How to Mirror an element

A by Arv on 7 Apr 2023, edited 23 Dec 2024 #

Hi,

How do I mirror an element, Tried with Shift+M.

That didnt work though and got an error message


Python: Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "C:\Users\shifali\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\3.4\scripts\addons\blenderbim\bim\module\model\workspace.py", line 449, in invoke

    return self.execute(context)

  File "C:\Users\shifali\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\3.4\scripts\addons\blenderbim\tool\ifc.py", line 130, in execute

    IfcStore.execute_ifc_operator(self, context)

  File "C:\Users\shifali\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\3.4\scripts\addons\blenderbim\bim\ifc.py", line 428, in execute_ifc_operator

    result = getattr(operator, "_execute")(context)

  File "C:\Users\shifali\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\3.4\scripts\addons\blenderbim\bim\module\model\workspace.py", line 441, in _execute

    getattr(self, f"hotkey_{self.hotkey}")()

  File "C:\Users\shifali\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\3.4\scripts\addons\blenderbim\bim\module\model\workspace.py", line 585, in hotkey_S_M

    bpy.ops.bim.mirror_elements()

  File "D:\ARUN\blender-3.4.1-windows-x64\3.4\scripts\modules\bpy\ops.py", line 113, in __call__

    ret = _op_call(self.idname_py(), None, kw)

RuntimeError: Error: Python: Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "C:\Users\shifali\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\3.4\scripts\addons\blenderbim\tool\ifc.py", line 130, in execute

    IfcStore.execute_ifc_operator(self, context)

  File "C:\Users\shifali\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\3.4\scripts\addons\blenderbim\bim\ifc.py", line 428, in execute_ifc_operator

    result = getattr(operator, "_execute")(context)

  File "C:\Users\shifali\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\3.4\scripts\addons\blenderbim\bim\module\model\product.py", line 432, in _execute

    bpy.ops.bim.override_object_duplicate_move(is_interactive=False)

  File "D:\ARUN\blender-3.4.1-windows-x64\3.4\scripts\modules\bpy\ops.py", line 113, in __call__

    ret = _op_call(self.idname_py(), None, kw)

RuntimeError: Operator bpy.ops.bim.override_object_duplicate_move.poll() failed, context is incorrect

Location: D:\ARUN\blender-3.4.1-windows-x64\3.4\scripts\modules\bpy\ops.py:113

C by Coen on 7 Apr 2023 #

RuntimeError: Operator bpy.ops.bim.override_object_duplicate_move.poll() failed, context is incorrect

Just taking a wild guess here, did you try it in object or in edit mode?

A by Arv on 7 Apr 2023 #

@Coen said:

RuntimeError: Operator bpy.ops.bim.override_object_duplicate_move.poll() failed, context is incorrect

Just taking a wild guess here, did you try it in object or in edit mode?

I was trying with the Mirror command from the BIM Tool

M by Moult on 7 Apr 2023 # +2 votes

I've improved the error catching. The intended usage is that you must have 2 or more objects selected. The active object will be the "mirror axis object" It will be mirrored along the YZ plane.

A by Arv on 12 Apr 2023, edited 12 Apr 2023 #

@Moult How to mirror wrt to plane other than YZ

M by Moult on 12 Apr 2023 # +1 votes

@Arv there isn't yet a way to change it from YZ in the UI, but you can just rotate your mirroring object (typically you'd use an empty).

A by Arv on 17 Jul 2023 #

@Moult I am trying to mirror this door element across the x-axis. I have tried the blender way of mirroring (which is same as scaling by -1). However, after saving and reopening the ifc file, this gets changed as 180degree rotation along z-axis and the scaling gets reset to 1. Is mirror supported in blenderbim or ifc? Do you recommend any method to mirror this element (didn't want rotation)

N by Nigel on 17 Jul 2023 # +2 votes

Hi @Arv could you just move the door to where you want it and use the door modifier to change the hinge position/opening direction

A by Arv on 17 Jul 2023 #

Thanks @Nigel. Will try this out

T by theoryshaw on 17 Jul 2023, edited 17 Jul 2023 # +1 votes

Unfortunately I don't think the IFC schema allows mirroring

A by Arv on 17 Jul 2023 #

@theoryshaw said:

Unfortunately I don't think the IFC schema allows mirroring

https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/mirroring/3688

Thanks for the link @theoryshaw and I guess it makes sense not to mirror as like mentioned in the comments by jwouellette

T by theoryshaw on 17 Jul 2023 # +4 votes

But i also agree with the Dion, the utility is too great to ignore. :)

Would like to avoid future excuses like... "I would love to use BlenderBIM, but they don't support mirroring... when ever other BIM program does."

:)

This is one of those classic cases, as mentioned, here... that this shortcoming is because of IFC, not BB, and as such, if users really want it, to put pressure on BuildingSmart to incorporate it.

This is the beautiful feedback loop.

T by theoryshaw on 14 Oct 2023 # +4 votes

As a way to manage mirroring, I wondering if a system or an approach could be used where if a non-material based type was mirrored, that BB would automatically create a new mirrored type. IfcDoorType/DT01_Mirror, for example.

And it was 'hardwired' to IfcDoorType/DT01. That is, any change done to IfcDoorType/DT01 would change IfcDoorType/DT01_Mirror automatically, and vice versa.

C by ChubbyQuark on 20 Oct 2023 #

This is a good idea. I've been manually created handed elements when needed, this would be a good improvement. Perhaps a LH/RH suffix would be more appropriate if mirroring isn't supported by the schema?

T by theoryshaw on 20 Oct 2023, edited 20 Oct 2023 #

And, if the product was perfectly symmetrical, that it could be tagged with some type of pset to NOT create a mirrored type.

T by theoryshaw on 23 Dec 2024 # +1 votes

Put in feature request:

If a non-material based type was mirrored, that BB would automatically create a new mirrored type.

https://github.com/IfcOpenShell/IfcOpenShell/issues/4432