highly trained senior staff and junior staff with technical skills but little industry experience.
Christopher Riddell explains the possibilities in the blog article, “Dynamo: The Answer to the Knowledge Gap.”

The benefits of Dynamo include:

• Generation of sophisticated designs using simple data, logic and analysis

• Rapid testing and iteration of designs

• Solutions to complex geometric problems

• Automation of repetitive tasks

• Realistic risk studies

• Communication with Revit, Robot, Rhinoceros, Navisworks, Excel, Google Spreadsheets, SAP2000

The opportunities are many for Dynamo to help engineers,

designers and detailers in their daily work. Dynamo can help
get things done faster and with minimal effort by automating
repetitive tasks. This in turn speeds design processes and improves
efficiency. Designs can be extended into interoperable workflows
for documentation, analysis, coordination, and fabrication. In this
Autodesk video, Dynamo for Structure is demonstrated.

Christopher Riddell explains the far-reaching possibilities

of using Dynamo in this “Bridging the Gap Episode on Dynamo.”

With no previous programming experience, you can go from

solving simple problems to exploring complex designs quickly in
Dynamo. You can capture the parameters of multidimensional
design using the visual logic of Dynamo to automate workflows.
The exploration process alone can save you hours, days or weeks,
depending on the complexity of your project.
Applied Software Applications Developer Carlo Licea says,
“Dynamo is certainly an application that is easiest to understand
visually or through interaction.”

The Ultimate Guide to Dynamo | ASTI.COM 3

System Requirements For Dynamo 2017,
Entry Level Configuration:

Operating system Microsoft Windows 8 64-bit:

Windows 8 Enterprise, Pro, or Windows 8

Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-bit:

Windows 8.1 Enterprise, Pro, or Windows 8.1Microsoft Windows 10 64-bit:

Windows 10 Enterprise, Pro, or Windows 10

CPU Single- or Multi-Core Intel® Pentium®, Xeon®, or i-Series processor or AMD®
equivalent with SSE2 technology. Highest affordable CPU speed rating rec-
ommended.
Memory 4 GB RAM usually sufficient for typical editing session, based on internal
testing and customer reports. Individual models will vary in use of computer
resources and performance characteristics. For higher performance, use 8
GB or 16 GB RAM.
Video display 1,920 x 1,080 with true color or higher
Video adapter Basic graphics:
Display adapter capable of 24-bit color

Advanced graphics:
3D graphics in Dynamo Studio require Windows 7 or Windows 8 with a
DirectX 10 compatible GPU. Parallels on the Mac are supported with Hard-
ware Acceleration enabled. Software rendering is supported using WARP
(available in Windows 8).
Disk space 1 GB or more free disk space based on preference
Media Download or installation from DVD9 or USB key
Pointing device MS-Mouse or compliant
Browser Any supported browser
Connectivity Internet connection needed for license registration and component down-
loads.

From Autodesk Knowledge Network.

The Ultimate Guide to Dynamo | ASTI.COM 4

Uses Of Dynamo
Generative Design
Almost everything about manufacturing automation is already expensive, causing the industry as a whole to
cast an optimistic eye toward generative design. The scope of generative design is expanding to include new
manufacturing processes that will work with established manufacturing capabilities. Learn more about it in
“How Generative Design Fits Today’s Manufacturing.”

At the annual NXTBLD conference in June 2019, emerging technologies for the built environment were explored.
Naturally, generative design was one of those up and coming
technologies. Rabi Sidawi took a look at the possibilities in
“NXTBLD: The Architect’s Role on Mars.” These technology
advancements have been referred to as disruptive. And, although the
term “disruptive” may sound negative, it is in fact frequently far from
it. The article, “Harnessing Disruptive BIM Technologies,” makes the
point that most leaps forward in history have been the result of
disruptive technology.

Design automation enables designers to use specific rules and

instructions to script computational processes that reflect the creative
and analytical methods of human-driven design. The blog article, “The AE Climb: Manual Design to Automated
Design to Generative Design,” describes taking a manual process and letting a computer help you do it faster.

In December 2018, Autodesk released an initial version of Refinery, a Dynamo Generative Design package that
works with Dynamo version 2.02 and is mainly used with Revit 2019 and Revit 2020. See the blog article,
“Generative Design with Dynamo Refinery” for a description of how generative design works through Dynamo.
In fact, Refinery has been a new buzz word around Dynamo Generative Design. It has created a lot of interest in
the AEC community, especially regarding its usefulness. Will
generative design replace the job of architects? In “BIM
Generative Design with Dynamo Refinery” you can decide for
yourself if that’s probable.

Dynamo works great for design automation in architecture and

engineering. Using Dynamo, designers can create visual and
graphical logic to explore conceptual Revit designs that update
parametrically. Projects can be visualized using precision surface
and solid geometry, and iterations can be explored and analyzed
faster. Developer Carlo Licea explains how you can take the
manual process of design and get a computer to help you do it
faster in “The AE Climb: Manual Design to Automated Design to
Generative Design.”

