Design Automation for Revit Work Item Argument Not Parsing

Question

I have an application that submits work items to Design Automation for Revit (Design Automation v3 beta). Most of the work items submitted work fine, but some versions of the models appear to fail to parse the "rvtFile" argument. This then leads to the cloud Revit process failing to run because the file name argument is wrong.

Body of Activity POST:

    {
    "id": "ExtractModelCategoriesActivity",
    "commandLine": ["$(engine.path)\\\\revitcoreconsole.exe /i $(args[rvtFile].path) /al $(appbundles[ExtractModelCategories].path)"],
    "parameters": {
        "rvtFile": {
            "zip": false,
            "ondemand": false,
            "verb": "get",
            "description": "Input Revit model",
            "required": true,
            "localName": "$(rvtFile)"
        },
        "result": {
            "zip": false,
            "ondemand": false,
            "verb": "put",
            "description": "Model object categories by view",
            "required": false,
            "localName": "ModelCategories.json"
        }
    },
    "engine": "Autodesk.Revit+2019",
    "appbundles": ["alias_was_here.ExtractModelCategories+prod"],
    "description": "Extract Model Categories to JSON Activity."
    }

Body of Work Item POST:

        {
        "activityId": "alias_was_here.ExtractModelCategoriesActivity+prod",
        "arguments": {
            "rvtFile": {
                "url": "https://developer.api.autodesk.com/oss/v2/buckets/wip.dm.prod/objects/83b5eb1e-c9b7-4938-ad4e-8efc4789d0e2.rvt?scopes=b360project.22109894-5897-4aa9-96ab-2e3310bc4ae9,global,O2tenant.5952590",
                "Headers": {
                    "Authorization": "Bearer token_was_here"
                }
            },
            "result": {
                "verb": "put",
                "url": "https://developer.api.autodesk.com/oss/v2/buckets/wip.dm.prod/objects/9dde6073-d490-4fd0-991e-4ff92af1957e.json",
                "Headers": {
                    "Authorization": "Bearer token_was_here"
                }
            },
            "onComplete": {
                "verb": "post",
                "url": "callback_url_was_here"
            }
        }
    }

From the report.txt file for a successful submission:

[04/16/2019 12:03:50] Job information:
"CommandLine":[
  "$(engine.path)\\\\revitcoreconsole.exe /i $(args[rvtFile].path) /al $(appbundles[ExtractModelCategories].path)"
]
"Settings":{
  "dasreportfailedlimits": {
    "value": "true",
    "isEnvironmentVariable": true
  }
}
"Id":"e23918d475a74145aade32ba8968e5c3"
"ActivityId":"alias_was_here.ExtractModelCategoriesActivity+prod"
"Engine.Id":"Autodesk.Revit!21"
"Apps": [
"App.Id":"alias_was_here.ExtractModelCategories!1"
]
"BoundArguments":{
  "rvtFile": {
    "localName": "$(rvtFile)",
    "url": "https://developer.api.autodesk.com/oss/v2/buckets/wip.dm.prod/objects/839a11d8-51e9-42de-8936-28687feda65f.rvt?scopes=b360project.1949ed9d-e7fd-42b9-98f4-544fff3df42f,global,O2tenant.2971682",
    "headers": {
      "Authorization": "Bearer token_was_here"
    }
  },
  "result": {
    "localName": "ModelCategories.json",
    "url": "https://developer.api.autodesk.com/oss/v2/buckets/wip.dm.prod/objects/dd19b8f6-ac51-45b9-8f42-51c7c6a9d257.json",
    "headers": {
      "Authorization": "Bearer token_was_here"
    },
    "verb": "put"
  },
  "onComplete": {
    "ondemand": true,
    "optional": true,
    "url": "callback_was_here",
    "verb": "post"
  },
  "onProgress": {
    "ondemand": true,
    "url": "https://wlnr5sjl3a.execute-api.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Prod/v3/workitems/progress",
    "headers": {
      "Content-Type": "application/json",
      "x-das-authorize": "awssigv4(us-east-1)",
      "x-ads-token-data": "{\"access_token\":{\"client_id\":\"alias_was_here\"},\"scope\":\"bucket:create bucket:read data:read data:create data:write code:all\",\"expires_in\":3595,\"client_id\":\"alias_was_here\"}",
      "x-ads-developer-email": "email_was_here"
    },
    "verb": "put"
  }
}

 - snip -
 

[04/16/2019 12:03:57] ### Command line arguments: /isolate HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\AppDataLow\Software\Autodesk\CoreUser\WorkItem_e23918d475a74145aade32ba8968e5c3 "T:\Aces\Jobs\e23918d475a74145aade32ba8968e5c3\userdata" /exe "T:\Aces\AcesRoot\19.0\coreEngine\Exe\revitcoreconsole.exe"  /i T:\Aces\Jobs\e23918d475a74145aade32ba8968e5c3\839a11d8-51e9-42de-8936-28687feda65f.rvt /al T:\Aces\Applications\779cf68955e15ce6704c72a62c734afe.alias_was_here.ExtractModelCategories[1].package.
 
