BRUKERVEILEDNING IFC AND BIM IN DROFUS. Nosyko AS. Versjon Version 1.8. Rådhusgt. 17 Telefon: Oslo Telefaks:

Transcription

1 Nosyko AS Rådhusgt. 17 Telefon: Oslo Telefaks: Epost: Web: BRUKERVEILEDNING Versjon IFC AND BIM IN DROFUS Version 1.8 DOKUMENTDATO:

2 drofus AS Rådhusgata Oslo Epost: Web: Telephone:

3 Contents 1. Introduction Brief background on IFC Brief background on IFC and drofus Terms Information pertaining to individual tools Connecting to the model Introduction Connect to Server from the model overview Disconnecting and restoring previous connection Local model Save IFC files Rooms Introduction Creating and exporting rooms to IFC Overview of the rooms in the room program and model Connection between rooms in the model and room program Synchronizing with model COBie compliant Create and modify BIM structure Direct manipulation of the model D Viewing Area overview and functional analysis Groups Exporting room templates Planned Items Introduction Overview of Items in drofus and model Linking between Items in the model and the database Linking multiple Items with a model object or vice versa Synchronizing with model Export and import of planned Items Equipment in model Introduction Checking equipment in room Exporting equipment in room Importing and exporting IFC data Imported and exported entities Configuration property set for export of RFP and Item Specifications IFC configuration and user interface Create new/edit configuration SYMBOLS USED WHEN MODEL IS connected Symbols and their meaning

4 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Brief background on IFC IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) is an open international standard for sharing information models between software in the construction industry, which is also called Building Information Modelling or BIM. The IFC standard is managed by the BuildingSMART organization and represents today a very mature standard that is supported by a broad selection of software in the industry. Closely linked to the BuildingSMART standard IFC is the term Information Delivery Manual (IDM). The purpose of IDM is to describe the various work processes and information delivery in a project. Since the IFC standard is very large, IDM is used to agree upon what information should be delivered at different times during the project. At the moment, an IDM for programming is being developed. This work has also resulted in a COBie specification, "Building Programming information exchange" (BPie) that will substantially affect how drofus interprets and implements the standard. IFC support in drofus may therefore change as the IDM/BPie work is completed. Currently drofus is designed to use as much data from major CAD applications as possible. This version of drofus supports IFC version 2x3. For more information on the BuildingSMART Standards IFC and IDM More on COBie/BPie Brief background on IFC and drofus drofus supports two different ways to connect to IFC data: Local Connection Model Server The connection to Model server is developed together with Jotne EPM Technology. Through a license agreement with Jotne EPM, drofus can offer all our customers access to a ModelStore solution for upload, visualization and simple validation of multiple IFC files. Users of drofus can also, through a direct agreement with Jotne EPM, connect to a full version of the Jotne EPM modelserver. The users can then get access to a wide range of advanced model server features and a platform for sharing IFC files across the project. If you have one or more IFC files, either in STEP P21 or XML format, you can use a local connection. This method is suitable if the model is small (under 100 MB) and the number of files needed to compile the overall model is not large. A local database is not suitable if you are depending on compiling models from different disciplines to get the base you need, or if you need to share the model with other drofus users. In practice, this means that the local database is suitable for small projects where you only need to read the architect's model. In larger projects where IFC is exported to many IFC files/segments, it is most effective to use a model server. Using a model server from Jotne EPM also enables sharing IFC models between all drofus users in the project. 3

5 More on connecting to the local model and using a model server is described in Chapter 2. Client computer drofus server Local database Files Local database connection Files Model server connection Image 1: Connecting to different IFC sources 1.3. Terms Room program and program mean rooms, Items and related data stored in the drofus database. Model Segment/IFC file Viewer file Server model A model in drofus and in this manual refers to the associated BIM/geometric representation of a building. It may include many IFC files/segments. In most projects of some size, you will typically design in multiple models simultaneously, and save it to different files. We call these files "segments" of the project/model. Such a segment may, for example, consist of the inner walls and floors of a building, while the outer walls and roof are in a different segment. A viewer file is the term for a file that has been converted into a format for displaying in 3D. In drofus, Octaga is used as the 3D viewer, and the viewer file is generated on the server (if the server model is used) and locally in the client computer via a "local connection" A central server model that keeps IFC models and gives 4

6 users access to design files "from the cloud" Local connection Main function Sub function/department Room name Room designation RFP Room template Room template code Room function number Geographical room number/architect Number /Room Number User room number Items Item Overview BIP - equipment A local connection means that you have IFC files that are connected locally (on your PC). An organizational unit for future users. For example, "Administration" (IFCZone) An organizational unit that is part of a main function (IFCZone) Name of a room function, such as "Office" Further description of a room function that together with the room name gives a precise and intuitive description of the room's activity/function. For example, "one person" Room Function Program. Data written to PSet associated with IFCSpace (or IFCSpaceType if RFP is set on a room template) Room type which may contain RFP specifications, equipment list and covering schema (IFCSpaceType) Project unique code for a room template. For example "SR.001" (IFCSpaceType.name) Project unique ID for a room occurrence (room "identity"). In drofus the code reflects the room's organizational affiliation, i.e., the main and subfunctions a room belong to. It is often used as a "key" for the exchange of data between drofus and BIM (It defaults to IFCSpace.name for export, but this can be changed in the configuration) Room number based on the location of the room in the building. It often reflects the building, floor, and possibly a wing and serial number. For example, you can call a room on the 2nd floor of building A in wing B "A.B.202", and the next room on the right side of the corridor A.B.204 etc. in the projected model which then can be read into drofus. "User" room number for the building's operational phase. Equipment item in the project (fixed and moveable furniture, electrical, plumbing, medical equipment, etc.). Object types in drofus (IFCObjectType) Overview of all Items in a database Building and equipment affecting the installation. I.e., 5

