Revit DB Link: Export Model Data to a Database

Revit DB Link is an extension developed by Autodesk that lets you export Revit model data to an external database (Microsoft Access, SQL Server, ODBC) and then reimport it after making changes. It is a valuable tool for anyone who needs to bulk-edit element parameters without going through the Revit graphical interface.

What Does It Do?

Revit DB Link exports the properties of model elements (walls, doors, windows, rooms, etc.) as tables in a database. Each element category maps to a table, and each parameter to a column.

In practice, this allows you to:

• Browse all model data in a tabular format, which is much easier to analyze than navigating element by element in Revit.
• Bulk-edit parameters (room names, door numbers, custom values...) directly in the database, then reimport the changes into the model.
• Check data consistency using SQL queries or filters in Access.
• Create reports or pivot tables from the exported data.

Installation

Revit DB Link is not installed by default with Revit. It is a separate extension that must be downloaded and installed independently.

To get it:

1. Go to manage.autodesk.com.
2. In the Products and Services section, search for Revit. Click View Details.
3. Select the tab matching your Revit version, then the Extensions tab.
4. Download the DB Link for Revit 202x installer.
5. Run the installation.

Once installed, you will find the Revit DB Link command in the Add-Ins tab of the Revit ribbon.

Usage

Using it is straightforward:

1. Open your Revit model.
2. Go to the Add-Ins tab and click Revit DB Link.
3. Choose the connection type (Access 2000 - 2003, Access 2007 - 2016, or ODBC).
4. Start the export.

To reimport modified data, go back to Revit DB Link and choose Edit and Import.

The Problem with 32-bit Microsoft Office

If you are using 32-bit Microsoft Office (still common in corporate environments, even on 64-bit machines), you may run into an issue when exporting to Microsoft Access: the Select a new connection option to create a link to an Access database is simply missing from the dialog box.

The cause is straightforward: Revit is a 64-bit application. To communicate with an Access database, it needs 64-bit ODBC drivers. When Office is installed in 32-bit, only the 32-bit drivers are present on the machine. Since a 64-bit process cannot load a 32-bit driver, Revit DB Link does not offer the Access option.

Solution

To check whether the 64-bit drivers are installed:

1. Type ODBC Data Sources (64-bit) in the Windows search bar.
2. Go to the Drivers tab.
3. Check that Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb, *.accdb) is listed.

If the driver is missing, you need to install Microsoft Access 2013 Runtime (64-bit). Once downloaded, run the installer by double-clicking AccessRuntime_x64_en-us.exe, then restart Revit.

Warning: Revit supports Microsoft Access 2013 Runtime and earlier versions. Installing Microsoft Access 2016 Runtime is not recommended by Autodesk.

For more details, see the Autodesk support article.

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