Schedules Operate like Excel

[Anonymous]

Creating Custom Schedules is currently tedious and a difficult time / money consuming task.

Custom Schedules are something that many clients desire and companies mandate. One size does not fit all when it comes to schedules.

I recommend Revit Schedules operate like Excel on every level (a program that users are familiar and efficient with).

• HEADERS
  
  •  Group Footer and Headers
  • Add Rows Above and Add Rows Below
  • Row Sizing
  • Unmerge and Merge
  • Text Wrapping and Hyphenate Unhyphenatation
  • Locks and Freezes
• BODY
  • Lock and Freezes
  • Add Rows Above and Below to enter Special Notes and Info
  • Rows Sizing
  • Add Formulas like Excel to make doing formulas, averages, totals, calcs, etc. easy
  • Merge and Unmerge
  • Text Wrapping and Hyphenate Unhyphenatation

• TEXT/FONTS
  • Be able to change Font Type, Font Size, and Narrow Aspect Ratios (for narrower text) by just highlighting text or columns.
  • Be able to apply more that 3 Fonts to the Schedules. (more than Title, Header, and Body.)
• OVERALL
  • Ease of Operation
  • Tools in the Row and Column and Parameter toolbars not Grayed-Out when you need them the most.

This Excelling of the Schedules will save a lot of time.

[jaboone]

Formulas are pretty crude in parameters.

[malblask]

It would be great to be able to put a formula into any text box in the drawing that would pull a cell from a schedule.  IE:  In lieu of typing in the load tag value for a room, just type "=occupancy schedule k4" so it will automatically pull what is in cell K4 on the occupancy schedule.   I would recommend allowing adding of cells as well as just plain referencing cells.  

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Two things about tables that seem they should function somewhat easily but don't (from a non programmer point of view.)

1. Revit can do some basic equation type stuff in tables but stops short of some of the features excel has. As an example for trying to automate tagging. One of the things I wanted for a door for example was to say if a field equals this # then it  is this type.  but you cannot mix letters into an equation so it limits you to only labelling things with numbers in this case.

I would love to see Revit add as much "excel type" functions as possible.

2. I am not sure why any field can't be used in a tag, just seems so simple that the lack of this function is confusing to me.

[Anonymous]

Add all kind of layout options to schedules, like you can already in Excel or software likewise.

Think about outlines per cell etc.

[aricke59]

Hi brtrout, as a programmer as much as I can sympathise with your desire to have schedules work like Excel, the view of database information that Revit schedules currently present, is largely incompatible with the fairly random, non data based, inclusions you would like to have. Additionally consider that Excel has developed over decades therefore reproducing it within Revit would be a massive programming task. I really cannot see this request ever getting of the ground.

If you want to have a better Revit to Excel export experience try looking at ARUtils - Formatted Import/Export. Please note it will require a bit of time to become accustomed to what is possible and not possible using the process. One of the nicest features is that you can highlight elements that have been deleted, added, or modified since the last export - no more trying to work out what is different between the current and last exports.

Note: I am the developer

[Anonymous]

I understand this is a tough task, but a task that helps many of us out.

A lot of companies have unique schedules and charts and Bill Of Materials that they need to use. Revit is not friendly when it comes to making it do exactly your companies or clients specifications.

As a Revit user working on DOD Government projects, I'm up against this on a daily basis.

It is incredibly cumbersome to spend way more time on something that could take us all of 5 min in Excel to achieve.

I know I'm not alone on the my wishes in making Revit work easier or simply cut down project time with powerful functions.

[Anonymous]

If schedules were just like excel spreadsheets it would save so much time.

[Anonymous]

Approve!!! I Endorse btrout comment I like to see that become reality 

[brunelli.b]

Another excel feature that would be helpful is the "Fill Handle" tool to apply a sequence of numbers to a parameter in a schedule. We like to apply a series of item numbers to objects so that the number on a plan view refers to the corresponding schedule, and this would make it much easier to apply that number sequence.

