We are continuing our Ideate Software blog series entitled Wishlist Granted. Each blog article features real user requests and our response to those requests. So, let us again go to the well of Revit ideas to see what floats up!

The request to create a simple table made of non-specific Revit categories has been a long-standing request with more than 1000 votes on the Revit Ideas Board. All of us understand that Revit is a building information modeling program that basically “forces” a set of rules, layouts and categories upon model elements. However, sometimes we need to include information in our project documentation that does not exactly fit these rigid standards. Examples include a list of manufacturer’s details, general notes, specifications or other information that we have classified as non-BIM data, because it may not have a direct one-to-one relationship with an element within the Revit model.

 
On the Autodesk Revit Ideas Board - Let me make a simple table

The Ideate Software Solution

That’s why we developed Ideate Sticky more than six years ago! We started with the Revit Ideas Board request above and called the product Ideate Table.

Evolving Ideate Sticky to Meet Additional Revit User Requests

Over the years, we have seen other requests on the Revit Ideas Board related to the simple request to format a table in addition to including non-BIM data. These submissions all introduce the idea of keeping information within a source document such as Excel, Word and PDF while maintaining the ability to link and update the information in the Revit model.

• Link Excel Spreadsheet into Revit
• Link PDF into Revit
• Link Word Documents into Revit

We certainly have NOT been sitting on our original table idea for six years with the same functionality! 

We first introduced the ability to link Excel spreadsheets as a simple Revit table schedule, and we have added features within Ideate Sticky to link Excel, Word and PDF documents as images that can be easily updated. Additionally, we support Absolute paths, Relative paths, and Autodesk Cloud locations for data locations.

Main Ideate Sticky Dialog Showing the Many Options Available

Ideate Sticky Compared to Revit 2021

Revit included the ability to link PDF data into the Revit model starting with Revit 2021. However, the process is limited to one PDF page at a time. The elegant Ideate Sticky PDF linking allows any number of pages to be linked in a single step. Additionally, there is no Revit built-in solution to link and update Excel or Word information. In fact, our latest updates to Ideate Sticky even support Revit 2019 – Revit 2022!

Manage Links Dialog in Revit 2021 and Revit 2022

At Ideate Software, we are focused on delighting our customers. With Ideate Software there is no need to wait for future Revit releases to see your idea turned into a reality. We have the capabilities right now.

Wishlist Granted!

Please review our other Wishlist Granted posts.

About the Author

Richard W. Taylor, Associate AIA – Technical Evangelist 
Richard has more than 30 years of experience working for companies that develop architectural and engineering software solutions, such as Intergraph, Bentley, and Autodesk. He has over 20 years of Revit experience, and he was part of the original development of Revit while at Revit Technology Corporation. He worked for 12 years at Autodesk, where he presented, taught, and worked to improve features in Revit. Richard holds both a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies and Master of Architecture from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. As Technical Evangelist, Richard works with AECO clients worldwide, developing and consulting on BIM solutions. Find Richard on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Every day, our Ideate Software Support team fields all types of questions from AECO professionals all around the world. 

Did you know that if you are an Ideate Software customer, you can request a dataset containing instructions, sample datasets and solutions for a variety of challenging Revit workflows? We see these requests for datasets cross our Support desk all the time, so please don’t be shy in requesting the information from us.

Here are short descriptions of what we offer:

1. BOMA Dataset for Ideate BIMLink - BOMA is an acronym for the Building Owners and Managers Association. Please read this BOMA Calculations blog article by Sash Kazeminejad that explains our available dataset and the workflow process in detail.
   
   

2. Programming with Masses Dataset for Ideate BIMLink - Please review this informative blog article about how you can use Ideate BIMLink to assist with creating Revit Masses for programming requirements.
   
   
    

3. Sample Pivot Table Dataset for Ideate BIMLink - Please review this Ideate BIMLink Help topic on how to use pivot tables in Excel with Ideate BIMLink.  We even have a snazzy new video on the subject!
   
   
   
    
4. Plumbing Fixture Counts Dataset for Ideate BIMLink and Ideate Sticky - This online Help topic is a great place to start for reviewing Plumbing Fixture Counts or Occupancy Summaries. You can also read this blog article on the topic.
   
