Disjunct Planar Face Outer Loops

I am attending the Forge DevCon conference in Darmstadt, Germany, right now, and putting the final touches to my presentation on Rational BIM programming using Revit and Forge at the European Autodesk University on Wednesday.

We discussed several different approaches to retrieve the outer loop of a planar face.

One useful piece of related functionality was provided early on by the point in polygon algorithm.

Previous discussions of this topic include:

Recently, it also turned to the additional complexity of retrieving the multiple outer loops required for disjunct planar faces, raised in the Revit API discussion forum thread on whether the first edge loop is still the outer loop, for which Richard @rpthomas108 Thomas shared a possible solution:

He now posted a new approach to this question in the Revit API discussion forum thread on outer loops of planar face with separate parts:

Just wanted to report that I've found a more straightforward and likely reliable way of getting outer loops of planar faces (than previous discussed). This method also allows for faces made up of disjointed parts.

The approach is to create some undocumented solid extrusions using GeometryCreationUtilities based on curve loop parts of original face. Then extract the parallel top face from these (now separated out) and use powerful built in functionality of the PlanarFace class (PlanarFace.IsInside) to check for loops with points not inside other faces. We only have to check one point because curve loops can't be self-intersecting.

It would be nice if we could create PlanarFace elements directly with the GeometryCreationUtilities (to cut out some of the above steps), but that does not seem possible yet. I've created an idea entry here for this: API GeometryCreationUtilities to create faces.

I've tested this solution on some interesting slab shapes shown below and results seem reliable.

Disjunct outer loops

VB Implementation

Public Function GetPlanarFaceOuterLoops(
  ByVal commandData As Autodesk.Revit.UI.ExternalCommandData,
  ByRef message As String,
  ByVal elements As Autodesk.Revit.DB.ElementSetAs Result

  Dim IntApp As UIApplication = commandData.Application
  Dim IntUIDoc As UIDocument = IntApp.ActiveUIDocument
  If IntUIDoc Is Nothing Then Return Result.Failed Else
  Dim IntDoc As Document = IntUIDoc.Document

  Dim R As Reference = Nothing
  Try
    R = IntUIDoc.Selection.PickObject(Selection.ObjectType.Face)
  Catch ex As Exception
  End Try
  If R Is Nothing Then Return Result.Cancelled Else

  Dim F_El As Element = IntDoc.GetElement(R.ElementId)
  If F_El Is Nothing Then Return Result.Failed Else

  Dim F As PlanarFace = TryCast(
    F_El.GetGeometryObjectFromReference(R), PlanarFace)

  If F Is Nothing Then Return Result.Failed Else

  'Create individual CurveLoops to compare 
  ' From the orginal CurveLoopArray
  'If floor has separate parts these will now be 
  ' separated out into individual faces rather 
  ' than one face with multiple loops.
  Dim CLoop As New List(Of Tuple(Of PlanarFaceCurveLoopInteger))
  Dim Ix As Integer = 0
  For Each item As CurveLoop In F.GetEdgesAsCurveLoops
    Dim CLL As New List(Of CurveLoop)
    CLL.Add(item)
    'Create a solid extrusion for each CurveLoop 
    ' (we want to get the planarFace from this to 
    ' use built in functionality (.PlanarFace.IsInside).
    'Would be nice if you could skip this step and create 
    ' PlanarFaces directly from CuveLoops? Does no appear 
    ' To be possible, I only looked in GeometryCreationUtilities.
    'Below creates geometry in memory rather than actual 
    ' Geometry in the document, therefore no transaction required.
    Dim S As Solid = GeometryCreationUtilities _
      .CreateExtrusionGeometry(CLL, F.FaceNormal, 1)
    For Each Fx As Face In S.Faces
      Dim PFx As PlanarFace = TryCast(Fx, PlanarFace)
      If PFx Is Nothing Then Continue For Else
      If PFx.FaceNormal.IsAlmostEqualTo(F.FaceNormal) Then
        Ix += 1
        CLoop.Add(New Tuple(Of PlanarFaceCurveLoop,
                  Integer)(PFx, item, Ix))
      End If
    Next
  Next

  Dim FirstPointIsInsideFace = Function(
    CL As CurveLoop, PFace As PlanarFace) _
    As Boolean

    Dim Trans As Transform = PFace.ComputeDerivatives(New UV(0, 0))
    If CL.Count = 0 Then Return False Else
    Dim Pt As XYZ = Trans.Inverse.OfPoint(CL(0).GetEndPoint(0))
    Dim Res As IntersectionResult = Nothing
    Dim out As Boolean = PFace.IsInside(New UV(Pt.X, Pt.Y), Res)
    Return out
  End Function

  Dim OuterLoops As New List(Of CurveLoop)
  'If there is more than one outerloop we know 
  ' the original face has separate parts.
  'We could therefore stop the creation of floors 
  ' With separate parts via posting failures etc.
  ' Or more passively create a geometry checking
  ' utility To identify them.
  Dim InnerLoops As New List(Of CurveLoop)
  For Each item As Tuple(Of PlanarFaceCurveLoopIntegerIn CLoop
    'To identify an inner loop we just need to see 
    ' If any Then Of it's points are inside another face.
    'The exception to this is a loop compared to the 
    ' Face it was taken from. This will also be considered 
    ' inside as the points are on the boundary.
    'Therefore give each item an integer ID to ensure it
    ' isn 't self comparing. An alternative would be to 
    ' look for J=1 instead of J=0 below (perhaps).
    Dim J As Integer = CLoop.ToList.FindAll(
      Function(z) FirstPointIsInsideFace(item.Item2, z.Item1) _
        = True AndAlso z.Item3 <> item.Item3).Count
    If J = 0 Then
      OuterLoops.Add(item.Item2)
    Else
      InnerLoops.Add(item.Item2)
    End If
  Next

  Using Tx As New Transaction(IntDoc, "Outer loops")
    If Tx.Start = TransactionStatus.Started Then
      Dim SKP As SketchPlane = SketchPlane.Create(
        IntDoc,
        Plane.CreateByThreePoints(F.Origin, F.Origin + F.XVector,
                                  F.Origin + F.YVector))
      For Each Crv As CurveLoop In OuterLoops
        For Each C As Curve In Crv
          IntDoc.Create.NewModelCurve(C, SKP)
        Next
      Next
      Tx.Commit()
    End If
  End Using
  Return Result.Succeeded
End Function

C# Implementation

  public Result GetPlanarFaceOuterLoops( 
    Autodesk.Revit.UI.ExternalCommandData commandData, 
    ref string message, 
    Autodesk.Revit.DB.ElementSet elements )
  {
    UIApplication IntApp = commandData.Application;
    UIDocument IntUIDoc = IntApp.ActiveUIDocument;
    if( IntUIDoc == null )
      return Result.Failed;
    Document IntDoc = IntUIDoc.Document;

    Reference R = null;
    try
    {
      R = IntUIDoc.Selection.PickObject( ObjectType.Face );
    }
    catch
    {
    }
    if( R == null )
      return Result.Cancelled;

    Element F_El = IntDoc.GetElement( R.ElementId );
    if( F_El == null )
      return Result.Failed;

    PlanarFace F = F_El.GetGeometryObjectFromReference( R ) 
      as PlanarFace;

    if( F == null )
      return Result.Failed;

    //Create individual CurveLoops to compare from 
    // the orginal CurveLoopArray
    //If floor has separate parts these will now be 
    // separated out into individual faces rather 
    // than one face with multiple loops.
    List<Tuple<PlanarFaceCurveLoopint>> CLoop 
      = new List<Tuple<PlanarFaceCurveLoopint>>();

    int Ix = 0;
    foreachCurveLoop item in F.GetEdgesAsCurveLoops() )
    {
      List<CurveLoop> CLL = new List<CurveLoop>();
      CLL.Add( item );
      //Create a solid extrusion for each CurveLoop 
      // ( we want to get the planarFace from this 
      // to use built in functionality (.PlanarFace.IsInside).
      //Would be nice if you could skip this step and 
      // create PlanarFaces directly from CuveLoops? 
      // Does not appear to be possible, I only looked 
      // in GeometryCreationUtilities.
      //Below creates geometry in memory rather than 
      // actual geometry in the document, therefore 
      // no transaction required.
      Solid S = GeometryCreationUtilities
        .CreateExtrusionGeometry( CLL, F.FaceNormal, 1 );

      foreachFace Fx in S.Faces )
      {
        PlanarFace PFx = Fx as PlanarFace;
        if( PFx == null )
          continue;
        if( PFx.FaceNormal.IsAlmostEqualTo( 
          F.FaceNormal ) )
        {
          Ix += 1;
          CLoop.Add( new Tuple<PlanarFace, 
            CurveLoopint>( PFx, item, Ix ) );
        }
      }
    }

    List<CurveLoop> OuterLoops = new List<CurveLoop>();
    //If there is more than one outerloop we know the 
    // original face has separate parts.
    //We could therefore stop the creation of floors 
    // with separate parts via posting failures etc. 
    // or more passively create a geometry checking
    // utility to identify them.
    List<CurveLoop> InnerLoops = new List<CurveLoop>();
    foreachTuple<PlanarFaceCurveLoopint> item in CLoop )
    {
      //To identify an inner loop we just need to see 
      // if any of it's points are inside another face.
      //The exception to this is a loop compared to the
      // face it was taken from. This will also be 
      // considered inside as the points are on the boundary.
      //Therefore give each item an integer ID to ensure
      // it isn't self comparing. An alternative would
      // be to look for J=1 instead of J=0 below (perhaps).

      int J = CLoop.ToList().FindAll( z 
        => FirstPointIsInsideFace( item.Item2, z.Item1 ) 
          == true && z.Item3 != item.Item3 ).Count;

      if( J == 0 )
      {
        OuterLoops.Add( item.Item2 );
      }
      else
      {
        InnerLoops.Add( item.Item2 );
      }
    }

    usingTransaction Tx = new Transaction( IntDoc,
      "Outer loops" ) )
    {
      if( Tx.Start() == TransactionStatus.Started )
      {
        SketchPlane SKP = SketchPlane.Create( IntDoc, 
          Plane.CreateByThreePoints( F.Origin, 
            F.Origin + F.XVector, F.Origin + F.YVector ) );

        foreachCurveLoop Crv in OuterLoops )
        {
          foreachCurve C in Crv )
          {
            IntDoc.Create.NewModelCurve( C, SKP );
          }
        }
        Tx.Commit();
      }
    }
    return Result.Succeeded;
  }

  public bool FirstPointIsInsideFace( 
    CurveLoop CL, 
    PlanarFace PFace )
  {
    Transform Trans = PFace.ComputeDerivatives( 
      new UV( 0, 0 ) );
    if( CL.Count() == 0 )
      return false;
    XYZ Pt = Trans.Inverse.OfPoint( 
      CL.ToList()[0].GetEndPoint( 0 ) );
    IntersectionResult Res = null;
    bool outval = PFace.IsInside( 
      new UV( Pt.X, Pt.Y ), out Res );
    return outval;
  }

I added the latter to The Building Coder samples release 2018.0.134.4 module CmdSlabBoundaryArea.cs L29-L176.

Many thanks to Richard for implementing, testing and sharing this improved solution!