Convert Objects

The Convert Objects tool converts specified objects from one object class to another.

Settings

Objects

A name of a group or the key of the source object class, i.e. the object class from which you convert. Please note that for object classes this must currently be the key, not the name.

NOTE: If you want to convert only selected objects (not all objects of an object class), first create a group containing the objects you want to convert and use the name of the group as the source.

Object Class of Converted Objects

The key or name of the target object class, i.e., the object class to which you convert.

NOTE: You can get the object class from the Objects palette. Select the Object Class, right-click, and select Copy Key from the pop-up menu. Then paste the key into the tool configuration. You can also simply drag and drop the name from the Objects palette onto the setting.

Type of Converted Objects

Type objects are a special structure in IFC. They are not always necessary, but in the case you want to use them, you need to define the predefined or user defined type.

No Type

No so-called type object is created for the object. 

Predefined Type

If you were, for example, converting a building element proxy to a wall, you may want to specify that the Predefined Type of the resulting furniture is STANDARD.

User Defined Type

If you were, for example, converting a building element proxy to a furniture, you may want to specify that the Object Type of the resulting furniture is DRESSER. In this case, the Predefined Type is automatically set to USERDEFINED.

Predefined Type of Converted Objects

Name of the predefined type. This must be according to the IFC schema. You need to consult the IFC schema documentation to get this right for the chosen object class.

User Defined Type of Converted Objects

Name of the user-defined type. This can be basically anything.

Use Property Name for Mapping

Defines whether to match properties by name (not key) when copying. If you don't provide a Property Map, then the tool copies only the values of the properties that have the same key or name in both object classes. 

NOTE: Providing the MAP is optional. By default, all properties that exist both on the Objects and Object Class for Converted Objects tables are copied. The MAP provides a way to override this behavior for selected properties.

NOTE: The challenge with IFC is that the property sets, defined in the IFC schema, are defined at the object class level. There is, for example, a separate common property set, Pset_WallCommon, for walls, and Pset_BuildingElementProxyCommon for building element proxies. Because of this, the mapping of the properties from one object class to another is not straightforward. The best result is achieved with the Property Map. In reality you don't even need to copy all the properties.

Property Map (optional)

The first value is the key of a property on the source object class, and the second value is the key of a property on the target object class. The values from the first property are copied to the values of the second property. The 3rd value is again the key of a property on the source object class, the fourth value is the key of a property on the target object class, and so on.

A pipe character “|” delimited list of property identity keys. For example, a building element proxy doesn't have Compartmentation or Combustible properties in Pset_BuildingElementProxyCommon property set. However this is found from the Pset_WallCommon. Maybe you have the value in the building element proxy in your own properties. Then you would need to create a map.

My Compartmentation|Compartmentation|My Combustible|Combustible

NOTE: The property must exist in the Object Class of Converted Objects. The tool does not create it for you. If you need to add the properties, then use the Add Property tool.

Create Group

Defines whether to create a group for the converted objects. Creating a group for the converted objects is a convinient way to check them after the processing. And it is also a good practice in dataflows. You can use the group in the following steps to target your operations.

Group Name

Defines the name of the group for converted objects.