topic Re: masterformat classification in Collaboration with other software

masterformat classification

alemanda — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 16:28:05 GMT

Is there any chance to have a preset masterformat classification?
Is it possible to create custom rules for classification?

Re: masterformat classification

Laszlo Nagy — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 22:59:59 GMT

Yes, it is possible to create custom IFC Rules.
All IFC Rules are in the
"Graphisoft\IFC Rules 19.0.0 INT"
folder within your User Profile folder (such as "C:\Users\Joe").
They are XML files with a relatively easy-to-understand structure.

I think you can take an existing XML file, copy it and modify that. Make sure it is in this same folder because the Apply Predefined Rules Dialog looks for them in that folder.

Check the attached screenshot. Notice how the different fields within the dialog correspond to the different rows in the XML file.
Also notice how that hierarchical structure of the data entries are created by the XML file.

I think the <ApplicableTo> portions are important. For example, this XML code

		<ApplicableTo>
			<ClassName>IfcObject</ClassName>
			<ClassName>IfcTypeObject</ClassName>
		</ApplicableTo>

will make this Rule enabled in the Apply Predefined Rules Dialog, because you specified that this Rule set is applicable to IFC Objects.
There are other IFC Classes, like IFCStorey or IFCBuilding, IFCSpace, etc.
For example, the COBIE Rule set applies only to Zone elements. So if you select a placed Wall, go to its settings Dialog, then click Manager IFC Properties, click Apply Predefined Rule to get to this Dialog, then select the COBie Rule, you will see that its contents are grayed and you cannot apply a COBie Rule to a Wall. This is because the COBie XML specifies that it is applicable to IFCSpaces. So this is why the <ApplicableTo> segment is important.

From what I saw on the net this Masterformat is a classification system for objects, so the above should work, which is why you may want to make a copy of the CAWS XML and modify that copy.

Re: masterformat classification

alemanda — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 07:42:35 GMT

Thank you very much Lazslo for your time to explain the procedure.
Yes it seems not to be so difficult in terms of programming ... just a little bit tedious to follow the syntax ...
I don't know if masterformat is covered by copyright ... so I'll try to implement masterformat for my use.
Thank you very much

Re: masterformat classification

alemanda — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 08:27:48 GMT

... maybe with a copy/paste + text combination using a spreadsheet it will be very easy ...

Re: masterformat classification

alemanda — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 09:17:23 GMT

I'm facing a trouble ..
I implement the divisions of masterformat 2014 starting from the caws.xml file.
Everything was ok.
I launched archicad 19 and I found the masterformat in my IFC rules. Well. I closed archicad. Then I edited again the xml file and after launching again archicad I didn't found the changes; I just find the first version of my new xml file (which has been overwritten)
Why?
It seems archicad put it into a sort of cache ... If so, how to reset that cache?

Re: masterformat classification

alemanda — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 09:56:05 GMT

Ok. Resolved.
It seems that opening a new file it refreshes up the rules.

Re: masterformat classification

Laszlo Nagy — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 10:26:22 GMT

Hey alemanda,

You are a guinea pig now.
You may be the first one to try this.
Keep up the good work.

Re: masterformat classification

alemanda — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 10:38:38 GMT

The most "difficult" and tedious part is to prepare the data.
But I found a way ...
I don't know if I can ... but at the end I would like to show and share the work

Re: masterformat classification

alemanda — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 11:47:56 GMT

DIV 01. Done.

Re: masterformat classification

alemanda — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 15:59:05 GMT

alemanda wrote:
I'm facing a trouble ..
I implement the divisions of masterformat 2014 starting from the caws.xml file.
Everything was ok.
I launched archicad 19 and I found the masterformat in my IFC rules. Well. I closed archicad. Then I edited again the xml file and after launching again archicad I didn't found the changes; I just find the first version of my new xml file (which has been overwritten)
Why?
It seems archicad put it into a sort of cache ... If so, how to reset that cache?

