Trimble Business Center

Hello, 

when I import an IFC and then want to export a part for example, it is always exported in units of millimeters (1000x) instead of meters as in the original IFC. Do you have experience with exporting IFC from TBC? 

Do you see an issue with those files in another software package?

Since TBC is exchanging the units to something like this

it should work in other packages. Haven't had an issue in Access so far.

Still, IFC creation is non-existing and left to third party to pay for macros, handling is rudimentary, heaps of room for improvement.

Hello, 

when I import an IFC and then want to export a part for example, it is always exported in units of millimeters (1000x) instead of meters as in the original IFC. Do you have experience with exporting IFC from TBC? 

Hello, 

when I import an IFC and then want to export a part for example, it is always exported in units of millimeters (1000x) instead of meters as in the original IFC. Do you have experience with exporting IFC from TBC? 

That's unfortunate. May I ask which software you're trying to read it with?

Of course, it's a bit odd that TBC is converting the unit from meters to millimeters, but since it's part of the IFC standard it's viable to do so. In this case it's the other software that isn't 100% up to scratch.

I've checked some rather old IFC files which I have exported a few years back and it's already the same in those. That decision, to write to IFC in mm, was hence done a few years back, and is hardcoded somewhere in the export routine. You could ask your Trimble dealer to open a ticket with Trimble. But, since this is no bug or out of standard formatting, I doubt they'll look into this. They don't even have enough resources to look at and fix actual bugs.

If you're lucky they may have a hidden/undocumented exporter with special features.

Hello, 

when I import an IFC and then want to export a part for example, it is always exported in units of millimeters (1000x) instead of meters as in the original IFC. Do you have experience with exporting IFC from TBC? 

Yes, there is a problem somewhere.
One example: For example, we use BIM Vision to connect models:
and it doesn't work like this:

That's unfortunate. May I ask which software you're trying to read it with?

Of course, it's a bit odd that TBC is converting the unit from meters to millimeters, but since it's part of the IFC standard it's viable to do so. In this case it's the other software that isn't 100% up to scratch.

I've checked some rather old IFC files which I have exported a few years back and it's already the same in those. That decision, to write to IFC in mm, was hence done a few years back, and is hardcoded somewhere in the export routine. You could ask your Trimble dealer to open a ticket with Trimble. But, since this is no bug or out of standard formatting, I doubt they'll look into this. They don't even have enough resources to look at and fix actual bugs.

If you're lucky they may have a hidden/undocumented exporter with special features.

Hello, 

when I import an IFC and then want to export a part for example, it is always exported in units of millimeters (1000x) instead of meters as in the original IFC. Do you have experience with exporting IFC from TBC? 

From what I've read so far online that issue arises when you try to merge models with different units set. I don't see the potential issue with this. It's just a matter of applying a separate scale to the coordinates during import, but anyway the software can't do it.

I don't know this particular software. But have you tried reading the TBC model into an empty project in BIMVision, export it from there again with hopefully meters as unit, and then merging it to your big project?

Since TBC can't create IFC objects in any decent way in the first place, we're waiting for this since years together with Sketchup modelling and snapping features, I wonder if the export from TBC is really necessary. The file must originate from somewhere else, Tekla/Navisworks or the like. Why the TBC detour?

Yes, there is a problem somewhere.
One example: For example, we use BIM Vision to connect models:
and it doesn't work like this:

That's unfortunate. May I ask which software you're trying to read it with?

Of course, it's a bit odd that TBC is converting the unit from meters to millimeters, but since it's part of the IFC standard it's viable to do so. In this case it's the other software that isn't 100% up to scratch.

I've checked some rather old IFC files which I have exported a few years back and it's already the same in those. That decision, to write to IFC in mm, was hence done a few years back, and is hardcoded somewhere in the export routine. You could ask your Trimble dealer to open a ticket with Trimble. But, since this is no bug or out of standard formatting, I doubt they'll look into this. They don't even have enough resources to look at and fix actual bugs.

If you're lucky they may have a hidden/undocumented exporter with special features.

Hello, 

when I import an IFC and then want to export a part for example, it is always exported in units of millimeters (1000x) instead of meters as in the original IFC. Do you have experience with exporting IFC from TBC?