   

5. Pile Cap Renumbering Dataset - Check out this excellent blog article that details the specific challenge of numbering Pile Caps because they need to be numbered in a way that reflects their relative location as well as their relationship to the nested pile families. Using Ideate ReNumber is easy and efficient. 
   
   
    
6. Document Issue Record (DIR) Dataset - Last but not least, this is one of our MOST requested datasets. You can review the main blog post detailing how you can use Ideate Software applications to manage the sheet revision process, and you can also review this follow-up blog post for customizing the Document Issue Record. We also have information in our online Help for Managing Revit Sheet-based Revisions with Ideate BIMLink. Using both Ideate BIMLink and Ideate Sticky together allows perfect synergy.
   
   

Summary

1. BOMA Dataset
2. Massing Dataset
3. Pivot Table Sample Dataset
4. Plumbing Fixture Counts Dataset
5. Renumbering Pile Cap Dataset
6. Document Issue Records (Revision) Dataset

So please don’t beat your head against the wall trying to create your own solutions. Send an email to [email protected] and request one dataset or request them all!  We will be waiting to hear from you!

This post is one in our series covering questions frequently addressed by our Support team. View other posts in the series. 
 

About the Author

Richard W. Taylor, Associate AIA – Technical Evangelist 
Richard has more than 30 years of experience working for companies that develop architectural and engineering software solutions, such as Intergraph, Bentley, and Autodesk. He has over 20 years of Revit experience, and he was part of the original development of Revit while at Revit Technology Corporation. He worked for 12 years at Autodesk, where he presented, taught, and worked to improve features in Revit. Richard holds both a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies and Master of Architecture from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. As Technical Evangelist, Richard works with AECO clients worldwide, developing and consulting on BIM solutions. Find Richard on Twitter and LinkedIn.

San Francisco, CA, May 25, 2021 – Ideate Software, an Autodesk^® AEC Industry Partner and Autodesk^® Authorized Developer, announced enhancements to its Revit productivity applications.

“We are pleased that once again, we updated our software shortly after Autodesk released its newest version of Revit software,” said Glynnis Patterson, Director of Software Development. “In addition to aligning our software with Revit 2022, we made several improvements. One of the most significant changes is the translation of all our products into Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Japanese and Spanish. Now, users around the world will be even more productive as they use our software in their native languages.”

Additionally, Ideate Software’s cloud network licensing now works in VDI and most other remote access environments, and the products now support Revit 2022 and the change from BIM 360 to Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC).  

Below are highlights of some enhancements made to individual products: 

• The new version of Ideate Explorer now includes: 
  • New Ideate Query properties, including Is Orphaned, Is Monitored and more
  • Integration of the Selection Box and Isolate tools for better warnings management
  • Revit 2022 element support including multi-rebar annotation, mullion tags and more
     
• The new version of Ideate Sticky now offers: 
  • Image transparency for improved Word, Excel and PDF layouts
  • Ability to open the source documents directly from Ideate Sticky
  • Enhanced multi-select capabilities to easily edit all Stickies at once
     
• The new version of Ideate BIMLink provides:
  • Ability to import data without the Element ID 
  • Editing support for Family Type Parameters 
  • New data properties for superior Revit health check and quality control processes
     
• The new version of IdeateApps includes the following improvements: 
  • Revit 2022 only: View Title Alignment Control added to Clone, Align and SheetManager
  • ViewCreator: Batch Copy Views from Plan to Ceiling or from Area Scheme to Area Scheme
  • Clone, Align and the sheet creation within SheetManager support both model and non-model view alignment methods

Current subscribers have access to the current Revit-compatible version plus three earlier versions as well as access to point release improvements made during the subscription period. Those who aren’t subscribers yet can download trial versions from the Ideate Software website or purchase the $500 bundle that gives them access to Ideate Explorer, Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Sticky, Ideate StyleManager, and IdeateApps for six months.

About Ideate Software - Ideate Software, an Autodesk^® AEC Industry Partner and Autodesk^® Authorized Developer, empowers Revit users to gain unprecedented control over their data. Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, Ideate Sticky, IdeateApps and Ideate StyleManager were all developed to solve persistent problems in architecture, engineering, construction and owner (AECO) workflows. Ideate Software solutions enable Revit users to save time, increase accuracy, improve project deliverables and elevate design.

