[Plugin] bim-tools 0.13.4(june 22, 2015)
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@chrisglasier said:
In other words your main focus is essentially on paperwork type processes.
Not essentially, but all my experiences and day-to-day "annoyances" are related to the "paperwork type process". So the first ideas that come to mind are very practical and probably narrow-minded ways to improve the existing process.
When modelling a building it's very important to create an interlinked relational model instead of a "loose" collection of walls and floors.
Probably the most effective way would be to write a long list of relations(following a list of demands) and have a piece of software generate the "best" building.
But also a reversed(intuitive) process should work. In the old-school-way draw lines, define them as walls/spaces. Think about the "why" of every element and link all parts together. The greatest difficulty here is that because the plan originated from an intuitive process it can be hard to figure out exactly why you chose to place an element in a specific place. Although i'm confident that there is allways a reason AND a relation in the choice.@chrisglasier said:
You know it just might be site owners demand use of OOIT for its transparency and accountability, and designers have to comply.
I spoke about this subject with some architects and they thought it could be "fun" designing by setting relations and let the computer solve the puzzle. They liked to see if it would find the same solution.
@chrisglasier said:
"Buy this; put it here"
I do think that "a picture is worth a thousand words". "Buy this; put it here" would create an immense list for even the simplest building. An interesting visualized variation could be to create LEGO-like building instructions(I believe the guys at LDraw.org have nicely automated that!)
Chris, thanks for your replies, every one of them gives me something to think on
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@dan rathbun said:
For a project like yours... during the development, a google code site, github site, or a project site at RubyForge may be needed.
I've set up a repository at google-code
http://code.google.com/p/bim-tools/And spent a couple of evenings figuring out what-the-heck this Mercurial thing was. And found out I've been using it partly myself way earlier while trying to merge linux config files
I've uploaded my plugin. Now on to something usefull...
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@brewsky said:
@chrisglasier said:
"Buy this; put it here"
I do think that "a picture is worth a thousand words". "Buy this; put it here" would create an immense list for even the simplest building. ...
The reverse is also true as you suggest with your immense lists - it takes a thousand words to make a picture. And this is the real point immense lists are needed (I know I have been responsible for many.) They won't go away but the question is who makes them and how.
From the very start a designer starts to build lists, mentally or physically, names of spaces, elements, services and so on. If these can be captured many people can help to expand the lists of names and attach key/value pairs to describe each of them - kind of collective thinking out loud.
As the names represent physical objects they can be arranged in hierarchical relationships and if there are components with the same names can display alternative models backed up with data. This cannot be achieved with paperwork type processes, it needs machines that can communicate over the Internet. Rather than create walls from edges I want (and have done) to make machines from names.
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IMO the difference between building the moon landing vehicle, and a house. Is that the first has a complex, but easily stated mission. Go to the moon, and get the astronauts back to earth. A house on the other hand, is fairly simple, yet accomplishes the complex mission required to shelter, and advance the institution family.
It was Louis Kahn that taught the difference between art and architecture. An Artist can express the futility of war by drawing a cannon with square wheels, an Architect must make them round. He poetically mused that a brick "wants to be an arch". That ultimately Architecture has a immutable unseen form that fixes it's place in human culture.
A fork has an essential form that makes it a fork. It matters little that it is baroque, or modern in style. The Architect's skill is to deduce this essential form.
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@dan rathbun said:
I didn't think it was worth it.. as IFC is an XML data file. Ruby already has libraries to work with XML files, that are cross platform.
Hi Dan,
It seems no ruby XML libraries are included with SketchUp, is this correct?
Is there an easy way to add, for example, REXML to my plugin directory instead of requiring a full ruby install for every user?-Jan
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@brewsky said:
@dan rathbun said:
I didn't think it was worth it.. as IFC is an XML data file. Ruby already has libraries to work with XML files, that are cross platform.
Is there an easy way to add, for example, REXML to my plugin directory instead of requiring a full ruby install for every user?
Correct. SU does not distribute the Ruby Libraries, only the interpreter.
Distro'ing Ruby libs in your plugin folder can cause version problems. You'll also likely find that those libs have dependancies on other libs, and so on... and so on...
Some coders have done it for single lib files.. but in that case, it's always best to first try and load from the user's full install by just requiring a lib file normally (wrapped in begin .. rescue LoadError block), if the rescue clause gets executed then you can load your copy from your plugin subfolder. That way if the user later installs full Ruby or updates to a newer version your plugin can take advantage of it.
