Schedule out what is already in the database "Offset from Host""

Mario_LeRoux — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 21:03:46 GMT

I find it frustrating that I need to keep figuring out workarounds to schedule out data that is already used to drive elements in my model.
I work in Transport / Bridges, and we always need coordinates and levels on drawings
The data is there but I can't get them added to native Revit schedules. This causes errors and lots of double handling to get things on drawings and reported to other parties

Why do we still not have the ability to schedule out coordinates and offset from host / Levels form all categories
in today's example I build a Abutment I easily control RL for by input of a single RL, but it is impossible to schedule it out to a drawing!!!

Please Autodesk none of the engineers I work for care about my frustrations anymore and the tool is not making my life any easier.

Now I need to imbed additional elements, add dummy fields, populate said fields, and schedule out dead crap to drawings that will be a RFI in 3 days because someone forgot to update a dead field after making a change.

Re: Schedule out what is already in the database "Offset from Host""

jose_Miquelao — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 17:49:04 GMT

A practical abutment workflow

For bridge families, I would separate the data into two groups.

1. Design/control data

These are parameters that should drive the family:

Abutment reference RL
Skew angle
Chainage or station
Offset from alignment
Abutment type
Bearing arrangement
Wall height
Foundation thickness
Element mark

These should be shared parameters where they must be scheduled or tagged.

2. Derived setting-out data

These are values calculated from the actual geometry:

Easting
Northing
RL
Top RL
Bottom RL
Left and right extents
Bearing centre coordinates
Foundation corner coordinates
Host or level offset

These should not be manually typed. They should be calculated automatically and written to schedulable parameters by Dynamo or, preferably for production, a Revit add-in.

Avoiding the “dead field” problem

The dangerous part of the current workflow is not the existence of additional parameters. It is that the parameters can become stale without any visible warning.

A robust implementation should include fields such as:

Coordinate Status
Last Coordinate Update
Updated By
Model Revision
Geometry Changed
QA Check

The process should be:

Model the abutment and control it with the design parameters.
Run an automated coordinate extraction routine.
Write the calculated results to shared parameters.
Display the status in the schedule.
Prevent issue of drawings if any element is marked Needs Update or Unverified.

A Dynamo script can perform the extraction and update process. It should be run manually at controlled milestones rather than continuously, because an uncontrolled automatic script can create unexpected changes in a production model.

Revit Snippet: Schedule XYZ Shared Coordinates of Elements

For a larger design office, a purpose-built add-in is generally safer because it can handle different element location types, report failures, apply shared-coordinate transformations, and provide a validation report. Commercial tools already demonstrate that this type of scheduleable coordinate extraction is technically feasible.

Revit Snippet: Schedule Coordinates of Setting-Out Points Fast! + 1

Use defined setting-out points—not just the family origin

For an abutment, “coordinate” needs a precise definition. It could refer to:

Family insertion point
Abutment centreline
Bearing centre
Front-left corner
Back-left corner
Foundation corner
Alignment intersection
A survey setting-out point

The best bridge-specific approach is to embed named reference markers in the family—for example:

ABT-01-CL
ABT-01-BRG-01
ABT-01-BRG-02
ABT-01-FOUND-01
ABT-01-FOUND-02

Constrain these markers to the relevant geometry. When the abutment changes, the markers move with it. The automation then reads their coordinates and writes them to fields such as X1, Y1, Z1, X2, Y2, and Z2. This is much more reliable than manually entering four sets of corner coordinates.

Revit Snippet: Schedule Coordinates of Setting-Out Points Fast!

Recommended schedule structure

A setting-out schedule might contain:

Field Purpose

Abutment Mark	Identifies the element
Point ID	Identifies the reference point
Easting	Shared-coordinate X value
Northing	Shared-coordinate Y value
RL	Reduced level
Point Type	Centreline, bearing, corner, etc.
Coordinate Status	Current, stale, or failed
Last Updated	QA traceability

Exportar

Copiar

For native Revit schedules, these values need to exist as parameters. Revit’s built-in coordinate data cannot simply be added to every schedule as universal calculated fields.

General Features > Tools > Extract Coordinate - CADtools Revit + 1

What Autodesk should add

The requested feature should be broader than just adding X, Y, and Z fields. Native Revit should provide scheduleable, category-independent access to:

Project-coordinate Easting and Northing
Shared-coordinate Easting and Northing
Elevation/RL
Top, centre, and bottom elevations
Offset from host
Offset from level
Location point and location curve
Coordinates of nominated family reference points
Coordinates of nested shared components
Linked-model coordinates
Coordinate-system identification
A stale-data or model-change warning

The critical requirement is that the schedule should identify which reference point and coordinate system generated each value. Otherwise, a coordinate may be numerically correct but unsuitable for setting out.

Re: Schedule out what is already in the database "Offset from Host""

Mario_LeRoux — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 19:58:01 GMT

Thanks for the detailed answer @jose_Miquelao. Hope most of this has not been AI generated:)
Looks like I already do what has been suggested here. This does not remove frustration with a BIM software that won't provide proper access to the basic building blocks of the information required to document and drive placement of elements natively

topic Re: Schedule out what is already in the database "Offset from Host"" in Revit Structure Forum

Schedule out what is already in the database "Offset from Host""

Re: Schedule out what is already in the database "Offset from Host""

Re: Schedule out what is already in the database "Offset from Host""