.ifc Import

[80808089525]

I have an .ifc file that I received from a contractor that was make in Tekla. When I try to import that file in AS2017 as well as AS2018 it tries to load it and acts as if loading completed but nothing is imported. No sections or anything. There are no errors reported or anything in the command line. What am I doing wrong and how can I fix it?

Thanks

[bukko]

Hi,

The Advance Steel IFC import has many problems at this time. In most cases you will have nothing but problems with it.   

It is very unfortunate that this vital import capability is handicapped to the degree that it is in this software.

I don't even bother with IFC imports in Advance Steel. I've had nothing but trouble with them since the beginning (while the same files are easily opened in other programs!!) and Autodesk doesn't seem too concerned about fixing it.

Regards

Craig

ECMS

[leslie.lees]

Oh Dear, My two collegues are using Tekla, and if we can't share models, it won't be worth going any further...

[dgorsman]

IFC has versions, just as DWG does.  Maybe check which version of IFC is being exported by the Tekla users first.

For what it's worth, if this is just about coordination a federated Navisworks model might be the better option than conversion.  It has IFC support which has been updated recently for some of the newer IFC content.  I haven't tried but it may also directly read Tekla models without the additional IFC export.

[bukko]

I didn't mean to imply that it couldn't be done. 

Most likely you will have to spend some time getting it to work.

I recently exported from Tekla into Advance Steel for a stair that I had to create modifications for and it worked but If my memory serves me I exported in a different format than ifc.   I'll get back to you and let you know what combo worked in that particular case but it was a 3d generated model of solids that I could definitely work with.

One way that I had some success with the IFC files was to download and install a the ifc viewer program by Solibre.  They also have a freeware program that will convert and reduce the size of an ifc file and I've found that in one case it helped Advance Steel (really autocad) import the files. It's a "hail Mary" but it might work.

Just be prepared to wait if it's a larger file. 80-300 mb.  AutoCAD is one of the worst out there at handling large ifc files. The onscreen performance for larger files in AutoCAD is really putrid compared to other programs.

Craig

ECMS

[Sebastian_Eiche]

It should be work to import an ifc. In the most cases there are problems with the content in the file... not only produced by AS. Normally there's an errorlog in the Advance file path. In this you could find the lines which are not correct.
You could open (I use notepad++) the ifc file and correct it. Every software create the ifc file a little bit different...what is totally crap for a file which should be used for transfer information between different software.
In Germany we have many problems with our specific characters like ä,ö,ß and so on.
If these are used in an ifc file you couldn't import it.
Maybe this could solve your problem.
And if it don't work, you could use the cis/2 Export from tekla, and the special cis/2 Import in Advance Steel

[johnjmbennett]

With the ifc , if coming from tekla , you need to make sure that the output format is the correct one for steel fabrication. Reviewing previous exported file formats, we find that to keep the context of the ifc transfer tekla relies upon using Breps to show beams of non standard profile as a graphical representation with assiocated meta data. This gives a very good representation within view programs, but not so reliable in actual profile transfer.

Breps are not transferred into AS, also as mentioned previously you can examine the file in notepad++, and see the various Breps , ifc classification.

Help link to tekla:

https://teklastructures.support.tekla.com/2017i/en/int_exporting_into_IFC

You may have to go though the various pages, but it does explain the ifc beam classes, file formats.

[80808089525]

I agree Sebastian, it SHOULD work. There was no error code that came along with it. I appreciate everyones comments on the matter. Im sure that there are ways to get it to work but I dont have any access to Tekla so I cant change the exporting file type. Since I am only getting the file for a bid to a general contractor, he doesnt have any real obligation to work with me on changing file types and using his drafting department's time just to get a bid when many other subs are doing it anyway. The point is that if Advance Steel is going to advertise seamless integration with other programs, it should probably work.

[AleckGiles]

Hi,

Further to other comments you could ask for a CIS/2 file from Tekla instead. This has been recommended to me but the developers as the best format for Tekla transfer. Each format has its good and bad points. There is even a button in AS called "Import Special CIS/2" that was originally called "Import Tekla CIS/2".  I have had both good and bad results with this format and I believe there are options regarding the export on the Tekla side but I have no access to Tekla to say what they are.

[abeeler]

The BIM limitations of Advance Steel have been making me prematurely gray-headed.  However, I've found that the best results come from using the SMLX interchange format through Revit.  My company does a lot of misc. metals, so being able to import concrete slabs, and then being able to edit them to reflect field measurements, has been huge.  We have a Revit seat, and its about the only thing I use Revit for.