Materials list implementations - standards of organization and naming

[LarryO]

Has VW presented, provided or adopted a framework for identifying materials and items?

Is there a list of fields that are be filled in when creating objects to be used in construction documentation?

I'm asking in the context of generating materials lists from objects found in the drawings.

Programs which are specific to the steel construction industry have these materials lists on every page that are loaded with items present on that page. They present quantities, sizes, name, standards and materials references, item source page and item destination assembly pages among other remarks.

 

So I was requested to see if I could build one of these materials lists that was not reliant upon manually typing up a list for each page. (Trimble does something along these lines with their Tekla product)

I believe this would require that the items in the VW document have an attached data record presenting consistent range of fields containing the enhanced details. Not wanting to reinvent the wheel I thought I would ask first before evaluating if this could be cost effective to attempt/implement my own take on the concept.

Thanks.

[Kazemester]

Hi @LarryO,

 

you have multiple options. The easiest way (even if you work with simple 2D shapes) to create a Record in the Resource manager, name it as you wish, add the desired fields with values than you can attach the record to an object. (See attached screenshots 1-3.)

 

The other way if you need more specific classification is to create 3D objects, than classify them by attaching IFC. You can than specify the object type in IFC 2x3 or IFC4, than fill out the "material" field of the IFC. You can create (and rename) deafult materials for different object types in the Data Manager located under the "Tools" menü by deafult. (See attached screenshots 4-5.)

 

After that you only need to create Reports under Tools/Reports/Create report..., set the desired criterias and you can export the worksheet (from the worksheet's file menü) either in excel or csv...or some other formats.

[LarryO]

Thanks @ Kazemester,

 

Hmmm,  I took a look at the implementation this morning for a mechanical fastener. It would seem that this Ifc data is still very much a manual process prone to user error. As an example I created a 3d bolt using VW's Fastener tool. Then it was necessary to use "IFC..." tool on the instance but VWs is not yet filling in applicable fields with relevant data for the application's built-in objects. Minor description or object type differences or dimensional accuracy when keying in nominal length and diameter would cause the appearance of different products which are actually the same. Even the need for the document drafter to run the "IFC..." tool on each instance of a plug-in object and not have a global setting doing this for the for the built-in objects will result in errors for quantities. It would appear that utilizing Ifc categories for data storage to prepare material lists is premature, especially for small manufacturers such as ourselves.