Using and external database to generate room list

[jsteinhauer]

Hello All,

I have done searches in this forum already on this subject and not really finding the responses applicable. I have an existing room list from a client with a wealth of information as far as occupants, owners, function, headcounts, utilization, etc. I also know that they would be very interested in being able to drive Revit from their database. I am wondering if there is a way to import (I use that term loosely), to generate my room schedule. I am planning on still having to go and place each room into it's proper location. Any ideas???

Thanks,
Jeff S.

[bbeck]

Not a direct answer to your query.......

BIMStorm by Onuma talks directly about being able to leverage data like your room list from a client to enhance our design process. Very interesting approach, I like the concepts.

[azmz3]

Unfortunately, there is no direct way to import the information from a spreadsheet like an excel file, so you would basically have to re-input the information into the project. But once you have the information you need in the project, you can schedule it, if using shared parameters, you could have the information in the room tags, if you modify a room tag, so there are ways to use the information, but you need to get the info into the project manually.

[Alfredo Medina]

It is possible. If your list is in a database, such as Access, you should be able to export it to Excel.
In Revit, you would need to have your rooms already placed and numbered. For any parameter that is not in the default set of parameters for rooms, like the ones you have mentioned, you need to use the Add Parameter... button from the Fields tab to add them. Then, sort them from top to bottom so that they correspond to left to right in Excel. Then, arrange Revit and Excel side by side on your screen. Double check that the number of rooms and the order of the columns matches with the list in Excel.

Now see illustration. In Revit, click on the cell marked in red. In Excel, click on the cell marked in red. Now, execute the script to Copy from Excel to Revit, indicating how many rows and how many columns you want to transfer.

The script is attached. The story of the script can be found at:
http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=97224&page=8

The original version of the AutoHotKey script was uploaded by Nicholas Iyadurai to the Revit API forum. Later, it was modified by David Rushforth; later, it was modified by me. The code is still open for anybody in the API group, in case anybody wants to work on it and continue improving it.

[jsteinhauer]

So I would still need to populate my rooms in Revit. Then once all the rooms are there I can run the script to fill in the rest of the information contained in the database.

I was hoping it would populate all of this information for me, including the rooms. Kind of a type catalog for rooms.

[Alfredo Medina]

No. The only thing you need to do is place the rooms in the model, prepare a schedule, and then assign a number to the rooms. In other words, before running the script, your Revit schedule has all the columns ready, but the only column that has values is the Room Number; all the others are empty. You can't just add rows to a room schedule without having rooms already. Does this clarify the issue?