Table Palette

Overview

The Table palette is one of the key features of Simplebim. It allows hiding the complexity of BIM by organizing and analysing data in complex models as a simple table. The Table palette provides a simple, familiar table that is connected to the 3D model. Combining this feature with the idea of normalization (the same data is always in the same place, is reliable and structured in the same way) delivers a very powerful tool!

The Table palette can have many tabs, just like Excel. This means that you can create any number of views to the model based on your specific needs. You could for example have a view (=tab) for pre-cast elements, concrete pours, spaces, interior works – you name it. You can also rename the tabs by right-clicking on the tab and selecting “Rename” or give the tabs a color.

When you have created a great view you can easily duplicate it by right-clicking on the tab and selecting “Duplicate Tab”. This way you can preserve your original view when you want to make slight modifications for a specific purpose.

When you use the Table palette there are 3 things you need to define. These are all described in more detail below.

1. Data: which objects or object groups do you want to see in your table?
2. Layout: which properties of the selected objects or object groups do you want to see, in which order and how do you want to group them?
3. Features: which features do you want to use, do you for example want to colorize the 3D model based on the data in your table? 

But this is not all. The Table palette is not just for viewing and analyzing data inside Simplebim. You can also export the whole table or just the selected view (=tab) to the clipboard, to Excel, to PDF or print it. You can even create a Bimsheet from your Table -palette and use the familiar Excel user interface for editing your data right inside Simplebim.

When you have defined your view(s) you simple save the table either for your own use or for sharing it with others (save to file). Then you import another model and open the saved table – and your table is populated with the data from your new model.

Trimmer Mode

When Trimmer Mode is on the Table palette shows all excluded objects (rows) and excluded properties (columns) as strikethrough.

When Trimmer Mode is off the Table palette shows only included objects and properties, jus as if they didn't exist at all.

Toolbar

Speak All

Speaks all rows (objects) of the table regardless if they are selected or not. This is useful for checking which objects are included in the table

Colorize

Colorizes objects in the table based on the grouping of the table, such that the last expanded group in a branch defines the color.

Export Excel

Exports either the current tab or all tabs to a new Excel file.

Keep Layout

On = when showing new data in the table keeps the previous layout.

Off = when showing new data in the table changes the layout to reflect the new data.

Choose Columns

Opens the Column Chooser dialog that can be used for choosing which columns (properties) are visible in the table. This information is saved as part of the table layout.

Features

Keep Table Layout, when on, keeps the current layout when new data is shown. 

Lock Table Layout prevents the layout from being changed, except for column filters.

Match Columns by Name, when on, matches the columns in a saved table layout with the columns in the current model by name. In this case if the current model has a column with the same name but in for example a different property set, the column from the model is still used.

Hide Empty Columns hides all columns where none of the rows has a value.

Hide Unique Columns hides all columns where each row has a different value.

Hide Single Value Columns  hides all columns where each row have the same value.

Enable Row Filtering, when on, displays the filter row below the column headers in the table. This makes it possible to use advanced filters for each column in the table separately, where the filters reflect the data type of t eh column. This information is saved as part of the table layout.

Enable Column Fixing, when on, displays a pin -icon in the column headers. Clicking on this icon fixes the column to the left side of the table such that it no longer scrolls horizontally with the other columns. This is useful for making sure the most important columns are always visible. This information is saved as part of the table layout.

Merge Cells, when on, merges the cells, starting from the leftmost column, when rows have the same value for the cell. This is a useful feature when analysing data.

Colorize Groups

On = objects in the model are colorized in 3D based on a pre-defined color scheme. The same colors are also shown in the table on each group by row.

Off = objects in the model are not colorized

Show Only Common Properties, when on, displays only columns that exist in all object classes of the objects shown in the table. This works especially well when the model is normalized but still contains also all original properties.

Hide New Columns, when on, hides all columns that are found in the current model but not in the saved table layout. 

Persist Ad Hoc Rows, when on, saves the global IDs (GUID) of the objects as part of the table layout of the content of the table is a ad-hoc collection of objects dropped for example from the 3D palette. This way the table can be re-used with the same model or new versions of the same model. 

Speak, when turned on, allows other palettes can react to selections made in the Table palette, e.g. highlight the selected objects in the 3D window. The action taken by the other palettes is decided in those palettes, for example the 3D window can select, isolate or reveal.

Speak All Rows After Tab Change, when on, speaks of rows of a table every time a different tab is displayed in the Table palette. 

Listen, when on, selects the rows that correspond to objects selected in another palette in the Table palette.

