How to Create a Revit Dashboard and Use Model Checker

April 30, 2020 Heather Volk

Prerequisites:

  1. Install the BIM Interoperability Tools for the version of Revit you are using.

    1 bim interop add-in
     
  2. Install the Microsoft Power BI Desktop app from https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/downloads/

    2 install power bi
  3. Download the Power BI template and Model Checker check set from this website:  www.biminteroperabilitytools.com/dashboard.zip

Model Checker:

Note:  You will need to do the following set up for each Revit Project. Once the initial set up is done, you’ll only be processing or “running” the report and saving.

  1. Unzip the dashboard file and put a copy into the project folder. You will want a copy of that for each project. You will also want to create a “Reports” folder within each project folder to store all the report documents.

    3 unzip dashboard

    The files within the Dashboard folder are 1) a PDF on Visualization Thresholds, 2) a README text file, 3) a Microsoft Power BI Desktop, and 4) the XML file template.

    4 files contained in folder
     
  2. Launch Revit and open a project to run the Model Checker on.
     
  3. Go to the “BIM Interoperability Tools” tab and select “Setup” and browse to the .xml file from the zip folder called Revit Model Dashboard. Then click Open and then Ok.

    5 bim op tool setup

    6 select xml
     
  4. IMPORTANT:  From the checklist under Model Dashboard Checks, scroll down and select the “Total Elements Revit 20##” option that corresponds to the Revit version of the current project.(This project example is Revit 2020.) Once the version is selected click Save and Close.

    7 model checker
    Total elements
     

  5. Select Run.

    8 bim op run
  6. Make sure the project you set up is listed and click run report. You can also have it check links associated with the file.

    9 models to be checked
     

  7. Export the findings to Excel. You will save it into the Reports folder. Since there will be multiple reports saved in that folder, you may want to name them 001, 002 or if you are doing multiple exports a day something similar to signify that. Click Save.

    10 results

     

    11 export to excel

No need to click “export lists elements”; just click Ok. Then it will ask if you want to open the export, click No.

12 export to excel cont
12 export to excel cont

   

Power BI Desktop App:

  1. Open the Power BI Desktop, sign in with Microsoft account credentials, go to File>Open. If you do not have a Microsoft account, create one. Browse the dashboard folder, change the file type in the bottom right corner to .pbit and select the Revit Model Dashboard.

    14 open power bi
     

  2. On the next pop up, do not change the information under Transform 01 and 02. Go to where it says “folder” and copy paste the file path to the “Reports” folder where you saved the excel files. Example: C:\Users\hvolk\Desktop\Lady Unicorn Elementary\Reports. Then click Load.

    15 paste project path

    The image below is from file explorer. Copy the path and paste in the Revit Model Dashboard.
    16 copy from explorer
     

  3. Let the report run and once it loads, go to the Latest report tab and you will see the dashboard with all the items you want to track relating to the health of your Revit project model.  Next you will want to click Save, find a location in your project folder since this will be your Revit Dashboard. Since everything has been set up to look at the reports folder, every time you add a new report it will update and show that new data.

    17 power bi report dashboard

About the Author

Heather Volk

Sr. Technical Support Specialist, Building Solutions<br><br>Heather is responsible for responding to customer requests and helping them address technical challenges in a timely manner. She is an experienced Computer Aided Design Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the construction industry. She has strong arts and design professional skills in AutoCAD, plumbing, computer aided design (CAD), project estimation, and facility management, and a history of providing training and technical support.

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