I'm Tom Flaherty. There were several things that motivated me to join the Revit Add-In Academy. I've always had an interest in programming and customizing the software I use as an Architect. When I first began using Revit I was disappointed to find that wasn't possible like it was in AutoCAD. Once the API was opened up I began a self-taught journey, which led me to discovering Michael and his ArchSmarter community. I became a charter member of his ARK and have taken most of his course, so when he announced the creation of the Add-in Academy I signed up right away. The best part of joining the Academy the ability to have individual sessions with Michael to troubleshoot code issues and following in a very close second is getting inspired by seeing what add-ins others are creating. The biggest surprise has been that it's not a one & done course and that the Academy isn't just a place to take classes and learn from Michael. We all learn from each other; we share our struggles and bounce ideas off each other to create solutions; everyone is willing to share their code and help each other create the best possible solution for their add-in. Being a part of the Academy has solidified my position as a BIM manager in my firm, it's given me the confidence to tackle any customization request and I've even been able to create add-ins for other firms. I highly recommend the Revit Add-in Academy and the ArchSmarter community as a whole.

I was encouraged to join the bootcamp by a good colleague of mine. In it, I discovered a whole new world of Visual Studio and C# programming. How straight forward all is once it’s all explained in plain words! It’s definitely put me up to a whole new level, a level I previously considered unreachable due to the programming language barrier. I'm really excited about what’s in the pipeline with these new skills I have. 

Before joining the Revit Add-in Academy, I had been studying on my own and with other courses that I found. I had taken Michael´s earlier course on Revit macros, which improved my knowledge about the API considerably. When I saw that there was this unique opportunity to continue learning with Michael, I didn't hesitate. The best part has been being able to meet Michael personally. In one minute of his time, he saved me from many headaches and many hours of work. In addition to his immense knowledge of the Revit API, he has helped me to improve my knowledge in C#. The community of Revit API coders inside the academy is a great group from which I can learn a lot, and they always help resolve doubts, contributing with new ideas and approaches. Thanks to this course, I have been able to finish some add-ins that I had pending, and that I could not finish. In my daily professional life, it has helped me to automate time-consuming tasks and be able to continue growing and dedicating my time to tasks with greater added value.