Ideate BIMLink for Room Finish Schedules
One of the best places to get started with learning Ideate BIMLink is a Room Finish Schedule.
If your Revit project has more than 30 rooms and more than four (data-input) columns, using Ideate BIMLink can significantly reduce the time it takes to review and edit your room data by allowing your edits to happen within Excel. The sheer volume of data makes this Revit task unwieldy. Despite the addition of “Freeze Header,” Revit still has a long way to go to achieve the ease-of-use found within Excel.
When you export your Room Finish data to Excel via Ideate BIMLink, you get these benefits:
- Fantastic editing functions within Excel! Today I’ll highlight three of my favorites.
- Format as Table
- Autofill
- Find and Replace
- More control of the Room Phase and Design Option properties
- Unlike Revit, Ideate BIMLink data exports do not limit the room list to one specified phase or design option
- Being able to edit all Room data across multiple phases at once will save you time in your complex projects
- As this blog series continues, we will explore these and other powerful uses of Ideate BIMLink
- Most importantly, you can hand off the Excel file generated via Ideate BIMLink to anyone on the project team for editing, regardless of their Revit skill set.
The example I’m using here is based on the Snowdon Towers Sample Architectural model that comes with Revit 2024. Everything shown here is supported as far back as Revit 2021 at the time of this post. All the Scheduled fields shown in the Schedule Properties in our example are built-in Revit parameters.
Here’s a cropped example of the Room Finish Schedule as viewed in Revit.
Now let’s get this information out to Excel!
There are three methods for creating links with Ideate BIMLink. We’re going to use what I think is the easiest, Create from Schedule.
Simply open Ideate BIMLink, choose “New,” then “Create from Schedule” where you can browse or search for the Room Finish Schedule, and the click “Next.”
After reviewing the Link Properties, pick “Done.” You’ll be returned to the Ideate BIMLink home screen where you select the newly created Link and click “Export” to save and open it in Excel.
Now that the Excel file is open, let’s have a look at my favorite editing features.
Format as Table
This one click is the most powerful thing you can do to any Excel file that has been exported from Ideate BIMLink.
With cell A1 as the default selection when Room Finish Schedule.xlsx is opened, pick Format as Table from the Styles Tab in Excel to give your table headers (parameters) drop down-functionality!
The ability to filter and sort parameter values is nearly endless. Good luck getting a Revit Schedule to work like this!
Autofill
Revit typically limits us from editing more than one value at a time in a Schedule View. Once in Excel, use Autofill options to easily copy multiples and sequences up and down columns with ease.
While Autofill is super helpful, be aware that it won’t work if you have applied a filter to any of the column headers. A perfect example of that would be in the previous step where we filtered the Levels column to show only L2 and L3.
Find and Replace
When it comes to making wholesale changes for issues like typos or in this case, changes to a finish that affects many rooms, Find and Replace is your friend.
Make sure to expand the ‘Options’ when using Find and Replace to get the most benefit.
We recommend that all Revit users have access to Ideate BIMLink to expedite the review and editing of Revit schedules and Room Finish Schedules are a great place to start. You can download a trial version of Ideate BIMLink and try for yourself.
What is a Named User license?
A Named User license is assigned to one specific person rather than shared across a network. For a step-by-step walkthrough, see the Graitec Licensing Help Center - Named User.
Are Ideate Suites replacing Ideate Software Bundles?
Yes. Going forward, Ideate Suites replace Ideate Software Bundles.
What's the difference between the Ideate Software Bundle and the Ideate Suite?
Both include the same five tools: IdeateApps, Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, Ideate Sticky and Ideate StyleManager.
- Bundle: Each tool is licensed separately, so different people can work in different tools at once. For example, with one Bundle, five people could each use a different tool at the same time.
- Suite: One license covers all five tools for one person at a time. That person can move freely between every tool. While they're using the Suite, it isn't available to anyone else on that license until they finish.
A Named User Suite is assigned to one specific person. A single Network Cloud Floating Suite can be shared across your team, one person at a time.
Will my team need more licenses?
If several people on your team use different Ideate tools at the same time, you may need more than one Suite license. Contact us and we'll review your team's usage and help you choose the right setup.
Can I still buy an Ideate Software Bundle?
No. Bundles are no longer available for purchase. New purchases are offered as follows:
- Ideate Suite: Named User or Network Cloud Floating
- Enterprise Suite: Network Cloud Floating
- Active Host: Network Cloud Floating
- Automation: Network Cloud Floating
- Individual products: Named User or Network Cloud Floating (IdeateApps, Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, Ideate Sticky, and Ideate StyleManager)
Can I still buy IdeateApps, BIMLink, Explorer, Sticky, or StyleManager individually?
Yes. Individual products are available as Named User or Cloud Floating licenses until the new product lineup launches with the next major release, expected mid-2027.
Will floating (network) licenses still be available?
Yes. FlexLM remains available for organizations with security requirements, such as environments without internet access. FlexLM is not available through the online store, so please contact your account manager to purchase.
My organization has strict security requirements or no internet access. Can I still get a FlexLM license?
Yes. FlexLM remains available for organizations with security requirements, such as environments without internet access. FlexLM is not available through the online store, so please contact your account manager to purchase.
I'm an existing customer. What happens to my current license/s?
Your existing Ideate Software subscription is moving to our new licensing system at no cost. Your license quantities and expiration dates stay the same.
- Standalone licenses become Named User licenses. Set up your Named Users in the Graitec Advantage Portal.
- Cloud Floating (network) licenses become Network Cloud Floating Suite licenses. Deploy the latest release as you have in the past, using the new license code in your migration email.
- Each Ideate Software Bundle becomes an Ideate Suite.
To keep using Ideate, update to the latest release and activate your new license by March 31, 2027. Older Ideate licenses will stop working in Q2 2027.
Using Ideate with Revit 2022 or earlier? Contact ideatesupport@graitec.com to review your options. For account questions, contact sales@ideatesoftware.com.
I have a Bundle today. What will I receive when I move to the new licensing?
Conversions are one for one. Each Ideate Software Bundle becomes one Ideate Suite, and each network Bundle becomes one Network Cloud Floating Suite. Your license quantities and expiration dates stay the same.
Where do I manage my licenses?
In the Graitec Advantage Portal. Based on customer requests, starting with the latest Ideate release, license management and license usage information are handled in Graitec Advantage, outside of Revit. We recommend bookmarking the portal.
- Named User licenses: Assign licenses to people on your team in Graitec Advantage.
- Cloud Floating Suite licenses: Deploy the latest release with your new license code as you have in the past, then manage licenses in Graitec Advantage.
Watch the Graitec Advantage walkthrough
Can I transfer a Named User license to another person?
Yes. There's no limit on the total number of transfers, but each license can be transferred up to two times within a 30-day period.
How are licenses issued?
Each product on your order is issued as its own license once your order is processed. To try a product before buying, contact us to request an evaluation license.
I want to try the Graitec AI Assistant now, but I don’t have my new license code yet. What should I do?
Existing customers: We’re delivering new license codes to existing subscribers on a rolling basis over the next few weeks. If you need access sooner, contact your Graitec sales representative.
New customers: The Graitec AI Assistant isn’t available in the Ideate trial. Contact your Graitec sales representative to request an evaluation license or purchase a 6-month subscription.
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