topic Re: Importing new building material in Modeling

Importing new building material

Loutro — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 13:51:59 GMT

I have downloaded a collection of metal building materials from the bimobject website, but I cannot figure out how to import it into my Archicad file. Two files were downloaded, a .icf file and a .aat file. I tried to bring them in via File/Interoperability/SAF, but the files were not recognized when I attempted Add/Merge from File. What is the correct procedure to import a building material in these file formats?

Loutro

Archicad 26

Mac Intel Chip | OS Sonoma

Operating system used: Mac Intel-based

Re: Importing new building material

Ricardo Lopez — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:32:00 GMT

Hi @Loutro

Library Container File (.lcf) can be imported with File> Libraries and Objects> Library Manager... and Add...>Add linked library...

You can Import Attributes (.aat) with Options> Element Attributes> Attributes... and then click on the Import button and Browse...> Browse for file...(see image)

Regards.

Re: Importing new building material

Loutro — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 18:14:03 GMT

Thanks for the helpful information. I am able to import the files as you described, but not able to see the new materials in the building materials list. I do see a list of new items in the Surfaces list. I will try experimenting with applying them to an existing building material, but I thought that what I had downloaded were new building materials. In any case, please let me know if there is a next step that I need to take to be able to see the materials in the materials list.

Re: Importing new building material

Ricardo Lopez — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:35:38 GMT

Hi @Loutro

Surfaces are only part of the attributes needed to define building materials. Anyway, could you share the BIMobject link so I can try to help you?

For instance, I downloaded a random material (https://www.bimobject.com/es/axalta/product/fine-textured-ral-1023?software=archicad), imported a .lcf containing a bunch of surfaces images and a .gsm macro object.

When opening that object a Usage information appears how to load the attributes of the product (see the image)

I guess it will depend on the files you download how it will work for you.

Regards.

Re: Importing new building material

Loutro — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 19:14:08 GMT

Here is a link to the material set on Bimobject.com: https://www.bimobject.com/en/wilsonart/product/wilsonart_dm

Just for background, I am trying find a perforated metal material for use as a guardrail in my project. A search on Bimobject.com for "perforated metal" returned a number of results, but this is the only one I saw that looked like it might supply just the material--the other options were finished products/objects.

In any case, if you have some success importing the Wilson Art Material, please let me know how you did it.

Thanks for your help!

Re: Importing new building material

Ricardo Lopez — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 20:41:57 GMT

Hi @Loutro

I had to download also the .zip file from BIMobjects with materials and textures (besides .lcf and .aat); some of them had to be renamed to properly be loaded as textures within the surface's settings because they appeared as missing images, but it worked. I mean, after importing .lcf and .aat as explained before.

Anyway it was not easy at all, to be honest.

Regards.-

Re: Importing new building material

Loutro — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 22:11:41 GMT

Hi, ok I will try what you tried over the weekend and post back here. It does seem complicated. Thanks very much for your help with this!

Loutro