[roquealfonso]

It will be great to manage schedules more like we manage excel spreadsheets, with built-in formula functions, linking to other files or sheets, and overall manipulation of field schedules like with excel cells.

[MatthewPeterman6656]

I see a lot of ideas posted here to make Revit work with excel more directly, to make Revit just like excel and so on.   I agree with most if not all of those posts as this gets to what Autodesk has sold AEC for years about BIM - the I for Information.   Schedules are one obvious part of the interface where we make edits and input information.   My request is a simple first step and it is just like excel.   Allow a Revit user to shift or tab select multiple cells in a schedule and edit/input information (just like excel).  Of course there are many more things you can do to make the manipulation and interaction with information/data in Revit better (the "I" in BIM) but I see this as a first step that will impact almost all Revit users immediately in how they work and make the product better for everyone and the value of the tool greater.   I know there are tricks you can learn to work with schedules to do this and I know there are other places in the interface to do this but it is what people need/want to be effective in providing quality assurance with their data and design.

[Anonymous]

I very much agree with this. I've used Revit for many years now and have adapted to learning how it functions to get it it to do what I need it to. HOWEVER, it took a long time to get there. Many "Wasted" hours just wrestling schedules to display what I need them to. Creating dummy text parameters that are only there for my schedules. I've even gone as far as just editing the PDF when exported out of frustration and approaching deadlines. It would be amazing to have 2 different schedule types built into Revit. 1 that functions similarly to how it does now. In all honesty there are good features in Revit's current schedules, especially for large projects with TONS of duplicate doors, equipment...etc. The 2nd schedule type would just be a dummy spreadsheet that can be filled in similar to excel or other spreadsheet software. Sometimes we just need a dummy chart that isn't referencing anything in the model, and we have to either draft a chart in a drafting view or legend. Or create it in Excel and load in a PDF, JPG or other file type which bogs down the model. LAST. It would be amazing to have formulas function like excel does. If Revit could just simply multiply my floor area by my occupant load in a Life Safety Plan without me having to know how to code I would be super grateful! HAHA

[befree1997]

Revit can use some function of formula of excel, but not so much.

I strongly wish that most of excel formula can use in Revit.

[kimberly_fuhrman-jones]

Hi, @befree1997 ,

Here are two similar Ideas that we can combine with yours:

More Excel type features/formulas - Autodesk Community

Excel compatible formulas in parameters in families - Autodesk Community

Thank you for your Idea submission!

Kimberly

[barand.]

Why isn't an Excel-type tool in Revit, directly embedded in the software, where we can address values, schedules, and create tables freely - detached from the project?

This idea is based on a discussion in a Revit Turkish Forum -As a listing format required in a commercial renovation project governed by the Municipality. Moreover, this can benefit many others as a tool for visualizing various lists and calculations inside Revit. 

Curious to hear your comments and votes.

Cheers!

[rmc9WR3X]

Google has Sheets, so I think Autodesk either has to make a BIM clone of Excel or they have to fully integrate Excel so that the building model can be updated through an API.

[cslatteryAXGRE]

It would be nice to have a table in Revit that is just like Excel or the table in AutoCad without having to create fields or parameters or assign it to a category. And the ability to change the schedules so the fields can be a row header in the first column instead of always at the top. In other words, be able to switch the column headings to the first cell in a row.

[Iev60047]

Going to a few of the ideas that I like and have been tracking and I see there's been no movement from Autodesk on this one either. Just providing a bump on this idea, as it would benefit a ton of different users.

[DZimmerKVJT2]

New users of Revit are simply flabbergasted by this. Considering that basic table functions have been in CAD for a long time now, it boggles the mind to mush.  It feels like it's intentional.

I can't even SORT columns? They should not show you schedules in a gridded pattern (like a table) if it's not going to function like a table. 

[Zanyar.K]

I agree with you 100%.