Creating, Updating, and Using a Link Spreadsheet

You can create and update a design table as a spreadsheet that you can use to exchange data between the app and the spreadsheet.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin:
  • Create a model.
  • Add attributes to objects that you want to include in your spreadsheet.
See Also
Adding and Editing Object Attributes

Context: An alternative method of adding and editing attribute values is to use the BIM attributes command. The system reflects in the Link Spreadsheet any changes that you make using the BIM attributes command.

Create the Spreadsheet

You can create a design table as a spreadsheet report on a model and its attributes.

  1. From the Building section of the action bar, click Link Spreadsheet .
  2. In the tree or 3D area, select each object to include in the bidirectional design table.
    For example, to include the information and attributes about top floor office spaces in the model, click each office space.
    The Link Spreadsheet dialog box lists a node for each selected object in the Selected Objects list.
    Tips: To see a listing of the extensions for each selected object, expand the extensions node.

    To remove an object from Selected Objects, select the object from the list and click Remove selected objects from the linked spreadsheet .

  3. To add additional attribute extensions to an object:
    1. Click Attributes extensions.
    2. In the Extension List dialog box, select each additional attribute extension that you want to add.
      The system lists each added extension in the Selected Objects list.
    3. To apply the selected extension to all listed objects of the same type, in the Extension List dialog box, select the Apply Extension To All check box.
  4. To include attributes in the spreadsheet, repeat the following for each object type and for each required attribute:
    1. From the Selected Objects list, click the object or a listed attribute.
      For example, to include space name, department and sub-department date, click Space Properties.
      The system adds the attributes for the object or its extension to the Object attributes list.
    2. Either:

      Option Action
      Add selected attributes
      • Press Ctrl and select each attribute to include in the spreadsheet.
      • Click Add .
      Add all attributes Click Add All .

      The system adds the attributes to the Attributes included in spreadsheet table at the bottom of the dialog box.
      Tip: To remove any attributes from the table, click Remove selected attributes from the linked spreadsheet .
    3. Press Ctrl and select each attribute to include in the spreadsheet.
  5. To include the decimal RGB Color Code for selected objects, select the Include Color check box.
    For example, in a sample building project, spaces belonging to the Management Department are color coded 184, 21, 4 and display as red in the project. Selecting the check box includes this code in the spreadsheet.

  6. To clear the selected objects and attributes and create a new spreadsheet, click Create Blank Linked Spreadsheet .

    You can save or discard the changes to the previous spreadsheet before the system creates a new spreadsheet.

  7. To create a spreadsheet with the attributes in the export table:
    1. Click Save as New Linked Spreadsheet .
    2. In the Create Linked Spreadsheet dialog box, in Name enter the name of the spreadsheet.
    3. In Comment, enter the details of the spreadsheet.
    4. Click OK.

      Note: The Destination of the design table in the tree is in Knowledge Engineering Specification under the active object.

      Important: If the design table is not visible in the tree
      1. Click Me > Preferences.
      2. In the Preferences dialog box, click Infrastructure > 3D Shape Infrastructure.
      3. On the Display tab, in the Display In Tree, select the Relations check box.
      4. Click OK.

      The design table appears in the tree, under the active object, in Relations.

The system creates a design table as a spreadsheet with the selected objects and attributes.

Notes:
  • The internal attributes exported to spreadsheet are listed in English.
  • Irrespective of the preferences set by you, attribute values are sent to the report in non-exponential format.

Update the Spreadsheet

You can update the design table after editing the building model.

  1. Edit the building model.
  2. From the action bar, click Link Spreadsheet .
  3. In the Link Spreadsheet dialog box, under Name, select a spreadsheet from the list.

    Note: By default, the list contains only linked spreadsheets aggregated under the active product. To view all linked spreadsheets aggregated under the root product, clear Filter .
    Tip: Attributes that differ from the model are shown in italics and bold.

    The Link Spreadsheet dialog box displays the objects and attributes included in the selected spreadsheet. The system highlights the objects in the 3D area and in the tree.
  4. In the tree, select the additional objects to add to the spreadsheet.
  5. In the dialog box, add the object attributes to the export table.
  6. To include the RGB Color Code for the new objects, select the Include Color check box.
  7. To include AEC object type of all the selected objects in the linked spreadsheet, select the Include AEC Object Type check box.
  8. Click Update linked spreadsheet with values from model attributes .

When the system displays a message that the update is complete, the spreadsheet has the latest attributes and values from the model.

Update the Model

You can update the model after modifying the design table.

  1. Make and save the changes in the spreadsheet.
    For example, to change the Management Department offices to the Executive Department, change the LiveArchiSpace.SpaceDepartment column entries to Executive. To change the red space colors from red to green, change the Color column to 10,107,0
  2. After closing the spreadsheet, open the spreadsheet in the project:
    1. From the action bar, click Link Spreadsheet .
    2. In the Link Spreadsheet dialog box, under Name, select a spreadsheet from the list.

      Note: By default, the list contains only linked spreadsheets aggregated under the active product. To view all linked spreadsheets aggregated under the root product, clear Filter .

      The Link Spreadsheet dialog box displays the objects and attributes included in the selected spreadsheet.
    3. To edit the active spreadsheet in Excel, click
      The active spreadsheet opens in Microsoft Excel.
    Tip: Attributes that differ from the model are shown in italics and bold.
  3. In the tree, select the additional objects to add to the spreadsheet.
  4. To include the RGB Color Code for the new objects, select the Include Color check box.
  5. To include AEC object type of all the selected objects in the linked spreadsheet, select the Include AEC Object Type check box.
  6. In the Link Spreadsheet dialog box, click Update model attributes with values from linked spreadsheet .

The model reflects the changes. In the example model, the space objects are now green.

To see the new Space Department, right-click a space and from the context toolbar, select BIM attributes . The Space Properties extension attribute, SpaceDepartment, is Executive.

Note: The attribute values in report that are in exponential format are not supported.