Export Model - Exporting an IFC2x3 model

  • The ' IFC2x3 'option is available to users of SDS2 programs who have a Export Model software license. It can be used to export a model, or partial model, which accurately represents structural elements, including curves, copes, twists, and also contains considerable information about those elements, including member and material piecemarks, material type, member type, steel grade, and more.
  • IFC stands for " Industry Foundation Classes ." The usual extension for an IFC2x3 file is .ifc.
  • An IFC Export done outside of Modeling exports all members (the entire model). In Modeling , you can select the members you want to output, then invoke Export Model and select ' IFC2x3 ' as the " Export file format " to output a file that includes only those members that you selected. See step 1e or step 2 .
  • An IFC file output from an SDS2 program includes 3D solids representations of all members in your current Job and can optionally include bolts, holes and welds. Such a file can be imported into programs such as Navisworks, Revit, Tekla BIMSight and Solibri.
  • See the step-by-step instructions .

Also see :

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   Step-by-step instructions for exporting an IFC2x3 model :

If you are in Modeling , you can optionally select members as described in step 1e or step 2 .

1 . Before exporting:

1a : Confirm that your current Job contains the members and materials or other information that you want to export.

1b : The entire 3D model should have undergone Process and Create Solids , have been thoroughly reviewed , and should be modified where necessary.

1c ( optional ): If you are in Modeling , you can use Status Display to mask members that you do not wish to export. For example, you may want to mask " Existing members " or particular " Zones " or " Sequences ."

1d ( optional ): You may also want to set an appropriate output configuration for User and Site Option s > Output > " Export Model ." Output should be set to a specific file folder (directory).

Select Items bindings (step 1e)

1e (optional) : In Modeling with an appropriate selection filter selected, you can Select+ the members that you want to output to the IFC2x3 file. If you do not select members at this time, you will be prompted to select members in step 2 .

2 . Open the Export Model window using one (1) of the following methods. If you did step 1e , you are in Modeling , and you must use method 2, 3, 4 or 5 to open Export Model .

Method 1 : Home > Export > 3D > Export Model .

Method 2 : If " Modeling layout style " or " Drawing Editor layout style " is ' Classic ', you can use the menu system to choose Interface > Export Model .

Method 3, 4 or 5 : Click the icon pictured above , or use a keyboard shortcut . If you are have added Export Model to the context menu , you can right-click and choose Export Model on the context menu.

After method 2, 3, 4 or 5 in Modeling , if you did not do step 1e, Select Item(s) mouse bindings will become available, and you will be prompted to select members.

bindings in Modeling if you didn't do step 1e

If you decline to select members -- for example, by pressing Enter or Esc without selecting members -- you end this operation.

3 . On the Export Model window, do the following:

3a : Select ' IFC2x3 ' as the " Export file format ."

3b : Confirm that the " Destination " is where you want the file to be sent. ' Directory ' outputs the file to a folder. Export Model will (by default) name the IFC2x3 file after your current Job and add an .ifc extension.

3c (optional) : If you want to change the output destination, press the " Change... " button and make appropriate selections on the Output Configuration Setup window.

4 . While still on the Export Model window, press the " Properties " button next to " Export file format " to open the IFC Properties window. On that window are the following options. Be aware that checking the boxes for " Export welds " and/or " Export holes " and/or " Export bolts " causes the output file to grow larger and more complex.

The IFC Properties window.

Export zipped file: or . If this box is checked ( ), the file will be exported as a zipped file (.ifcZIP). Such a zipped file can be imported directly into an SDS2 program using Import Model without first extracting the .ifc file. You can also directly import such a zipped file by pressing " Link to New File " ( ) on the Reference Models window in Modeling . If this box is not checked ( ), the file will be exported as an uncompressed IFC file (.ifc).

Export welds: or . If this box is checked ( ), welds are output to the IFC2x3 file. If this option is not checked ( ), welds will not be output to the export file.

Export bolts: or . If this box is checked ( ), bolts are output to the IFC2x3 file that will be generated when you press " OK " on the Export Model window. If the box is not checked ( ), bolts will not be output to the export file.

Export holes: or . If this box is checked ( ), holes are output to the IFC2x3 file. If the box is not checked ( ), holes will not be output to the export file.

