Stable Excel References When Reloading in Tables – Planworks Support Center

FAQ – Stable Excel References When Reloading in Tables

Category: Tables · Topic: Excel References / Cost Estimation

This FAQ explains why Excel references are lost after clicking "Reload" and presents three approaches to create stable references — particularly for cost estimation workflows.

Q Why are Excel references lost when clicking "Reload"? ▼

When Reload is triggered, Tables fully rebuilds the table:

The current table formatting is analysed and saved.
All data rows below the header row are deleted.
Fresh data is pulled from Revit and inserted.
The saved formatting is reapplied to the new table.

Root Cause Deleting rows in Excel breaks all references pointing to those rows — regardless of whether anything changed in Revit. This is not a Tables-specific issue but a fundamental behaviour of Excel.

Q What options are available to create stable references? ▼

There are three proven approaches:

Variant A INDEX + ROWS – Read the last row value

Using the Excel functions INDEX and ROWS, you can always read the value from the last row of a named range — for example, the footer (total) row of a Tables table.

=INDEX('351 Stairflight'!PX_Table_1,ROWS('351 Stairflight'!PX_Table_1),7)

INDEX(…,…,…)	Returns the value at a specific position within the range.
'351 Stairflight'!PX_Table_1	The named table range on the sheet "351 Stairflight".
ROWS(…)	Counts the number of rows in the range → always equals the last row.
7	The 7th column within the range (here: the "Count" column).

Result: The value in column 7 of the last row (footer / grand total).

Variant B SUMIF – Calculate a filtered sum

Using SUMIF, you can sum values in one column where another column meets a specific criterion — for example, all stairflights with exactly 9 risers.

=SUMIF('351 Stairflight'!G:G,9,'351 Stairflight'!H:H)

SUMIF(…,…,…)	Sums values where a condition is met.
'351 Stairflight'!G:G	Check range: column G (number of risers).
9	Criterion: only rows where G = 9 are included.
'351 Stairflight'!H:H	Sum range: column H (Count) — added up where G = 9.

Result: The total count of stairflights with exactly 9 risers.

Variant C Grouped Parameter Recommended

Tables includes the "Grouped Parameter" command specifically for use cases like cost estimation. It groups Revit values and writes the result as a single value into a cell — this definition remains stable even after reloading.

Recommendation Variant C is the simplest and most reliable solution in most cases, as no Excel formulas are required and the link is defined directly in Tables.

The full step-by-step workflow for Variant C is described in the next question.

Q How do I create a Grouped Parameter (Variant C) – step by step? ▼

Example goal: Count all stairflights with exactly 14 risers.

Click the target cell in your cost estimation sheet where the value should be written.

Open the "Import Element List" dialog via the Revit tab in the Tables toolbar.

Click "Grouped Parameter" in the toolbar.

In the dialog, select the category "Stairs – Runs" and confirm with OK.

Confirm the category selection with OK.

Tables toolbar – Grouped Parameter and category selection

Fig. 1 – Steps 1–5: Select target cell, open "Grouped Parameter", choose category "Stairs – Runs"

In the "General" tab: under "Parameter to group", select the parameter whose values should be grouped — here "Count".

Choose the "Grouping method" — here "Count" (alternatively: Sum).

Switch to the "Filter" tab.

Fig. 2 – Steps 6–8: Set parameter and grouping method, then switch to the Filter tab

Click "+" to add a new filter row.

Select the parameter to filter by — here "Actual Number of Risers".

Set the condition to "Equals".

Enter the check value — here 14 (only stairflights with 14 risers will be counted).

Confirm with OK.

Fig. 3 – Steps 9–13: Add filter row, set parameter and condition (= 14 risers)

The Grouped Parameter writes the count of stairflights with exactly 14 risers directly into the target cell — and remains stable even after reloading.

Fig. 4 – The Count value is located in the 7th column of the Tables table (red border)

Note Variants A (INDEX/ROWS) and B (SUMIF) also work when the data table is manually edited — however, this is not recommended and carries risks.

Q Which variant is best suited for cost estimation? ▼

For the typical cost estimation workflow, we recommend Variant C (Grouped Parameter) because:

No Excel formulas are required.
The definition is saved directly in Tables and remains stable after reloading.
Filters (e.g. by number of risers, material, type) can be configured directly in Tables.
The workflow is accessible even for users with limited Excel experience.

Tip Variants A and B are useful when complex Excel formulas already exist in the cost estimation file and Tables data needs to be integrated alongside them.

Q Can Tables be configured to preserve references automatically? ▼

No — deleting and regenerating rows during reload is necessary so that Tables always delivers up-to-date data from Revit. Since Excel fundamentally cannot preserve references to deleted rows, keeping references intact automatically is not possible.

The three variants described above are the recommended approaches to building stable and reliable links despite this limitation.

Note If you have further questions or would like a personal walkthrough of the workflow, we are happy to assist via Teams. Just reach out to us at: support@planworks.de

Summary of the Three Variants

Variant	Method	Best for	Difficulty
A	`INDEX + ROWS`	Footer / grand total row values	Medium
B	`SUMIF`	Filtered sums (e.g. by number of risers)	Medium
C ✓	Grouped Parameter (Tables)	Cost estimation, direct Revit aggregation	Easy

Questions or issues? Contact us: support@planworks.de

FAQ – Stable Excel References When Reloading in Tables

Summary of the Three Variants

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