DB Link

[Drew]

Hey all,

I've been considering exploring some of Revit's more "advanced" features and I figured that the DB Link would be a good place to start.

Can anyone point me into the direction of some tutorials, instructions etc etc on how to set this up, how it work etc etc?

Does anyone on here use it? does it work?

Any help appreciated.

[mdradvies]

First off, you need to know that it DOESN'T work when you have 64bit Office. Sadly I have, so I can't help you any more then this. But I just thought I'd mention this before you go off and waiste a few days with something that might not work.

[Drew]

I have heard this, however I have also read that 64bit works with SQL servers and MS Office 2010, all bit it a bit tricky to set up, but apparently you can get it to work. I am in a very preliminary stage of investigation, so I don't really know if this is the case or not.

[ptranberg]

Correct... MS Office 2010 includes the new Access Drivers, actualy you can do DB link with SQL Express on 64 Bit without MS Office 2010. I'm not the big SQL nor Access wiz but I made it work... Learning by fooling around.

[feio]

I have been working with RDBLink with Office 2007.
All I needed was to download a driver from MS.
And Drew, I wouldn't be able to work without RDBL.
It does a lot that the revit UI doesn't, like schedules of stuff that it's not in the model.
And relate things that the UI also doesn't allow to relate.
In fact, I found it so powerfull that I have been for the paste months trying to do from scratch a better RDBL.

[Alfredo Medina]

Feio, could you please expand on this topic? There have been many users who quit trying, lost in frustration, to make DB Link to work. What specs in hardware/software do you need? What specific drivers do you need?

[feio]

Try this drivers: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/e...displaylang=en
Select the second one
I have a very basic i3 laptop w/4GB & Win7x64.

[feio]

For the newcomers of rdbl, here is a very primitive example of the possibilities:

I think my english is much better after 4 month in London, so don´t joke with the accent in the video.
This case is no longer valid since the introduction of report parameters, but with it you can start imaging all the possibilities and potential. For example which doors (and frames) are in CMU or drywalls. And manage types with that.
My personal work with rdbl was mostly around a full quantity takeoff, which is not possible within the revit UI: joining host components (walls, etc) with families. And get a single list with the correct units: families by unit / length / weight / volume, etc, and host by area / volume. It is very powerfull, because I could give an estimate global cost to the client with premilminary values in the cost parameter.
Also, data management is much more powerfull within a DB, as compared to Nicholas script (as well as Medina version). I still use them, but for limited data transfer (for permormance sake).
My advice is: explore all the tables and start imagining the possibilities.

[Drew]

Thanks Feio.
Will ave a look at the video.

[Drew]

Hi Feio,
Video was good. Thanks. Is there any info including a step by step on how to set it all up?