I understood what happens.
I'm in WIN
When archicad starts it creates a copy of the translators, ifc rules, schemes and other things under /users/graphisoft/

When you close archicad you suppose it deletes all the copied things. It doesn't ... so in order to apply the new IFC Rule you should copy manually into that "local" folder. Is it a bug?

Re: masterformat classification

alemanda — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 19:14:45 GMT

alemanda wrote:
The most "difficult" and tedious part is to prepare the data.
But I found a way ...

Does anyone have a tabulated txt containing the numbers of Masterformat 2014?
This is an example:
00 20 00 (tab)Instructions for Procurement

Re: masterformat classification

Laszlo Nagy — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 19:31:35 GMT

Looks good so far.

About your question: What I have found is that there is an IFC Rules folder in the "Defaults" folder of the ArchiCAD application folder. And then there is an IFC Rules folder in the "Graphisoft" folder of your User Profile folder.
When ARCHICAD starts, it checks whether the User Profile's IFC Rules folder contains the same files as the Defaults folder. If not, it will copy the missing XML files from the Defaults folder to the User Profile's IFC Rules folder.
What I found is that if an XML file exists in the User Profile's IFC Rules folder, the one existing in the Default folder will not overwrite it.

So I think that the Apply Predefined Rule Dialog reads the file from the User folder, not the Defaults folder.
However, you may have to restart ARCHICAD for it to read changes made in the XML file. So if ARCHICAD is open, and you modify the XML, you should quit then restart ARCHICAD. For me that worked and it read the changes in the XML file.

Re: masterformat classification

alemanda — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 10:38:58 GMT

laszlonagy wrote:
...
However, you may have to restart ARCHICAD for it to read changes made in the XML file. So if ARCHICAD is open, and you modify the XML, you should quit then restart ARCHICAD. For me that worked and it read the changes in the XML file.

For me it didn't work. When I close archicad and open again it I don't see the new xml IFC rule set, even if it has a new name in the folder.

Re: masterformat classification

Laszlo Nagy — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 11:10:13 GMT

I think you should create the new XML file in C:\Users\<Username>\Graphisoft\IFC Rules 19.0.0 INT folder. Also, this is the XML file you should modify. In my experience, after modification of the XML file you need to restart ARCHICAD for it to read the new version of the file.
Could it be that you modified a file in another folder?

Re: masterformat classification

alemanda — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 11:24:14 GMT

Yes. I was modifying the xml file in the program files folder.
Now I'm working in the user folder.

I reached the 12 division...

Re: masterformat classification

Erwin Edel — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 11:46:28 GMT

Seems odd this is not part of the US / Canada template.

We've got the local Dutch classification systems (and then some) in the dutch localisation.

Re: masterformat classification

Laszlo Nagy — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 11:46:32 GMT

alemanda wrote:
Yes. I was modifying the xml file in the program files folder.
Now I'm working in the user folder.

I reached the 12 division...

Yes, that was probably the problem.
If Defaults\IFC Rules folder contains an XML file, and the same XML file exists in the User\Graphisoft\IFC Rules folder, ARCHICAD will not overwrite the latter file if you modify the file with the same name in the Defaults folder.
The only thing it does is if an XML file does not exist in the User folder, it will copy it there from the Defaults folder. But if it already exists in the User folder, it does not touch it.

Re: masterformat classification

Aaron Bourgoin — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 19:04:15 GMT

Erwin wrote:
Seems odd this is not part of the US / Canada template.

We've got the local Dutch classification systems (and then some) in the dutch localisation.

We are very, very late to the game here. Unfortunately. :- (

Re: masterformat classification

alemanda — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 19:31:20 GMT

Almost done.

Re: masterformat classification

alemanda — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 09:46:41 GMT

Finished.
48 divisions implemented.
At the moment the classifications does not distinguish the type so every numbers can be associated to every item in the model.

Can I share it? Moderators, please advice about it.

I'm investigating the possibility, applying the rule, to add a IFC property (example a specification text)