The Ultimate Guide to Dynamo | ASTI.COM 5

Faced with a skilled labor shortage in the construction industry, companies are looking for ways to reengage
industry-savvy professionals without requiring them to learn new software. Could a visual programming tool
like Autodesk Dynamo possibly be the answer? The article, “Dynamo: The Answer to the Knowledge Gap,”
explores this potential.

Why should construction sites be scanned weekly? This video shows how critical reality capture is in the AEC
process: “Why UAVs and Mixed Reality Are Critical to AEC.”

The Autodesk 2020 products have features that will

streamline your design process, saving you and your firm
precious time. We asked our industry-trained technical
experts what new features they appreciated most, and
here’s the short list. Over Three Dozen Features We Are
Excited About in Autodesk 2020 Releases

The Revit 2021 release was one of the most significant Revit releases in years. There is a litany of new features
for all the AEC disciplines, many that impart meaningful improvements to existing workflows and enable new
workflows. See the article Revit 2021: A Few of My Favorite New Things for nine outstanding features, topped
by Dynamo 2.5. There are helpful videos included that demonstrate Dynamo, as well as generative design.

Cloud “credits” are the unit of measurement required to perform certain tasks, such as creating a rendering,
running a simulation or setting up a generative study in a cloud environment using Autodesk cloud services.
Although it’s a little dated, engineering.com published an article, “When Do You Render in the Cloud?” with
helpful tips about how to decide if/when rendering in the cloud is right for you. For a short history of cloud
computing and hints about managing cloud credits, check out “I Look at Clouds from Both Sides Now.” The
vague locations of these remote data centers – kept secret to foil hackers – likely inspired the moniker “cloud.”

The Ultimate Guide to Dynamo | ASTI.COM 6

Fabrication
Technical Notes
In Autodesk Fabrication CADmep, the command SL1 was
previously used to isolate a service. Following is a download script
for an isolation command, written with Dynamo, for Revit. You
can get the script at Fabrication Services in Revit, and there is a
companion video at: https://youtu.be/yKr6b7W0QEg.

The technical team reports that users sometimes discover the

Fabrication database appears to lose the GUID for no apparent
reason. To recover the GUID, use the following link: “Recover
Fabrication GUID with Dynamo.” The companion video is at:
https://youtu.be/kARo1sihy8M.

If you’ve installed the latest Revit 2017 software updates, especially Dynamo Revit or Dynamo Studio, you may
encounter an error when trying to install Revit 2018. Check out the article, “Error installing Revit 2018: a newer
version of Dynamo is already installed” for more information.

Civil Engineering
The updated features of Autodesk 2020 products benefit both you and your firm by streamlining your design
process. Saving time and expense producing a project not only improves your firm’s bottom line, it makes you
increasingly more valuable as a member – even a leader – of the team. See what Dynamo features were new
in Civil 3D 2020 in “Look smarter around the watering hole: 8 stats about 2020 C3D and InfraWorks.”

BIM
Dynamo is a visual programming add-in for Autodesk Revit.
Dynamo provides open source graphical programming, which
enables custom computational design and automation processes
for the building information modeling (BIM) process. Dynamo
is more than a modeling interface. It includes smooth visual
programming and scripting. Users can manipulate data, relational
structures and geometric control. Custom user objects can be
created and published by connecting node-based programs.
Operating Dynamo is simplified by the use of menus, drop-
downs and search fields. Rather than containing actual objects,
Dynamo files contain a set of instructions for Revit to automate

The Ultimate Guide to Dynamo | ASTI.COM 7

 tasks and routines. The article, “How to keep your job using
Revit – less is more,” takes a look at using the Dynamo Excel
spreadsheet.

You can start Dynamo for Revit by having a Revit project

open and then launching Dynamo. You will create your home
workspace from there. If you have a sample Dynamo for Revit
file (graph/workspace), it would typically work with a Revit
project. After opening the Revit project, launch Dynamo. Your
Dynamo graph may start to run automatically, or it can be
started manually by clicking the Run button near the bottom
left of the screen. Jeff Yao explains in “Dynamo “Blows” Your
Mind.”

Because of its companion functionality with Revit, Dynamo is

mentioned in the Applied Software Guide to Revit.

Training
See the Applied Software calendar for Dynamo for Revit training in a
LiveLab Learning setting. You can get the same high-quality expert-
led training that’s taught at Autodesk Certified Training Centers from
the comfort of your own office. Request a syllabus of the class here.

You’ll find more practical information on using Dynamo within the

collection of presentation slides and videos of breakout sessions
and classes that were taught at the 2018 Applied Software MEP
Force fabrication event: “MEP Force Presentations.”

Purchasing
Dynamo Studio is available as a standalone, single-user license with monthly or annual terms. It is also one of
the entitlement products included in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction Collection of industry-
relevant products. In a Collection, each entitlement product can be downloaded and installed separately.

Contact Applied Software today to learn more about Dynamo or Dynamo Studio.

The Ultimate Guide to Dynamo | ASTI.COM 8

The Ultimate Guide to

DYNAMO Written by Carol Dunn & Christopher Riddell

The Ultimate Guide to Dynamo | ASTI.COM 9

ASTI.com