7 items requiring a connection to the technical system or which may have structural consequences due to the weight/dimension, which are to be hung on the wall or ceiling/under a cover, etc. Equipment (occurrences) To be modeled Groups Programmed area Designed area Type and Occurrence Object type Occurrence EDM Model Server Occurrences of items planned in rooms Item properties in drofus. This property is important in BIM projects for two reasons, firstly it is communicated via plug-in to the planners, and secondly, for validating planned versus modeled equipment. A collection of rooms. These can be rooms which have the same characteristics or which are grouped for other reasons. In drofus this is also where you can set various classifications on rooms (IFCClassification). It is exported as IFCZone if the classification is not set. The room's planned area (often validated against the designed area to see whether the project is staying within fixed limits) The room's designed area A BIM object has both an object type, and an object occurrence. Many occurrences can have the same object type. For example: 200 identical office chairs in a model should (in theory) have one object type and 200 object occurrences. The object type indicates the data that is characteristic for a type. It is comparable to a commodity. It is equivalent to Item in drofus. Occurrences are in principle all building components that can also be counted. For drofus the equipment/item in the room are occurrences (to be counted) A model server that is integrated as a model server in drofus. Developed by Jotne EPM Technology Information pertaining to individual tools You can find more detailed information about individual CAD tools and drofus here: 6

8 2. CONNECTING TO THE MODEL 2.1. Introduction Because IFC models can be large and require large computer and network resources, models are often exported as smaller segments. This means that different parts of an architectural model, for example, are separated into IFC files to reduce file size and for user friendliness for third party software. One challenge with this development has been putting these files together into a unit that can be validated and checked at the project level. For example. if you have an architectural model in four different files that you wish to put together using drofus in order to have a coherent base to check, view and validate rooms, properties and equipment - and not least, to have the most updated design files available for different participants in the project. In order to make a comparison between, for example, a room program and model you need the complete model with all the rooms. To achieve this, you must merge several files to get the whole model. The model server can perform such merges. This also applies if you need data from different disciplines (with different software) that must be combined into an overall model. With drofus' model server, you can create your own models and upload IFC files to a central server where the files are stored. This is normally done by a drofus/bim manager in the project that has write access to the model. A model server can consist of several IFC files (segments) that can be replaced continuously as changes occur in the designed model and when it is necessary to update one or more files. Other drofus users will not be able to upload and download files, but will be able to see the latest uploaded models with one keystroke from the overview screen (Section 2.3) The user interface for connecting to the model server or local model is alike. The big difference is that you cannot share models using local model. Note / Disclaimer: The model server in drofus does not have full model server functionality. It is implemented solely to support the work processes in drofus. The solution is not intended for the safe storage of models/exchanges of IFC files in projects. Users with write access to the model server can freely upload and remove/delete files and models (without notice to other users). If you require additional functionality on the model server, it must be cleared/ordered from our partner and supplier of the EDM ModelServer, Jotne EPM Technology Connecting to the Model Server To connect to the server model, you need user access to the model server. Select from the menu drofus -> IFC> Model connection 7

9 . Image 2: Connecting to the server model Image 3: Dialog for connection to IFC files Select "Model Server (drofus)". NOTE: You must have user access to the model server to use this option. Access is granted by the drofus project administrator. To upload and download IFC files you need write access to the server model. Customers who their own EDM server/modelserver can connect to it using the option Model Server(EDM) 8

10 Image 4: Model Server window To create a model, click on the green plus sign and give the model a name. You now have a new model and can begin to upload IFC files. To select files and upload to them the server, select "Add File". Find the file you want to upload and click "Open." The file will be added to the list with the status of the upload. Upload time will depend on the file size. You can upload multiple IFC files at once by selecting multiple files in the explorer window or by selecting "Add File" again. It is possible to use drofus' other functionality while uploading files to IFC model server. Image 5: Example from Østfold Hospital with multiple IFC files (segments) collected in a model One advantage of using the model server is the ability to replace individual files/segments. If you make changes to a segment of the model that you want to replace in drofus, you can delete the file by selecting it and choosing "Delete File" and then adding the updated file. Users with write access to the model server can also download IFC files from the server by selecting "Download file". After uploading the files, an IFC configuration needs to be set. Different software exports to IFC in different ways. The configurations tell drofus where to look for data in the IFC file. You can read more about how the IFC configuration works and how to edit/create new configurations in Chapter 6. 9

