Use AI to Generate Dynamo Scripts for Revit
AI is becoming a powerful assistant for Revit and Dynamo users, especially when it comes to writing Python scripts. But if you have ever tried copying AI generated code directly into Dynamo, you have probably seen errors, unnecessary complexity, or scripts that simply do not work in Revit.
In this post, I want to share a practical workflow for using GitHub Copilot inside Visual Studio Code to generate Dynamo Python scripts for Revit, and more importantly, how to guide the AI toward clean and reliable results. The video walks through a real example step by step so you can follow along and apply the same approach to your own projects.
Resources
✅ My full Python Scripting for Dynamo course
✅ My other tutorial on using Python for Dynamo in Revit
✅ My other tutorial on setting up and using Visual Studio Code for writing Python code in Dynamo
The Real Challenge with AI Generated Dynamo Scripts 🧠
AI tools like GitHub Copilot are very good at producing code quickly, but Revit and Dynamo are built on a complex and highly specific API. Without guidance, AI often produces scripts that look impressive but are overcomplicated or incorrect.
Common issues include:
• Missing or incorrect Revit API imports
• Overuse of defensive coding and fallback logic
• Wrong assumptions about readable or writable properties
• Scripts that break across Revit versions
• Output that is hard to debug inside Dynamo
Understanding these pitfalls is the first step to using AI effectively for Revit automation.
A Practical Example Using Revit Links 🔗
To make this tutorial realistic, the video focuses on a simple but common Revit automation task.
The goal is to create a Dynamo Python script that:
• Collects all Revit link types in the active model
• Checks the current path type for each link
• Leaves relative paths unchanged
• Converts absolute paths to relative
• Runs safely inside a Revit transaction
• Outputs a clear result back to Dynamo
This task is simple enough to understand, yet complex enough to expose how different AI models handle the Revit API.
Iterating with GitHub Copilot in VS Code 💻
In the video, you will see how GitHub Copilot Chat works inside Visual Studio Code and how important model selection and prompt structure are.
Key lessons covered include:
• Choosing Agent mode instead of Ask mode
• Comparing smaller and more advanced AI models
• Spotting red flags in AI generated code
• Using Revit API knowledge to guide the AI
• Improving results with small but precise prompt changes
One of the biggest takeaways is that a single line of expert guidance in the prompt can dramatically improve the quality of the generated script.
From Overengineered to Production Ready Code ✅
By the final iteration, the script becomes clean, readable, and reliable.
The final Dynamo Python script:
• Uses only the required Revit API imports
• Modifies the correct RevitLinkType property directly
• Avoids unnecessary ExternalFileReference logic
• Outputs a simple list of modified link types
• Works consistently inside Dynamo
This is what production ready Dynamo Python should look like when AI is used correctly.
Who This Workflow Is For 👷♂️👩💻
This tutorial is especially useful if you are:
• An architect or BIM professional using Revit
• A Dynamo user looking to automate repetitive tasks
• Learning Python for Revit automation
• Experimenting with AI tools like GitHub Copilot
• Responsible for maintaining reliable Dynamo scripts
You do not need to be an expert programmer, but some basic familiarity with Revit and Dynamo will help you get the most value from this workflow.
Use AI as a Collaborator, Not a Replacement 🤝
The main message of this tutorial is simple.
AI can significantly speed up Dynamo scripting, but it works best when you stay in control. Your understanding of the Revit API provides direction, and the AI fills in the boilerplate.
When used this way, GitHub Copilot becomes a powerful productivity tool for Revit automation rather than a source of fragile code.
Explore More Revit and Dynamo Tutorials 🔔
If you found this article helpful, make sure to watch the full video above and explore more tutorials on this website covering:
• Dynamo workflows for Revit
• Python scripting with the Revit API
• Practical automation for BIM professionals
Thanks for reading and happy scripting 🚀
