OSArch Community

How to asign IfcType names to model elements in Bonsai?

1. E by efontan on 20 Dec 2024, edited 23 Dec 2024 #

   Hi Community,

   I would like to learn how to asign IfcTypes to model elements in Bonsai. I don't know how to create Types or how to asign them

   I created an IFC model using geometry that was transferred to Bonsai from Speckle. I classify elements as Slabs & Curtain Walls. But then these elements have no IfcType Name. When I export the IFC and open with any IFC viewer, these elements that are correctly classified but they have as Type: Undefined Type. It seems it is not posible to asign the Type inside Bonsai.

   Please have a look to the images attached to see the issue.

   I also attached the IFC file and the BlenderBIM file in case you want to have a look.

   Please let me know if anybody can help.

   Thank you

   

2. T by theoryshaw on 20 Dec 2024 # +3 votes

   One way...

3. S by steverugi on 21 Dec 2024 # +3 votes

   @efontan

   I would like to learn how to asign IfcTypes to model elements in Bonsai. I don't know how to create Types or how to asign them

   I created an IFC model using geometry that was transferred to Bonsai from Speckle. I classify elements as Slabs & Curtain Walls. But then these elements have no IfcType Name. When I export the IFC and open with any IFC viewer, these elements that are correctly classified but they have as Type: Undefined Type. It seems it is not posible to asign the Type inside Bonsai.

   Please have a look to the images attached to see the issue.

   I also attached the IFC file and the BlenderBIM file in case you want to have a look.

   Please let me know if anybody can help.

   I am breaking down @theoryshaw 's video to help myself and others who find somehow difficult to understand the involved steps

   this is the way I understand the IfcElement to ElementType process:

   your beautiful model is made out of a number of IfcElement (IfcSlab and IfcCurtainWall) not IfcElementType

   In layman terms (where I come from) this means that they are all individual pieces that do not share more than belonging to the same Ifc class (Slab or CurtainWall)

   an IfcElementType is instead something that can be replicated in more the one instance carrying information across all instances from the same type, IfcSlabType for example holds its own thickness, among other properties.

   What @theoryshaw nicely showed in his video is that you can convert a slab element into an extruded profile, or from a "mesh" to a "profile with thickness" which allows you to create an IfcType using it, something that can change like any slab where the common feature is a thickness but shape may vary among all instances produced with the same type.

   This is your IfcSlab in its original mesh form, or an IfcPolygonalFaceSet:

   

   And, after the transformation indicated in the video (0:11), it becomes a profile, or an IfcExtrudedAreaSolid:

   

   since a new IfcSlabType was created at the beginning of the video (0:36), the same is then selected with the converted slabs and this allows you to edit its thickness from Object Materials

   As a result your model is now made of multiple slabs using the same type, each of them changing in x/y shape (profile) but sharing the thickness coming from the type itself

   hope it helps

   cheers

4. E by efontan on 21 Dec 2024 #

   Thank you @steverugi and @theoryshaw for the thorough explanation. I tested it and it really works. I could create an IfcSlabType and apply to the Flat Slabs. But I have one question:

   Initially the workflow wanted to test is to bring geometry from NonBIM applications (Rhino-Grasshopper in this case), and then be able to classify them in Bonsai, adding the Necessary IFC data to all elements. Like converting into "BIM geometries" parts of a model that come from a 3D tool. So I can see 2 issues here:

   • First on the video and explanation you provided, some of the slabs do not extrude properly in the Z Direction. Maybe due to issues with original geometry.

   • Second and more important: It seems that the geometry needs to be transform or rebuilt following your process. But the real question is: could we add IFC data and define IfcTypes without having to rebuild or fix the geometry?

   Thanks again

5. T by theoryshaw on 21 Dec 2024 # +1 votes

   First on the video and explanation you provided, some of the slabs do not extrude properly in the Z Direction. Maybe due to issues with original geometry.

   Yes, i'm not sure about why. I think it might be a bug.

   Second and more important: It seems that the geometry needs to be transform or rebuilt following your process. But the real question is: could we add IFC data and define IfcTypes without having to rebuild or fix the geometry?

   For most part, as types go in IFC, they can either be driven by 1) material layers or profiles or 2)geometry only

   In the video, i showed a type being driven by material layers.

   You could create a type driven by just the geometry, whereby all the instances in the model would have the same geometry, but that wouldn't work for your slabs, as they are all different.

   ...

   Perhaps the easiest way, would be to create a material-layer-based type in Speckle.

   Ping @jsdbroughton

6. E by efontan on 23 Dec 2024 #

   Thank you very much @theoryshaw

   It would be awesome if that method could work to create material-layer-based types in Speckle.

Login or Register to reply.