AECOsim Building Designer’s Dataset Utilities

A series of tools is available to aid the user in “converting” their existing discipline-specific dataset content to AECOsim Building Designer’s updated DataGroup schemas and single unified dataset. 

Utilities associated with AECOsim Building Designer are loaded into MicroStation's Utilities drop-down menu when AECOsim Building Designer is started. These utilities reside as submenu items under the “Building Designer Utilities” menu, and include tools for upgrading DataGroup schemas, Families & Parts, Compound Cells, PAZ and BXF files.

AECOsim Building Designer SS4 has added some new utilities:

the operation of each new utility is covered in the help document, the notes below will be updated soon.

The Utilities

• DataGroup Transformation Utility – This utility is designed to migrate existing custom DataGroup data. It facilitates the move and/or transformation of business DataGroup data from one catalog to another. This enables you to update existing custom content from one schema to another, and reclassify content from one DataGroup catalog to another.

• DataGroup Catalog Upgrade Utility – This utility upgrades and converts preexisting data to the current DataGroup System so that this data can be used in AECOsim Building Designer. This process produces DataGroup Catalogs from existing parametric frame files for doors, windows and casework.

• Dataset Upgrade Utility – Users of Bentley Architecture, Bentley Building Mechanical Systems, and Structural Modeler may have customized their datasets. This utility upgrades customized datasets to be compliant with AECOsim Building Designer’s schema revisions.

• Part Rendering Upgrade Utility – This utility upgrades part files that use rendering materials defined in palette files (*.PAL), to materials define in DGN libraries (*.DGNLIB). This is accomplished with a mapping table that is delivered with the dataset.

• Space Part Upgrade Utility – This utility upgrades legacy DataGroup catalog files for spaces, including the ObjectMaterial property which defines the Family and Part used by each space type.

• PAZ Part Mapping Utility – This utility enables the replacement of Family and Part assignments in PAZ files created with Parametric Cell Studio.

• BXC Part Mapping Utility – This utility enables the editing of Compound Cell names, cell descriptions, levels, and Family and Part assignments using custom macros within a Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet.

• Dataset Part Validation Utility – This utility checks the active workspace for missing parts in Parametric Frame Builder files (*.BXF), Parametric Cell Studio files (*.PAZ), Compound Cell library files (*.BXC), and Compound Part files.