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IFC export of a 16 story building takes over 45mins


ptoner

Question

Having issues exporting an ifc file. Everything converts and exports as it should, yet it takes 45mins plus for it to process and complete.
File size, after purging is 370mb approx.
Stories all set up correctly, for each of the 16 stories. Set in plan/top view when exporting, 3D conversion is "low" and most settings are as per the Vectorworks "Sharing your model with IFC" Document.

Really is poor, as it means that no drawing work can be done until after the export. ArchiCAD users in the office export larger buildings than this in under a min in work. 

Any further tips? or is this standard for VW?

You can see from the attached image, there is not a lot of detail in the model.

 

Also attached is my computer specs. Its a top of the range iMac

Screen Shot 2017-12-21 at 07.58.06.jpg

Screen Shot 2017-12-21 at 08.00.01.jpg

Edited by ptoner
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On 20.12.2017 at 5:38 PM, ptoner said:

3D conversion is "low

 

This will only help if you have some curved geometry like cylindrical columns and such.

(Or things like furniture Symbols !)

It can't reduce geometry of rectangular geometry like straight Walls and such.

 

Yes IFC exports take a lot of time in VW and need a lot of RAM.

Geometry expensive Furniture Symbols can have a large impact.

Especially for exports where the may not export as Symbols/instances but separate objects.

I have not much experience if that works faster in other Apps or if there is still much potential

for improvements in VW.

 

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On 08/01/2018 at 2:19 PM, zoomer said:

 

This will only help if you have some curved geometry like cylindrical columns and such.

(Or things like furniture Symbols !)

It can't reduce geometry of rectangular geometry like straight Walls and such.

 

Yes IFC exports take a lot of time in VW and need a lot of RAM.

Geometry expensive Furniture Symbols can have a large impact.

Especially for exports where the may not export as Symbols/instances but separate objects.

I have not much experience if that works faster in other Apps or if there is still much potential

for improvements in VW.

 

No furniture in the model, walls, doors, floors, ceilings and curtain walling mainly.

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3 minutes ago, Mihail Rizov said:

 

If you want to speedup your IFC Export  - please, switch to OpenGL and zoom in close to the building, so that nothing from the building is visible.

 

I always have OpenGL on, still it takes forever.

Zooming into the building speeds it up, bizarre. Will try it anyways, cause at this stage anything is better than what it is.

 

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee
On 2/19/2020 at 11:27 AM, JMR said:

Any developments on IFC export speed? With 2019 SP5.3, a 2000m2 three-storey building takes about 10 minutes to export. There is some furniture as well.

 

 

Hi JMR,

 

Please, try it with 2020.

 

Regards,

Mihail Rizov

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Importing/Exporting for collaboration is fundamentally flawed...every  time we get involved with this it's like having a baby (ok I never had one but I think you get the point)

 

Very disruptive and takes a lot of time and if Im doing this every week...exporting my stuff and then importing their stuff...that chews up a whole day...

 

and its always a nail biting operation...

 

this whole concept of having our stuff on a computer that sits in our room is anti-collaberation...yes there are work arounds...all noble attempts to fix old paradigms..

 

this is not a VW problem, Revit is not really cloud base because they have a check in check out gimmick that does syncing...this is not a true Google Doc operation.

 

I'm about to add my 3rd person to my Onshape* side and moving as much of my VW fabrication drawings to that 3rd person...I'm slowly moving away from training anyone else to be a VW operator as it is too complicated to set someone up...(software, hardware, Operating system)

 

VW will only be used to assemble all the fabrication drawings onto the site...

 

it would not matter if i was using Revit either...all these architectural programs are based on old paradigms..

 

Solidworks has the same problems as it resides on your computer...PLM is a mess..

 

*using it for 3 years and flawless in its collaboration.

I have experienced the future for 3 years.

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IFC does not work so well from the architects side.

We want just an import and parametric and edit ability kept,

which IFC was never intended for.

 

But it works well for the engineers, like HVAC. They are not interested in modifying

or working with our Walls and Slabs. They just add there design and add their stuff

and after collision control, ask for another Wall opening or two.

 

Of course VW IFC import is ridiculously slow and not 100% reliable and therefore

should be improved further.

 

I always liked your creative (mis)use of VW and your progressive thinking and demands.

Just want to point out that there are still many many VW users that still relay on that

old school CAD App approach, for several, legitimate reasons. And still need things like,

- non-subscription, perpetual CAD App

- local App on local Hardware

- non-Cloud, local data

 

 

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16 hours ago, zoomer said:

still many many VW users that still relay on that

old school CAD App approach,

 

Thanks zoomer, I do get it...yes when VW first showed a VW running in a browser, the first thing I said was "that is a dumb idea"

 

now, I am running 2 different cad systems in my office...

 

the cloud side is:

easy to add new people

I never stress about hardware, software, operating system

collaboration is in real time

I can let people review and comment on a model but not allow them to copy it.

 

compare that to:

expensive to add in new people (I need to buy them the latest hardware, software, operating system)

Im in a state of upgrade stress starting in August to Dec 1st (I upgraded to VW2021 SP1 then did a batch convert) absolutely nail biting.

collaboration with just me and the other person is ok (its just to 2 of us) we message on Skype..."I'm want to open this...is that ok?"

I cannot let people review the model so this requires release of pdf booklets & management of booklet 

(the above is also similar to my friends feelings who works with Solidworks.  this is not a VW issue)

 

So I'm living this...this is not theory...but I do understand what you said...

 

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an Idea.  if you have a lot of VW work but also have sub components that need fabrication drawings then you can use Onshape for the fabrication drawings there by freeing up your VW people to stay focused on the big picture...I can invite you into a sample Onshape doc and show you around just send me your email.

 

this is like concrete and steel...when you add them both then you have a better product...an office that can do architecture but also a side that can do fabrication drawings for key items that you want to control...

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