Select by Rule — BIMO Documentation

Select by Rule finds and selects elements using an existing rule-based filter from the current Revit project. It shows the filter categories and rule structure, previews the result count, and can limit the selection to elements visible in the active view.

Important: the command does not create or edit filters, isolate elements, or add to the current selection. When confirmed, it replaces the current Revit selection with the matching elements.

When To Use It

Select elements using an existing Revit filter.
Quickly check which elements pass a complex set of rules.
Select the same category-and-parameter result across the project.
Limit the result to the active view, then use Revit Temporary Hide/Isolate or another command.

Requirements

A Revit project must be open. Family documents are not supported.
The project must contain at least one ParameterFilterElement, meaning a Revit rule-based filter.
The filter must contain the required categories and valid rules.
Open the required view before using Only visible on view.

The filter does not need to be assigned to the active view, or to any view at all. Select by Rule reads every rule-based filter in the current project.

How To Use It

Open the required project and, when relevant, the required view.
Run Select by Rule from the standard BIMO Ribbon.
Choose a filter from Rule-based Filter.
Review the displayed categories and rule tree.
Turn on Only visible on view if the result should be limited to the active view.
Check the element count on the Select N elements button.
Click the selection button.

BIMO closes the window and replaces the current selection with the matching element instances.

Window Controls

Control	What It Does
`Rule-based Filter`	Lists every rule-based filter in the project, sorted by name.
Category tags	Show the categories included in the selected Revit filter.
Rule tree	Shows a read-only preview of `AND`/`OR` groups, parameters, operators, and values.
`Only visible on view`	Limits the result to elements that the Revit API reports as visible in the current active view.
`Select N elements`	Shows the current match count and performs the selection. The button is disabled until a filter is selected.
`CANCEL`	Closes the window without changing the current selection.

Search Scope

Mode	Where Elements Are Found
`Only visible on view` is off	Across the entire current host project, regardless of which views use the filter.
`Only visible on view` is on	Among elements in the current host project that are visible in the active view according to the Revit API.

In both modes, BIMO:

considers element instances, not element types;
first limits the collector to the filter categories;
then applies the complete source Revit element filter;
does not search inside linked Revit documents.

Reading The Rules

The group title describes its logical relationship:

AND (All rules must be true) means every nested rule must pass;
OR (Any rule may be true) means one nested rule is sufficient.

The preview fields cannot be edited. To change categories or conditions, edit the source rule-based filter with Revit and reopen the command.

Important: the rule preview is marked WIP in the current implementation and does not represent every operator equally well. Some operators can appear blank, and numeric values can be shown in Revit internal units. The actual selection uses the complete source Revit filter, not the text displayed in the preview.

If the preview is ambiguous, review the filter definition in Revit before selecting a large number of elements.

Examples

Select All Doors By A Parameter

Create a Revit rule-based filter for the Doors category, for example using Fire Rating. Run Select by Rule and choose that filter. With Only visible on view off, every matching door instance in the host project is selected.

Select Only Elements In The Current View

Choose the same filter and turn on Only visible on view. The count updates, and the command selects only matches from the active view. You can then use standard Revit Temporary Hide/Isolate when needed.

Check A Complex Filter

Choose a filter with nested AND and OR groups. Review its categories, rule tree, and match count. If the preview omits details, inspect the filter definition in Revit before confirming.

Saved State

After a selection is performed, BIMO saves:

the Only visible on view setting;
the selected filter's position in the sorted list.

Warning: BIMO stores the list index, not a stable filter identifier. Adding, deleting, or renaming filters can cause another filter to be preselected on the next run. Always verify the filter name and count before confirming.

Select by Rule does not support presets or variants.

Errors And Troubleshooting

Problem	What To Check
The filter list is empty	Create at least one Revit rule-based filter in the current project. Revit selection filters are not included.
The selection button is disabled	Select a filter from the list.
The button shows `0 elements`	Check the categories, rules, parameter values, and Only visible on view state.
More elements are selected than are visible	Only visible on view is off, so the entire host project is searched.
Linked-model elements are not selected	The command does not process elements inside linked documents. Run it in the linked model itself.
The preview is incomplete or an operator is blank	Review the source filter in Revit. Not every rule type is fully visualized.
The window does not open for a particular filter	Its structure may contain an unsupported rule type or a broken value reference. Review or temporarily simplify the filter in Revit.
The previously selected filter changed	The list is sorted by name and BIMO remembers a position. Select the filter again.

Known Limitations

Works only in project documents.
Uses ParameterFilterElement only; ordinary Revit selection filters are not supported.
Selects element instances from the current host document only.
Always replaces the current selection; Add, Remove, and Intersect modes are not available.
Does not create, edit, or apply a filter to a view.
Does not start Temporary Hide/Isolate automatically.
The rule preview does not support every rule type and value format.
Counting the entire project can take time in a large model.