Property set configuration files used in IFC export

Tekla Structures
2022
Tekla Structures

Property set configuration files used in IFC export

Tekla Structures uses configuration files for defining which user-defined attributes and template attributes are exported as property sets into IFC models.

Predefined property set configuration files

The predefined configuration files are read-only and they are read from ..\ProgramData\Trimble\Tekla Structures\<version>\Environments\Common\inp. The location may vary depending on your environment.

IFC2x3:

  • IfcPropertySetConfigurations_CV2.xml (default property sets)/IfcPropertySetConfigurations_CV2_1.xml (property property sets) contains the property sets for Export type Coordination view 2.0.

  • IfcPropertySetConfigurations_SG.xml (default property sets)/IfcPropertySetConfigurations_CV2_1.xml (minimum property sets) contains the property sets for Export type Surface geometry.

  • IfcPropertySetConfigurations_AISC.xml (default property sets)/IfcPropertySetConfigurations_AISC_1.xml (minimum property sets) contains the property sets for Export type Steel fabrication view.

The IfcPropertySetConfigurations_CV1.xsd file in the same folder is a schema file that describes the structure of the XML file and is used for validation of the XML file. This file is read when the software is started.

Additional property set configuration files

When you configure property sets for IFC export in XML format, you need two files:

  • IfcPropertySetConfigurations.xsd is a schema file that describes the structure of the XML file and is used for validation of the XML file. This file is read when the software is started.

  • IfcPropertySetConfigurations.xml is the actual property set configuration file.

We recommend you define the additional property sets in the Property Set Definitions dialog box to ensure that the XML configuration files are valid. The additional property sets you create are saved to the \AdditionalPSets folder under the model folder by default. You can also read additional property sets from the following folders:

  • XS_SYSTEM

  • XS_PROJECT

  • XS_FIRM

If you use the above mentioned folders, save the files in a folder called \AdditionalPSets under the system, project or firm folder.

Property set configuration file contents

  • A configuration file includes the structure of property sets, and the data definitions for the properties inside the property sets:

    • Template attribute or UDA name. Template attributes are read from content_attributes_global.lst and the user-defined attributes from the environment database.

    • Data type, such as String, Integer, Float, Timestamp, Boolean, Logical, or planeanglemeasure.

    • Unit type, such as length, area, volume, or mass.

    • Unit value scaling of unitless UDA values. Conversion factor is added so that unitless values can be converted to correspond to the global units used in the IFC files. Area and volume units need these factors.

    • If you need the option type UDA value to be the same as in the user interface, you can change the type from User defined attribute to string type Template attribute in Property Set Definitions dialog box.

    • Possibility to use default values.

    • Possibility to ignore the set to export if template attribute or UDA does not have a value.

  • A configuration file includes property set binding rules to IFC entities:

    • Binding to IFC entity type hierarchy including support for not only building elements but also for bolts, reinforcing bars, and assemblies.

    • Possibility to use limiting rules, such as Equal, NotEqual, LessThan, GreaterThan, LessThanOrEqual, and GreaterThanOrEqual for numbers, and Equal and NotEqual for texts.

      You need to modify your additional property set configuration file using a suitable editor, if you want to add these limiting rules.

    • There can be any number of binding rules for any property set, but only one property set definition for each ReferenceId.

    • You can bind different property sets to different IFC entity types. For example, a plate may have a different property set than a beam.

  • If no value is found for a property in export, the export does not write the property set at all. To avoid this, add optional=true for that property in the property set.

Below is an example of the contents of the IfcPropertySetConfigurations_CV2.xml file.

Below is an example of the contents of the IfcPropertySetConfigurations.xml file.

Oliko tästä apua?
Edellinen
Seuraava