Defining BIM Settings

(Professional, Premium, Enterprise & Enterprise Plus)

The BIM Settings page of the Options dialog box lets you configure preferences for BIM commands and capabilities:

• Length Unit
• Callouts
• Label Properties
• Paths
• Scales
• Automation
• Sheet
• Exterior Walls Dimensions
• Split Drawing Mode

Length Unit

You can determine the drawing units for automatic scaling of BIM entities geometry imported from .ifc and .rvt files. The application provides templates defined based on the length unit setting.

To set the length units for BIM geometry imports:

1. Do one of the following:

   • Click Tools > Options (or type Options).

     Click Application menu > Preferences (or type Options).

     In the Options dialog box, click BIM Settings .

   • Click BIM > BIM Settings (or type BIMSettings).

2. Expand Length Unit and select a unit type from the list.
3. Click OK.

Call-outs

Callout symbols call other drawings that are already placed on the same or other sheets.

The software automatically fills the drawing sheet and drawing number fields in drawing callout symbols.

To set call-outs options:

1. Do one of the following:

   • Click Tools > Options (or type Options).

     Click Application menu > Preferences (or type Options).

     In the Options dialog box, click BIM Settings .

   • Click BIM > BIM Settings (or type BIMSettings).

2. Expand Call-outs and set:
   • File name. Specifies the name of the callout drawing that contains the callout blocks. The files named callouts.dwg that are delivered with the application are located in the installation folder under ..\Default Files\BIM\Callouts\iso\ respectively ..\Default Files\BIM\Callouts\ansi\.
   • Elevation name. Specifies the Block name for insertion of an elevation symbol (elevation by default).
   • Plan name. Specifies the Block name for insertion of plan symbol (plan by default).
   • Section name. Specifies the Block name for insertion of a section symbol (section by default).
   • Section alt name. Specifies the Block name for insertion of an alternate section symbol (section_alt by default).
   • View title block. Specifies the Block name for insertion of a view title block symbol.

   Note: The Blocks specified by their names must be included in the specified file. Each Block has specific Block Attributes that are filled when the Block is inserted.

3. Click OK.

Label Properties

Labels are annotations that you can use to identify BIM entities in a BIM drawing. A label consists of a block that contains one or more attributes. Labels read and display BIM properties of the labeled BIM entity.

The software provides a Label Library that contains a set of predefined labels for each category of BIM entities. Additionally, you can define your own labels using user-defined Blocks and BlockAttributes.

To set label properties options:

1. Do one of the following:

   • Click Tools > Options (or type Options).

     Click Application menu > Preferences (or type Options).

     In the Options dialog box, click BIM Settings .

   • Click BIM > BIM Settings (or type BIMSettings).

2. Expand Label properties and set:
   • Standard. Specifies whether to use labels following the ANSI or the ISO standard. The application provides label block libraries for both standards.
   • Ignore types. If set to Label, the software will try to get type information from attributes in label blocks. If there are more than one type present in the attributes you will get a warning message. Select Match all to ignore type information.
   • Default block name for labels. Specifies the default Block name for the following label types:
     • Doors
     • Walls
     • Windows
     • Rooms

     Select a block name from the corresponding drop-down list.

     Note: The folder that contains the drawings with the label blocks is defined in the Paths section of the BIM Settings dialog box.

3. Click OK.

Paths

You can configure specific folders for BIM label libraries and BIM project drawings.

To specify BIM related folders:

1. Do one of the following:

   • Click Tools > Options (or type Options).

     Click Application menu > Preferences (or type Options).

     In the Options dialog box, click BIM Settings .

   • Click BIM > BIM Settings (or type BIMSettings).

2. Expand Paths and set:
   • Project. Lets you specify the default folder for BIM project drawings.
3. Click Browse and navigate to a new folder.
4. Click OK.

Scales

You can define a specific scale factor for automatically generated hatch patterns in BIM drawings.

To specify hatch patterns scales:

1. Do one of the following:

   • Click Tools > Options (or type Options).

     Click Application menu > Preferences (or type Options).

     In the Options dialog box, click BIM Settings .

