Electrical Panel Schedules - What are you doing?

[Tyveka]

After looking around and reading topics, experimenting on our own, etc., I think it's pretty safe to say that Electrical Panel Schedules in MEP are not all they are cracked up to be. Between being some kitbash of schedule and report, the lack of ability to customize really trips things up.
So my question is, those using Revit MEP, how are you dealing with all the limitations in the panel schedules? What are you doing to get a "correct" panel schedule, with control over the fields that you want and don't want to show, etc?
Just curious, as we really want to succeed with the software but it's really frustrating at times.
Thanks!

[AaronC]

We're using Spanner to import the Excel schedule into AutoCAD, then linking the dwg into the Revit sheet.


Whee.

[mwiggins]

We do not issue panel schedules. We use panel summary scheduls.

[jlondenberg]

We do not issue panel schedules. We use panel summary scheduls.

Can you describe this a bit more. Please use small words, I'm an air head, not a wire nut.

[mwiggins]

I should have explained better. Unless the jurisdiction requires panel schedules we issue a panel summary schedule. The summary lists the panel, voltage, phase, wire (see attached)……in ACAD. I am currently trying to figure out if I can schedule the information in Revit.

[jlondenberg]

…in ACAD...

Bleech!!!!

[Tyveka]

So the long and short of it is that there's no really good way to deal with panel schedules in Revit, instead do them in Excel or AutoCAD...? Kinda sad.

Realistically, is Autodesk looking to fix this in the next release? Any clues, breadcrumbs or anything that can help give us direction?

Thanks!

[AaronC]

90% of our projects are tenant finish-outs, or have existing panels in the projects. That's where you run into the major Revit roadblock. We need to distinguish between existing and new circuits within the panel schedule, and there is no easy way to do that in Revit. This should be high on Autodesk's priority list. Should being the operative word.

[mhartmann]

my biggest issues with the panel schedules are that:

1. there is no easy way to fill the rest of the breaker positions with spare or space labels.
2. there is no way to put 3 single pole circuits on a 3-pole breaker (national electrical code 2008 rule for multi-wire home runs).
3. there is no way to edit the names of the categories that show, ie Mgr./Type (i could use this spot for more useful info.
4. there is no way to turn off any info that shows, ie the total connected load line. this could be confusing to some, showing 400 amps connected to a 200 amp panel.

if they were schedules in stead of reports, then they would be much more flexible (i think).

if anyone has a way of doing any of the above listed things, Please let me know.
Thanks,
Mike

[bts]

Panel schedules have been a complaint about Revit MEP from the beginning, and yet Autodesk still has yet to do anything about them. I have not seen a single person that likes them in any way. I know there are some people that just deal with them and use them, but most people I have seen do them in Excel and bring them in.

[BigBadBIM]

We're using Spanner to import the Excel schedule into AutoCAD, then linking the dwg into the Revit sheet.


Whee.
Spanner??? Yikes! Why don't you just link your Excel file to an ACAD table? I guess it depends on what release you have, but I'm pretty sure that goes back to at least ... 07? Nope, looks like 08 is the first release with that ability. Pretty useful though if you have it.

Of course this is my prejudice against Spanner, I never really learned to use it very well.

[AaronC]

Ah, we just upgraded to AutoCAD MEP 2009 from AutoCAD 2007, didn't know you could do that. I'll give it a try, thanks!

[jlondenberg]

Panel schedules have been a complaint about Revit MEP from the beginning, and yet Autodesk still has yet to do anything about them. I have not seen a single person that likes them in any way. I know there are some people that just deal with them and use them, but most people I have seen do them in Excel and bring them in.

How do you link them? Revit doesn't seem to have any direct interaction with Excel?!?

[bts]

Honestly, I haven't brought anything in. We are still just in a testing phase (for almost 2 yrs now) of Revit MEP. Still too many issues, in our opinion, to use it for our Clients. And the fact of convincing our upper management that we just need to accept some of the differences for the way Revit does things and our current drawing standards. But eventually, our biggest client is going to go the way of Revit, so we are just trying to get our ducks in a row before that happens.

[mjdanowski]

AutoCAD

Which is a shame because it takes away a very big coordination benefit with electrical work, and subsequently creates a bigger problem.

[schrodingerscat]

Show me a way to change all references to 'panel boards' to 'distribution boards' and I'll start looking into them more.

'Panel Board' is a colloquialism we don't have here.

[mjdanowski]

Show me a way to change all references to 'panel boards' to 'distribution boards' and I'll start looking into them more.

'Panel Board' is a colloquialism we don't have here.

Well there is a distribution board part type under electrical equipment that changes its schedule and behavior, though I do not know if that is what you are referring to.

[schrodingerscat]

I mean on the schedule it says "Panel Name" whereas we use "Distribution Board Reference" here. You can change it on that ****** looking schedule, but on the better looking report you can't change it. We won't use either for the issues between the two.

[Tyveka]

So what I'm basically hearing is that the old-fashioned way of Excel or AutoCAD is the current "preferred" (I use that term very very loosely) method of getting Panel Schedule data into the Revit project, until such time as Autodesk actually gives us a usable panel schedule.
As said before, very disappointing, as all that coordinated information becomes quite useless.
How sad. Here's hoping for a fix in 2010.