xls Files Import

[Takis]

Hi, does anyone know how to import an .xls file into Archicad 19 for windows?

In help it is referred that there is a 2-way communication between Archicad and Excel but I couldn't find the way to import the .xls file directly.

Takis.

[Karl Ottenstein]

Takis wrote:
In help it is referred that there is a 2-way communication between Archicad and Excel but I couldn't find the way to import the .xls file directly.

There is no direct way that I know of on AC 19 and earlier to import values from an Excel sheet into ArchiCAD. I see the table of import/export formats on the web with a checkmark for 'import' for Excel and find that a little mystifying. Exporting schedule data to Excel has been supported for many versions.

In AC 20, it is possible to import Excel data that corresponds exactly to a schedule. First, you'll configure a schedule to display the data that you're interested in, then export that to Excel for modification by yourself or others, and finally from the same schedule view in AC 20, import the modified Excel sheet to replace the corresponding data in the schedule (and hence the live model).

Many versions and years ago, there was the capability on Windows (but not Mac) of placing an Excel worksheet onto a Layout and have the contents live-linked like any other drawing and the Excel contents would display. That was eliminated long ago with a change in Microsoft technology. Since then, Excel content has had to be saved as PDF and the PDF placed on a layout.

[Anonymous]

In AC 19 - through import .pdf only.


Some words about Excel in AC 20:

https://youtu.be/E_5wknEYVsA (from 0:57)

[Laszlo Nagy]

Karl wrote:
In AC 20, it is possible to import Excel data that corresponds exactly to a schedule. First, you'll configure a schedule to display the data that you're interested in, then export that to Excel for modification by yourself or others, and finally from the same schedule view in AC 20, import the modified Excel sheet to replace the corresponding data in the schedule (and hence the live model).

Technically, values from Excel sheets can be imported into Element Properties, not into Schedules. So the values are imported into Element Properties which can then be seen in schedules.

[Karl Ottenstein]

laszlonagy wrote:
Technically, values from Excel sheets can be imported into Element Properties, not into Schedules. So the values are imported into Element Properties which can then be seen in schedules.

Thanks. I missed that the Excel sheet contains the GUID for each element and so upon import is no longer dependent upon the original schedule.

[Takis]

Hi, sorry I couldn't understand, could you please explain in detail how to do this kind of import and for what and where it is applicable?
Thanks.

Takis

[Laszlo Nagy]

Element Properties will be introduced in ARCHICAD 20. You will be able to define these Properties and also define which element types they will be available for.
For example you can define an "Acoustic Rating" Property and specify that it will be available for Walls, Slabs, Roofs, Shells, Doors, Windows and Skylights.
This Property will then become available in the Settings Dialogs of all these element types and you can provide a value for it. However you may not be the best person to set the values for this Element Property so you need to get this data to an Acoustic consultant.
These Properties can be scheduled so you create a schedule that lists all these elements and their "Acousting Rating" Property as well.
You then export the schedule to Excel. You give this Excel to your consultant who fills out the data fields only he can. In this example, an Acoustics consultant may fill out the "Acoustic Rating" column for all these items in the Excel file.
Then he gives it to you. You then use the new Property Import command in ARCHICAD 20 to take these data from the Excel file and automatically fill out the "Acoustic Rating" property value of all those Elements that were scheduled in your original schedule you exported to Excel.
This way the consultant gives you the BIM data and you can very easily incorporate it into your Building Information Model.

Actually, there is a clip that may explain it better:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_5wknEYVsA