   • Click BIM > BIM Settings (or type BIMSettings).

2. Expand Scales and set:
   • Hatch pattern. Specify the scale factor for hatch patterns in BIM drawings.
3. Click OK.

Automation

You can automatically create all necessary 2D drawings, such as plans, sections, and elevations, from the BIM model using the BIMAutoDrawings command. Each drawing created from the same BIM model is stored in a separate .dwg file. BIM drawings retain all the BIM information. Additionally, a link with the BIM model is created. When a new version of the BIM model is available, you can automatically update the BIM drawings.

To set BIM Automation options:

1. Do one of the following:

   • Click Tools > Options (or type Options).

     Click Application menu > Preferences (or type Options).

     In the Options dialog box, click BIM Settings .

   • Click BIM > BIM Settings (or type BIMSettings).

2. Expand Automation and set:
   • Publish to PDF. Lets you automatically publish a BIM model to a PDF file when you save a drawing that contains a BIM model.
   • Automation filter. Allows software developers to define a filter expression for BIM automation processes (as a Lisp expression). If the input field remains empty, the internal filter Only structural is used.
   • Automation template. Select a template drawing from the drop-down list that will be used when automatically generating all necessary drawings from a BIM model. You can select from several ISO and ANSI formats, either landscape or portrait orientation.
3. Click OK.

Sheet

As a BIM project evolves, existing drawings may not reflect the changes from the BIM model.

To set BIM Sheet options:

1. Do one of the following:

   • Click Tools > Options (or type Options).

     Click Application menu > Preferences (or type Options).

     In the Options dialog box, click BIM Settings .

   • Click BIM > BIM Settings (or type BIMSettings).

2. Expand Sheet and set:
   • Enable viewport size update on refresh. When enabled, the application updates the size of the viewports when refreshing a BIM drawing.
3. Click OK.

Exterior Walls Dimensions

You can create dimension chains for BIM entities with the BIMDimensionChain command. The command automatically detects appropriate dimension points on BIM entities. Optionally, you can automatically group dimensions within a chain to clearly display opening and wall segments dimensions.

To specify options for exterior wall dimensions:

1. Do one of the following:

   • Click Tools > Options (or type Options).

     Click Application menu > Preferences (or type Options).

     In the Options dialog box, click BIM Settings .

   • Click BIM > BIM Settings (or type BIMSettings).

2. Expand Exterior Walls Dimensions and set:
   • Include internal wall points. Activate this option to include interior walls, i.e. walls that are not on the outside of the building, into dimension chains.
   • Placement template. Select an option from the drop-down list: Outermost or Aligned. Outermost specifies that the dimension chain is placed in one line independently from the contour of the plan, and Aligned forces separate dimensions according to the outline of the contour.
   • Join dimensions. Activate this option to determine that one dimension group is created for all parallel walls instead of separate dimensions.
   • Under Distance from wall select one of the following:
     • Absolute distance. Specify a floating point number to set the distance between the dimensioned walls and the dimension chain.
     • Chain distances. Specify an integer value to determine the number of stacked dimension chains that detail a wall measurement.
3. Click OK.

Split Drawing Mode

You can specify the method for splitting BIM drawings into view tiles.

If a BIM drawing is too large to fit on a sheet at a usable scale, you can divide it into smaller parts and place each part on a separate view tile using the BIMSplitDrawing.

To specify the mode for splitting BIM drawings into tile views:

1. Do one of the following:

   • Click Tools > Options (or type Options).

     Click Application menu > Preferences (or type Options).

     In the Options dialog box, click BIM Settings .

   • Click BIM > BIM Settings (or type BIMSettings).

2. Expand Split Drawing Mode and activate one of the following:
   • Default. Defines regular tiles from the lower left corner.
   • Center. Defines centered tiles.
   • Fit. Tiles fit inside drawing extents.
3. Click OK.

   Note: Remove existing tiles before using the BIMSplitDrawing command.

  Use the Search box to search for items in the Options dialog box.

Access

Command: BIMSettings, or Options

Menu: BIM > Options

Menu: Application menu > Preferences

Ribbon: BIM > Options > BIM Settings