Creating Parametric BIM Objects

Hello Good ABD Community,

So here I'm with a question that I wanted to know for years the answer,

How on earth do you make your own parametric BIM components to load on a Dataset?

Do you make them like compounds cells? Are you doomed to use Parametric Cell Studio? You can only import them from RFA files? Or maybe, and this would the greatest thing ever, you can make them in Generative Components and load them to your dataset?

If anyone can find it on their heart to help me understand this the BIM Gods will be pleased.

Regards

Rafael

  • Hi Rafael,

    What you can do now:

    • Parametric objects with resymbolisation are created in Parametric Cell Studio (PCS), this is appropriate if you need objects that can be placed at any size.
    • Compound cells offer a much simpler creation process. They can create sets of fixed size cells which can be very suitable for products that come in a range of fixed sizes (although doors, for instance, are increasingly available in any size with modern manufacturing methods, which will be a pain for future facilities managers trying to source one-off replacement non-standard size doors, but that's another story...). Compound cells were designed just to resymbolise the plan view but can do the same for sections when set up carefully.
    • MicroStation FunctionalComponents can also be used with limitations. DataGroup values can drive FunctionalComponent variables when correctly mapped, resymbolisation is not available yet but is on the way (see below).

    What is coming:

    • MicroStation CE Update 11 includes Technology Previews (TP) of Named Presentations, which provides resymbolisation in all planes, and Perforators which enable objects to create their openings. Both of these need to move out of TP in MicroStation and to have additional work in ABD to fully integrate them before we can replace PCS, but we are progressing well towards that.
      ABD CE U4 includes all MicroStation U11 features so you will be able to try these out.

    I'd suggest using Compound Cells for your doors and windows, the notes in AECOsim Building Designer - Compound Cells and Metadata may be helpful regarding those, used the right way they can quite powerful. Also AECOsim Building Designer - Compound Cells - Non Parametric Doors.

    ABD CE U4 includes the first iteration of our new curtain wall tool which I hope will meet some of you needs. This tool will be developed further to add wider capabilities.

    ABD CE U4 includes some enhancements to our stair tools which make them more capable in their role of providing everyday staircases, including a lot of improvements and flexibility to the handrail tools.

    GC would be a good solution for complex stairs, GC models can be referenced into ABD.

    Regards

    Marc

    Answer Verified By: Rafael Bombardiere Carvajal 

  • Thank you Marc,

    This is of great help to understand more about this!!!

    I think Bentley needs to do something about PCS, because there's not much information about how to use that tool. If you have any please let me know.

    Best Regards

    Rafael

  • Hi Rafael,

    Additional information about using PC Studio is available here:

    https://communities.bentley.com/products/building/building_analysis___design/w/building_analysis_and_design__wiki/5864/pc-studio-faq

    However... I believe Marc suggested using Compound Cells for your doors and windows instead, since PC Studio will be superseded by MicroStation's Functional Components in a future version.  While Compound Cells are not parametric, the learning curve and time required to create new doors and windows in that format is much less than when using PC Studio.  So it may be worthwhile as an interim solution until Functional Components are fully baked.



  • thank you steve!!

    Is there an step by step tutorial or learn resource that I could use?

    Regards

  • PCS: See Mary Chib's PCS series on the LEARN Server. And also this pdf by Doug Fitzpatrick (very good prep for the long road ahead when using PCS). Some recent vids in Spanish.

    CC: See old vid on LEARN

    Functional Components: a preview of sorts of what is in the pipeline.

    Mstn, at platform level, seems to be taking on a lot of functions (See Mstn CE U11 Tech Preview items) that were previously done at vertical / Triforma level:

    1. Named Presentations > Compound Cells Symbols aka View Dependent Cells.
    2. Perforators > TF Door / Window Perforators
    3. Functional Components > PCS

    I hope that TF Joins will be next on the platform team's to do list.

    Also, please check out TP tools like Associative Extractions. This is a modeling tool that was initially developed by a vertical (ProStructures) that has been migrated downwards to platform level... similar to the ABD/TF tools above.

    Test-driving the TP tools is essential to to making sure the tools do what we the users want. Unfortunately, more and more necessary given the 'complexity' of the software these days...