BIM without the jargon
Models, elements, revisions and checks, explained in plain language.
3 min read · 6 sections
A model is more than a drawing
BIM means Building Information Modelling. A building model combines shapes with information about the things those shapes represent. A wall can have a position, a material, a fire rating and a name. You can look at its shape in the viewer and inspect its information in the Properties panel.
An element is one thing in that model: a wall, door, slab or piece of equipment. A model also organizes things into places, such as a building and its storeys. A storey is a floor or level.
IFC is the file you bring
IFC is an open format for exchanging building models between tools. It carries geometry, meaning the shapes, and data, meaning the information attached to them. Export an IFC file from your authoring tool before uploading it to ZEROBiE. ZEROBiE reads IFC2X3, IFC4 and IFC4X3.
ZEROBiE converts the file on the server. Your browser receives a smaller model for viewing, while the original IFC is kept for download. The converted viewing format is called GLB. An upload finishing and a model being ready to view are separate steps.
Properties describe an element
A property is a named piece of information, such as FireRating. A property set groups related properties; Pset_WallCommon is one example for walls. A quantity is a measurement, such as an area or a volume. A missing property means the information was not available in that record; it does not automatically mean zero, false or a failed check.
An IFC class describes what kind of thing an element is. IfcWall means a wall and IfcDoor means a door. The class helps a check decide which elements it should examine.
A project gives the model a home
A project holds the files, people and recorded decisions for a piece of work. Its Files area is the common data environment, often shortened to CDE: the shared place where your team manages documents and models.
A file can have several revisions. The current revision is the one the project uses now; earlier revisions remain in its history. Opening an earlier revision shows earlier information. Always check which revision a result refers to before acting on it.
A finding is something to review
A finding is a recorded result that needs attention. Critical, Warning and Info describe its severity. Read what was checked, what was found, which elements are involved and when the check ran. A model-level finding concerns the model as a whole. A finding with an unresolved element link cannot yet point to a particular element.
A rule that did not run has no verdict. It is not a pass. Likewise, a model with no analysis has no score. A good-looking model is not proof that its information meets your project's requirements.
IDS and BCF do different jobs
IDS, the Information Delivery Specification, describes information you require in a model. For example, you can require walls to carry a fire rating. The IDS Ruler lets you write these requirements and check a model against them.
BCF, the BIM Collaboration Format, carries issues and viewpoints between coordination tools. Exporting BCF shares a record of the problem to discuss. It does not edit the original building model or repair a failed check.