Key things to remember when Editing, Removing, or updating Parameter Data Types!

[jessica_smith]

We all make mistakes, and that’s okay! In Autodesk Tandem, we sometimes hear of Parameters being created with the wrong Data Type. This forum post highlights key information and explains how to correct the Data Type. 

The first thing to always know is never to delete the Facility Template. This will cause irreversible loss of work, such as tagged asset, manually added element data, and any Connections to no longer be configured. 

If the incorrect Data Type selection is caught before data has been captured against this parameter, then the data type can be easily corrected. Simply edit the parameter from the parameter library. 

If data has been captured for an Element or Tagged Asset: 

A user naturally will try to switch a parameter's data type. Unfortunately, when this change is made, a data type conversion conflict is the most common cause of the error notification when updating a Facility Template. There are two ways to resolve the error: 

1. Change the parameter data type back to its original format.
2. Create an entirely new parameter that can be added to a Facility Template, followed by:
   1. Updating the facility to use the latest template.
   2. Migrating any asset data from the original parameter to the new one. This can be done either in the inventory panel or with the Excel Add-in. See below for more details about this workflow.
   3. Updating the Facility Template once again to use the latest template. 

Connections and Streams: 

Much like with elements and tagged assets, after Connections have been created and Streams have been configured, updating or editing the parameter the Stream in-use becomes complicated. Should the parameter that the stream is using have the incorrect data type, do not remove the Facility Template if active Stream Data is being sent and received by the (Internet of Things) device. 

Instead, create the correct parameters, assign them to the facility template, and then remove the parameters with incorrect data types without removing the facility template from the facility. This way, data is not lost, and the incoming Stream data is not interrupted. 

Import/Export from the Inventory Panel 

Another way to correct this conflict is to determine what asset data will be required at handover during the early stages of a project. However, switching the parameter type may be necessary when changes are made during the project. 

The Excel export/import tool in the inventory panel can be utilized to review and migrate asset data from the old parameter to the new one once it has been created and applied to the facility via the template. From here,

1. Open the facility, update the Facility Template, and filter the viewer to show elements using the old and new parameters.
2. Open the inventory panel and edit the columns, making the old and new parameters visible. For more information, visit our Inventory page on the Autodesk Knowledge Network site.
3. Click Export.
4. Open Excel. From here, users can take advantage of Excel's filtering capabilities to see what asset data has been entered.
5. Then, cut/paste the asset data from the old parameter to the new one.
6. Save the Excel file.
7. From the facility's inventory panel, click import and select the Excel file. 

Now that the asset data has been moved to the new parameter and updated in Tandem, the old parameter can be removed from all Facility Templates and deleted. After that, it is recommended that users run the Clean Tagged Assets function to remove any lingering data from the unneeded parameter. Learn more about this function here. 

Like the workflow above, the Excel Add-in offers another method of creating and updating parameters. Its benefit is a common, easy-to-understand spreadsheet view. Review the link provided to learn more and get started with the Excel Add-In.