BIM Collaboration Format Improvements
Pasi Paasiala, CTO Solibri, Inc.
Motivation
Nutshell
BIM Collaboration Format (BCF) is a way to communicate BIM-related issues between software.
Version 1 (2010)
Developed by Tekla and Solibri good acceptance Simple schemes: easy to implement
BCF Vocabulary
Topic: an issue related to BIM design, for example a clash
Markup: Collection of textual information related to topic
Name Comments Status
Viewpoint
3D information related to topic
Components Camera position Lines, sectioning
Snapshot: A png snapshot of the topic
BCF File
BCF file is a zip that contains one folder for each topic. Folder contains the following files:
[Link]
An XML file following the [Link] schema that is described below.
[Link]
An XML file following the [Link] schema that is described below.
[Link]
A snapshot related to the topic.
Improvements to BCF
Suggestions collected in ISG Jira Suggested improvements:
Support for multiple snapshots/viewpoints per topic
Associate comments with snapshots
Support for provision for voids Associate additional payloads or links with topic Better process support:
Author identification Clearer status of topic
Improvements to BCF, cont.
Improved visualization:
Control of component visibility and color Support for bitmap (text)
Misc:
Maintain the order of topics
Development of Next Version
Requirements discussed in telecons and in ISG Jira Participants: Catenda, DDS, Iabi, ISG, Solibri, Tekla Backward compatibility required with version 1 Schemas finalized by Klaus Linhard and Pasi Paasiala
Solutions
Support for multiple snapshots/viewpoints
A new element Viewpoint added:
Refers to its own markup, viewpoint, and snapshot files in the topic folder
Support for provision for voids New element BimSnippet
Refers to an IfcXml, Ifc2x3, Ifc4, ... File
Associate additional payloads or links with topic
New element DocumentReference
Refers either to a file in topic folder or to a url
Solutions, Cont.
Better process support:
Author identification
Added email to comment
Clearer status of topic
Added open/closed status to comment
Improved visualization:
Control of component visibility and color
Added visibility, color, and selected information to Component
Support for bitmap (text)
Added Bitmap to viewpoint
Misc:
Maintain the order of topics
Added index to topic
Status
New schema available for comments Improved documentation still pending