But really... what we need to move toward, is every user having a special full Ruby install beneath the Sketchup program folder, "tweaked" just for use with Sketchup. Then the "system" Ruby install can be left alone to do other non-Sketchup things.
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I have made a first attempt at an export-to-IFC script for the walls plugin I posted earlier.
The method used to generate the required IFC data is quite "crude", and it's still only simple walls, but is't a start!I've been able to open the resulting files in a couple of viewers:
- Nemetschek IFC Viewer
- Solibri Model Viewer
- TNO IFC Engine Viewer
Check out the google-code page for download and brief tutorial:
http://code.google.com/p/bim-tools/Maybe there's someone with the ability to try the exporter on one of the big BIM programs?
I would love to hear what they make of it!- Jan
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Jan,
I renamed the topic "[Plugin] bim-tools" so this plugin will appear in the Index (and to bump it in case anyone missed it.)
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It was under the impression that this was in the Alpha stage, still very much a work in progress.
Why was it moved to the Plugins forum? It's not ready for 'prime' time.
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@dan rathbun said:
Why was it moved to the Plugins forum? It's not ready for 'prime' time.
Mostly to raise awareness of the plugin.
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Guys, I think this is a great idea with huge potential. I'm really interested in the direction this might take.
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Thanks Jim!
Although a lot of work needs to be done before it can handle a full building model, I'm trying to add small functional pieces to the program so it can be used without being complete.
I just figured I have been updating the google-code project without reporting back here, I will try to post my progress more often!
I recently added the ability to provide some IFC meta-data(such as project name and description), and improved the menu so sections can be folded, to remove some of the noise/clutter.
Currently I'm working on a wall-opening function.
When that's finished(and has a functional IFC-exporter), I think it's a good demo of the idea, and maybe even usefull for some people(simple building interior walls?). -
I think need change this name bim-tools to skp2ifc ,BIM is very very big !
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@unknownuser said:
I think need change this name bim-tools to skp2ifc ,BIM is very very big !
I know the scope of a project like this is huge, and probably way to much for one person in his spare time.
It depends on the interpretation of the term "BIM", but IFC alone(and all the necessary tools for defining the objects) is probably equally big...If anyone has some spare time they are welcome to help out
.The IFC export is an important part of the project, but not it's only purpose.
I would like a designer to be able to assign building properties to faces of a simple building model. Just by way of: "click side-face" = "wall", "click top-face" = "roof".
Every face with an "IFC-label" can be exported to IFC, and then be re-used in a "real" BIM-model. -
It's getting real fun now!
I have improved the walls, so that a component with the options "glue" and "cut opening" will cut a hole through the wall just like it would in a simple face!I still have to figure out how to best link the hole with the cutting component, so they move together... and add IFC data so I can update the exporter...
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Looks exiting!
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WOW....! I have been following this thread since it began and am all of a sudden getting excited!!!!!
Well done, Brewsky! -
Thanks!
Here is the first demo version with wall-openings:
BIM Tools for SketchUp - demo wall opening
It cuts openings, AND you can copy and move them around on the wall!How to use:
- draw some lines and select them
- open bim-tools plugin
- open "create" menu
- click "walls from selection"
- create a new component with the options "Glue to": Any or Vertical, "Cut opening". And make sure you draw a face or closed profile on the X/Y plane, just like any cutting component.
- Glue the component to the side of the wall
- Now it should cut a hole in the wall in the shape of the outer profile(s).
Best use a nested group/component if you don't want geometry other than the profile interfering with the hole.
Known bugs/limitations:
- It's still slow with complex wall openings
- you can still move opening geometry outside of wall
- moving multiple openings together will only cut 1 hole
Please let me know if you find more...
The IFC exporter does not yet include the wall openings.
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Hi Jan,
Thanks for the update. Would you put the download in the first post of this topic, and update the Subject: to reflect the new version and/or date? Having the download in the first post makes it easier for everyone to find the download. Updating the Subject: allows the plugin to appear in the "Recent Updates" section of the Plugins Index. Thanks.
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@jim said:
Would you put the download in the first post of this topic, and update the Subject: to reflect the new version and/or date?
Hi Jim,
Thanks for your help! I'm still a bit of a newbie on the forum
I had no idea the plugins list was generated from the topic-subjects!The reason I didn't post the download in the first post is that the exporter is not fully functional, but I realise now that in this way it's not easy to find the latest version...
I'll update to the first post!
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