Name of a window building material

[marcocioeta]

Hello,
I have modeled a window, but when I export the IFC, I get the surface name instead of the building material name. I need the building material name; how can this be resolved?
Thank you to everyone

[Laszlo Nagy]

Can you give some more info about this (along with screenshots if possible)?

What is the current result that you are getting?

What is the exact Window parameter you want to see exported to the IFC file?

What is the exact IFC Property where you want to see this information exported into?

[Ricardo Lopez]

Hi @marcocioeta 

As far as I know, Archicad's default windows do not have a building material as such; instead, they have surfaces for several parts, depending on the library object. Anyway one of these options could help:

• Option A: An easy way to export the building material name, without creating new properties, property sets or complex could be to enter a Description text and make that field available by clicking the Manage IFC Properties... button in the window settings. Then you export as an IFC file and that's it.

• Option B: Create a new property in a PSet. (Watch the attached video)
  1. Create a new property for Windows/ Doors in: Options> Property Manager...> New property (Building Material)
  2. Make it available for windows and doors Classification.
  3. Enter the new property in the window object.
  4. Create a new translator for export: File> Interoperability> IFC> IFC Translator...
  5. Create a new Property Mapping and Map IFC Properties for Export...
  6. Create New IFC Property in the Pset_WindowCommon: BuildingMaterial, with Property type: Single value and Value type: IfcValue
  7. Creat a new rule: Building Material
  8. Add Content...Add Parameter & properties
  9. Select the property of step 1. Clic OK.
  10. Save as... IFC. Select the new IFC translator for export.
  11. Check if it works in your prefered IFC viewer.

[marcocioeta]

The current result is the first image attached;
the exact parameter I would, it is the building materal;
the exact IFC Property issuch as the second image, the name of the IFC Material

[marcocioeta]

no, i didn't solve

[Laszlo Nagy]

I see, so, in the case of a Wall, the Material property is exported as part of IFC standard Properties.

However, in the case of a Window, the Material property is NOT exported as part of IFC standard Properties.

I think this is due to the fact that not all elements in all cases have a Material parameter that could be exported to IFC.

For example, if you have a basic Wall, yes, there is a Building Material you can specify.

But, if you have a Composite Wall or a Profiled Wall, there no single Building Material you specify. A Composite or a Complex Profile may be composed of one or more Building Materials. So, it is not possible to decide which one to export as the IFC Material.

In the case of a Door or Window, again, there is no Material parameter that you can specify, since, at the moment, Archicad Door/Window library parts do not use Building Materials. Instead, there are several Surfaces you can specify for the various sub-parts of Doors/Window. So, again, not easy to specify what kind of data you want to see into the exported IFC as Material.

Additionally, not all IFC Viewers work the same way, one may display data about an element the other one does not, or displays it somewhere else, under some other name.

Let me ask you this: what is the exact data about the Window would you like to be exported to IFC?