How to handle location breakdown structure (Site, Building, Sections, Floors) in the IFC export?
Question:
How do we handle hierarchy structure properties like Site, Building, Sections in the IFC export? I have defined them in Organizer, but they appear as undefined in the IFC file when viewed in another software.
Answer:
With following steps it should be possible:
First make sure that you have defined the project, site, building, sections and floors in Organizer, assigned model objects to them and written for reporting, synchronized and saved the model. The following topics will explain that:
- Example: Organize the model into location and custom categories, and view quantities
- Report Organizer location categories
Write for reporting means that the Organizer information about the location (site, building, sections and floors) is written to assembly/cast unit UDAs, and it might happen that if you had manually given some values to part UDAs like for IFC building name or IFC building storey name, they are emptied on the part level. But if you inquire assemblies or cast units, you should be able to see the written values:
Then in IFC export ensure that the following settings are used:
On the Advanced tab you have selected the following check boxes:
• Assemblies
• Locations from Organizer
Then you need to add location breakdown structure properties as additional property set. Some environments might have these settings already done as saved properties for Export to IFC, so better to check that first. But if they do not exist, below is one example of additional settings. We have used totally new property set LBS, which is not included in the default property set:
•Property type=Template attribute
•Attribute=LOCATION_BREAKDOWN_STRUCTURE.LBS_BUILDING
•Name=Building
•Type=String
•Property type=Template attribute
•Attribute=LOCATION_BREAKDOWN_STRUCTURE.LBS_SECTION
•Name=Section
•Type=String
•Property type=Template attribute
•Attribute=LOCATION_BREAKDOWN_STRUCTURE.LBS_SITE
•Name=Site
•Type=String
•Property type=Template attribute
•Attribute=LOCATION_BREAKDOWN_STRUCTURE.LBS_FLOOR
•Name=Floor
•Type=String
Then in another software the hierarchy looks like this and the LBS property set is shown on a separate tab.