shorter Posted October 9, 2025 Share Posted October 9, 2025 Not a trick question or part of my questionnaire... If you have a wall, with components, how much data can you attach to the wall and it's constituent components? If the wall style is given the type mark 'IWS-100' for example, and the wall comprises Paint Skim Coat 12.5mm Plasterboard 12.5mm Plasterboard Timber Stud with Insulation Airgap with split battens Timber Cladding Sealant how much data can be assigned to each component and more importantly, exported via IFC? I realise the above is nonsense, because who models paint, but lets say a client has asked for paint to be modelled, how would you give the paint component a unique ID that relates to it's location (floor and space), and give it a type mark 'PNT-100', and export to IFC with Uniclass classification 'Pr_35_31_22_37'? Quote Link to comment
Viktor Frank Posted October 13, 2025 Share Posted October 13, 2025 Hello @shorter On 10/9/2025 at 12:12 PM, shorter said: If you have a wall, with components, how much data can you attach to the wall and it's constituent components? Technically the IFC-Schema allows you to attach an unlimited amount of Data to Entities. To get an IfcWall aggregated from IfcBuildingElementParts, you should set the 'ExportOptions - by Components' in the Datamanager. This will give you a comparable IFC-structure to Vectorworks. (Wall with Components = IfcWall with IfcBuildingElementParts) You can then use the usual Datamanager-workflow to add an map data to each Entity. Component-Data can be querried through worksheet functions. Components carry limited Data, custom Records cant be added directly to components. The Material Ressource allows for a lot of Data to be added to it, including custom records. Materialdata can then be querried and mapped for each component in the Datamanager. All of this Data can of course be exported to IFC - you just need the corresponding worksheet function to query it. The classificiation is a bit of a tricky question - it depends on how you set up your classificiation workflow and the system you use. I am not familiar with the Uniclass System - answer depends on the logic of the classificiation system - there are multiple ways how to go about this. Greetings from Germany Viktor 2 Quote Link to comment
shorter Posted October 13, 2025 Author Share Posted October 13, 2025 As I understand, doing so, i.e. exporting by component, does not export the wall itself. Anyway, I can see one specific problem... "custom Records cant be added directly to components." Since the client, and almost every client we have come across working on project in German, and Switzerland, requests custom psets and for all wall and floor coverings to be exported with data present in the custom pset. Quote Link to comment
Viktor Frank Posted October 13, 2025 Share Posted October 13, 2025 Hello @shorter 10 minutes ago, shorter said: As I understand, doing so, i.e. exporting by component, does not export the wall itself. No, of course the wall is still exported. With the Option named above you get a IfcWall Entity and multiple IfcBuildingElementPart Entities(one per component) in your Ifc-File. They are related through IfcRelAggregates which is a general composition/decomposition (or whole/part) relationship. These Entities can then be individually adressed in the Datamanager. So you can add Psets as you wish to the Entity you wish. 10 minutes ago, shorter said: "custom Records cant be added directly to components." I am talking about the vectorworks resource "record format" here. You can query component Data and Materialdata of components with the corresponding worksheet functions and map that data to you desired IfcPsets. 10 minutes ago, shorter said: requests custom psets and for all wall and floor coverings to be exported with data present in the custom pset. Yeah - no problem thats easily with the normal Datamanager workflow ? I dont see the issue here ? Greetings from Germany Viktor Quote Link to comment
shorter Posted October 13, 2025 Author Share Posted October 13, 2025 3 minutes ago, Viktor Frank said: Hello @shorter No, of course the wall is still exported. With the Option named above you get a IfcWall Entity and multiple IfcBuildingElementPart Entities(one per component) in your Ifc-File. They are related through IfcRelAggregates which is a general composition/decomposition (or whole/part) relationship. These Entities can then be individually adressed in the Datamanager. So you can add Psets as you wish to the Entity you wish. I am talking about the vectorworks resource "record format" here. You can query component Data and Materialdata of components with the corresponding worksheet functions and map that data to you desired IfcPsets. Yeah - no problem thats easily with the normal Datamanager workflow ? I dont see the issue here ? Greetings from Germany Viktor Ah, it must have been something Mihail showed me that resulted in the wall not being exported, but the components were. A different solution, perhaps. Still what you have demonstrated is that this is not a 'normal' nor simple process and one that requires significant knowledge and experience of the use of the data manager and ifc; something that will escape many, particular since this topic is obfuscated in the help system. No entry for 'IfcRelAggregates' for example. Where would us mere mortals look for such illumination? 1 Quote Link to comment
Viktor Frank Posted October 13, 2025 Share Posted October 13, 2025 Hello @shorter 29 minutes ago, shorter said: ....requires significant knowledge and experience of the use of the data manager and ifc.... Very true .... the IFC-Schema alone is huge and takes quite a while to wrap your head around it. IMO one specialist is necessary per party to guide the whole process. 29 minutes ago, shorter said: No entry for 'IfcRelAggregates' for example. Relations are generally not shown in the Datamanager ... they are always created in the background. 29 minutes ago, shorter said: Where would us mere mortals look for such illumination? Well, in the DACH-Region we create Webinars for our customers that specially target these topics. For example we have a 3 x 1 hour Datamanager Webinars that give an overview. Additionally we offer consulting services for offices that want to dive even deeper. Some other questions are solved at the helpdesk or in the DACH-Forum. Greetings Viktor 1 Quote Link to comment