11 With write access to the model server, you can also determine which model is to be the template model. The model which is "Saved as template" will be the template model that will be visible to all drofus users and which is accessed in the room overview as described in the next chapter Connect to Server from the model overview Not everyone will have access to the same model server window as described in Section 2.2. The common user can connect to the latest uploaded IFC files by clicking on the option "View BIM" from the overview. To make this selection, they must have read access to the model server. They will then connect to the model that the administrator has set as the template model. Image 6: "Show BIM" option from the room overview The first time you click on "View BIM" from the overview, you will download a viewer file from the model server. The viewer file is used to display the IFC file graphically so it can be viewed in 3D. The download time for the viewing file will depend on the size of the model and may take up to several minutes. In the status bar at the bottom left you will see a message that says that drofus is generating a 3D model. When the model generation has finished, the room overview list will be divided into two. Rooms will be listed at the top and in the bottom section you will have a 3D view of the IFC model: Image 7: 3D view of an IFC model The various possibilities and IFC functionality are described in the following chapters. 10

12 NOTE: Once you have the graphic up, this may cause a delay when querying the database. If you want to be connected to BIM, but do not want the 3D window open, you can click on viewer/octaga icon in the upper left corner Disconnecting and restoring previous connection When connected to IFC data, it will appear at the bottom of the main drofus window and will show which type it is. You can always disconnect by selecting from the menu drofus-> IFC-> Disconnect from IFC data. Or deactivate the selection "Show BIM" in the overview Local model To connect to the local model, you follow the same procedure as for the model server but choose "local model" in the model connection window. The user interface for connecting to a local IFC model is similar to the one for the model server, but it has a significant difference. Files you upload to a local model are not shared with other drofus users but locally in your drofus client. If you want to share an IFC model, you must select the model server. You will not get the option "Save as template" in the 'Connection Type' dialog since this model is visible only to you and no one else in the project Save IFC files drofus can write data to one or more IFC files in a model. This is done by synchronizing data with the model so that the selected data from drofus are written to/updated in the IFC model. Examples of such data may be RDS or RFP information. What is important to keep in mind if you have multiple IFC files in a single model is that you cannot export them to a single model. In other words, you cannot merge several IFC files into one valid IFC model. If you have multiple files in a model, you have to save the files individually to get valid IFC's. This is done by going into the menu drofus IFC Model Connection. Choose the model and select the file you want to save. Then select "Download file". If, however, you only have one IFC file in the model, you can save the file to the PC using the option drofus IFC Save IFC model, or by using the save button in the room overview. 11

13 3. ROOMS 3.1. Introduction With IFC support in drofus, you can exchange information about the room between drofus and CAD/DAK software or other software that supports IFC. This is done primarily by two procedures: Connecting the room in the room program (drofus) to the model (IFC) Synchronizing with the model The first point means that you either create an empty model or synchronize data (see chapter 3.2), or that there is a CAD/DAK model exported to IFC that you can connect to. When you synchronize with a model, all drofus information is updated in the model and information about the model will also be able to update the room program with projected data (see Chapter 6 Configuration) Creating and exporting rooms to IFC If you have prepared a room list in drofus, you can export rooms with room information (as programmed area, name/number and RFP requirements) to IFC. The rooms will be exported as IFCSpace that can be imported to architect applications that support the import of IFC, and used as input for making projections. To create rooms as IFCSpace objects, you must first create a new blank IFC model in drofus. This can be done either by using a local model or by creating a new model on the model server. The functionality will be the same. Go to drofus IFC Model Connection. Select either the Model Server or local model. Create a new model and set an import configuration. If a specific configuration for the project is not made, 'BASIC' may be used. Click 'Ok'. An empty IFC model has now been created. The next step is to create rooms as room objects (IFCSpace) in the model. You can do this in different ways depending on which and how many rooms you want to create. If you want to create all rooms in the drofus database as room objects, you can right-click on the project level room overview and select "Synchronize with model". Similarly, you can right-click on the lower levels or on one or more rooms in the room list to synchronize/create parts of the project as an IFC model. Image 8: Synchronize all rooms with model Then you bring up a dialog window where you can decide which data you wish to write to the IFC model. In the example below, the room core and RFP data are selected. Remember to enable the option "Add 12

14 to new room" under the heading Model Generation so that rooms are created as room objects in the model. Image 9: Synchronize with model Room objects will now be created in the model. These will be seen in the room overview as square room objects. A room with a programmed area of 25 square meters will thus be created as a room object of 5x5 meters. Each room object also has the properties you have chosen for the objects, e.g. name, function number and the RFP data. Image 10: Rooms created as IFCSpace in empty IFC model When creating an IFC model in drofus, a project in the BIM structure will be automatically created. Some architectural applications (such as ArchiCAD) require that an IFCSite also be created for the rooms to be imported. Read how you can manipulate the BIM structure in Section Overview of the rooms in the room program and model When you open the room overview and are connected to BIM, the model will appear in the 3D window. You can go in and out of this view by selecting "View BIM" from the menu. In the function structure window in addition to the traditional function structure, the IFC model(s) structure and three "IFC reports" are displayed. The BIM menu will appear above the function window and allow you to: 13

