COBie 2.4 practical guide
How to get COBie from Revit
Prepare the model data, generate the workbook, complete the handover fields, and check the result. This guide compares two workflows: BIMRelay's cloud application and the Autodesk COBie Extension for Revit, part of Autodesk's BIM Interoperability Tools.
BIMRelay is a cloud application that generates COBie from published host and linked models in Autodesk Forma and gives the team a shared browser workbook. The Autodesk COBie Extension is a separate desktop add-in from Autodesk for exporting from inside Revit. Either workflow needs asset selection, field mapping, and a review of the finished data.
Before you start
- Confirm that the owner requests COBie 2.4, and obtain their asset scope, required fields, and acceptance criteria.
- Identify the host and discipline models that belong in the deliverable. Agree which equipment, spaces, and types should be included.
- Check where names, classifications, locations, and manufacturer data live. List any project-specific parameters you need to map.
- Identify who will provide information missing from Revit, such as serial numbers, installation dates, and warranty details.
For BIMRelay, you need published models in Forma and an Autodesk account authorized to access them. See BIMRelay's supported Revit versions. For the Autodesk COBie Extension, you need Revit, access to the relevant models, and the matching Autodesk BIM Interoperability Tools package.
Option 1: BIMRelay's cloud workflow
Start with your published Revit models, then complete and validate the generated COBie workbook with your team in the browser.
Create a project and connect Autodesk
Create your BIMRelay project, open Models, and choose Connect Autodesk. Use an account with access to the project's published Revit files.
Choose the host and review its links
Choose the Forma model. BIMRelay uses its latest published version and discovers linked models. Review which links to include and resolve any access or version-compatibility problems before confirming extraction.
Set the asset scope and column sources
After extraction, review the generated workbook. In Settings → Assets, choose what belongs in the deliverable. In Settings → Sheets, map each relevant column to model properties, a default, or manual entry. Existing Autodesk COBie Extension parameters are available as sources when present.
Invite contributors and work through the issues
Give contributors the appropriate project role. Open the Issues panel to review missing values and broken references. Complete the affected cells, use comments for questions, and check model-backed rows in the viewer.
Review and export
Review the remaining findings against the owner's requirements, then choose Export to create the COBie XLSX. Evaluation exports contain the first 100 rows of each sheet; Pro provides full exports.
If the Type sheet's Manufacturer column is empty, first check whether a Revit type parameter already contains the value and map it. If the information comes from a supplier instead, have a contributor enter it in the workbook. Keep one record per type and review the Components that reference it before exporting.
Option 2: Autodesk COBie Extension for Revit
The Autodesk COBie Extension for Revit is free for licensed Revit users. Install Autodesk's COBie Extension using the official Autodesk download and help page. Ribbon layout and labels can vary by release.
Open the model and configure COBie setup
Open the Autodesk COBie Extension tools in Revit. Configure the project and contacts, then review worksheet settings, naming, and parameter mappings. Reuse existing model parameters where appropriate.
Select the assets and prepare their values
Use the selection tools to include the required types and instances. Review zones and classifications, complete available model data, and run the Autodesk COBie Extension's update operation after configuration changes.
Create the spreadsheet
Open Create Spreadsheet in the Autodesk COBie Extension. Review the model and worksheet selections and choose the output options before starting the export. Linked models also need to be configured with the Autodesk COBie Extension before they can be selected for export.
Open the result and complete the handover data
Inspect the exported sheets in Excel. Add information that was not available from the model and check required values and references before delivery. Keep a record of these spreadsheet edits for the next export.
For detailed Autodesk COBie Extension instructions, see Autodesk's setup, selection, and update sequence and Create Spreadsheet options.
Check the resulting workbook
The output is a multi-sheet COBie workbook. Check a small, known set of assets first so you can compare the spreadsheet with the model and owner requirements.
- Find a known asset on Component. Confirm that its TypeName resolves to the intended Type and its Space reference points to an included space.
- Check the linked model's assets as well as the host's. Look for missing scope and duplicates.
- Check unique names, required values, contact references, dates, units, and permitted PickList values.
- Confirm that non-model information has been completed for the delivery milestone. Running validation does not guarantee owner acceptance.
Download a generated COBie 2.4 sample workbook to inspect the output, or use the worksheet reference to understand each sheet and its relationships.
When your models change
With BIMRelay, use Check for latest models on the Models page and import the available updates. This starts extraction and creates the next workbook version.
BIMRelay carries forward manual edits where the row and column identities still match. Review added, removed, and changed records and rerun your delivery checks. A removed source row has no matching row to carry its edits into.
The optional Automatic model updates setting allows opening the project to start extraction when a newer host or included link is detected. Publishing a model alone does not immediately update the workbook.
With the Autodesk COBie Extension, rerun the relevant setup, update, and export steps in Revit, then reconcile any information completed in Excel.
Use BIMRelay and Autodesk's COBie Extension together
BIMRelay can build on the COBie data your team already maintains in Revit. Use the Autodesk COBie Extension to prepare model parameters, then use those values as sources in BIMRelay's shared workbook. The wider delivery team can complete and validate the handover data in the browser.
- Your models already have COBie parameters. Keep the Autodesk COBie Extension setup and values your BIM team has invested in. Map those published model properties to the relevant columns in BIMRelay.
- The owner requires COBie data in the Revit model as well as a workbook. Model authors can maintain the required parameters with the Autodesk COBie Extension, while BIMRelay provides a shared place to review the data and prepare the Excel deliverable.
- Handover information comes from people who do not use Revit. The BIM team maintains model data, while suppliers and commissioning teams add serial numbers, installation dates, and warranty details directly in BIMRelay.
Prepare the COBie parameters in Revit with the Autodesk COBie Extension, publish the models to Forma, and generate the workbook in BIMRelay. Map the model values, invite contributors to fill the remaining fields, review validation findings, and export to Excel.
Agree which values must also be maintained in Revit. Edits made in BIMRelay stay in the workbook; model authors must update any corresponding Revit parameters separately.
The official NIBS publication and Annex A schemas define the standard. Your contract and owner requirements determine acceptance.
National Institute of Building Sciences: COBie 2.4