Sneak peek into Dynamo 2.0

zhukoven zhukoven

It's been a while since the last "major" Dynamo update (Dynamo 1.0 was released way back in 2016). And if you are tired waiting for something new, you can download and install one of the latest Dynamo 2.0 daily builds from the Dynamo development builds webpage.

Starting from this year's daily builds, Dynamo team has changed the way Dynamo installs, so that it doesn't interfere with existing 1.x installs:

  • DynamoCore and DynamoRevit will be installed in the folder named using DynamoCore major version instead of major version point minor version;
  • Installing the new Dynamo 2.x build should not affect your existing Dynamo 1.x installed;
  • Installing a new Dynamo 2.x build with a larger minor version will overwrite the content in major version folder.

Considering that Dynamo 2.0 will save files to a format that is not compatible with earlier versions, it is highly important to backup your existing Dynamo content folders. Please read this safety note from Dynamo team before downloading and installing daily builds:

These are the early stage builds that are leading to the Dynamo 2.0 release. Please keep in mind that it is early days for these builds, there are still a number of large moving pieces and, as always, this area should be treated as an active construction site. If you do decide to participate, please wear your hardhat!

Dynamo 2.0 brings a plenty of changes, including:

  • New JSON file format instead of XML-based one;
  • Updated node library with different organization: 
    Dynamo2.0_Library
  • New OOTB (out of the box) dictionary nodes:
    Dynamo2.0_Dictionary nodes
  • Custom packages have been moved to the dedicated "Add-ons" submenu;
  • Usability fixes for those who work with Python (code execution button, custom templates, multiple editor windows, etc.).
  • And, of course, a lot of tweaks under the hood. You can view the full list of the future changes here.

Dynamo 2.0 can be installed side-by-side with existing 1.x versions, allowing you to experiment with the early pre-release tools without interfering with your existing workflows. You will be prompted to choose which version you wish to run when first launching Dynamo in Revit:

Dynamo2.0_Launch

This setting will be saved per-session of Revit. Restarting Revit will enable you to switch to a different version of Dynamo. Please don't forget to back up your existing Dynamo workflows, packages and files. And do not use unstable software in the real project environment!

You should also read: