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Best Practice Workflow To Export Revit to IFC For Vectorworks


Clint Alderman

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Background info:

An architect client uses Revit. They usually export to DWG and that works okay, but it seems to be somewhat of a hassle for them. Not sure why. They have shared some Revit files, but the import feature in VW 2017 and 2018 does not produce a usable VW file. I asked them to try an export to IFC. The didn't know how to do that... 

 

So, I'm looking for a best practice guide to give to them for exporting Revit to IFC. 

 

Request To Vectorworks: 

PLEASE publish a straightforward step by step process for a Revit user to export an IFC file which will be usable for VW. If this exists, I couldn't find it. 

A VW webpage dedicated to a Revit to IFC Workflow would be very helpful for VW users. We can send our Revit clients to it. 

This would also be a great marketing opportunity to Revit users who may be interesting in switching to VW. 

 

Thanks! 

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On 4/5/2018 at 1:05 PM, Clint Alderman said:

Background info:

An architect client uses Revit. They usually export to DWG and that works okay, but it seems to be somewhat of a hassle for them. Not sure why. They have shared some Revit files, but the import feature in VW 2017 and 2018 does not produce a usable VW file. I asked them to try an export to IFC. The didn't know how to do that... 

 

So, I'm looking for a best practice guide to give to them for exporting Revit to IFC. 

 

Request To Vectorworks: 

PLEASE publish a straightforward step by step process for a Revit user to export an IFC file which will be usable for VW. If this exists, I couldn't find it. 

A VW webpage dedicated to a Revit to IFC Workflow would be very helpful for VW users. We can send our Revit clients to it. 

This would also be a great marketing opportunity to Revit users who may be interesting in switching to VW. 

 

Thanks! 

I too have a very similar request. 

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>File>Export>IFC

There are several versions of IFC and a dialog for including and excluding elements. Beyond that, read the manual...

  1. Don't expect Vectorworks to produce instructions for AutoDesk software.
  2. Vectorworks will import procedures are buggy and subject to very long times. I think this is the real issue - advertised features should work reliably!

I don't think your clients actions will have any effect on the transfers. I've sent several Revit/IFC files to tech support to solve issues. Generally they send them to engineering for further testing and I have to find another solution.

 

(For the record; I think 3 items in the last update are from my issues. Things do get better.)

Edited by RickR
later thought
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I meanwhile forgot what Revit export was better in VW at the end, DWG or IFC.

Maybe a mixture of both Exports.

 

But IFC was (unfortunately) never designed as an Exchange format between Apps.

(Although that often works better than real exchange formats in practice)

IFC is just meant to export and "reference" geometry in data.

Even more it is meant that you never touch geometry of other parties.

 

Everyone is thought to work in his own Software, optimized to its needs.

You export your Data to to a complete BIM Model that the manager examines

and controls in a BIM Software like Solibri.

You only receive others Data for reference as kind of an underlay to design over

your stuff for dependencies.

It was never meant to touch these or reconvert into your specific PIOs to work

with them.

 

Thankfully a lot of BIM Apps do so anyway.

Like my partner can edit my VW IFC exports in Archicad after unlocking parts mostly

well as true PIOs. Similar in Bricscad as it works with Solids anyway.

In VW, in Editing Mode I get no parametric PIOs at all, in best Generic Solids or even

Extrudes. Which isn't that bad either.

But it depends on the App that exported the IFC and the way it handles Geometries

itself and which IFC option it exports.

 

 

So for Revit, also not very perfect, a real Exchange should better happen by VW's Revit

*.rvt Import Options for a Collaboration.

It already "somehow" works with Walls, Slabs, Roofs and a few other PIOs.

And all the Mesh Crap is annoying.

But as I'm not experienced with Revit I don't know if there is much space for improvements

in VW's import option or if Revit simply deals itself with crappy mesh geometry and

may be optimized to do with such geometry, not well supported in VW or CAD in general.

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