Working with BS1192/uniclass and ArchiCAD?

[boatingcow]

I work predominantly in building services and as such I have to juggle the different standards in the world of architecture with the world of mechanical engineering. Part of my current job is to help our company set up some standards which are up-to-date with current best-practice, which involves everything from title blocks to document management systems. I read with interest the work that has been done on the AEC website (http://aecuk.wordpress.com/documents) to generate a protocol for using ArchiCAD within the recommendations of the current and proposed British Standards (BS/PAS 1192).

However, does anyone have any practical hands-on advice, templates or other information that a practice can actually use with ArchiCAD??? Would I be right in thinking that the current train of thought surrounding BS1192 doesn't always apply to the ArchiCAD workflow? (uniclass - windows and doors on separate layers, protocol - documentation/layout book in a different file, etc...)

I searched this forum but found that the word "uniclass" has never even been mentioned before...

PS - if this belongs in a different forum - please either move it or let me know!

[Anonymous]

I've worked with Uniformat and Omniclass but not Uniclass. Is that just a UK thing?

In any case I've found the best way to set up such stuff is with IFC parameters and schedules.

On the doc standard, you can keep your layouts in a separate file if that works for you and you feel it's necessary to follow the guidelines strictly.

As far as the separate door and window layers goes, you can't do that within ArchiCAD but you can set up your export filters to do that for any DWG and IFC files you put out.

[Aaron Bourgoin]

looking into this. I've integrated much of OmniClass (and therefore Uniformat into ArchiCAD templates. This one is new to me.

here's a document describing the implementation of Uniclass:

http://www.oakley-cad.co.uk/files/PDFS/OCSL%20Layer%20Naming%20Convention%20BS1192-2007-UniclassV14-...

[Aaron Bourgoin]

at first glance, this really looks like a totally lateral move in the BIM world. It really seems to stay pretty true to a 2D CAD environment of organizing the things that represent elements of a real building or ven a virtual building for that matter.

what does this standard have to offer the virtualization of construction? that's an open question, coming from someone who was blissfully unaware of this standard and it's naming conventions.

here's an online layer name creator: http://cpionline.cpic.org.uk/FrmCPILayerGenerator.aspx

[boatingcow]

Hi Matthew and Aaron. Thanks your your replies.

Uniclass is the UK implementation of BS ISO 12006-2, the "Unified Classification for the Construction Industry", published in 1997 in UK by the Construction Project Information Committee (CPIC). The current British Standard, BS 1192:2007 recommends the use of Uniclass.

There is a newer Uniclass v2 on the way, which might offer greater promise, although reading up on the UK government's BIM task group information so far, ArchiCAD and the "ArchiCAD way" seem to have been ignored.

There is going to be a need for our company to produce COBie-standard information in future, but considering the "current standard" is 6 years old, I thought there might be some resource out there for ArchiCAD users wanting to keep up?

Interesting graphics - http://www.bimgateway.co.uk/visualising-cobie

[Anonymous]

COBIE is all Omniclass as far as I recall.

[Anonymous]

Hi boatingcow,

I use 'old' uniclass for my layers for work in the UK (G251 External Walls and all that sort of thing with Table F for zone info. NB I don't have a window layer as they are 'objects' and control with model view instead). I might change the UK layering to the 'new' UniClass when it settles down a bit. I've never had too much problem picking the bits of BS1192 that I need to work with. I have adapted my template for my work in Canada using UniFormat instead. I find it works well with they way we write early stage design specifications here using Preliminary Project Descriptions for Outline Specs.

The best guidance I've found to date, as you mention, is the newly published AECUK Archicad Protocol http://aecuk.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/aecukbimprotocolforgraphisoftarchicad-v1-0.pdf and I would suggest this is a good start as the intent is that any template will 'play nice' with other software that follows the protocol (i.e. Revit). I think you will be 80% there if you follow this document. I agree however that it is annoying that there is no template you can download like the Revit one. This would save a lot of work, however any template will need tweaking for your own practice to a some extent anyway. You may also want to follow @BondBryan on Twitter as he tweets a lot about this and contributed to the AECUK Archicad Protocol.

COBie is coming in the UK and it seems Graphisoft are addressing this. I haven't looked much into it yet however with AC16 Graphisoft published some support guidance on this at http://download.graphisoft.com/ftp/techsupport/documentation/IFC/ArchiCAD%2016%20and%20COBie.pdf

AC17 seems more COBie friendly with something called "Basic FM Handover View" see http://www.graphisoft.com/archicad/archicad_17/open_bim/#IFC_support_for_national_standards so more may come out about this when AC17 ships. There may yet be the 'big COBie button' that everyone wants!

Hope the above is of use!

Aaron,

From a Canadian perspective, it is interesting to note that CanBIM are seeming to strive for a similar protocol to the AECUK one. If you haven't checked out their BIM protocol http://www.canbim.com/documents-0 it states that it is heavily based on the UK one and they are listed as being consulted in the UK one. The AECCAN/CanBim document even references UniClass which I think is a mistake. I would use UniFormat/Table 21 OmniClass for the layer naming. The AECUK Archicad protocol isn't listed on the CanBIM site (yet..?) but as they are so similar it seems to me that if CanBIM has any success with establishing a protocol the AECUK Archicad protocol will marry quite nicely. However it seems to me that CanBIM is heavily Revit orientated at the moment. (Come on GraphisoftNA/Dowco... please do something about this and get us represented!)

Adam

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone,
I've been working on our company's AC template (using the .tpl format), and I'm trying to add custom lists to implement takeoffs of elements in viewpoints other than the plan view.

[Barry Kelly]

Lists and schedules can only take off what you have in the model or plan view.
If you add for example fills to an elevation you will not be able to include those in your take-offs.

Barry.