cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

The 2025 Technology Preview Program is now live. Join today!

Collaboration with other software
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.

IFC export of ArchiCAD Zones to ifcSpace and ifcSpaceType

mitchSyd
Contributor

I am exporting several zones as ifcSpace

some spaces are landscape types, residential bedrooms, toilets, dining etc

how do I specify ifcSpaceTypes to catch all zones of type BEDROOM or all zones of type VEGETATION, 

at present I can specify a Translator that ends up making all zones predefinedType BEDROOM with no other differentiation

 

mitchSyd_0-1755753701163.png

 

tia

 

Operating system used: Mac Apple Silicon 15.6 (24G84)

7 REPLIES 7
stefan
Advisor

One approach is defining all required Space Types into your classification and expand the IFC mapping from there. You can use that to expand the User Defined Type values accordingly. This makes it part of your IFC translator.

 

Another alternative is doing this at the object level, in the IFC Project Manager or from the Zone Settings of a selected Zone. This is easier for smaller overrides, but the the IFC Translator in combination with expanded classification is probably the more robust approach.

 

--- stefan boeykens --- bim-expert-architect-engineer-musician ---
Archicad29/Revit2026/Rhino8/Solibri/Zoom
MBP2023:14"M2MAX/Sequoia+Win11
Archicad-user since 1998
my Archicad Book

Hi Stefan

here is my Translator  IFC types for export settings

 

mitchSyd_0-1755995386001.png

 

this causes all ifcSpaces to be of pdt = BEDROOM, eg

 

#640=IFCSPACE('1WdIHRts6bG9Vv5YLpOG4G',#2,'R03',$,$,#2030,#149,'Bathroom',.ELEMENT.,.INTERNAL.,$);
#727=IFCSPACE('0O$C6NAS1jHgbErheaa5ym',#2,'R01',$,$,#2675,#163,'Kitchen',.ELEMENT.,.INTERNAL.,$);
#730=IFCSPACE('2s$tiOQgoFIB7tQ$SZTMFg',#2,'R02',$,$,#2690,#165,'Living/Dining',.ELEMENT.,.INTERNAL.,$);
#19557=IFCSPACETYPE('07H_kqEGBtKlnXmYKpVV4j',#2,'Garden',$,$,$,$,'0747EBB4-3902-F752-FC61-C225337DF12D','BEDROOM',.USERDEFINED.,$);
#19645=IFCSPACETYPE('3LH2SGTg8K88W9ZSbyzjmU',#2,'Lawn',$,$,$,'D5442710-76A2-1420-8809-8DC97CF6DC1E','BEDROOM',.USERDEFINED.,$);
#19778=IFCSPACETYPE('0P3RcR$3cAZ81JH4bxcyYw',#2,'RESIDENTIAL GARAGE',$,$,$,$,'190DB99B-FC39-8A8C-8053-44497B9BC8BA','BEDROOM',.USERDEFINED.,$);

 

So, I'm unclear how to for example for all rooms in a residence specify any bedroom to be type "BEDROOM", any toilet, bathroom, shower type "SANITARY", etc. Hospitals have such classifications.

I also see that Ifc<element>Type in AC duplicates a lot of data, that presumably is supposed to make more efficient code?

Your suggestions very welcome

Laszlo Nagy
Community Admin
Community Admin

Do you still have the mapping for the "Space" classification, like your first screenshot in this thread shows?

If yes, then every classification below it will inherit the IFC Type and IFC Type Product mapping from it, because it is their parent (except the ones where a custom mapping is specified, like for "Residential Space" - in your second screenshot) .

Loving Archicad since 1995 - Find Archicad Tips at x.com/laszlonagy
AMD Ryzen9 5900X CPU, 64 GB RAM 3600 MHz, Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB, 500 GB NVMe SSD
2x28" (2560x1440), Windows 10 PRO ENG, Ac20-Ac28

tks for all the feedback.

I have 3 "types" of spaces - external for vegetation water usage types, internal rooms and internal rooms of type "BEDROOM". I customised each (following your suggestions) and here are the settings in my Translator

 

and here is the IFC 

#10565=IFCSPACE('3XSu3jajIWJOVDoaxdS8wW',#2,'R04',$,'BEDROOM',#95955,#877,'Bedroom',.ELEMENT.,.USERDEFINED.,$);
#10606=IFCSPACE('1WdIHRts6bG9Vv5YLpOG4G',#2,'R03',$,$,#95972,#885,'Bathroom',.ELEMENT.,.INTERNAL.,$);
#13497=IFCSPACE('2_9dsVe0RfIQsJO97EJJ4m',#2,'Front Lawn',$,$,#21623,#1374,'Front Lawn',.ELEMENT.,.EXTERNAL.,$);

 

tks for the advice


type3.jpgtype2.jpgtype1.jpg
Laszlo Nagy
Community Admin
Community Admin

So, does this work now?

What are the IFCSPACETYPE values now in the IFC file for these three elements?

You posted only the lines that show the IFCSPACE values, but not the lines that show the IFCSPACETYPE values.

Loving Archicad since 1995 - Find Archicad Tips at x.com/laszlonagy
AMD Ryzen9 5900X CPU, 64 GB RAM 3600 MHz, Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB, 500 GB NVMe SSD
2x28" (2560x1440), Windows 10 PRO ENG, Ac20-Ac28

Also, it makes it possibly confusing that you don't active the "Synchronize" option. This ensures that the space (IFC Type) and the space type (IFC Type Product) share the same predefined or user defined type.

--- stefan boeykens --- bim-expert-architect-engineer-musician ---
Archicad29/Revit2026/Rhino8/Solibri/Zoom
MBP2023:14"M2MAX/Sequoia+Win11
Archicad-user since 1998
my Archicad Book

Hi, apologies for the delay. My solution now has residential subtypes , and the appropriate PredefinedType works, achieved by modifying the Classification system.

 

mitchSyd_0-1756434787290.jpeg

 

an example of subType:

 

residentialSpace Subtype BEDROOM.jpg

 

Toilet, Clotheswashing, Food preparation and Personal Washings are respectively ptds BEDROOM, TOILET, LAUNDRY, KITCHEN and BATHROOM.

Setup info provided by author