Other

Open Table opens a saved table layout that vas previously saved using Save Table

Open Table from File opens a table layout from a file anywhere on your computer saved using Save Table to File.

Open Saved Tables Folder... opens the local folder used for storing the table layouts saved with Save Table and accessed with Open Table.

Save Table saves the current table layout into a local file for your own use.

Save Table to File saves the current table layout into a file anywhere on your computer for sharing with others.

Set Current Tab Content allows setting the content of the current tab to an object class, object group or to the type objects of an object class in the current model.

Fit Columns auto-fits all columns to accommodate the current content of the table.

Paint Not Applicable Cells sets the background color of all cells that are not applicable for a row. For example if the table shows both walls and spaces the 'Space Name' cells would not be applicable for walls. Note: if the table is showing a lot of objects and there are a lot of not applicable cells, then painting the cells can be slow.

Speak All Rows speaks all rows (objects) of the table regardless if they are selected or not. This is useful for checking which objects are included in the table

Set Speak Action sets how the 3D palette reacts to selections made in other palettes, including the Table palette. The options are Select, Isolate and Reveal.

Export Current Tab exports the content of the current tab to the clipboard, Excel or PDF. There is also the option to create a Bimsheet from the current tab or to print the current tab.

Export All Tabs exports all tabs to Excel. There is also the option to create a new Bimsheet that has a separate worksheet for each tab.

Reset Current Tab Layout resets the layout of the current tab to defaults.

Clear Current Tab clears the content of the current tab and resets the layout

Clear All Tabs clears the content of all tabs and resets their layouts.

Right-Click-Menu

Row

Copy Selected Rows copies the data of the selected rows to the clipboard.

Remove Selected Rows removes the selected rows from the table. If the table is showing objects from an object group removing rows from the table does not remove them from the object group.

Cell

Select Column expands the current selection to all cells of the the column(s) of the selected cell(s)

Copy Selected Cells copies the values of the selected cells to the clipboard

Copy Selected Cells (unique) copies the unique values of the selected cells to the clipboard. This is useful for getting for example a list of unique space names from a model.

Data

The first step is to select which data you want to show in the Table palette. The Table palette can show either the properties of objects or the properties of groups.

All objects from an object class

• Drag and drop an object class from the Objects palette into the Table palette
• Select “Set Current Tab Content” from the menu, then “Object Class” and finally the object class you want to use.

Manual selection of objects

• Drag and drop objects from the 3D Palette or property values from the Properties palette into the Table palette.
• You can drop objects from the same object class or objects from different object classes.
• Drop without modifier keys to set the content of the Table palette
• Hold down Ctrl while you drop to add objects to the Table palette
• Hold down Alt while you drop to remove objects to the Table palette

Type objects

• Select “Set Current Tab Content” from the menu, then “Type Objects” and finally the object class for which you want to see the type objects.
• The Table palette will show the properties of the selected type objects.

Objects in a group

• If your model contains object groups (for example systems and zones) you can drag and drop a group from the Objects palette into the Table palette
• The Table palette will show all objects that belong to the dropped group

Object groups

• Select multiple groups from the Objects palette (hold down Shift) and drag and drop them into the Table palette.
• The table palette will show the properties of the dropped groups, not the properties of the objects in the dropped groups

Object group category

• Select “Set Current Tab Content” from the menu, then “Object Groups” and finally the group category for which you want to see groups.
• The Table palette will show the properties of the selected groups.

Layout

The layout of the Table palette defines the following

• Order of columns = properties. You can drag and drop the column headers to re-arrange them as you wish
• Width of columns. You can re-size the columns by dragging the vertical border of a column header
• Visibility of columns. You can hide columns by dragging a column header outside the table or by un-checking the column in the Field Chooser dialog that opens from the button in the upper left hand corner of the Table palette. In the Field Chooser dialog you can also show hidden columns by checking a hidden column.
• Column summaries. You can set numeric columns to show one or more summaries by clicking on the Summary icon in the column header. You can set a summery for average, count, maximum, minimum and sum.
• Column filters. You can set a filter for each column that filters which rows are shown in the table. This is done in the Filter Row that is shown below the column headers. The filter options vary based on the data type of the column, e.g. string or numeric.
• Column fixing. You can fix columns to the left edge of the table preventing them from scrolling out of view by clicking the Pin icon in the column header
• Group by. You can group the table using one or more columns by dragging a column header into the group by box in the upper left hand corner of the table. You can re-arrange the order of the group by columns by dragging them inside the group by box. To remove a group by column, drag it outside the group by box.