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About model and data exchange with 3rd party solutions: Revit, Solibri, dRofus, Bluebeam, structural analysis solutions, and IFC, BCF and DXF/DWG-based exchange, etc.

Add Fields To Building Material

Tim Ball
Expert
Is it possible to add fields to the current list of a building material?

We have Tags and Categories and Physical Properties

Can we add more fields?
Tim Ball

AC26, iMac

User since V5
3 REPLIES 3
Laszlo Nagy
Community Admin
Community Admin
Unfortunately no, it is not possible to add such custom fields for Building Materials.
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Anonymous
Not applicable
I can give you two more fields: Structure and Appearance. Fill and Surface names can be added and edited to provide additional information to show up in schedules, etc..
Free the Databases!

While this catalog looks as though it could be reorganized one does ask the question as to why the ID field isn't part of the XML MaterialCatalog file.

Graphisoft. It's not like the visual interface that displays this information doesn't have room for additional fields. It's even less complex than the Project Info dialog box which also shouts out for easier customization.

The MaterialCatalog.xml file contains much information that is useless, e.g. Gypsum1, Gypsum2, etc. These titles mean absolutely nothing and don't begin to differentiate one product from another.

Seems to me I could rewrite a catalog using the existing as an exemplar and adding OMNICLASS or other codes to the Material Group's name. But even that is not quite enough.

ArchiCAD needs to start making it simpler to connect the threads across the data/toolset. By that I mean that the standard set of Attributes is sub-par and invariably needs reworking. The support infrastructure for these Attributes also needs a major rethink.

if a Building Material is made up of two fills and a surface, they should be much easier to coordinate and change. A single dialog box for these attributes would be great. Another one that could be launched in the Composites Editor would be even greater.

And to let the user add fields - if you won't, we should be able to.
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