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Project Setup

Configure your BIM development environment for optimal Cursor AI integration.

Project Structure Recommendations​

For optimal Cursor performance with BIM projects, organize your workspace as follows:

RevitPlugin/
├── src/
│   ├── Commands/           # External commands
│   ├── Utils/             # Utility classes
│   ├── UI/                # User interface
│   └── Models/            # Data models
├── Resources/             # Icons, images
├── Installer/             # Installation files
├── Tests/                 # Unit tests
└── Documentation/         # API documentation

IFCAnalysis/
├── analyzers/             # Analysis modules
├── extractors/           # Data extraction
├── validators/           # Quality control
├── reports/              # Report generation
├── data/                 # Sample IFC files
└── tests/                # Test cases

Configure Version Control​

.gitignore for BIM Projects​

Create a .gitignore file:

# Build outputs
bin/
obj/
*.dll
*.exe

# Revit backup files
*.rvt.bak
*.rfa.bak
*.rte.bak

# IFC temporary files
*.ifczip
temp_*.ifc

# Python cache
__pycache__/
*.pyc
*.pyo

# IDE files
.vs/
.vscode/settings.json
*.suo
*.user

# Large model files (optional)
*.rvt
*.rfa
*.ifc

Cursor Workspace Configuration​

settings.json for BIM Development​

Create .vscode/settings.json:

{
    // Cursor Tab completion settings
    "cursor.tab.enabled": true,
    "cursor.tab.partialAccepts": true,
    "cursor.tab.triggerInComments": true,
    "cursor.tab.maxSuggestionLength": 1000,
    
    // Auto-import settings
    "cursor.imports.python.enabled": true,
    "cursor.imports.typescript.enabled": false,
    
    // BIM-specific language settings
    "cursor.languages.csharp.enabled": true,
    "cursor.languages.python.enabled": true,
    
    // File associations for BIM development
    "files.associations": {
        "*.addin": "xml",
        "*.ifc": "plaintext",
        "*.ifcxml": "xml"
    },
    
    // Exclude large files from search
    "search.exclude": {
        "**/*.rvt": true,
        "**/*.rfa": true,
        "**/*.ifc": true
    }
}

Language-Specific Setup​

C# Revit API Projects​

  1. Create .csproj file with Revit API references:
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net48</TargetFramework>
    <UseWPF>true</UseWPF>
    <UseWindowsForms>true</UseWindowsForms>
  </PropertyGroup>
  
  <ItemGroup>
    <Reference Include="RevitAPI">
      <HintPath>C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Revit 2024\RevitAPI.dll</HintPath>
      <Private>False</Private>
    </Reference>
    <Reference Include="RevitAPIUI">
      <HintPath>C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Revit 2024\RevitAPIUI.dll</HintPath>
      <Private>False</Private>
    </Reference>
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>
  1. Create .addin file for plugin registration

Python pyRevit Projects​

  1. Set up virtual environment:
python -m venv venv
venv\Scripts\activate  # Windows
pip install -r requirements.txt
  1. Create requirements.txt:
ifcopenshell
pandas
numpy
matplotlib
openpyxl

Test Your Setup​

Quick Validation Test​

Cursor Prompt: "Create a simple Revit external command that counts all walls in the active document and displays the result in a TaskDialog."

Expected result: Cursor should generate proper Revit API code with:

  • Correct using statements
  • Proper external command structure
  • Transaction handling
  • Error management

Performance Optimization​

Large Model Handling​

For projects with large BIM models:

  1. Exclude large files from Cursor indexing
  2. Use specific file patterns for BIM files
  3. Close unused projects to reduce memory usage
  4. Configure file watchers to ignore temporary files

Memory Management​

{
    "files.watcherExclude": {
        "**/*.rvt": true,
        "**/*.rfa": true,
        "**/*.ifc": true,
        "**/temp/**": true
    }
}

Modern Cursor Configuration​

Setup .cursor/rules/ Directory​

Modern Cursor uses a structured rules system instead of a single .cursorrules file:

your-project/
├── .cursor/
│   └── rules/
│       ├── dcmvn-framework.mdc      # Framework patterns
│       ├── pyrevit-templates.py     # Code templates
│       ├── project-standards.mdc    # Team standards
│       └── error-handling.mdc       # Error patterns
├── .cursorindexingignore           # Exclude large files
└── your-project-files...

Essential Rule Files​

1. dcmvn-framework.mdc

---
description: DCMvn framework patterns for pyRevit development
alwaysApply: true
---
## Core Framework Integration
- **Primary imports**: `from DCMvn.core import DB, HOST_APP, get_output`
- **Framework utilities**: `from DCMvn.core.framework import System, Debug`
- **User notifications**: `from DCMvn.forms import alert`
- **CLR setup**: Always add `clr.AddReference("System.Core")`

## MVVM Architecture
- **ViewModels**: Inherit from `ViewModelBase`
- **Commands**: Use `RelayCommand(execute_method, can_execute_method)`
- **Collections**: Use `ObservableCollection[T]()` for UI-bound data

2. .cursorindexingignore

# Don't index large BIM files
**/*.rvt
**/*.rfa
**/*.ifc
**/*.dwg
temp/**
bin/**
obj/**

# Don't index auto-save files but allow @ references
.specstory/**

Configuration Benefits​

  • Structured rules organized by purpose
  • YAML frontmatter for rule metadata
  • Template files for consistent scaffolding
  • Selective indexing for better performance

DCMvn Development Standards​

Our team follows these standards across all projects:

  • Modern Cursor Rules: Use .cursor/rules/ directory structure
  • DCMvn Framework: Consistent imports and patterns
  • Documentation: Inline documentation for all functions
  • Version Control: Atomic commits with clear messages
  • Testing: Unit tests for critical BIM operations

Next Steps​

With your environment configured, proceed to Your First Project to start developing with Cursor AI.

Configuration guide by DCMvn CO., Ltd - 98.3% digital, 100% pure