 - snip -
 
[04/16/2019 12:03:57] Echoing command line args:
[04/16/2019 12:03:57]   0:/i
[04/16/2019 12:03:57]   1:T:\Aces\Jobs\e23918d475a74145aade32ba8968e5c3\839a11d8-51e9-42de-8936-28687feda65f.rvt

 - snip -

[04/16/2019 12:03:57] Running user application....

 - snip -

[04/16/2019 12:04:22] Job finished with result Succeeded
[04/16/2019 12:04:22] Job Status:
{
  "status": "success",
  
  ...

From the report.txt file for a failed submission:

    [04/16/2019 12:04:44] Job information:
"CommandLine":[
  "$(engine.path)\\\\revitcoreconsole.exe /i $(args[rvtFile].path) /al $(appbundles[ExtractModelCategories].path)"
]
"Settings":{
  "dasreportfailedlimits": {
    "value": "true",
    "isEnvironmentVariable": true
  }
}
"Id":"4db3208a1c4e429c846c4da385f2219d"
"ActivityId":"alias_was_here.ExtractModelCategoriesActivity+prod"
"Engine.Id":"Autodesk.Revit!21"
"Apps": [
"App.Id":"alias_was_here.ExtractModelCategories!1"
]
"BoundArguments":{
  "rvtFile": {
    "localName": "$(rvtFile)",
    "url": "https://developer.api.autodesk.com/oss/v2/buckets/wip.dm.prod/objects/e597df42-07c7-41e1-aa0c-fa1abd179a4c.rvt?scopes=b360project.1949ed9d-e7fd-42b9-98f4-544fff3df42f,global,O2tenant.2971682",
    "headers": {
      "Authorization": "Bearer token was here"
    }
  },
  "result": {
    "localName": "ModelCategories.json",
    "url": "https://developer.api.autodesk.com/oss/v2/buckets/wip.dm.prod/objects/6b59f894-bbf0-421a-bf0b-e80d7584ee33.json",
    "headers": {
      "Authorization": "Bearer token_was_here"
    },
    "verb": "put"
  },
  "onComplete": {
    "ondemand": true,
    "optional": true,
    "url": "callback_was_here",
    "verb": "post"
  },
  "onProgress": {
    "ondemand": true,
    "url": "https://wlnr5sjl3a.execute-api.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Prod/v3/workitems/progress",
    "headers": {
      "Content-Type": "application/json",
      "x-das-authorize": "awssigv4(us-east-1)",
      "x-ads-token-data": "{\"access_token\":{\"client_id\":\"alias_was_here\"},\"scope\":\"bucket:create bucket:read data:read data:create data:write code:all\",\"expires_in\":3596,\"client_id\":\"alias_was_here\"}",
      "x-ads-developer-email": "email_was here"
    },
    "verb": "put"
  }
}

 - snip -
 
[04/16/2019 12:04:56] ### Command line arguments: /isolate HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\AppDataLow\Software\Autodesk\CoreUser\WorkItem_4db3208a1c4e429c846c4da385f2219d "T:\Aces\Jobs\4db3208a1c4e429c846c4da385f2219d\userdata" /exe "T:\Aces\AcesRoot\19.0\coreEngine\Exe\revitcoreconsole.exe"  /i T:\Aces\Jobs\4db3208a1c4e429c846c4da385f2219d\$(rvtFile) /al T:\Aces\Applications\779cf68955e15ce6704c72a62c734afe.alias_was_here.ExtractModelCategories[1].package.
 
 - snip -
 
[04/16/2019 12:04:56] Echoing command line args:
[04/16/2019 12:04:56]   0:/i
[04/16/2019 12:04:56]   1:T:\Aces\Jobs\4db3208a1c4e429c846c4da385f2219d\$(rvtFile)

[04/16/2019 12:04:56] Running user application....
[04/16/2019 12:05:02] Exception: Revit input file not found: T:\Aces\Jobs\4db3208a1c4e429c846c4da385f2219d\$(rvtFile)

 - snip -
 
[04/16/2019 12:05:03] Job finished with result FailedExecution
[04/16/2019 12:05:03] Job Status:
{
  "status": "failedInstructions",
  
  ...

As best I can tell, the format and structure of the body of both of the submissions is the same (these are version 10 and version 11 of the same model). However, for the failing work item, the Revit file name is not parsing and is still the string $(rvtFile) rather than the actual file name when DA processes the work item.

Any insight into the problem? Does the body of the submission have errors in it? How do I correct?

Answer 1

I am answering my own question based on what I have learned with the assistance of Zhong Wu with Autodesk:

This is currently an issue with the Design Automation for Revit API Beta. If the Revit model includes links to other models then the file downloaded to Design Automation is zipped and includes the main model and the linked file(s). Design Automation then fails because it expects a Revit file. This happens automatically on the API's side.

A work-around is to download the Revit file to another location utilizing the Data Management API. If the file provided by the Data Management API is a compressed file and not a Revit model, un-zip it. Then, place the uncompressed Revit file in a location accessible to Design Automation and post the work item referencing the location of the uncompressed file.

It is my understanding that a change request has been issued internally at Autodesk to improve the handling of compressed files. I have no timeline for this.

If I learn more, I will update this answer.

** UPDATE**

This was fixed by the Autodesk Forge team, and now runs for Revit files with links. Thank you!

Answer 2

Instead of using "localName": "$(rvtFile), could you use a static file name like "localName": "input.rvt"?