Door and Window Surfaces in Schedules & Label Tool

[Gerry Leonor]

is there a way to call up the Surfaces in the Doors / Windows for their respective schedules & even with the Label tool?

we've set up some Properties with Expressions that call up the Surfaces & use split commands to only call up the code (encircled in blue). is it possible for this to be called up in Schedules & the Label tool?

I've heard it was possible to use IFC Property Mapping -- i tried it once but it didn't come out correctly & i'd like to know how to do it properly if this is the correct way to do it.

Operating system used: Windows 11 24H2

[Kevin Lee]

As my last day in the office 2024! I should contribute something meaningful to the Archicad community. Below, you'll find instructions for calling split GDL parameters using custom IFC properties.

Step 1: Access the IFC Translator

(Menu > File > Interoperability > IFC > IFC Translator)

Open the **IFC Translator** and select the default export option (indicated by the Archicad logo).

Step 2: Create a New IFC Property
1. Follow the arrow and create a new IFC Property(s)
2. Add a new rule and include library parameters
- Most Archicad generic elements share similar GDL parameters.
- Select a door element from your project as a reference and transfer its properties to the right column.

Step 3: Define and Edit the Splitting Rule
1. Highlight the content of the rule and click

2. In our office workflow, we append the finish code to the end of the surface name, using  ":" as the separator.
- In your case, since your codes are at the start of the surface name, choose *"start"* instead.

  

Step 4: Finalising and Using IFC Values

That’s it! Archicad’s out-of-the-box labels, classifications, and properties will now allow you to tag IFC values and include them in schedules effortlessly.

 

 

it would be great to access IFC properties from properties and use expression to control the data right? or even from GO... 

I hope these instructions help! Wishing you a Merry Christmas and happy new year to all Community users!

[Gerry Leonor]

thank you -- i got to work by calling up the Frame Outside library part parameter (LPP) but i noticed some things:

• if i have different types of door objects used, say a swing door VS a sliding door VS a double swing door VS a folding door etc, do i have to have to call up the Frame Outside finish parameter for each and every door object? i thought these LPPs worked on all objects with the same LPP name?

• after amending the IFC property to include more LPP, the field is still empty in many of the doors, whilst some have the code called up & split (as originally set in the IFC translator rule content?

• If i already have doors that have been placed in the model, the IFC property is not activated by default for many doors -- i have to manually check the box for the IFC property to be called up & even then, the field is empty when i should be seeing the code.

apologies -- this is my first time messing with IFC Property Mapping. what's the correct workflow here? How should I address it in the template, so all the IFC properties get added in by default & it gets populated with the split codes?

[Kevin Lee]

I think you can try add as a new rule. 

[Gerry Leonor]

so is the intent to add a rule, the same rule, to every door / window object that calls up a frame finish for this IFC property to work?

[Kevin Lee]

TBH, I don't set up the template this way so I ain't sure if its best practice to have all the rules in the IFC properties but if you are just using the standard Archicad doors, maybe its worth to set it up?  (in my experience, hinged single door and double doors are the most commonly used doors so you can focus on creating the rules on the mostly used door types?)

GRAPHISOFT, wouldn't surface ID solve this problem ? 😎 

[Gerry Leonor]

thanks -- i can get to work, partially -- i'm hoping someone reads this & can provide that last push -- ie. not having to add every single Door/Window object's Library Part Parameter...

[Laszlo Nagy]

@Gerry Leonor , @Kevin Lee 

You do not have to create multiple Mapping Rules for each Door type.

When you select the Library Part parameter to map, click the down-pointing arrow at the right of the "Add" button, and select the "Add as Library Part Independent" command. All those default Archicad Doors are based on the same GDL Subtype, and they share most of their parameters. If you select a parameter in such a way, it will return the proper value for all Door types as the selected parameter with that parameter name and type exists in all those Doors.

 

(The only time it does not return a value is when you select a parameter of a Library Part that does not exist in the other Library Parts, but that is very uncommon in default Archicad Library Parts as they are all based on the same GDL Subtypes, the parameters are defined at the level of the GDL Subtype, and all Library Parts based on that subtype will inherit all parameters defined in the Subtype - I hope this explanation is not too technical.)

 

[Gerry Leonor]

I think i got it to work with some of the doors, and i haven't yet tried the Add as Library Part Independent option yet, because i seem to be having some problems to the side with IFC properties. again, pardon me, but this is my first time waddling in the complex waters of IFC mapping & properties. fortunately this is all done in test file, so no meaningful work will be lost.

the issue is that when i was started adding a new Property Set &/or Name, it seemed to have pushed it to some doors, but not the others. but this is probably because I didn't realise i was adding different properties in two different IFC schemes -- IFC2x3 & IFC4. i can understand that it might be best to work with only one of the schemes so i'll do that moving forward & just be vigilant before creating new Properties. but because i was playing around adding and deleting IFC Properties, some of the Properties seemed to have stuck around...:

...despite having deleted them from the IFC Manager...:

I've only selected a couple of doors but there are more of them. there are also a handful that don't have them.

what exactly is the workflow here? should IFC properties be created before placing elements in the model?

and what about when you make changes to the IFC Properties? does making a change in the IFC Translator > Property Mapping mean it will automatically push it to all elements belonging to that IFC type? i understand i am lacking in some rules-of-thumb when it comes to working with IFC. correct ways, workflows & linear processes when adding/editing Properties.

[Laszlo Nagy]

Gerry,

You can create IFC Properties for elements in two different ways:

1. You select elements and you create a New IFC Property for them (either in the IFC Manager, or in the Settings Dialog of the element). Those IFC Properties will be available only for those selected elements.

2. You can go to the IFC Translators Dialog, select the IFC Export Translator you want to use, go to Property Mapping Dialog, then Map IFC Properties for Export Dialog, and you create an IFC Property there. There you need to select an IFC Type in the IFC hierarchy (e.g., IfcDoor) and create the IFC Property there. Then, the IFC Property created this way will be available for all elements with the Door Classification (by default, the Door classification is converted to IfcDoor upon IFC Export).