Why export the list to a spreadsheet
The cable schedule and material list are the bridge between design and buying. Once they leave the drawing, someone has to count, price and order from them, and that person usually works in a spreadsheet.
Rebuilding those quantities by hand is slow and, worse, unreliable. Every manual transcription is a chance for a wrong length, a doubled item or a missing circuit to slip through and reappear as a delivery problem on site.
Because GorkyCAD builds the cable schedule from the same model as the plans and panels, exporting it to XLSX gives procurement numbers that trace back to the design rather than to a retyped list. This guide covers preparing the data, running the export and checking what comes out.
It is worth seeing the export as part of the design, not an afterthought once the drawings are done. A list that comes straight from the model is a verification step in itself: if a cable or a device cannot be counted, it usually means something in the design is still unfinished.
What the XLSX export contains
The export is meant to be handed straight to a buyer or estimator, so it carries the columns those roles expect rather than raw model data.
- Cables by type and cross-section, with circuit references and lengths.
- Protective devices and their ratings, matched to the circuits they serve.
- Boards, enclosures and the main accessories for each assembly.
- Quantities grouped so they can be totalled and priced line by line.
It is the same underlying data that feeds the cable schedule in the PDF document set, presented in the tabular form that procurement works with every day.
Step 1 — Prepare the model data
A clean export starts with a complete model. Spend a few minutes here and the spreadsheet needs no tidying afterwards.
- Finish the circuits you intend to include, so nothing is missing from the count.
- Confirm cable types and sizes are set, since the schedule is built from them.
- Check that each circuit references the protective device that serves it.
- Give boards and circuits clear names so the spreadsheet reads sensibly on its own.
If something is unset, fix it in the model rather than editing the spreadsheet later. That keeps the design and the buying list in agreement.
Step 2 — Export the list to XLSX
With the data ready, run the export. It uses the same model and the same command area as the other output formats, so there is no separate list to maintain.
- Open the project and confirm you are on the current revision.
- Choose XLSX as the export format, alongside PDF, DXF, IFC, BCF and GLTF.
- Select the scope — a single board or the whole project.
- Name the file with the project, board and date for an auditable trail.
Exporting from the model means a change to a cable size updates the schedule automatically the next time you run it. There is no second version to keep in sync by hand.
Step 3 — Check before you send it
A quick review catches the issues that would otherwise surface as a procurement query. Open the file and check the few things that matter most.
- The number of circuits matches the design you intended to issue.
- Cable lengths and quantities are plausible, not zero or obviously duplicated.
- Device ratings match the circuits they protect.
- Totals add up the way an estimator would expect to read them.
This pass takes minutes and is far cheaper than a wrong order or a site delay caused by a spreadsheet nobody checked.
Working with estimators and suppliers
The people who receive the list are usually the first to notice whether it is well produced. A clear, complete export builds trust because it shows the quantities were derived from the design rather than estimated by hand.
Suppliers price line by line, so grouped quantities and stable references make the job quicker for them and less likely to be queried back to you. Estimators compare revisions, so dates and consistent naming let them see what changed without a phone call.
Because the schedule, the estimate and the switchboard passport all come from the same model, a discrepancy between them is not possible in the way it is when several files are maintained separately. That single source is the quiet benefit behind the export.
Keeping the list in step with the design
The real advantage of exporting from a single model is that it removes the stale-list problem. In a manual workflow the drawing changes, the schedule is forgotten, and procurement works from an old count.
Here the schedule is generated, not typed. When you revise a board, the XLSX you export next time reflects the change, and the cable schedule inside the PDF document set matches it. The specification, the estimate and the switchboard passport all draw on the same source.
That consistency is what lets you hand a file to a buyer with confidence: the numbers are the design, not a copy of it.
Tips for a procurement-ready export
A few habits make the export easier for the people downstream to use.
- Export per board as well as per project, so a package can be ordered in stages.
- Keep circuit references stable between revisions, so comparisons stay meaningful.
- Name files with a date, which makes the current version obvious at a glance.
- Send the PDF set alongside the XLSX so the buyer sees the context, not just the count.
Working this way, the spreadsheet stops being a chore at the end of a job and becomes a by-product of the design itself.
It also pays to agree the format with your buying team early. If they prefer quantities grouped by board or sorted by cable type, work that out once and export consistently, so every job arrives in a shape they can use immediately.
Next steps
Exporting the cable and material list is a small step that pays off every time a project is ordered. Build the model once and the schedule, the spreadsheet and the document set follow from it.
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FAQ
Which formats can I export from the model?
GorkyCAD exports PDF, DXF, XLSX, IFC, BCF and GLTF. XLSX is the format for tabular cable and material lists used by procurement.
Is the XLSX the same data as the cable schedule?
Yes. Both are generated from the same model. The XLSX presents it as a spreadsheet, and the cable schedule appears in the PDF document set.
Can I export a single board instead of the whole project?
Yes. You can choose the scope of the export, so a single distribution board can be sent as its own file for staged ordering.
What else is in the PDF document set?
The set includes the specification, the cable schedule, the estimate and the switchboard passport, all drawing on the same project model.