BIM Interoperability tool: Parameter Mapping

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I am using BIM interoperability tools, and its version is 7.0.6844.0 to export a COBie spreadsheet in Revit 2018.

I mapped or changed a parameter, COBie.Component.Serial Number to Mark that is under Identity data to get a serial no of lighting. I saved it and then update as Update blank parameters, but it did not show up. I tried again with Update all parameter, but still, that serial number did not populate in COBie.Component.Serial Number.

I created a shared parameter and tried to map it. I can see that shared parameter appear in Select Parameter, but it is not working too as it is like no connection between mapped parameter and COBie.Component.Serial Number.

Is there anything I missed in the parameter mapping process?

Mapped ParameterMapped parameter with a created shared parameterHighlighted with yellow colour; after the update all the blank parameter, it should be showed up

[JasonKunkel · Accepted solution]

Using the Parameter Mapping functionality in the COBie Extension works differently than it looks like you are expecting. When you use Parameter Mapping, the COBie Extension will essentially "bypass" the default COBie Extension parameter. It will not fill in the COBie Extension parameter at all. It will use your custom parameter on export. Try generating a spreadsheet. It should pull the data from whatever parameter you have assigned via Parameter Mapping.

[Anonymous]

Thank you very much indeed Jason.

I can see that the mapped parameter, Serial Number, is exported.

I think it would be better if we can see that mapped parameters so that we can quickly double check before we export. 

[Anonymous]

Hi Jason,

I see that you have a lot of experience with the COBie extension. I have a follow-up question to Aung's about Parameter Mapping. My understanding was that mapping an existing parameter to a COBie parameter (e.g. map "Component.Name" to "Mark") would preserve the existing data in "Mark" and fill out the COBie parameter with that data. However, I encountered a problem when it seems that running the Update tool replaced the existing data in Mark with a string I setup in the Component Naming. See attached screenshot.

When you map a COBie parameter to an existing parameter, does it overwrite the existing parameter? What is the intention of using Parameter Mapping? I thought it would fill out COBie parameters with data in existing parameters, not overwrite those values.

Thanks,

John

[JasonKunkel]

Hi John. Let me try to clarify the workflow in the COBie Extension. Unfortunately, how you have it laid out is inverted.

When you run the Update tool in the COBie Extension, the app will generate values for those COBie fields based on the settings in Setup Project for those 18 fields or contacts or the current date/time.

It will then copy that data to the parameters identified in Parameter Mapping. By default those parameters are the COBie.xxx and COBie.Type.xxx parameters. So if you swap those with a custom parameter, the custom parameter might be overwritten with data that the COBie Extension creates.

When you export a spreadsheet, the COBie Extension looks at the parameters in Parameter Mapping to find where to get the data for Excel. So it may totally ignore the COBie.xxx parameters if you have pointed to a custom parameter.

Hopefully, that clears up the workflow. As for your specific question about the purpose of Parameter Mapping, the idea is that firms and users may have been collecting some of the COBie data already in other parameters, so instead of using the COBie.xxx parameters, they can use their own.

I think to avoid the overwriting you encountered, when you run Update, be sure to set SKIP for the fields that you have set up a custom parameter for in Mapped Parameters. That way, no data will be written in there.

Let me know if that doesn't work or if I missed something in your post.

[Anonymous]

Hi Jason,

That describes exactly what happened and why. My firm does not have any prior COBie experience and neither do our collaborators on this project, so I appreciate your response and explanation. I understand it a little better now and will be sure to set up my COBie update settings with more caution now that I know what it does.

Regards,

John Houdek

[PEB73]

This is confusing.

I watched the video on how the parameter mapping works and I interpreted it to mean you could set the COBie parameters with data from a different parameter in the model. What you describe has been happening in my models for the COBie.Type.Category parameter i.e. instead of me being able to set the category from a custom parameter, in this case a Uniclass description, the parameter is being overwritten by the Type Category as set in the Type setup which is not what I want.

I'm using version 7.0.6915.0 I'm sure this didn't happen in previous versions.

Is there no way to set the Type Category with my own information automatically?

[JasonKunkel]

Sorry you are having troubles with the tool. Nothing has changed with the workflow of Parameter Mapping in this release. Again, to try to clear this up, where you say "I interpreted it to mean you could set the COBie parameters with data from a different parameter in the model" that is not correct as you have discovered.

Parameter Mapping is where you can set where the COBie Extension stores and exports to Excel COBie data from. If you run Update, the COBie data will get written to the parameter set in Parameter Mapping. Then when you run Create Spreadsheet, the COBie data from the parameter set in Parameter Mapping will get exported.

You refer to the Type Category: in Setup Project, on the Type page, you can define a series of priorities where the COBie Extension will copy data FROM. Maybe that is what you are thinking of? And again, once you run Update, the COBie Extension will copy data from one of those three locations and write it to the parameter defined in Parameter Mapping.

If you set a custom parameter in Parameter Mapping and want to use the data there, simply do not update it when you run Update and the data will not be overwritten and that data is what will be exported to Excel.

[PEB73]

Thanks I think I have sorted it out now I understand better how the tools work. I just have to remember to Skip the relevant parameters in the update after setting them with custom values. It seems to be working so far.

I do have a problem with importing parameters from another project though. I receive a "Value cannot be null" error for a parameter called source. See attached file. Can you help me with that?

It updates the setting but stops the import at Setup attributes.  

Thanks