Classification Use | Poll

[Josh Verran]

Out of curiosity, I would be interested to know how many people use the built in Archicad Classification, their countries national classification standard, or perhaps a custom company-specific schema.

Now I can't see how to actually do a poll in this new forum, I'll do a separate reply below for each of the above-mentioned classification schemas, just give a like next the one you use.

If someone can tell me how to do a poll that would be great and I'll alter this post to suit.

Feel free to add other comments as well.

Also I can't seem to be able to remove my signature from the below replies 😞

https://graphisoft.com/downloads/Archicad/bim_data

[Josh Verran]

Archicad

[Josh Verran]

National Standard

[Josh Verran]

Company Specific (custom)

[Barry Kelly]

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@Josh Verran wrote:

If someone can tell me how to do a poll that would be great and I'll alter this post to suit.

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Polls are not possible at the moment in this forum.

I don't use classifications for any real purpose so have not bothered with the national standards.

I have set up my own classification system in my template just so it remains the same every year and I don't have the Archicad 23 classifications in my 25 template.

Barry.

[JaseBee]

Yeah, I've set up classifications for our office (just a duplication of the standards but renamed for the same reason as Barry above), but nobody really uses them. The have sometimes been handy for creating quantity takeoffs with schedules, as they are an easy way to get the elements you want and don't have to change anything (of any importance) in the model. But mostly I just make sure things are classified as something so they can access properties.

[DGSketcher]

I am using a local National Standard and Custom depending on the project. I assume the AC ones are there for IFC and to deliver a rudimentary example. They would be a lot more valuable & accessible if the tools showed both the ID & Description. The AC classification abuses this and uses what I consider is a description for the ID.

[Erwin Edel]

We use both the Archicad classification and the NL-sfb 4 digit classification which come shipped with the KeyMember subscription library in the Netherlands, courtesy of our local reseller Kubus.

From what I can tell the Archicad classification ties heavily in to how the properties are set up. If you classify an element, you get certain options available in properties. These also come pre-mapped to IFC export in the template from our reseller.

It all follows the BIM basis ILS standard that most parties use here.

It is all very streamlined and easy to use.

We've pre-assigned the proper classification in our template (based off the reseller one) in favourites, which means that most of our projects are about 80% done with classification before we start checking them for IFC export or quantity take off.

I can imagine it being a giant task to set up from scratch though, so we are very pleased with this service from our reseller and they keep constantly improving things with each update.

[martinij]

I really don't see any way you can get away with not using classifications? We have tools that used to be quite building element specific. Example the wall tool is to draw walls, slab tool is for slabs, etc. But over the last 5 versions of AC the tools are more vertical/horizontal element tools where the classification is the only thing that communicates what the building part really is. The classification is the start of the I in BIM.

Other examples are the slab tool used both to draw slabs and ceilings, curtainwall tool that we draw everyting from cladding, facades, ceiling grids or anything else with a x/y pattern.

I agree that it is difficult to get all users to actively use this as many don't see the importance of using the classification tool. Luckily the Norwegian template has good favorites that gives you much of this from the start. That's including other local classifications/standards.

[Josh Verran]

I agree, I use our national standard (in NZ) which is CBI. We assign everything in our virtual model which opens up endless opportunities for schedules and plan appearances.

I often use the phrase that you mentioned "The classification is the start of the I in BIM"

We heavily utilize the graphic overrides to form the appearance of our plans based on the Classifications and Properties of the elements. For example elements in our classification branch [6511 = Carpet finish to floors and walls] are set to appear faded out on structural plans, Fire ratings set in the properties of the structure branch change appearance of the walls in relevant plans.