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Data and PowerBI

agroni
Booster
Hi,
I have recently started using data in a more "intelligent" way, by using PowerBI. Used it mostly for managing and visualizing spaces of a building.
I was wondering if any BIM Managers here use the data from their archicad models to validate any relevant cases ex. number of components, doors/windows, or number of views, publisherset...?
The BIMster @ AllesWirdGut
Currently: Archicad 26
User since Archicad 6.5 (2001)
4 REPLIES 4
Anonymous
Not applicable
I'm not sure what is 'intelligent way'. But we are trying to create models in such way to be more and more driven by data. So, for example, we use information, therefore, we build up workflows that use data in the model to inform other elements of the model.
For example, we categorize door, not with an invented number such as D01 and so on. But types are grouped automatically based on doors dimension.
Another example might be that some properties are taken from other parts of the model such as Zones. Generally, we try to limit workflow on some tedious and boring stuff and make it at least semi-automatic to have more opportunity to focus on the design part.
agroni
Booster
sorry for not being specific with what I meant with "Inteligent way".
The thing is that archicad has possibilities to do scheduling and as an example let's take spaces. These spaces have names, numbers, areas, belong to groups and stories, etc. But things start getting complicated if you need to do a schedule with mathematical operations.
One aspect where we are integrating PowerBI are cases such as:
  • If the area of an appartement is higher than 50m², than calculate only 70% of balcony area otherwise 100%
  • What is the percentage of my 3 Room apartements
  • What is the number of apartements that include a storage room
These are just some examples that sound simple, but in Archicad you would need to do multiple schedules for different information and in some cases not being capable to calculte this. This is the case where the "Inteligent way" comes into play . You can schedule most of the information from Archicad and in the next step do mathematical calculations in PowerBI to reach the wanted results. It is comprehensible because it is visual (with graphs and numbers) and everytime you update your schedules in Archicad, the PowerBI gets also updated.
I hope I was clear this time
If I manage soon to make an example, I will share it here
The BIMster @ AllesWirdGut
Currently: Archicad 26
User since Archicad 6.5 (2001)
Anonymous
Not applicable
agroni wrote:
If the area of an appartement is higher than 50m², than calculate only 70% of balcony area otherwise 100%
What is the percentage of my 3 Room apartements
What is the number of apartements that include a storage room
I think I used PowerBI in my hobby Arduino dashboard sometime ago. But I never thought to use it in work . Good Idea I'm curious how you are going to use it.

Sure mentioned calculation are impossible for AC out of the box. What we usually do In those cases is use a small workaround and make a script to calculate the value and then store it in a property. We usually use this technique mostly to transfer data between different objects if there are needed for designers to work with them in Archicad. For example we determine whether doors are connected to space which is part of FOH or BOH what then determines type and material of doors. In your case, it’s getting more tricky but not undoable purely in Archicad.

We tried a different approach to visualisation functional program, based Grasshopper and Human UI (which is the implementation of WPF framework for GH). Unfortunately, this approach didn't scaled up well. When we tried it on projects bigger than 500 spaces GH Connection was too slow to work with. From this time there was some improvement to the plugin but we didn’t get back to this approach. In our case, we are fine with good data template to export to excel similar program.

On the Archicad side of things, a good template for data will be probably what you need to prepare first. For us game changer in terms of functional data and AC was the use of IFC Schemes and nowadays Properties. In most cases, we aim to reuse data in such way to have smallest posiible input parameters so using them and managing is simpler. For example, we don't use separate Property for apt number its part of the room number.

I would like to bump this topic and ask the question again.

 

What are the ways that you have integrated PowerBI with Archicad in your standard workflow?

I am interested in hearing any kind of examples...from the very simple...to the extremely complex.

Erik Bjornhage : SwedishChef, ETTELVA Arkitekter, Gothenburg, Sweden
Architect : Digital Development : Graphisoft Cert. BIM-Manager
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