IFC files

Hi Rob,

Opening an IFC file in AECOsim Building Designer is comparable to opening the IFC file in an IFC viewer. The graphic output you see is usually very good but AECOsim Building Designer only creates solids.

Importing the IFC file in AECOsim Building Designer creates AECOsim Building Designer elements as far as possible using families and parts. If AECOsim Building Designer creates a reference during the import you can merge the reference into the active file. Then you have e.g. walls, etc.in the active fille that can be edited.

The IFC 2x3 CV2.0 data exchange format - CV means Coordination View - is only designed for a coordination view not for an 1:1 data exchange. The creation of AECOsim Building Designer elements is done as a best effort but does not ensure that all elements are displayed correctly.

- Did you check the options in File menu > Import IFC > Settings tab?

- As an alternative you can reference the ifc-file and then merge it into the active file.

- You can check if the IFC export in the software that created the ifc-file offers different options. That might improve the ifc-file and also the IFC import result in AECOsim Building Designer.

- This thread about IFC import might also be helpful: IFC import - dataset mapping

Regards

Johannes

"The creation of AECOsim Building Designer elements is done as a best effort but does not ensure that all elements are displayed correctly."

wow, that's a pretty fundemental to say that the program doesnt do!! so how am i supposed to know if the elements are displayed correctly???? I've got a 13 storey building with many thousands of structural elements it is impossible to go through and manually check each and every one to ensure that they have been displayed correctly.

- Yes I've checked the options in the import IFC tab.

- I cannot reference the IFC file in as i require the model to be imported on a floor by floor basis due to it's size and for ease of use when modelling. I also need the family and parts applying so that i can get plan and section cuts taken from the model.

- The IFC is exported absolutely fine, it's independently checked via Solibri by a 3rd party before we are issued with the information.

- We are data mapping everything correctly and as per the IFC import thread.

Below is just one example of a random 'block' that appears and stretches up through 13 storeys of building!!!

The top view is taken from Solibri and the bottom view is the imported IFC from AecoSIM. This is just one of a number of similar errors we are seeing with these files and it's making it very hard for us to trust the information we are modelling against, we've had;

- slabs disapprearing

- random placement of structural blocks

- flanges from steelwork disappearing

- holes in slabs not showing

Hi Rob, I've created SR 7000525701, IFC Import problems to look into this particular example. You should receive an e-mail shortly.

Marc,
It's now been a week since i uploaded the file to the FTP site and 5 days since you said you would get back to me later that day. I've sent 4 emails to you asking for an update and not received a single reply. The standard of customer support currently being provided by yourselves is abysmal. I am very unhappy with the shabby treatment I am receiving from bentley, it's disgraceful.

This is very funny. I remember reading a post where Bentley and its users claim that the IFC export, from ABD, works fine and that it is the problem with other software not reading the exported IFC properly! Links were provided to support their statement. Well I have always been saying that Bentley has some issues with the IFC's and one of them is not showing holes in walls and floors!

Bentley needs to do seriously some work to keep the faith of its users because it doesn't look good at all!

This is very funny. I remember reading a post where Bentley and its users claim that the IFC export, from ABD, works fine and that it is the problem with other software not reading the exported IFC properly! Links were provided to support their statement. Well I have always been saying that Bentley has some issues with the IFC's and one of them is not showing holes in walls and floors!

Bentley needs to do seriously some work to keep the faith of its users because it doesn't look good at all!

Believe me ,we're not finding it at all funny here!! It's safe to say bentley has lost the faith of these users and that's not something that's said lightly as the office has been a bentley office for nigh on 20 years. The constant lack of support, delays in plug ins, dynamic views not working, constant use of "work arounds" to achieve what should be normal practice it all amounts to a program that is not fit for purpose and one that has been made available with many many bugs that should have been ironed out prior to release. we have been assured that bentley are very much still involved and developing the architecture side of Aecosim but the day in day out lack of support or progress shows otherwise. i very much feel like i am currently backing betamax whilst everyone else on revit is backing VHS (apologies for those not old enough to remember the video wars of the 80s!).

Hi Rob,
Sorry for the delayed response, this is one of a number of support cases that I am working on. I have downloaded your files and have been working with them.

Whilst i appreciate that Marc, you sent me an email on monday specifically saying you would get back to me that day. I've since sent 4 or 5 emails asking for an update and havent even got a resposnse. It's now been a month since you came to our office and saw first hand some of the problems we are having and took files away to view and investigate and we have not had any communication from yourself since that day. The problems we are having make aecosim unusable as a bim modelling tool and i'd go as far as to say the program itself is not actually fit for purpose.

There is more detail in my reply to the SR, but so far I have not been able to replicate the grey object shown in your ABD screen shot using both import and reference of the IFC.
I have found a few slabs that do not appear when the IFC is imported, but they do appear when referenced. There are differences in the way that Revit 2015 has exported some of the slabs that would appear to be behind those particular anomalies.
I will continue to review the sample file.

Thanks Marc, strange how you cant replicate the oversized slab it was a simple import of the IFC. Yet another example of the inconsistancies that plague AECOsim. Regarding the disappearing slabs, i can understand you saying it's how Revit exported them (they appear to be BReps) but you cant blame Revit as a simple program such as Solibri manages to view them fine whereas AECOsim cant import them (and possibly more importantly doesnt appear to even let you know it hasnt so you are working under the assumption you have the complete model!!!). As you know referencing IFCs isnt an option as we then dont get the possibility of applying cut patterns etc to the model.
Since importing an IFC is the only option we have to get information in from Revit as the plug in that was promised nearly 4 months ago is now not going to materialise, the process really does need to be far better than we currently have.