IFC export and copyright protection

[Anonymous]

Hi

I have a question and a problem.

Question:
We are an architect company and very protective when it comes to the use of our model and and files in other hands. It could be contractors and other architects that wants to build or sell our architecture at half the price.
When I export an entire AC model to IFC, what are the risks? is the ifc model locked for changes? If not is there a way to lock it? if it is locked what are the chances of any one being able to luck it up? When i open a IFC model in archicad it looks to me has its locked for changes and editing, however i am not sure.

Problem:
We want to tag every exported elements in the ifc model with our company name. How can i do that? I did trie to write our company name in the tag under ifc proprieties under selection settings command. When i exported the ifc and opened it in archicad and solibri viewer, then i could not find the tag anywhere. I tried then to mess with the owning user of owner history in the ifc options but could not find any solution.

[Laszlo Nagy]

To answer your question: I can imagine that there can be a problem since an application will be able to convert a properly set IFC element (such as a Wall) to its own native element type when importing it.
I mean this is the basis of IFC: that different applications export to standard IFC Element Types and then other applications can import those IFC Element types into their own apllications and properly recreate the geomety and building information content.

To answer your problem:
Please watch this video:

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

If shows that you can define custom IFC Properties at various levels of the IFC hierarchy.
So if you define a custom IFC PRopety for the IFCObject level, which is the topmost level, then that IFC Property will be available to every single construction element type as a selectable and usable IFC PRoperty.
YOu can then fill out this Property with your company data.

[Anonymous]

Hi thanx

There should be a way to lock the IFC to not be able to edit or modify it.
Do you know any?

[Laszlo Nagy]

Sorry, I don't.
Actually, a read-only IFC file sound to me like totally counter to the purpose of IFC.