Export Autodesk-compatible IFC files:   or . If this box is checked ( ), the exported IFC file will be compatible with Autodesk's Revit program. You should not check this box if the file is to be used in programs other than Revit. If the box is not checked ( ), the IFC file will be compatible with programs other than Revit. For example, the file will work fine in Navis Works. However, it may give you bad results upon import to Revit. For example, Revit may not be able to read status information and may misinterpret some solids information.

Export center of mass location:   or . If this box is checked ( ), the center of mass location will be calculated and exported for each member that is exported. Since the calculation involves calculating the center of mass of each member's submaterial in order to derive the center of mass of the member, checking this box can dramatically increase the time that it takes to export a file. If the box is not checked ( ), the IFC file will be exported more quickly, but will not include center of mass location data on members. This box is not checked by default.

Export custom properties: or . If this box is checked ( ), the IFC file will include custom properties, which can be used by other programs that are capable of interpreting metadata. Only those custom properties that have " Export to IFC " turned on in their schema entry will be included in the IFC export file. Depending on whether the custom property is for members or material or etc., each member or material will have its unique custom property assignment accurately recorded. If the box is not checked ( ), custom property information will not be included in the IFC file.

Export grids: or . If this box is checked ( ), then grid lines in SDS2 programs are converted into a form of lines that can be read by other programs. They are exported at the bottom of the lowest material being exported. If the box is not checked ( ), grids will not be included in the IFC file. you will have to adjust the

Export task scheduling info: or . If this box is checked ( ), you should enter the " XML file " that was used to set member tasks using Synchro . The member custom property information that you set in this way will be is output to the IFC2x3 file. If the box is not checked ( ), task scheduling info will not be included in the IFC2x3 file.

Origin translation: 0 or a +/- distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) may be entered to the " X " and/or " Y " and/or " Z " fields. The work points of all members in your current Job have specific global X, Y and Z locations within the 3D model. If, in the exported file, you want the global X and/or Y and/or Z coordinates for both ends of every member to be altered a specific distance, enter that distance here.

' 0 ' for " X " and " Y " and " Z " exports a model with the same origin ( 0, 0, 0 global coordinate ) as the model in your current Job.

A positive distance is added to the left- and right-end X, Y or Z coordinates of all exported members.

A negative distance is subtracted from the left- and right-end X, Y or Z coordinates of all exported members.

Rotate CCW (counterclockwise) around Z axis: A positive or negative (-) number of degrees. Rotation is around the Z global axis . A value of 0 designates no rotation of the IFC model, with the result that members will be oriented as they are in the SDS2 model. A positive number rotates the IFC model counterclockwise that number of degrees. A negative number rotates the IFC model clockwise that number of degrees.

Plan view counterclockwise rotations around the Z axis
0°
90°
  		-90°
180°

Alternative 1 : Press " OK " at the bottom of the IFC Properties window to apply changes made to settings on the window to the output of the IFC2x3 file.

Alternative 2 : Press the " Cancel " button if you want to apply only those settings that were active on this window when you first opened it. Settings changed since the window was opened will be forgotten and will not be applied.

5 . The Export Model window is again active.

5a : Press the " OK " button on the bottom of the window.

6 . A IFC2x3 file is written to the " Destination " set in step 3. A warnings window opens. On it are warnings that may help you pinpoint potential problems in the output file.

6a (optional) : You should save a copy of these warnings. To do this, you can press the " Save " button and output the warnings as a file with, for example, a .txt or .html extension. Or you can press the " Print " button to output a copy of these warnings to your default printer. Press the " Copy All " button if you want to paste the warnings to another application such as WordPad.

6b : Press the " OK " button at the bottom of the warnings window.

Possibility 1 : If you performed this operation from Home or in the Drawing Editor , your entire model -- with the exception of members that cannot be exported -- will be output to the IFC2x3 file.

Possibility 2 : If you are in Modeling and did step 1e or step 2 , only the members that you selected will be exported to the IFC2x3 file.

Tip: You may want to use an IFC viewer such as one that can be downloaded at http://www.ifcwiki.org/index.php?title=Freeware to view the file you have exported prior to sending it out to be imported using other software.

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