Archicad To Excel
Anthony
I'm hoping to come up with a strategy for importing a previously determined "Selections" spreadsheet into Archicad as an editable worksheet (or maybe could be a schedule). The thing to know about this is that I want it to be a universal, predetermined checklist (e.g. for plumbing fixtures) that will more or less always have the same content. For instance, toilet could always be P1, Shower head P2, etc.
All I want to do is bring the excel sheet in to Archicad and have it be editable and interoperable (so that when excel is changed it updates in AC, when AC is changed it updates in excel). I have no interest in having these items linked to BIM objects, building a schedule, then exporting to excel - this is backwards from the way that we need to work. This would mean that every selection (including shower valve, drain, garbage disposal, etc) would have to be first placed in Archicad and then exported to excel. Instead, I want this to serve as a universal checklist for all projects that gets imported and filled out during the DD phase.
For me, my first approach is to use "interoperability -- export the schedule to Excel" make the changes there and re-import. Archicad made several videos on this .-- i particularly like this approach as it keeps everything within the schedules.
As a alternate, you can use Python to establish your object specs within a Excel sheet, then import into corresponding properties which then automatically imports into the corresponding schedule. This would allow the architect to establish all of the specs for the projects placed Objects prior to start of the project. The designer just places the Objects and the specs for each object are automatically filled into the corresponding properties. Very similar to the above but allow prior control A video on this was made a couple years ago.
I want this list to predate the modelling of each of these elements (not all of these elements are going to be modelled at all - eg shower valve). In order to populate the schedule before placing any objects, I've made some placeholder morphs on a "ghost layer" that will be used to store the data and populate the schedule.
I then will set the properties of each of these ghost morphs to P1, P2, etc and build the blank selections list that way. Then, once exported, I have the excel sheet which can be filled out and then re-imported. If I build this into the basic template for all projects, I should be able to use the same excel sheet every time. I'm still having trouble importing the excel sheet back in, but I think I'm on the right track, no?
I have a different approach. I create standard elements that I re-use across a lot of projects and store them in a file called favourites. I find that easier than having to manage all the attributes. The elements in that file have all the data attached ready to go. It could be that someone like you creates that file and manages the editing of it for the rest of the office to use.
Hi, first time posting and not sure if this is the right category or if there is currently an easy solution for this in ArchiCAD. In our office we've been using Excel files to create "dumb" schedules for finishes, code analysis, and plumbing fixture count calculations. Our finishes aren't always connected to surfaces or materials: though we do have a custom tag that could be scheduled with all the finish codes and could modify our workflow to accommodate. Our plumbing fixture counts include existing buildings on school campuses that we haven't modeled and require some re-formatting / merging of cells to reflect unique campus use situations. Code analysis tables are similar, and are even more divorced from the model.
Excel files have to be saved somewhere, updated, saved to pdf, then pasted on the sheet, so we would prefer to have the schedules inside ArchiCAD. Our other strategy is to create tables in 2D with lines and polylines within ArchiCAD, but this becomes tedious to add cells or rearrange things. Does ArchiCAD have a way to make a dumber spreadsheet (like Excel) or schedule with the cell sizing, merging, and adding functions similar to Excel? Examples of our schedules pasted below. I've explored the Surface Legend object in the native ArchiCAD library, and it does some of what we're looking for, but not all. Any ideas? Thank you!
As Lee and Gerry noted, it is an old wish (nearing 20 years) on the Wish List for Schedules to have some Excel-like calculation abilities. Yet, there is nothing that would format schedules as your plumbing and code schedules - so even if calcs were added, I don't see the possibility of matching your layout/formatting shown.
Typically, in your situation, I'd recommend placing a PDF of your Excel on your layouts... which you would then have to remember to update the PDF every time that you update the Excel. The Excel itself can contain links to other Excel workbooks/worksheets. So, as Lee and Gerry note, you can create a schedule in Archicad with the raw data and export that (via Publisher for all of the required schedules) and in Excel, reference those Excel sheets as the source data for your formatted sheets and calcs. Every time you re-publish the schedules from Archicad, when you open Excel, all of your links will update with the refreshed data. And finally, save the PDFs.
Note that you don't have to model everything to get a full schedule of existing plumbing fixtures within Archicad, for example. Just create another story - for example below your lowest story - and place all of the plumbing fixtures for the unmodeled existing structure in a grid or some easily visually countable (to verify) pattern, multiplying them out. Then, they'll show up in a schedule even though not located in any meaningful location. If they need rooms associated with them, then just create zones as needed (with no regard to the actual building shape) and place the fixtures in the proper zones. Etc.
AFAIK -- Not all data from a schedule(s) ( particularly with the three schedule type format in Archicad and Expressions ) can be exported and imported back into a schedule? This feature mostly affects properties ,particularly custom properties. Of course, one can set up the necessary properties before hand to make "things" work, but is a great PITA. I believe the intent of the OP is to avoid this. And to add user calculations ( avoiding expressions) and allow custom formatting.. This should not be a great problem as there are a number of third party excel add ins for C++ and, i believe, the present schedules are just a add in? In comparison to most other Cad programs, Archicad schedules are in the "stone age".
Hello Guys, just exploring the blenderbim quantities. Is there away to open it in excel similar to Archicad add-on which is Cadimage quantities? I attached a snapshot from youtube video and excel result. Hope this reference could help you guys as to what i intend to have in excel format.
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