Importing IFC and DWG files into version 16

[David Shorter]

I hesitate to raise this issue here but I need to understand if this issue is just in Australia or if its an international issue.
Whenever I open or reference a DWG file or and IFC file the elements always come in as Existing elements.
Does anyone else have this problem? Or do you not see it as a problem?

[Laszlo Nagy]

As far as I know IFC can store Renovation status for an element:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw3_gQK_c60

But the video says ArchiCAD will be able to restore an element's Renovation status only in an AC-IFC-AC round trip data exchange.

I suppose in all other cases the renovation status of elements coming from either DWG or IFC will be set to the default value, which is "Existing".

[Anonymous]

Have you imported IFCs that you know to have new and demolished elements in them? There are two levels to this of course. First is knowing that they were in the original (Revit?) file. The other is confirming that they were exported correctly.

[David Shorter]

This is the issue. When I open an IFC (in most cases) the software creating the file has no concept of New or Existing the elements in the file therefore come through as Existing elements.
The issue out here is that we do NOT highlight New Work and show this with normal construction hatching and pens. Existing works is highlighted solid black on plan and light grey in 3D. Obviously this gives us a problem when all the new steelwork from Tekla (comes through)/shows as existing.
Actually the issue is not really an IFC issue but the fact that older or 'other' files show everything to be Existing. In 99% of cases imported DWG or IFC files are New work.

[Laszlo Nagy]

This is an interesting point you are making David.
I will forward this to the person in Graphisoft responsible for IFC.
To me it seems like there could be an Import option for IFC, where you can set what Reno Filter value these imported elements get.

I suppose, in the meantime it would not be very time consuming to select all elements imported from a DWG or IFC and set their Reno Filter value to Existing (as a workaround). It may even be possible to do this in a separate ArchiCAD file then merge the result into the main project file.

[David Shorter]

Laszlo
If I import and IFC file I cannot edit it as any editing would be lost with the next iteration of the file.
If I import a DWG file I would normally Xref it into a Worksheet and again this is impossible to edit. I am stuck with whatever renovation settings come with the file.
I have been complaining/whinging to GSHQ about this for at least 2 years. And its not just DWG and IFC its any pre version 15 ArchiCAD project. I just don't get why no one else is raising this issue.
Is the way we display new and existing work so different over here?

[Laszlo Nagy]

Probably not so different.
I will forward this again to GS.

David,
Would you make a poll about this?
We could find out what other are thinking: should these elements come in with the Existing or the New Reno Filter.