shorter Posted November 28, 2025 Author Share Posted November 28, 2025 On 10/9/2025 at 11:12 AM, shorter said: Not a trick question or part of my questionnaire... If you have a wall, with components, how much data can you attach to the wall and it's constituent components? If the wall style is given the type mark 'IWS-100' for example, and the wall comprises Paint Skim Coat 12.5mm Plasterboard 12.5mm Plasterboard Timber Stud with Insulation Airgap with split battens Timber Cladding Sealant how much data can be assigned to each component and more importantly, exported via IFC? I realise the above is nonsense, because who models paint, but lets say a client has asked for paint to be modelled, how would you give the paint component a unique ID that relates to it's location (floor and space), and give it a type mark 'PNT-100', and export to IFC with Uniclass classification 'Pr_35_31_22_37'? To further complicate things, I am trying to do this in Vectorworks 2024... 1 Quote Link to comment
shorter Posted November 28, 2025 Author Share Posted November 28, 2025 In IFC2x3, there is a button to export walls by component. In IFC4 is it more complicated. How would you set a condition to export all components as IfcBuildingElementPart, like IFC2x3 does? Quote Link to comment
shorter Posted November 28, 2025 Author Share Posted November 28, 2025 On 10/13/2025 at 10:20 AM, Viktor Frank said: To get an IfcWall aggregated from IfcBuildingElementParts, you should set the 'ExportOptions - by Components' in the Datamanager. This does not work in VW2024. Quote Link to comment
shorter Posted November 28, 2025 Author Share Posted November 28, 2025 When you click 'Export Options - Export as Separate Instances' the Wall is exported as it's constituent parts but not as an IfcWall with it's parts as it is in IFC2x3. Each part is exported as IfcWall, not IfcBuildingElementPart. Quote Link to comment
shorter Posted November 28, 2025 Author Share Posted November 28, 2025 If I use the condition =IF(OBJECTDATA('Component', 'Function', T=INDEX)='Load-Bearing', 'IfcWallStandardCase', IF(OBJECTDATA('Component', 'Function', T=INDEX)='Inner Finish', 'IfcCovering', IF(OBJECTDATA('Component', 'Function', T=INDEX)='Outer Finish', 'IfcCovering', IF(OBJECTDATA('Component', 'Function', T=INDEX)='OTHER', 'IfcBuildingElementProxy', 'NoExport')))) the wall is converted to an IfcCovering and does not export as IfcWall at all. Think it may be time to delete preferences and start again? Quote Link to comment
shorter Posted November 28, 2025 Author Share Posted November 28, 2025 using a condition =IF(OBJECTDATA('Component', 'Function', T=INDEX)='Load-Bearing', 'IfcBuildingElementPart', IF(OBJECTDATA('Component', 'Function', T=INDEX)='Inner Finish', 'IfcBuildingElementPart', IF(OBJECTDATA('Component', 'Function', T=INDEX)='Outer Finish', 'IfcBuildingElementPart', IF(OBJECTDATA('Component', 'Function', T=INDEX)='Insulation', 'IfcBuildingElementPart', 'NoExport')))) fails. All components export as IfcWall. Quote Link to comment
zoomer Posted November 28, 2025 Share Posted November 28, 2025 If I got that right, that is no more supported in newer IFC versions above 2x3 ... Don't know anymore on which forum I read over a few threads about it VW DE, Bricscad, ... (?) Maybe because of the Voids for Wall Openings (?). (Although you could attach a single Void to multiple Objects in IFC) But you could ask also here, they know everything about IFC 1 Quote Link to comment
shorter Posted November 28, 2025 Author Share Posted November 28, 2025 Odd, because it works in 2025, and in the help for 2024 it would appear to work. Vectorworks walls, arrive with an IFC data structure for IFC4 with IfcBuildingElementPart present too. Oh, well, we will just have to say we can't comply with their requirements. Quote Link to comment
zoomer Posted November 28, 2025 Share Posted November 28, 2025 It's been a while since I exported IFC from VW - in this sense. Maybe it was Bricscad where users had problems getting their Wall components into Twinmotion and it was said that you could not get the Components out, just the overall Wall. I also think to remember that I had access to Component geometry from IFCs in the past. By VW ? By IFC 2x3+ ? But if it works for you in VW 2025 ..... Quote Link to comment
Christiaan Posted November 28, 2025 Share Posted November 28, 2025 1 hour ago, shorter said: Oh, well, we will just have to say we can't comply with their requirements. I assume the project is at a stage where it's too risky to convert to 2025? Quote Link to comment
zoomer Posted November 28, 2025 Share Posted November 28, 2025 (edited) Looks like my VW IFC 2x3 exports with separated components option : - Only exported singly-Ply Walls as IfcWall - All multi-Ply Wall's Components came as separate IfcBuildingElementPart - So there is no IfcWall representation for any multi-Ply Wall's In IFC 4.0 I can not see differences so far between VW 2025 and VW 2026. Here for VW 2026 - All multi-Ply Walls are IfcWall only (no aggregates or such) - Components are accessible in Bonsai IFC Item or IFC Edit Mode (Or Blender Edit Mode) - IfcTypeProduct Infos available - IfcSurfaceStyles (VW Render Materials) seem to be not correctly assigned - (not sure about the VW Building Materials Assignments, but their definitions came in) Edited November 28, 2025 by zoomer Quote Link to comment
shorter Posted November 29, 2025 Author Share Posted November 29, 2025 5 hours ago, Christiaan said: I assume the project is at a stage where it's too risky to convert to 2025? unfortunately so. Quote Link to comment
Viktor Frank Posted December 3, 2025 Share Posted December 3, 2025 Hello @shorter The Export Options were extended for Vectorworks 2025 Update 5. So the behaviour I mentioned above aplies to that and latter Versions. Greetings from Germany Viktor Quote Link to comment
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