BoQ Export Help

Before You Start

• BoQ Export supports Revit 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027.
• Only leaf chapters retrieve quantities from the model. Parent chapters are mainly used to structure the tree.
• Preview the result before exporting, especially after changing filters, grouping expressions, numbering, or write-back settings.
• When opening an older BoQ setup, review units, custom parameters, export layout, and write-back settings before reusing it.
• Batch export can be prepared and run without opening a model first, but interactive preview and live model validation still need an open Revit model.

Installation and First Launch

1. Sign in on the TiMBIM website with the email address that owns the license.
2. Go to My account and open Your TiMBIM Software.
3. Download the BoQ Export installer and save it locally.
4. Close all Revit sessions before running the installer.
5. Run the installer, complete the wizard, and reopen Revit.
6. Confirm that the TiMBIM tab appears in the Revit ribbon and start BoQ Export.
7. On first launch, enter your license email address and license key.

If the TiMBIM tab does not appear, first restart Revit and verify that the installation was run with sufficient permissions. If the command still does not open, confirm that you are using a supported Revit version and the newest BoQ Export build.

Download BoQ Export from the TiMBIM account area.

Start BoQ Export from the TiMBIM ribbon inside Revit.

Build the BoQ Structure

The BillOfQuantities tab is where you build the chapter hierarchy. Right-click inside the tree to add chapters, add subchapters, remove chapters, or import an existing structure. The numbering automatically follows the active numbering settings while you build or reorder the tree.

Only the lowest chapters in the hierarchy should normally contain measurement logic. If a chapter still has child chapters, treat it as a structural folder rather than a measurable line.

Create or Import

Use the context menu to add main chapters, add subchapters, remove lines, or import an existing BoQ structure.

Structure Example

Organize the tree around disciplines, systems, specifications, or company standards before you start defining quantities.

Measurement Groups, Expressions, and Post-Total Formulas

A measurable chapter can contain one or more measurement groups. Each group combines a measurement expression, a grouping expression, and optional filters. This is useful when multiple element types belong to the same BoQ line but need different logic, such as ducts and fittings or pipes and accessories.

Measurement Groups

Use separate groups when elements need different quantity expressions, grouping rules, or filters, but should still roll up into one chapter total.

Measurement Expression

The measurement expression defines the base quantity per element. Examples include Length, 1.5 * Length, or another supported numeric expression.

Post-Total Formula

Use the special variable Total when the final quantity must be calculated after summing all measured values. A common example is Ceil(Total / 3) to convert total pipe length into the number of 3 m stock pipes.

Formula Chapters

Formula-based chapters can use tokens such as ModelQuantity, ManualQuantity, Total, and Chapter("1.2").

Grouping Expressions

Grouping expressions decide how the preview and export are grouped inside a chapter. You can use parameters, text functions, numeric functions, and range functions to align the grouping key across different measurement groups.

Function Reference

Parameters and numbers: you can use any available parameter name and numeric values directly in the expression.

Operators: +, -, *, /, ^. Example: (ParameterA + ParameterB) / 2

Rounding: Round(value, increment), RoundUp(value, increment), RoundDown(value, increment), Ceil(value), Ceiling(value), Floor(value). Example: RoundUp(Total, 0.5)

Math: Abs(value), Min(a, b), Max(a, b), Sqrt(value), Pow(value, exponent). Example: Pow(ParameterA, 2)

Text: Upper(text), Lower(text), Trim(text), Split(text, delimiter, index), Before(text, delimiter), After(text, delimiter), Replace(value, match, replacement), ExtractNumber(text). Example: ExtractNumber(Type Name)

Range: Range(value, step) or Range(value, step, mode) with InclusiveLower, InclusiveUpper, and UpTo. Example: Range(ParameterA, 100, "InclusiveUpper")

Case-insensitive: function names are not case-sensitive, so Sqrt(25) and sqrt(25) both work.

Examples

• Simple conversion: Length / 3
• Total-based stock count: Ceil(Total / 3)
• Square root: Sqrt(25) returns 5
• Power function: Pow(5, 2) returns 25
• Power operator: 5 ^ 2 returns 25
• Absolute value: Abs(-5) returns 5
• Custom combined expression: RoundUp((ParameterA + ParameterB) / 3, 0.5)
• Waste after total: Total * 1.12

Grouping Editor Example

Use the grouping expression editor to combine parameters and functions into one grouping key.

Grouped Result Example

Use grouping to present results by system type, family, diameter, classification, level, or another model parameter.

