Export Revit Data to a Database

You can export model data using MS Access or ODBC.

Important: If you are running on a 64-bit operating systems, and want to export to an Excel or Access database, you must have Microsoft Office 2010 x64 installed in order to have access to the database drivers. Alternatively, you can download the Access driver. If Access 2007 x86 is installed on x64 machine, the driver cannot be installed. The link above also includes the Excel database driver. You can also utilize a SQL database setup in order to access the necessary drivers. Refer to the table below for more information.
    Drivers    
Access 2003 x86 Access 2007 x86 Access 2007 x64
Installs Windows x86 Revit x86 Yes No No
  MS Access 2007 x86 Revit x86 Yes Yes No
  MS Access 2010 x86 Revit x86 Yes Yes No
  Windows x64 Revit x86 Yes No No
  MS Access 2007 x64 Revit x86 Yes Yes No
  MS Access 2010 x64 Revit x86 Yes Yes No
  Windows x64 Revit x64 No No No
  MS Access 2007 x64 Revit x64 No No No
  MS Access 2010 x64 Revit x64 No No Yes

Exporting data using MS Access

  1. On the Link Revit Model with Database dialog, select MS Access.
  2. Select a recently used connection, or click Select a new connection to create a new connection.

    If you selected Select a new connection, the Select database dialog displays. Browse to the desired location.

    Note: When you export a new drawing to an existing database, the Continue ? dialog displays.
  3. Click Export.
  4. During subsequent data export to the same database, only the data from the project is affected so that new fields or tables added to the database remain next to the newly exported data.

Exporting data using ODBC

  1. On the Link Revit Model with Database dialog, select ODBC.
  2. Select a recently used connection, or click Select a new connection to create a new connection.

    If you selected Select a new connection, the Select database dialog displays. Browse to the desired location.

    Note: When you export a new drawing to an existing database, the Continue ? dialog displays.
  3. Click Export.

Creating an ignoretables.xml file to ignore the export of shared parameters and some tables.

  1. Create the ignoretables.xml file in the following folder: %APPDATA%\Autodesk\Revit\Addins\<release number>.
  2. Modify the ignoretables.xml. For example:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

    <Config>

    <Tables file="2_F_local.rvt">

    <Table name="MechanicalEquipment"/>

    <Table name="MechanicalEquipmentOnWall"/>

    </Tables>

    <Tables file="LUMC_02.rvt">

    <SharedParameters/>

    <Table name="RoomAssociations"/>

    <Table name="RoomFromToAssociations"/>

    <Table name="Walls"/>

    <Table name="DoorWall"/>

    <Table name="CurtainWallPanelOnWall"/>

    <Table name="WindowWall"/>

    <Table name="MechanicalEquipmentOnWall"/>

    <Table name="PlumbingFixtureOnWall"/>

    <Table name="LightingFixtureOnWall"/>

    <Table name="OpeningOnWall"/>

    <Table name="GenericModelOnWall"/>

    <Table name="CaseworkOnWall"/>

    </Tables>

    </Config>

  3. Note the following when using an ignoretables.xml file:
    • "LUMC_02_2011.rvt" means the tables will be ignored only in file "LUMC_02_2011.rvt".
    • <SharedParameters/> means the shared/project parameters will be ignored when exporting or importing. Deleting this node will export the shared/project parameters again.
    • <Table name=" RoomAssociations "/> means table " RoomAssociations " will be ignored when importing or exporting.
    • If one table is removed, be sure to remove the tables that depend on it. Otherwise, warning dialogs will display.