Autodesk and Revit are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries.

Microsoft Word and Excel are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

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For those of you who are new to Ideate Software or need a refresher course on the capabilities our products, this webinar recording is for you. Spend one hour watching to get a high-level overview of all Ideate Software solutions and how they relate to BIM managers and BIM management.

• Ideate BIMLink – The industry standard for exporting information from a Revit model to Microsoft Excel, so you can modify the data and import it back into Revit to update the model
  • Ideate Automation for Ideate BIMLink – Script and run Ideate BIMLink on multiple models during non-business hours, so data is in Excel spreadsheets when you return
• Ideate Sticky – Live-link Excel data as schedules or Word, Excel and PDFs as images in your Revit projects, so they automatically update when changes are made to the original documents
• Ideate Explorer – See every element and instance of every element in the Revit model, so you can easily select and swap elements, audit the project, and review and manage warnings
• Ideate StyleManager – Review styles (e.g., object styles, line styles, fonts, and dimensions), so you can merge and purge unwanted styles and delete those not being used
• IdeateApps – Decrease the time spent on common Revit tasks and increase the accuracy of BIM data in a Revit model with these nine focus-driven tools

Watch the recording and share it with others who will benefit from its content.

 
This webinar was presented in three regions over a two-day period. This recording is of the presentation made in the Americas region. The content is the same as the other presentations, except for the specific attendee questions asked during the webinar.

Browse our website for more information on our Revit productivity tools. Give them a try with a free trial version, or subscribe today. 
 

About the Author

Richard W. Taylor, Associate AIA – Technical Evangelist 
Richard has more than 30 years of experience working for companies that develop architectural and engineering software solutions, such as Intergraph, Bentley, and Autodesk. He has over 20 years of Revit experience, and he was part of the original development of Revit while at Revit Technology Corporation. He worked for 12 years at Autodesk, where he presented, taught, and worked to improve features in Revit. Richard holds both a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies and Master of Architecture from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. As Technical Evangelist, Richard works with AECO clients worldwide, developing and consulting on BIM solutions. Find Richard on Twitter and LinkedIn.

**IMPORTANT UPDATE**

** The problems decribed below in this post from April 2021 have been addressed in the May 2021 release of Ideate Sticky. Please read the updated blog post for the latest details.**

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Re-Branding of Autodesk BIM 360 Impacts Ideate Sticky

A recent change to the Autodesk Desktop Connector includes a re-branding of Autodesk’s BIM 360 platform. This change is described in the recent Desktop Connector Release Notes with important highlights that relate to Ideate Software, as shown in the image below. 

When your end users install this version of the Desktop Connector, the change will manifest locally as a renamed folder. What was previously “C:\Users\[user name]\BIM 360” will become “C:\Users\[user name]\ACCDocs.” 

This change may impact Ideate Software customers. Please read below for per-product implications.

Ideate Sticky

For those of you using Ideate Sticky and storing your Excel, Word, or PDF files on BIM 360, you will find that this change will result in broken file paths for Ideate Sticky. We recommend the following steps, in order of importance:

1. Avoid updating to the Desktop Connector if possible. We will re-code Ideate Sticky to support this change. We hope to release Ideate Sticky within 60 days of the Revit release.
    
2. If you cannot avoid doing the update, then you will want to select all Stickies within each project and update them to the new path location. Here is a video with instructions.
    
3. 
   

Ideate Automation

Ideate Automation will work fine with the file path change. However, if you have customized your Ideate Automation scripts and those scripts are writing Excel file content to a BIM 360 path, you will need to adjust your script to use the new file path.

For example, in the image below, the original script has caused a new folder called “BIM 360” to be created. To avoid this problem, you should edit your existing script and do a search for “\BIM 360” and then do a replace with “\ACCDocs” path.

Help us Improve

We strive to integrate our solutions into the Autodesk eco-system wherever possible. In this case, our ability to handle this change is limited by the lack of a formal Application Programmer Interface (API) for the Autodesk Desktop Connector. You can let Autodesk know this is important by voting for this idea on the BIM 360 API forum.