Range Grouping

Range(value, step) groups numeric values into bands. The default mode is InclusiveUpper; other useful modes are InclusiveLower and UpTo.

Helpful Newer Expression Patterns

Use Replace(System Type, "Supply", "SUP") to normalize text values. Use Replace(Level, IsEmpty, "Default") when empty or missing values must still be grouped consistently.

Filters

• Filters define which elements are included in a measurement group.
• Choose the parameter, operator, and comparison value for each filter row.
• Use In or NotIn when the value must belong to a list.
• All parameters that exist in the open model can be selected from the dropdown.
• Combine filters to build precise BoQ lines for specific systems, classifications, or project parts.

If preview results are unexpectedly broad, check whether a text-based operator such as Contains is matching more elements than intended.

Chapter Numbering

• Use Settings to define the delimiter and numbering method for each chapter level.
• Mix numeric starts, alphabetic starts, or fixed sequences such as E,M,P,O when needed.
• BoQ Export renumbers chapters automatically when you move or copy them.
• You can manually override the selected chapter number, but only the last number segment should be edited.
• BoQ Export prevents backward or duplicate numbering that would break the tree order.

Numbering rules are configured centrally in the Settings tab.

The active numbering setup drives the chapter labels shown in the tree and export.

Chapter Write-Back

• Enable write-back when you want chapter information written back to a Revit instance parameter during export.
• Choose the target parameter name and optionally let BoQ Export create it if it does not exist yet.
• Select a preset such as Chapter Number, Chapter Name, Chapter Number - Name, or ClassificationCode.
• For IFC-oriented workflows, use a parameter such as ClassificationCode and a format such as [ClassificationName] Code:Description.
• Write-back only affects elements that were actually matched to a chapter during export.

If an element is matched by more than one chapter, the last processed chapter wins during write-back. Validate the target parameter carefully before exporting to a live model.

Export Layout

• Use export layout to control which columns are exported and how the Excel output is formatted.
• Configure header and footer text, optional column header rows, unit price and total columns, and chapter-level grouping in Excel.
• Per chapter level, define whether the row is included and how it should be styled, including bold, italic, underline, text size, text color, and background color.
• Export layout changes how the file looks, but it does not change which elements are selected.

A good workflow is to validate the selection and grouped quantities in preview first, then fine-tune the export layout once you know the result is correct.

Units

• Use the Units tab to define the display unit and rounding increment for each measurement type.
• You can also control numeric display choices such as decimal symbol and digit grouping style.
• Typical unit types include Length, Area, Volume, Mass, Time, and Count.
• These settings only affect BoQ Export output and do not override the native Revit project units.

Preview and Export

• Use Export (Preview) as the final check before exporting.
• Select which chapters should be included in the export.
• Choose the scope: Selection, Active View, or Model.
• Review the resulting chapter rows, grouped rows, quantities, and the elements behind them.
• Double-clicking a row in the preview can select the related elements in Revit.
• Export to Excel for the main BoQ output, or to CSV or JSON when downstream processing needs a different format.

For Model scope, BoQ Export can use a dedicated preview view for chapter highlighting. For Active View, highlighting stays limited to the current view. For Selection, no graphical override is applied.

Batch Export

• Open the Batch Export area and add one or more Revit model files to the batch export list.
• Choose a BoQ settings file for each row, typically a .boq.json file.
• Select an export folder for each row.
• Use the filename template to generate consistent output names.
• Before the export starts, BoQ Export validates that each row has a valid model, settings file, and export folder.
• The current filename template tokens include ModelName, SettingsName, ExportName, YYMMDD, YYYYMMDD, DDMMYY, and DDMMYYYY.

Batch export is intended for repeated multi-model output generation and can be launched without opening a model first. Use interactive preview with an active model when you need to validate rules or investigate why a chapter does not return the expected quantity.

New Features

• Modeless window: keep BoQ Export open while checking the model in Revit.
• Selection, Active View, and Model preview scopes: validate the export from the right review context before writing the final file.
• Measurement expressions: calculate quantities with formulas instead of relying on one fixed parameter and factor.
• Post-total formulas: apply logic after summing results, for example Ceil(Total / 3).
• Expanded grouping helpers: use functions such as Replace, IsEmpty, Sqrt, Pow, and Range.
• Chapter write-back: send chapter information back to a Revit parameter during export, including classification-oriented output.
• Export layout controls: define column visibility and chapter-level Excel styling more precisely.
• Batch export: export multiple Revit models with assigned BoQ settings and consistent output filenames in one run.

Frequently Asked Questions