15 Turn off and on the 3D view (hide 3D window) Display the properties of the objects in the IFC model Synchronize with model Save IFC model Save image from 3D view to the given level. For example, save the 3D picture of a room, which can then be included in a report. Image 11: BIM menu bar Image 12: Room overview in IFC view 1) At the top of the functional structure window the functions in the building are displayed in the same way as in the normal display. Under each function/sub-functions you can see rooms that are in the room program. If the function is created in or synchronized with the model, this is indicated with (IFCZONE) appearing at the end of the name and the properties of this object will appear in the window below. 2) Beneath the programmed functions the building structure of the IFC model are displayed. This diagram consists of a project level (IFCProject) and possibly one or more of: Area (IFCSite), Building (IFCBuilding) and floors (IFCBuldingStorey). There may be rooms connected to all levels of this structure. Unlike the programmed functions, rooms are not displayed that are located under the level selected in the tree in the list on the right when you select the level. 3) Beneath IFC reports, any exception lists between the model and the room program are displayed, this includes the list of rooms that are only in the program (drofus) and not in the model, rooms only in the model and not in the program, and a separate list to find rooms in the model with a duplicate room number. 4) This window displays all properties (object properties and property sets) related to the IFC object marked either in the tree or list. There are also buttons for synchronizing the active object, viewing the object and details, and change viewing settings. 5) The list displays rooms that are connected to the selected function in drofus beneath a level in the building structure in the model. The list can show rooms in both the room program (drofus) and in the model, only in the model and only in drofus: 14

16 6) 3D viewing window Symbols when you are under a function/sub-function:: Rooms are in the model, but not in the room program. This means that drofus does not find any room with the same ID in the room list. Either because the room was not created in drofus, or because the room has the wrong ID in the model (according to configuration). This icon is displayed to indicate that the room exists in the model and is connected to a room in drofus Other symbols All other symbols indicate that drofus does not find the room with the same ID in the model. That means the rooms are not in the model, or that the rooms have not been connected(due to missing or incorrect ID) Symbols when you are under a level in model (2): This icon appears with an exclamation mark to indicate that the room does not exist in the room program (or has not been able to connect to it due to incorrect ID). This icon appears when the rooms in the model are connected to a room in the room program Connection between rooms in the model and room program Rooms in the model are connected to rooms in the room program using a room ID. As a rule, the room's room function number is used. All rooms that are to be connected to the room program must have this number applied in the drawing/model. You can use drofus to manipulate the model so that the rooms are connected with the correct room in the database. We have three different scenarios: (1) You have rooms in the room program to be created in the model, (2) you have rooms in the model to be created in the room program, (3) you have rooms in both the model and the program but they are not linked together. Creating rooms in the model To create a room or multiple rooms in the model, highlight the particular room and select New Room in the model from the menu Rooms-> IFC. A room object (IFCSpace) with the corresponding property set and geometry (a square based on the programmed area of the room) is created under the project in the model (IFCProject). The room must be placed in the correct building/floor in a CAD/DAK program. Creating rooms in the room program from a model To create one or more rooms in the room program that exist in the model, select the rooms that are to be created right click Create room in the room program." Then select the function/subfunction the rooms are to be created under. The room will then be created on the basis of the information already in the model, such as name, geographic room number, projected area etc. The room will be assigned a new function number which will be written back into the model - and the link between the room program and the model is then created. You cannot select which room function number the room will get. You can also drag and drop rooms from the model into the function you want. 15

17 Link rooms in the model and the room program To link the same rooms that exist both in the model and the room program, rooms in the model must be updated with the correct room function number. This can be done directly in the model or CAD program by applying the room function number to the room, or by doing it directly in drofus. Select the appropriate rooms either in the model or room program and select respectively Link to rooms in the room program, Link to rooms in model from the right click menu. Then select which room should be linked to and the correct room function number will be written back to the model. In some cases it is possible to automate this linking procedure if, for example, the rooms in the model are already coded with information contained in the database such as a drawing number/geographical room number. By highlighting rooms in the model that are not linked to rooms in the database and selecting the function Room> IFC> Link rooms by automatic search an entry/search is made (as if you were searching in the room list by using the quick search function) for each room in the model with the text that appears in room function number column. If it finds one and not more than one room in database by this search, and there are no duplicates in the model, it will link these Synchronizing with model The function synchronize with model ensures that both the model and the room program are updated with information from each other. This requires that the room program and model be connected together by means of the methods mention above, but the synchronization function can also automatically create missing rooms in the model. What is synchronized is partly dependent on the configuration used. Room core: Information about the room core such as name and programmed area will be updated in the model. You will be able to create rooms that may be missing in the model. Update rooms from model: Room information such as designed area, perimeter, room height and geographical room number and name of the drawing will be updated in drofus. This requires proper configuration and that you have write access to the room program. Function Program: Information about function/subfunctions and the project will be updated in the model. RFP: RFP schema will be updated in the model property set associated with the room. You can also generate model objects from drofus (creating a "dummy" model). This applies to both the room and equipment. If the goal of synchronization is to check the differences between the requirements and the solution, you should not generate rooms/equipment because there will no longer be any difference in the rooms/equipment in drofus and the model. Add new rooms: Rooms in drofus that are not linked to rooms in the model will be created (as IFCSpace objects) COBie compliant: See Chapter 3.6. Equipment: Information and relevant planning articles will be updated (see section 4.2). You will be able to choose which of the above points you want to synchronize by choosing from synchronization dialog box. Please note that this may take some time depending on how much information is being synchronized and how many rooms it involves. 16

