Archicad to Vectorworks IFC

[Theo D]

Hi all !

 

I would like to switch my 3d archicad model to VW with IFC format. It works but once in VW the software does not recognize my BIM profiles of beams, columns etc, only as IFC entity. Does anyone have a solution so that the IFC profile can be edited and recognize ? (I would point out that in the other direction, from VW to Archicad, Archicad recognizes VW profiles ...)

I don't know how to configure the archicad export so that VW recognizes my BIM profiles (I think the problem comes from there)

 

Thanks !

[shorter]

IFC into VW is very much based on retaining fidelity of the incoming geometry.  This is a good thing, in my opinion, and from my experience.

 

Objects converted to native objects in Revit from IFC are not reliable, and invariably have to be remodelled natively.  I would expect to do the same in ArchiCAD.

 

Model exchange via IFC is not really about round-tripping, just as it is not about 2D drawing.

 

IFC is a coordination file format.  It is not an interoperable file format.

 

I am not sure who's approach is right, other than I have seen objects I have issued as IFC, and do not expect to be edited, imported into Revit and edited, and then reissued leading to errors in coordination.

 

If people followed the rules, perhaps it would work, but few do it seems.

[Christiaan]

2 hours ago, shorter said:

I have seen objects I have issued as IFC, and do not expect to be edited, imported into Revit and edited, and then reissued leading to errors in coordination.

Ouch!

[shorter]

The same thing happened in 2D.

 

As I said, there are them that follow the rules and there are them that don’t.

 

 

[JuanP]

 

Some additional information from our R&D team: Currently both Vectorworks and IFC standard do not support the import and transfer to native object of IFC entities.There is a concept called IFC4 Design Transfer View(DTV) being developed by buildingSmart, that will enable that, but it is still in its infancy. Once there is something concrete in the DTV specs we will look into implementing it in Vectorworks.

[zoomer]

5 hours ago, shorter said:

IFC is a coordination file format.  It is not an interoperable file format.

 

That ist totally correct.

 

Put other's work into your file to coordinate, but never touch it.

On the other hand IFC was also meant as a base for visualization, which in

reality simply does not work, without intensively touching and manipulating.

 

But for people wanting just an editable Exchange across different Apps,

it may already be more lossless than we had before (DXF and DWG).

That is why in reality, IFC is so often misused from what it was once

defined for.

 

 

29 minutes ago, JuanP said:

Currently both Vectorworks and IFC standard do not support the import and transfer to native object of IFC entities.

 

 

Yes, Vectorworks does not, by putting each IFC Object in a redundant IFC Container

and in bad cases in further unnecessary group hierarchies.

But speaking for my other BIM capable App or Archicad, they always imported all IFC

as their native BIM objects as much as possible.

That means that simpler Objects like Walls and Slabs, including Styles, are directly

editable. (In Archicad after unlocking). While more complex objects like Doors or Windows

may still come in as Symbols, which for now may need to be replaced with native objects

if editing is needed.

 

 

So if there is planned :

 

36 minutes ago, JuanP said:

a concept called IFC4 Design Transfer View(DTV) being developed by buildingSmart, that will enable that,

 

I can't say how much I would appreciate.

 

For now I would be happy if VW would just import IFC Elements as proper Solids/Symbol/Mesh

and apply the IFC Tag to it.

For the future I hope that will not slow down RVT import improvements, as I think it is very likely

that Autodesk will find enough ways to counteract and make such an open Exchange less reliable.

[JuanP]

On 12/23/2021 at 4:18 PM, zoomer said:

For now I would be happy if VW would just import IFC Elements as proper Solids/Symbol/Mesh

and apply the IFC Tag to it.

Adding the request as an enhancement (internal VE-102617)

[aeskimo]

What is the status?

[yasamandavachi]

Hi, I am also interested to know more about this.

 

I have a few projects in ArchiCAD that needs to be transferred to Vectorworks.

[shorter]

12 hours ago, yasamandavachi said:

Hi, I am also interested to know more about this.

 

I have a few projects in ArchiCAD that needs to be transferred to Vectorworks.

 

Is this a one-way trip that you then intend to continue in Vectorworks using the ArchiCAD model as a background, or are you taking over the modelling?  Or do you merely need to exchange models and data with an ArchiCAD user, or to federate and then pass on as one model via IFC?

 

If the former, import ArchiCAD IFC, convert to solids, and edit as VW model, adding your elements using VIM* objects or start again and model natively in VIM.

 

* Vectorworks Information Modelling...

 

If the latter, use VIM and import the IFC to coordinate and issue IFC in return.

 

All this of course would be unnecessary if there was a native nemetschek file format that ruled them all.

Edited January 30, 2023 by shorter

[zoomer]

4 hours ago, shorter said:

import XXX IFC, convert to solids, and edit as VW model, adding your elements using VIM* objects

or

start again and model natively in VIM.

 

I did the latter,

- Import IFC in Container File

- Reference Container into Work File

(you can not Snap to IFC Containers in general and DLVPs)

- Ungroup all IFC Containers in Container File

- Update Reference

(Now I can snap again)

Draw over "VIM" Objects in Container Underlay

 

Not much fun either.

Re-tagging (VW,IFC, ...) "ungrouped" Solids and just leave as they are would

have been much less painful. But in this case I wanted the Model for parametric

Door and Window placement/examination/changing,

so I will need true Walls anyway .....

 

So I tediously try to force VW Walls into different configurations by myriads of

Wall Styles, complex custom Level setups and manual overwriting.

🙂

 

 

I also would highly prefer if VW's IFC import would be more like its RVT import.

[zoomer]

5 hours ago, shorter said:

All this of course would be unnecessary if there was a native nemetschek file format that ruled them all.

 

Of course,

but pretty unlikely !

 

 

Well, lets hope for Speckle.

Archicad's Connector is already in the works for some time,

and they said a "community driven" VW Connector Plugin

is already starting 😍

 

Not sure about Bricscad, they tested some months ago but

I think they did not go on. So I also hope for any community

effort, as Connector for Bricscad was nearly on top of the

Connector wishes.

 

So far I have only one single App for Speckle Testing, which is

Blender (and QGIS but I have no clue how to use it 🙂 )

So for now I can only direct-upload IFCs and look what I can

stream down back into Blender.

(Which currently looks as it is not as much as I could get from

BlenderBIM AddOn in directly.

(Object Hierarchy and Naming lost)

Edited January 30, 2023 by zoomer