@theoryshaw said:
How to use external styles.
I think I got it.
(Or Bonsai Materials in general)
It took a while but I think I got closer.
So if I got that correct, if I edit in Bonsai Material Settings, I am on the safe side.
And for me it looks like I could set up Shaded View appearance and already a quite reasonable or complete Base PBR setup for rendering.
Just not sure about how the Texture and UV offers will work.....
OK, saving a Blend file from a Bonsai project would just be a Snapshot of the current IFC state .... and this Blend file should never be used together with the IFC/Bonsai again.
If I get that correct, therefore for a Visualization Project, I would need :
BLENDER VISUALIZATION FILE
(Master File with Render Setup, Cameras, Lights, Entourage, ...)
BONSAI IFC FILE
BLENDER MATERIAL LIBRARY FILE
(to link into BONSAI's IfcSurfaceStyles and append to BLENDER VIZ FILE)
BLENDER BONSAI SNAPSHOT/TRANSFER FILE
(current state, to link into the BLENDER VIZ FILE)
Otherwise I would need IFC tag each custom Blender Object, like plants or furniture, so that they get saved by Bonsai - but would be limited by IFC limits.
But that could work in cases where I am the "owner" of the IFC BIM Model.
What in cases where I get multiple BIM part Model and/or Updates/Versions ?
During the last larger Projects I got about ......
5 Revisions during work/planning phase
up to 6 part Models Engineer/Structurlal, Architectural, HVAC, Electrical, ... IFCs
If I get that correct, all my IFC adaptions/optimizations, like IfcSurfaceStyle's externalisation work would be lost if I load an updated IFC (?)
(I tend to think it would be a great idea if Bonsai would make full use of Blender, sync Blend and IFC files and save e.g. all non related data, like Material externalization, inside the Blend file. Opening either the Blend or IFC file could open its partner)
If I get that correct, all my IFC adaptions/optimizations, like IfcSurfaceStyle's externalisation work would be lost if I load an updated IFC (?)
Correct, unfortunately.
However, I don't think it would be a huge task to write a script that runs through these past external style assignments, and reapplies them to the newly updated IFC model.
Unfortunately ifcmaterials don't have GUIDs, so the script would have to rely on IfcMaterial names. (maybe there's a more clever way to do this).
The problem however, is when the IfcMaterial name changes from IFC version to IFC version.
Material Edits gone ... Correct, unfortunately.
I don't think IfcSurfaceStyles usually would change much, but there likely will come in new ones, that will need to be found - to externalize.
I tend to think it would be a great idea if Bonsai would make full use of Blender, sync Blend and IFC files and save e.g. all non related data, like Material externalization, inside the Blend file.
Now I am a bit confused.
I updated/re-exported my IFC from Bricscad again ....
(generated some 2D Drawings - BTW, they did not come into Bonsai)
So I started from a new Blender File to load the IFC 4.0 again, upgraded to 4x3 and saved the Project. In Finder I realized, that when saving the IFC with its 4x3 Suffix, Bonsai also created a Blend File with the same name automatically !?
Is this standard or just that I screwed up my settings so that I activated that forbidden Bonsai/Blender sync in any way ?
Also I always have my .blend and a .blend1 duplicate with same date.
So far I thought this is a Bonsai thing (Blender sync or so) but it looks like it happens for pure Blender files too (?).
While my Blender Backup directory is set to the local drive and Blender does creates Backups with time stamp there as expected.
In general i would not recommend using ifc4x3, as some functionality does not have support yet with Bonsai, as i understand it.
@zoomer
Now I am a bit confused.
I updated/re-exported my IFC from Bricscad again ....
(generated some 2D Drawings - BTW, they did not come into Bonsai)
So I started from a new Blender File to load the IFC 4.0 again, upgraded to 4x3 and saved the Project. In Finder I realized, that when saving the IFC with its 4x3 Suffix, Bonsai also created a Blend File with the same name automatically !?
Is this standard or just that I screwed up my settings so that I activated that forbidden Bonsai/Blender sync in any way ?
upgrading an existing 4.0 to 4x3 in Bonsai does not add .blend files automatically, maybe you originally saved both .ifc and .blend?
if you create a new 4.0 from scratch, add a few elements, save it and load it as converted 4x3 you see the same issue?
maybe since I don't need .blend file in my workflow I only use .ifc 4x3 (bridges, culverts, station buildings, rails, etc) and so fa so good, haven't met particular challenges because of that format.
happy modeling
OK .... I will avoid it.
I doubt my VW has more 4x3 support than Bonsai, although it can export it.
I converted the 4.0 by Bonsai to 4x3 and am pretty sure I do not make use of any new 4x3 features.
From my experience, Bonsai has the best and most complete IFC support of all (my ?) Apps. Because they take IFC serious, as a whole.
@zoomer said:
If I get that correct, therefore for a Visualization Project, I would need :
BLENDER VISUALIZATION FILE
(Master File with Render Setup, Cameras, Lights, Entourage, ...)
BONSAI IFC FILE
BLENDER MATERIAL LIBRARY FILE
(to link into BONSAI's IfcSurfaceStyles and append to BLENDER VIZ FILE)
BLENDER BONSAI SNAPSHOT/TRANSFER FILE
(current state, to link into the BLENDER VIZ FILE)
I think I am not yet quite there ....
I can bring together different client's IFCs in Bonsai.
Like combining an Architectural with Structural and MEP IFCs - by "Linking IFCs"
I do not have to even actually open any of these IFC files.
And I am not yet sure how much and what of a Bonsai Project is saved in a Blend File. I think things like Visibilities can't be saved in the IFC. As in the video, I can also see that Bonsai created 3 Cache Files ....
.blend/.json/*.sqlite
Not sure if I could update these Links with newer IFC versions though. If Bonsai would check, update and synch these Caches in case these Linked IFC Files got updated. (Like a File Reference in CAD would)
Maybe these already automatically keep my Blender related stuff (like externalizing Materials, Visibilities) without a need for saving a Blend File manually beside the IFC Project.
In this case the Bonsai Project could already be also my main Visualization file and I could get rid of of extra container Transfer/Snapshot Blend File .
No clue yet how far this can go or makes sense. Likely an extra Blend File for Entourage and Render Setups makes still sense.
EDIT :
I can see (already in the YouTube thumbnail) that there are Update Buttons for each Linked IFC.
@zoomer said:
So if I got that correct, if I edit in Bonsai Material Settings, I am on the safe side.
And for me it looks like I could set up Shaded View appearance and already a quite reasonable or complete Base PBR setup for rendering.
Just not sure about how the Texture and UV offers will work.....
Not really .....
Bonsai does not save all IFC Surface Style Settings I setup !?
I mean it is hard enough that after editing options I need to press "save changes" for each Tab. These settings, especially Diffuse Color will not get saved at all.
I use a most current Bonsai AddOn and Blender 4.4 version. No clue if it is just a bug or if I did something wrong.
And still a great Question Mark about how much a Blend File is needed beside the IFC and how to keep them in synch or working together ......
I just realized, a Bonsai IFC file will not be enough.
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