JSON-RPC & API Reference

The Revit AI Suite uses a hybrid REST and WebSocket protocol to manage user interface layouts, exchange RPC calls, and trigger dynamic hot-swapping inside Autodesk Revit.

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1. URL Query Parameters

You can customize the frontend dashboard view or control the panel loaded inside Autodesk Revit using query parameters:

Parameter	Type	Mode	Description	Example
embed	Boolean	Both	Set to true to hide the outer editor dashboard and display only the live canvas.	/revitai/?embed=true
layout / template	String	Both	Specifies which layout name should be loaded by default.	/revitai/?layout=sheetRenamer
layouts / ids	Comma-separated	Dashboard	Restricts the list of presets shown in the tab selector.	/revitai/?layouts=wallCreator,sheetRenamer

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2. REST API Endpoints

The backend services expose standard REST endpoints for managing UI templates:

Layouts API

• GET /api/layouts
  • Description: Retrieves a list of available layout metadata (excluding the heavy JSX code).
  • Query Parameter: ?layouts=wallCreator,sheetRenamer (optional list filter).
• GET /api/layouts/{layout_name}
  • Description: Retrieves the full layout template including the raw jsx_code string.
• POST /api/layouts
  • Description: Saves or updates a UI layout template in the database.

Active App Settings

• GET /api/settings/active-layout
  • Description: Retrieves the currently active layout name.
  • Response:

    { "layout_name": "wallCreator" }
    

• GET /api/settings/active-layout/set
  • Description: Sets the global active UI layout name and broadcasts a hot-reload event to all active clients.
  • Query Parameter: ?id=sheetRenamer
  • Response:

    {
      "status": "ok",
      "active_layout_name": "sheetRenamer",
      "notified_clients": 1
    }
    

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3. Real-Time WebSocket Channel (/revit)

The frontend and Revit add-in establish a persistent WebSocket connection to /revit (e.g., ws://localhost:8000/revit). This channel is used for instantaneous synchronization:

Hot-Swapping Flow

1. Frontend/Plugin Connect: The client connects to ws://localhost:8000/revit.
2. State Change: An API request is sent to /api/settings/active-layout/set?id=sheetRenamer.
3. Broadcast: The backend sends a real-time event to all connected clients:

   {
     "type": "layout_changed",
     "layout_name": "sheetRenamer"
   }
   

4. Reload: The frontend client receives this event, fetches the new layout code from /api/layouts/sheetRenamer, and redraws the Revit panel UI on screen immediately.