VW2017 BIM 'objects' import

[MRD Mark Ridgewell]

Any advice over 'best' file format to use to bring objects (furniture and sanitaryware in this particular case) into VW2017. Of the manufacturers I'd like to use, Revit families are most popular, & skp, and some ifc's. 

I created some from a manufacturer's 3d dwg's (Morgan furniture), looked perfect but there was something in them that VW just didn't seem to like.

 

Successful methodologies/ hints/ tips for creating good quality VW models from manufacturer's models most effectively (ie. with minimum of re-modelling & time) from other file formats would be appreciated.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 23, 2016 by MRD2016A
edited for clarity

[MRD Mark Ridgewell]

Did a test (not hugely scientific) today to satisfy my curiosity, and because I've been feeling bad asking manufacturers to create ifc files for products when they've invested in rfa (revit).

I took a  file from a well known UK sanitaryware manufacturer file, of a 'DDA' shower enclosure and created two symbols (in different vectorworks files) using the manufacturers 'ifc' file and 'rfa' file. 

In both cases I minimized editing of the incoming data (just changed the layer to 'design layer 0, kept default class), but with rfa I deleted 'space' data (I think that's what it's called) which was on the same class as all other 3d info so was superfluous to my needs. 

 

The result:

Original manufacturers file size: 993kv

Vectorworks file containing rfa generated symbol created a 8,213kb file

Vectorworks file containing ifc generated symbol created a 2,107kb file

 

I have no idea why the rvt file is so much larger than original ifc,, interested in any comments...!

 

[zoomer]

I don't recommend using the RVT.

First it is only importing Geometry by faces,

while IFC can import also Solids

(which seems to work better than DWG, which brings in Meshes only, from the same file,

which are Solids in e.g. Bricscad (!))

 

Second, it imports these Faces in a way that the VW file size explodes, that when you look

at the amount of imported faces, you can't understand where all that data can be hidden,

if you compare the amount with similar mesh geometry examples.

 

 

Next Problem is when you want to export geometry to a 3D Polygon App like C4D or FBX format later.

I have chosen some nice Eames Furniture from VW Libraries which had even nice Solids Geometry.

Render in OpenGL or RW works still well as multi copied Symbols will also work as Render Instances.

But for the geometry itself, if it is 3D curved, not straight like Cylinders,

3D Conversion Resolution will produce much more Face Tesselation as you will need or want.

While your round Columns may look already cheap with a medium only resolution,

Your (unimportant) chair leg rubber ends may still receive 500+ Polygons each.

(Which exported empty 0 kB FBX files for me)

 

 

Edited November 28, 2016 by zoomer