How to set up a connection between Autodesk Revit and Microsoft Access, via DBLink.

The following instructions describe how to set up a connection between Autodesk Revit and Microsoft Access, via DBLink. I used the hardware and software specified below, but these instructions might work for other specifications.

Hardware & Operating system:

Intel i5 , 4 gb RAM & Windows 7 Professional 64 bit

Software:

• Revit Architecture 2012
• Microsoft Access 2010 (* see note at the end of this page for other versions)
  
• Autodesk Revit DBLink for 2012.

Downloads:

• From the Subscription Center, from the list of Product Enhancements, download "Autodesk Revit DBLink for 2012", from this link:

http://subscription.autodesk.com/sp/servlet/download/index?siteID=11564774&id=14499814

Steps:

• Once you have downloaded and installed DBLink, the next time you open Revit, there will be a new tool, named as "External Tools" > "Revit DBlink" in a tab named as "Add-Ins" on the ribbon.
• Open a project, for example the "rac_basic_sample_project.rvt"
• Do: Add-Ins > External Tools > Revit DB Link.
• From the "Link Revit Model with Database" dialog box, from the ODBC tab, select "Select a new connection" and click on "Export".
• From the "Select Data Source" dialog box, click on "New".
• From the "Create Data Source" select "Microsoft Access driver" and click "Next.
• From the "Create New Data Source" dialog box, provide a name for the connection, such as "My connection". Click "Next".
• From the "Create New Data Source" dialog box, click "Next", and click "Finish" on the next dialog box.
  
• From the "ODBC Microsoft Access Setup" dialog box, click on "Create".
• In the "New Database" dialog box, type the name of a new database, such as "my sample project", and the path where you want the file to be created. It will be created as a ".mdb" file. Click OK.
• There should be a confirmation message letting you know that the file was created successfully. Click OK.
• Back into the "ODBC Microsoft Access Setup" dialog box , click OK.
• Here is something strange: I always get an error message, saying that "The file data source was not saved". Just click OK to that message.
• Back into the "Select Data Source" dialog box, browse or scroll to the right until you find your "My connection.dsn" file, and click OK.
• Back into the "ODBC Microsoft Access Setup" dialog box, click OK (again!)
• There will be a window on the screen, entitled "Link Revit Model with Database". It will begin linking... after a few seconds it will say "(Not responding) Don't panic, just wait... it is working... actually, you now have an Access file (my sample project.mdb) with all the data.
  
• From the ribbon, click again on "External Tools > Revit DBLink".
• From the "Link Revit model with database" dialog box, from the ODBC tab, select your connection, that should be now on the list, and click on "Edit and import".
• After a few seconds, you will see a big window, named as "Edit Database before Import", from where you could see all the data of the model, in database format.

• 

Comments:

The process for setting up this connection definitely has some flaws. I did this using the latest and greatest in hardware and software, and I still got some strange errors, that should not have happened. Anyway, if you follow the steps described above, DBLink will be now up and running. Finally!

Note:
* If you don't have Microsoft Access 2010, but other previous versions, you need to download and install the proper drivers from Microsoft, either 32 or 64 bits, from this link:
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=13255