18 Synchronization can be done in the following ways: To synchronize one or more specific rooms, highlight the rooms and select Synchronize with model from the menu Rooms-> IFC. To synchronize an entire function/sub-function or the entire project, right click on the desired level and select Synchronize with model COBie compliant In recent years, there has been a series of initiatives organized by Building SMART to standardize the way a building program is defined and exchanged. drofus has actively participated in several of these projects, including IDM for Building Programming This project was adopted by COBie (Construction Operations Building Information Exchange) in December 2011, a project organized by the BuildingSMART Alliance in the United States that is attempting to standardize a number of information exchanges in and between the construction processes. The main purpose is to ensure that building owners take over well-structured data for its FDV processes. IDM for Building Programming was adopted and renamed Programming Building Information Exchange (BPie) Currently, this is the closest thing to an international standard for exchange by a building program. The various information projects under COBie can be found here: Synchronizing - COBie compliant If you check the COBie compliant box in the synchronization dialog box, it means you will be exporting according to BPie's specifications. COBie/ BPie can be called a validation project in the sense that they require that a given data set must be completed to have legal values. Differences from our standard IFC export can be summarized as follows: You have to have more detailed information about who has generated the data drofus' custom defined property set is removed Full "spatial structure" is required: IFCProject - IFCSite - IFCBuilding IFCBuildingStory* Omniclass classification is required (it must be set when using groups). drofus is COBie certified for BPie (January 2013), and in order to be certified you must either be able to exchange to IFC or to what is referred to as COBie format, which is an Excel representation of the data. The format is not the primary issue in the COBie project, the important thing are the specifications of what is to be exchanged. But if you convert drofus' IFC export to the COBie format, you will see that BPie exports to these worksheets in COBie: Contact person who created/exported the data Facility The building's name 17

19 Floor Floors in the project (in phases prior to designing, it is not necessarily known which floors the project is going to have or where rooms are going to be placed. Rooms should then be on a floor called "Unassigned") Space - All rooms in the room list (or those you have chosen to export) Type - Room types used in the project (room templates in drofus) Document - Name and location of linked documents Attribute - Most RFP requirements are exported as properties in Property sets, and they are placed in the Attribute worksheet For more information on the COBie / BPie specifications refer to the above mentioned links Create and modify BIM structure If you wish, you can create or change the basic structure (project, site, buildings and floors) in the model, and move rooms between them. When you synchronize or add new rooms in the model drofus will be place them directly under the project (IFCProject). If you want to continue to build the BIM, you can create a site (IFCSite), building (IFCBuilding) and floor (IFCBuildingStorey) directly in the model and move rooms from the project to the desired floor or if new rooms are added later in the project, you can specify what floor they should be on. By right clicking on the project (IFCProject) and site/building/floor beneath that, you can add new IFC objects directly in the model. Note that these objects are created only in the model and not in the database. You can also add similar objects under each other (e.g. a building under building, to specify a wing). You can then use the drag and drop technique for moving room objects (IFCSpace) to the correct place. Some CAD software require that an IFC file contain IFCSite and IFCBuilding for it to be able to accept a clean drofus IFC file. Use this function to add this information to the model after you have created rooms and moved the rooms to the building with drag/drop Direct manipulation of the model The synchronization function performs most operations on the model automatically, but in certain cases it may be necessary to manipulate individual model objects directly. From drofus you can directly edit attributes on an IFC object and delete an object from the model. Editing attributes of an IFC object Right-click on the object you want to edit and select Edit IFC object. This can be, for example, a room (IFCSpace), project, building, floor, or a function. In the tree they are have an IFC entity in parentheses behind objects (e.g. IFCPROJECT) in the model which can be edited. Edit the attributes you want to change. Note that the synchronization process may change the attributes back during the next synchronization. Deleting an IFC object You can also delete an IFC object, right-click it and choose Delete IFC object. 18

20 WARNING: Deleting an IFC object deletes the object, all corresponding properties, property set, geometry and references in the model D Viewing When you are connected to a model, you can view the overview using the 3D viewer. First connect to the model by using the option "Show BIM", then you can turn on and off the 3D display using view* button from the toolbar. Depending on what you selected, the following will be displayed: Function: Displays all room objects in the model and highlights in red the rooms that are in the current function you have selected. IFC level: Project/site/building/floor: Displays all objects within the selected area, thus the whole building if you are on the building or floor if you are on a floor. You can highlight the various rooms in red by clicking on them in the room list Double-click on rooms: Zooms in on the room looking straight down and shows all objects. You will be in a floor view. By right-clicking in the viewer, you can access various viewing options: Navigation Mode: Determines how the viewer behaves when you use the mouse/keyboard directly in the viewer. The default mode is Spin which will let you rotate the model by clicking and dragging around the rotation point you choose by clicking in the viewer or by using the keyboard. You can zoom in/out using the mouse wheel. Transition Mode: Determines whether or not you get an animated transition to the next view. Performance: This determines how detailed the object view is. Medium will hide all objects that occupy less than a small percent of the screen. If you feel that you are "losing" objects you wish to see, you can set this to the Best quality. If the model is large and you are experiencing poor performance, you can choose Best performance. Then you will see fewer objects, but viewing becomes quicker. Space Wire Frame: Frames room objects so that they can be easier to identify/distinguish Image: Saves the contents of the viewer to a file. 19

