IFC madness: making Custom Psets

[snoorz]

My custom Psets keep disappearing, or I can`t access them, and they don`t show in OIP - is anyone else having this problem ?

Sometimes a restart brings them back. Sometimes they don`t show in the Data Manager, but are accessible in the Object Info.

 

The process is cluttered, as VW has no clear way of adding IFC Data, and there are at least four ways to approach this:

 

- on an Object, use AEC>IFC Data, or in the OIP use "Attach IFC"

Data Visualization for Objects without IFC works on the object level.

 

- make a symbol, you now also have dialogues from the resource manager>symbol> "IFC Data", or use the data Manager. (+OIP + AEC>IFC Data)

Data Visualization is getting confused with symbols, as the OIP "Attach IFC" doesnt work on the symbol level.

(try two spheres , make symbol, attach IFC from OIP, i.e "AirTerminal", data visualization still shows this red)

Now 3D edit the symbol, you can assign any other IFC to one of the spheres, i.e "Beam". The Beam Sphere is now grey>has IFC, the other sphere stays red. The Symbol is still "AirTerminal".

 

- IFC Data can also be attached to symbols using the Data Manger > Symbol definitions > add DataSet

This is where I have the problem stated above - sometimes they just disappear.

 

- IFC Data can also be attached at "IfcEntity Objects" Level, however these Custom Parameters also sometimes do not stick when I click "Add Data Set">manage custom Psets (Trying to add these globally)

 

Question: Is it advisable to add/attach custom Psets at the "IfcEntity Objects" - or at the "Symbol Definitions" Level in the Data Manager, or using the resource manager>symbol> "IFC Data" or.... ?

 

This all seems to make a big difference; what is best practice ?

Edited September 13, 2024 by snoorz

[shorter]

Always attach ifc data to a symbol via the resource manager.

 

Right click ... Ifc Data.

 

Then use the Data Manager to attach your custom pset to the object's ifc data set.

 

I recommend you steer all ifc data through the Data Manager.

 

If you simply model an extrusion, class that object, and then use the Data Manager to add data to 'class-based objects'.

 

The Data Manager is very good, if lacking in some critical functionality like a 'find and replace'.

Edited September 14, 2024 by shorter

[snoorz]

Yes, but the interface lacks some distinction: if you just select the symbol in the workspace and go Menu > AEC > IFC Data, you get the exact same dialogue.

This is not good UI design imo, they are both called "IFC Data...", and bring up an identical window, but it doesn´t actually work the same way.

It rather seems to work like using the OIP then: setting something on a symbol here will produce differing Instances of the same "named" symbol (something I don`t want in this case).

I have also refrained from using OIP "Attach IFC" on objects for now, for the issuss described above, best to just leave them empty, and only assign IFC to the symbol then, from the resource manager. Also when attching IFC to a symbol, depending which way you do it (OIP), it is sometimes not shown in the Data-manager.

Overall a somewhat cluttered funtionality. (V2025)

 

[shorter]

Sorry.  I thought you were asking the best way to do this.

 

There are many ways to do things in VW, which is not always a blessing (cf at least 10 ways to control graphics), to a point that for us 70% of the software is redundant.

 

Campanile, anyone?

[snoorz]

Thanx Steven,

yes it is cool that VW allows different ways to do things, and a lot is quite intuitive.

The symbol and IFC editing could be improved for clarity.

Take a symbol, change its class and then set "active class only" to only see that class. The symbol will not be there anymore.

You now have to go find it and edit the symbol so that all the parts inside are on the class you want, and then the symbol will appear.

(Same with IFC objects in symbols and data-visualization)

So in the UI, all there is missing is a pop-up; asking you what you want when you change the class of the symbol.

Same goes for (select symbol) > menu >AEC>IFC data... a message: "do you want to apply to all symbols w/same name or just to the one selected" might be helpful.

small things...

 

 

 

[shorter]

The classes inside a symbol should be the same as those on the outside if you don't want symbols or groups to disappear under active only class.

 

This is almost never the case so how you you expect it to work?

 

The message to apply ifc data to all symbols appears if you add ifc data via the RM.

 

 

[snoorz]

So I have made a symbol, and I add IFC data using the resource manager (right click > IFC Data...) to make it an IFC entity.

Then I add some custom Psets using the Data Manager.

 

Now I want to use this symbol in a different file, so I copy it over there; and now it sits in the symbol folder of that other file.

 

Now the custom Psets are not working in the new file.

 

I can see them in the Data manager, they have the check on, everything looks fine - but then the Data does not show up in the OIP of the symbol, and thus is not exported to IFC. Nothing is shown when I click Save/restart does not help.

 

Is anybody else seeing this ? (VW25)

 

How to transfer Custom Psets between Projects....?

 

 

[snoorz]

Rewrote all Psets in the new file to make it work.

There must be a better way I guess....

[snoorz]

Custom Psets still erratic: they show in Datamanager, but then dont show in the symbols Psets, and dont export to IFC.

😑

Back to the opening question...

On 9/13/2024 at 8:19 PM, snoorz said:

My custom Psets keep disappearing, or I can`t access them, and they don`t show in OIP - is anyone else having this problem ?

 

[Eirik Ørnbo]

@snoorz

Encountered the same problem.

The challenge as you say:





Maybe the Solution? (Have not tried it myself jet):

 

 

1 - 'Open' data manager settings.

 

2 - We are then sent to UserFolder and the Vectorworks folder with different .xml-files that store all of our different settings/preferences etc.

Also different Ifc-mapping files.

I think that maybe the general mapping, and also the 'Ifc PSets (Custom)'... kind of the "Ifc Records"... are stored there.

3 - A solution may be to make a "master" Ifc-mapping file.
Push "Save".

4 - Name the "master" file, and choose right settings.

5 and 6 - Push "Open" and choose the master file

7 - Do the mapping with classifications, formulas and custom properties.

8 - Save to master file.



But as I said, havent tried the second option jet 🙂






 

Edited November 21, 2024 by Eirik Ørnbo

[bcoe]

I've been having a similar issue... My only way to sanity has been to save every custom mapping individually so nothing is lost in the process of configuring a template file. Then ensure all mappings are in effect and save a master mapping. Still don't know why they randomly stop working but now the fix it to open the Data Manager and reapply the master mapping.

Similarly, I find it very frustrating that when it is working the concept of symbols is lost in the data tab. If you are attaching data to a symbol then by definition the data should carry across all instances of the symbol. But if you edit the data through the OIP it only changes for that instance.

 

[snoorz]

How can we get an Info from Nemetschek / VW regarding this functionality ?

[Eirik Ørnbo]

Update:

It worked, at least for Vectorworks 2024 build 6.

Now my "Custom Psets" aint disappearing anymore. But I have to save the "Data Mapping Settings" to my own xmlfile each time I do changes in Data Manager.
 

Recap:

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[Gran Mathias]

On 1/27/2025 at 9:18 AM, Eirik Ørnbo said:

Update:

It worked, at least for Vectorworks 2024 build 6.

Now my "Custom Psets" aint disappearing anymore. But I have to save the "Data Mapping Settings" to my own xmlfile each time I do changes in Data Manager.
 

Recap:

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If the Pset info still disappears, you can open a blank file and then go back to your project—they will appear again.
It's a bug, still not fixed in the latest update (8) for 2024.