Export ArchiCad Zones to IFC

[Francois_MCD]

I am working in ArchiCad 15 & 16 and was asked to export an ArchiCad model to IFC for collaboration with Revit 2013 office.

The ArchiCad model is a massing concept model with a mesh site, Slabs, Roof elements some columns and Zones (no walls were used yet).

When I exported the model I set it up to show all element types & layers.
The export was done to 2x3 IFC format as well as 2x3 XML IFC.
When I opened the model in my version of Revit 2013 that I run for testing before deliveries no solids or wire frame showed for the ArchiCad Zones.

The only part of the zones that got transferred in the export was the Zone Stamps on 2D-Plan view in Revit.

I read up on this in the help files here: http://www.graphisoft.com/ftp/publishing/ac15_help_INT/Files/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/html/wwhelp.htm#href=... and in the IFC Manager section it confirmed that Zones only sends the Stamps over with the export.

But then this article on ArchiCad Wiki states:
"What information does an IFC model carry?
Building hierarchy (Project, Site, Building, Story, Element)
Element type (wall, slab, column, beam, roof, stair, zone etc.)"
. . . http://www.archicadwiki.com/IFC/FAQ#Where_can_I_read_more_about_IFC_and_the_suggested_data_exchange_...

Am I Missing Something here? or is the only way to also add walls to the boundaries of the meshes or even use slabs to simulate the solid in the place of the Zone?

Any ideas? Would love to hear . . .

[stefan]

FWIW, I make Zones visible in the 3D Window before exporting to IFC.

I have the ArchiCAD Zones correctly as Rooms & Room Tags inside Revit, but have following problems:

The height of the room inside Revit becomes the default from the template. The actual Zone Height is available inside the IFC Parameters (when you enable this in the Translator) which you can manually copy... It did this from within a Revit Schedules, so the ArchiCAD Height is listed alongside the Revit Room Height (actually parameter "limit offset").
This is imported correct inside Solibri.

The Zone Name & Number is maintained inside Revit but not the classification. Even if you set ArchiCAD to add the Zone Categories as Classification information in the Translator.

I then added the Category inside the PSet_SpaceCommon IFC Property set from within ArchiCAD. This is also correct in Solibri, but not visible inside Revit.

Solution? Manually type the category instead of the name in ArchiCAD or add a custom PSet in ArchiCAD in which to (manually) type the classification.

Any other solutions?

[Anonymous]

If anyone wants to send me a sample ifc file with a zone, it should be possible to generate a room with the correct height for my IFC importer for Revit.

[stefan]

stefan wrote:
I then added the Category inside the PSet_SpaceCommon IFC Property set from within ArchiCAD. This is also correct in Solibri, but not visible inside Revit.

I stand corrected. When using the PSet_SpaceCommon inside ArchiCAD, I can add the category manually (not automatically derived from the actual Zone Category inside ArchiCAD). This could be (maybe) possible by an Add-on.

It is visible in the Revit Room IFCProperties as the very last property in the (otherwise alphabetically sorted) list of properties.

[stefan]

@Jon > Here are two IFC models exported from ArchiCAD 16. Both have 4 walls, a slab and a flat roof. The interior space is included with all boundaries defined.

The first has not separate PSet_SpaceCommon set to set the category, while the other has this defined. So you can compare what Revit makes out of it.

The height of the Room is 2.96 meters

In my Revit, using our regional template when importing, it shows up as a room height of about 2.49 meters, which I assume is predefined in the template and NOT read from the IFC file.