21 You can also save the image directly to the project, function or room by selecting what you want to save to, and clicking on the camera symbol in the toolbar under "Functions" in the upper left part of the screen: Area overview and functional analysis Under the Area tab in the room overview, the area for all functions in the project is summarized. Once you have a model open in IFC mode, you will be able to compare BIM area (which is the sum of the area of the IFCSpace objects that are part of the function) to the programmed and designed area in drofus. You also get a count of the amount of IFCSpace under each function. In addition to including the IFCSpace objects that are linked to the room in drofus, it will also include the area for the rooms by matching the number with the functions' numbering. For example, if you have a function and you have an IFCSpace object named or A, this will be included in the area calculation although this is not a valid room function number in drofus. In this way, the architect can draw or set off areas that will fulfill certain functions without necessarily having the exact room department. This can be useful in an initial phase. The individual functions can be assigned a color that can be used in the view, and by using depth filters, you can report areas for different levels, such as the main or partial function's level. If you right click in the area overview window, you can choose "Add/Remove Columns" and set the desired display. Net designed area in this report is area synchronized into either from the IFC model(s) or directly from the plug-in. BIM area corresponds to the connected model area. 20

22 3.11. Groups Area Overview Similarly as for function areas, you can also view the different groups of a given type. You can set the color for each group. Classification Groups are normally exported as a zone object in the IFC model (IFCZone). However, you can specify that it be exported as a classification object (IFCClassificationReference) by setting the classification type of the group type and a reference for each of the groups. This can be useful, for example, for exporting to Solibri or to other software that can read IFCClassification Exporting room templates Room templates with RFP can be exported to IFC and imported back, for example, into another project. To do this, go to the room template overview, and right click on the room template you want to export and select Export. To import back, select Import from the same menu. 21

23 4. PLANNED ITEMS 4.1. Introduction With IFC support in drofus, you can exchange information about equipment in the program against objects in CAD/DAK software. Planned Items in drofus can be linked to objects from the CAD program so that you can verify that the number in rooms matches what is modeled. drofus can also export the equipment in the room to the model, it means that you can have equipment objects automatically placed in a room. The most useful, however, is probably just for making a comparison. This is described in more detail in the next chapter. As with rooms, you can exchange information about planned items via two operations: In order to verify the amount of equipment in the rooms, itemss in the database must be linked to objects from the architect's object library. This is described in Section 4.3. Then these objects are updated with information from drofus through the 'Synchronize with model'. This is described in Section Overview of Items in drofus and model In the same way as in the room overview, the Item overview will be in IFC view mode when you are connected to an IFC source. You can go in and out of this view from the menu IFC> Show IFC data. 1) Under each Item group, all Items will appear as usual in this group. An icon indicates if the Item is in the model or not: The Item is not in the model but is marked For the drawing*. 22

24 When no icon is displayed, this indicates that the Item is not in the model and that it is not marked For the drawing. The Item is in the model and is linked to the Item in drofus. 2) The report "Items only in model" lists all Items not found in the database. "All Items in the Model" lists all Items that were found in the model. These are grouped in the tree by object type. 3) This window displays all properties and property sets associated with the selected item or occurrence. If there are more objects for the current selection, you can navigate between them with arrows at the top right. 4) The top list displays items for the selected group or for one of the points in (2). The icons under (1) illustrate whether they are connected to the object model or not. 5) The occurrence view can be turned on from the toolbar. This shows in which rooms the selected Item in (4) is in. In the IFC view, the list will have a column for "Number" which is the number planned in drofus and a column for "Number in model" which displays the number of this object found at the designated room in the model. You can see the properties of these objects in the properties view to the left. Icons for each occurrence also illustrate the relationship between the program and the model: A number of these Item is planned in the room with but the number in the model does not match the program or the object was not found at this room in the model. An occurrence exists in the model that is not in the program. The occurrence and number do not match between the model and program. 6) You can turn on the 3D view from the menu Items> IFC> Show 3D viewer. If you highlight an Item and there is representative data on it, or on one of the occurrences, this will be displayed in the 3D View window Linking between Items in the model and the database The attributes of the IFC object that is used to link equipment in drofus with objects in the model are configured in drofus. See Chapter 6 about configuration. Linking with drofus Item numbers To link objects in the model with Items in drofus the IFC object and Item must have a project unique ID that can be used as the "link key". Generally, BIM objects are tagged with an Item number from drofus (recommended), but you can also use drofus' BIM ID. This can be done through CAD/DAK software by adding the Item number to an attribute to the object type or it can be done through drofus. 23

