Geometric Quantities
Is it possible to update ProfileBuilder to export it geometric quantities in metric metres to IFC? (eg length, height, width, volume, count)
Below is what it currently exports
Background - we are currently expanding our estimating services business to include 5D estimating and we use SketchUp pro to develop all of our models. unfortunately SketchUp cannot export it geometric quantities to IFC (have been asking for a long time). We use Cubit Estimating Pro +BIM software that can read IFC models.
Types of Models we create - full timber framing model for residential houses.
Any help or advise would really be appreciated
Thanks in advance
Darren
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Have you checked the ifc-manager?
https://github.com/BIM-Tools/SketchUp-IFC-Manager/releases/tag/v3.4.2
It exports does a better job than the native.
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Hi Jack,
I have just downloaded it and applied IFC Tags etc and exported to IFC and I get a different result, however still no lengths etc.
It just seems strange to me that we cant export lengths etc directly to IFC to allow more complicated estimating software to be used. I do have Quanifier Pro and as we all now is a great plugin and it can read all of the items I am requesting, however I need to be able to work with my models inside of a dedicated estimating software. I am open to any suggestions on how I can get this to export correctly.
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Hi Darren - Unfortunately I am not very familiar with IFC workflows. It sounds like you want Profile Builder to write meta-data for each Profile Member for its length, area, width, height, etc.
SketchUp allows us to write meta-data (attributes) to an Attribute Dictionary of our choice (in our case one named 'ProfileBuilder' as you can see in your image above). If we write the length, area, width, height, etc. to this dictionary, can your IFC software import that data. This sounds like a potential feature for Quantifier Pro.
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Hi Dale - if ProfileBuilder can hold the meta-data (attributes) that would be perfect :-) and resolve our current issue with SketchUp and BIM as the model would then be usable in IFC format. The data would need to be exported in the same measurement units as the model (ie. metric)
This would secure our workflow and we could use the IFC models directly in our main estimating program giving us a true 5D process.
I am really frustrated at the moment with the lack of attributes exported to IFC from SketchUp, that I am also considering dumping SketchUp (been using for 7 years +) and starting again with BricsCAD and a heavy learning curve. If you could implement the additional attributes in ProfileBuilder this would be a game changer for us and I am sure for many other users of ProfileBuilder.
Below is how our estimating software is currently reading the data:
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The "Geometric Quantities" comes from the default export from SketchUp to IFC format. I have been asking for a long time for SketchUp to include the missing quantities (length, area, etc) with no joy. I have also tried the plugin that Jack de Moel suggested (https://github.com/BIM-Tools/SketchUp-IFC-Manager/releases/tag/v3.4.2), however when using this plugin I still fall short on the geometric quantities.
I have researched (and asked) on the SketchUp forum regarding IFC & BIM and see the same concerns raised that I have regarding the exporting to IFC and the lack of information (attributes). the only way that I can get the attributes at the moment is to create custom attributes to each component in the model , and as you can appreciate when you have a complex model this is very time consuming.
example of
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If you use Quantifier pro as well you can generate excel or csv with quantities, but most of the time, these costs are tied to a Layer (Tags)
But we need a readable dictionary attached to objects.
The 'advanced attributes' are not that advanced that they automatically fill in the size.
I can read Profile Builder attributes in a viewer, but not those of Quantifier. (in Trimble Connect, btw)
The raw data is in inches, and this is being read in export.
But we need mm...
There is no concept of 'chains' ie. if a profile member takes a straight turn, we need two objects, not one. This can be done already with the junctionstyle, I guess.
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