Dynamo provides a way to extract or infer data that can be of benefit to a BIM process. This data is often not available natively in Revit.
When observing and learning from some Dynamo routines I encountered at Autodesk University Berlin 2016, I discovered I needed to install some of the external packages for them to work. An error is generated: “Error: Custom node definition is not loaded!”
A google search for “HostedObject.HandOrientation” readily reveals that it is part of the Clockwork for Dynamo package.
This can be downloaded through the Revit Dynamo interface by clicking on the Packages tab
If the terms and conditions are agreeable, proceed.
After synchronizing with the server the available packages are visible for installation.
After the clockwork package has been installed, the error is no longer generated.
Before the Dynamo script is run, another error is generated by the following code block.
After the script is run this is no longer an issue.
Clearly it would be quite a task to learn each and every node before using the packages, but fortunately a vibrant community exists that can point one to a node that can perform a specific function. https://forum.dynamobim.com/
After the script is run a schedule is create that shows whether a specific door is left or right opening. This is a great help for the contractor installing the doors.
This is a specific requirement that was asked for by an Architect, and I look forward to presenting this solution to them. What questions can you answer using Dynamo?