25 If you have an Item in the model that represents an asset in the database, you can highlight the Item in the model and choose Link to Item. Select the Item you want to link it to and the Item and the occurrences in the model will be properly tagged. If you have an Item in the model, but no corresponding asset in the database, you can create this by right clicking on the Item in the model and selecting Create Item. Then select the desired group and the Item in the database will be created and the model will be tagged with the correct Item number. If you have an Item in the database that does not exist in the model, you can create it by selecting the Item and selecting Synchronize with model. See section 4.5 below for more details. Linking by using an alternative BIM ID If it is inappropriate to link model objects and planned Item in drofus using Item numbers, for example, because you already have a complete model, you can use the model's existing label by typing this into the BIM ID field of the Item. If the BIM ID is filled in, drofus will use it to find the right object type in the model. Otherwise, it will use the Item number Linking multiple Items with a model object or vice versa You can also use the BIM ID to link multiple Items to the same object type in the model, by filling in the same BIM ID's for several Items. If, for example, you have two planned Items 01,001 and 01,002 in drofus that have the same graphical representation in the model and you therefore want to simplify this by using the same object (with the id A1, for example), you can write A1 in both items' BIM ID field. If you then have planned one of each type and have drawn two objects A1, the equipment in the room verification (see 5.2) will check this and not find anything wrong. However, if you look at the occurrences from the Item overview, it would appear that you have planned one of each but that two are modeled. You can just ignore this "error" for now. In the same way that you can link several Items to the same object type in the model, you can also do the reverse by several model objects (in the drawing program) being represented by a planned Item in drofus. If, for example, you have a planned Item Chair and in the model you want to use two chairs with two different colors without this having to be programmed differently (which maybe it should be!) then you can use the same Item or BIM ID in the CAD software and the equipment in room verification (see 5.2 ) will accept the use of either one or the other object for which article is planned Synchronizing with model You can update the model data on one or more planned Items by using the Synchronize with model. Note also that only the Item marked with "For the drawing" is added to the model. Synchronization adds the following information to the model: Updates the model with information about the Item and Item specification. Checks all occurrences in the model and updates them with the correct Item number and name Updates the Item with a geometric representation from one of the occurrences if they exist and the Item does not have any previous representation. If there is no representation a square representation of the Item is created based on the goal specification. 24

26 4.6. Export and import of planned Items You can transfer data about planned Item directly from one project to another using IFC. The IFC-> Export writes data about one or more Item directly to a STEP or XML file so that you can later import them into another database with the function IFC-> Import. Alternatively, you can drag the file directly into drofus and the Item group into which you want to place the Item. 25

27 5. EQUIPMENT IN MODEL 5.1. Introduction Using IFC, you can check equipment in the program against the equipment drawn in the model. drofus can also place equipment that is in the program in the model if desired Checking equipment in room Equipment in the room can either be visually checked in the equipment in room window or in the Item occurrence window (as shown in 4.2) or you can get an exception report of the desired room. The last option is the best if you are to check a large number of rooms. Some CAD software has bad IFC exporters and does not export equipment which is linked to the room, but links it to the floor it is located on. If you do not see any equipment in the equipment in room image, this may be the cause. You can remedy this by right clicking on a floor in room overview and choosing the Correct equipment relationships. This will assign equipment to rooms based on geometric positioning. Visual checking by room or Items In the IFC view, the gross number in drofus and the number in the model are shown as separate columns. In addition, an icon is displayed to indicate the status in relation to the model: A number of this Item is planned in the room and the number in the model does not match the program or the object was not found in this room in the model. There are occurrences in the model that are not in the program. 26

28 Occurrence and number do not match between the model and the program. When there is no icon, this indicates that the Item is not in the model but that it is also not labeled To be drawn. You cannot edit the occurrences in the IFC view mode. This is because the equipment list is summarized by Items and not divided by priority and owner as it normally is. To return to normal view, right click in the list and select View IFC data again. The same list can be found in the Item overview's occurrence window as described in 4.2. Exception report In order to check a large number of rooms, you can run a verification process on several rooms. You do this either by choosing a level in the function structure and right clicking or from the room list by selecting the rooms you want to check, highlighting them and right clicking and selecting IFC-> Check equipment in room with model. You will then get a list of rooms and the number of Item in which the model and the number in drofus do not match. Type indicates the status of the deviation of the occurrences: 1 There are unknown equipment objects in the model that are not linked to the planned equipment 2 There are discrepancies between occurrences in the model in relation to what is planned (with to be drawn Yes) 3 There are not enough occurrences in the model in relation to what is planned (with to be drawn No) You can also perform this exception checking by Items by going into the Item overview, highlighting one or more Item and selecting the same menu as above Exporting equipment in room drofus can also add equipment objects in the room in the model. This is done when synchronizing rooms with the model as described in 3.5. Once this is done, there will naturally no longer be any discrepancies between the equipment list in drofus and the model. The equipment will be placed in a "bunch" in the room and the geometric representation of the associated Item will determine how the 27

29 equipment will be represented in the model. This assumes that you have synchronized planned Item to the model as described in

30 6. IMPORTING AND EXPORTING IFC DATA This chapter is intended as documentation of which data drofus exports and imports from an IFC model and how to edit the internal configuration in drofus and is normally only of interest to users with an in-depth knowledge of the IFC model. For imports to TIDA, see separate documentation for TIDA Imported and exported entities drofus follows the IFC standard's specifications as far as possible and extends the property set if necessary in IFC export. An example of such an extension is given in the table below at the property set "drofus_room_core" where we export all room core fields that are currently not covered in the IFC schema. Imported and exported entities and attributes: drofus IFC Explanation Room IFCSpace Name = Room function number Item IFCFurnitureType IFCTypeProduct Description = room name LongName = room name + room description Pset_SpaceCommon.NetPlannedArea = programmed area drofus_room_core = Property set with room core information from drofus. Item overview will display all objects of type IFCTypeProduct as planned Items, but drofus exports Item as IFCFurnitureType. Functions/sub functions IFCZone User groups (types) IFCZone ObjectType User groups IFCZone 6.2. Configuration property set for export of RFP and Item Specifications You can configure to which property set the fields in the RDS and Item schema are to be exported. These can be defined property sets in the template or customized names. Go to the menu Administration> Dynamis GUI -> RFP window or Item window. Navigate to the field you want to edit and enter the desired values in IFCPropertySet and IFCProperty. For more information regarding editing dynamic schemas, see separate instructions (Administration: Editing tabs and schemas) that can be downloaded fromwww.drofus.no IFC configuration and user interface drofus can be configured to read the IFC model differently depending on which program the model comes from or how different users have structured the data in the model. In drofus you can create new, or copy and modify from the existing configurations. This requires administrative rights. To change configurations, go to Administration IFC configuration. 29

31 Figure 13 The IFC configuration window 1 1. IFC Configuration - here you can select which configuration is to be used. Different CAD/BIM applications do not always store data in the same place in the IFC file. For a correct interpretation of the IFC file you must choose the correct configuration. drofus comes with some predefined configurations that cannot be edited. These names" (Built-in). 2. Type specifies the object type you see/set the configuration for. In drofus you set the configuration of the room, Item or equipment in the room. In most cases it is sufficient to set the configuration of the room and Item (object type). Equipment in rooms is set only if you need to find the Item ID of the occurrences (of Item in rooms) 3. drofus attribute window - Displays all drofus attributes that can be linked to. 4. IFC attributes - Displays IFC attributes that can be linked to. Note: If it is not connected to an IFC model, only the most relevant attributes of entities from the IFC schema will be provided (see Section 6.4). If it is connected to a model (recommended) data from, for example, the different types of objects, including attributes from property sets will be displayed. 5. Menu bar to manage separate configurations 6. Mapping window - Overview of linked attributes and the way data is run. 30

32 6.4. Create new/edit configuration To create a new configuration, select "New" from the menu bar in the configuration window. You must then give the configuration a name - click ok, and you get an empty configuration. Figure 14: New configuration (without connected model) In the example configuration above called "config", shown on the left are all drofus attributes that can be linked to. Two attributes are grayed out, indicating that these cannot be written to/ overwritten from IFC. "Room name and room description" is a concatenation of two different attributes and cannot be written to. Room function number (Room function #) will always be the "key ID is used for data exchange. This will usually be mapped to the IFC attribute "Name" (IFCSpace.Name). If you connect to the appropriate model that it should be mapped to, this will be indicated by the available IFC attributes. 31

33 Figure 15: New configuration (with connected model) Link types When the model is connected, it is easier to link attributes. By highlighting the attributes to be linked and selecting one of t link types" below, you can set your own configuration for data exchange. Link -> Data is written from drofus to the IFC model Link <- Data is written from the IFC model to drofus New Used if you wish to create new attributes or Property Set (PSet) in the IFC file In fig.15 it shows that the function number is in the Name field on the IFC space objects. By highlighting them and clicking on the link -> the attributes will be linked. Room function # will always get the link type "==". This indicates that this is the key ID. If you select New, you can create new attributes and Property sets. It is usually rare that you would need to do this, but a scenario we have seen was someone wanting to use theifcspace.name attribute for the geographical/item number. A separate Property set (PSet) has since been created to maintain/keep the Room Function # The option "Custom Query" gives you all 32

34 express terms, and will for most be used to see where data is collected in the model, but you can also write here directly from where you want to retrieve data. In Figure 16, ceiling height in drofus is the value to be retrieved from the property set and the property: BaseQuantities.FinishCeilingHeight. The express code for this is shown in the custom query. Figure 16: Custom query ceiling height from IFC file Configuration of Items (IFCElementType) and equipment As for the rooms, you can configure how the Item and equipment data are exchanged with IFC. In most cases it is sufficient to set the configuration for Items in the configuration, so drofus will search for the right object type. In some cases, users have defined "type ID" on occurrence objects and you must also set the configuration on the equipment (occurrence objects in the model). In Archicad you can set your own ID on the objects (for example Chair01, Chair02 etc.) and these follow occurrence objects. If you use this id to set the Item number, the type of designation will be specified in the "name" attribute of the occurrence object. IFCElementType/IFCElement or one of its sub classes are mapped by default to Item in drofus as follows: drofus Attribute IFC Attribute Explanation Required? Item number Name Item number Yes BIMID Name Item ID used to link objects in the model with Items in drofus Item name Description Item name No * drofus will first attempt to match objects in the model against the BIM ID of the Item. If the BIM ID is not set, drofus looks by using the Item number. Yes* 33