Introduction

The mapping process consists of:

• The ability to create mappings from object types, listed in model family types to BIMXtra schedules and columns. These can be done individually, in groups via copy and paste and with templates applied to the whole model. Each mapping must be saved before moving onto another.
• The ability to import the model data into BIMXtra schedules as configured with the current mappings. Models can be imported individually or in bulk. The process of importing is done in the cloud and takes a varying amount of time depending on the number of models imported and the number of items mapped.

Available models

The models available to be mapped by your company either as model owner or additional company. The selected model is the one currently being worked on for all actions on this page:

Import information

Information relating to the importing of the currently selected model into schedules. During the import process this button will change colour and prompt to show the various stages underway:

Save Layout

 Save the layout of the screen, including column sizes and positions.

User parameters

User parameters are custom parameters created as a combination of system parameters and sections of text. This enables multiple values of a family model type to be combined into a single item and configured in one column of a schedule.

e.g. Two separate values of "Tag" & "100" can be combined in a user parameter "Tag-100".

User parameters are defined and saved on the selected model family type, and are available to be used for all sub items of that type.

Parameters

Select an existing user parameter to edit or delete it. Select new parameter to create a new user parameter.

Parameter Name

Enter the name of the user parameter – this is what will be selected from the BIM column drop down to configure this to a schedule.

Parameter – Add

Select a system parameter and click Add to use its value as part of the user parameter value.

Free Text – Add

Enter some text and click add to use it as part of the user parameter value.

Order

Select an item in the list and move it up, down or delete it.
Up - Move the selection item up in the order.

Delete -  Delete the selected item from the user parameter definition.

Down - Move the selected item down in the order.

Result

A prompt that shows the format of the selected user parameter definition. 

Save, Cancel, Delete

Save, cancel or delete the currently selected user parameter definition.

Overrides

The DescriptiveName of an item in a schedule is set by the value of the name (import column) unless the name override is set. Use manage overrides listing to setup the available name overrides.

Name overrides are saved for the project and can be used to override the name of any item from any model.
Typically, this is used to provide the same item name listing in a schedule for items that come from different family types and different models.

Add New Record

 Create a new Parameter Name Override value to be used in mapping.

Edit

Edit the currently selected name override. Enter your text value then,
Accept the change with the tick, or cancel the change with the cross.

Delete

Delete the currently selected name override.

Apply Override Value to Import Column

To use a name override for a selected family type, select it from the name override option in the import columns.

Once you have imported changes for your models the override will be seen in the descriptive name of the schedules.

Templates

 Access the Template tools for working with saved mapping configurations

Model Mapping Template

The currently selected model's mappings can be saved to a template. This template can then be applied at a later stage to another model.
Mapping templates are saved to your user profile and are therefore available across all the projects you have access to. Therefore, mapping templates must have unique names for all of your projects.

Create template

To create a template (including saving over an existing one) from the currently selected model mappings, enter a name and click

Apply template

To apply a template to the currently selected model, select the template name from the drop down and click

Delete template

Delete the selected Template

Options

Access the configuration for Mapping Options, including Automatic Fuzzy Matching.

Enable

Automatic mapping is enable by selecting one of the below options:

• None - Automatic Mapping is switched off in this state
• Fuzzy Text Match - Will attempt to map the most family item to the relevant schedule and columns
• Exact Match - Will match family to schedule complete with matching parameter names to relevant column

In addition to mapping the schedule when Fuzzy Text Match is on the system will attempt to match imported family parameters with schedule columns i.e Building, Level, Length and Width.

Fuzzy matching is automatically applied when you open the family and will not be saved until the save button is pressed on the mapping screen.

To stop Fuzzy mapping returning to the settings window and select the none option

Schedule Mapping

• Match Category - this will attempt to match the model category text i.e door with a schedule name in the system
• Match Family - this will attempt to match the model family text i.e external doors with a schedule name in the system
• Match Both - this will attempt to match the concatenated Category and Family text i.e. doors/external doors with a schedule name in the system
• Match ImportTag - this will attempt to match the family text ie external doors with an ImportTag configured in the schedule customisation page. 

Column Mapping

• Match Column Name - Will attempt to match the Parameter name to the most relevant System controlled column Name for a selected schedule
• Match Friendly Name - Will attempt to match the Parameter name to the most relevant Friendly Name specified for the column as configured in the schedule customisation page

Model family types

The objects in the uploaded model are listed by family and type. The families and types that are available depend on the source model and the uploading plugin.
e.g.: The listing for a Revit model uploaded with the Revit exporter plugin will be different from those for an IFC file uploaded with the IFC exporter.

Use the search box to filter the list of family types shown.

The colour dots refer to the mapped status of the items in that entry.

Red indicates that no objects of that type are mapped.
Orange indicates that some of the objects of that type are mapped.
Green indicates that all objects of that type are mapped.

Objects are listed with a name combination of family category / family type.
Again this depends on a combination of the source file and object types and the uploader used.

BIM schedules

With a model family type object selected, the BIM schedule that it is mapped to can be selected.
Each object can be mapped into one schedule whilst the type of schedule determines the BIM columns that are available for mapping.
Refer to your project super user for details of project based schedule configurations.

Parameter mapping

Configure the parameter values to be imported from the source model to schedules.

BIM Column

The User Friendly Name of the Name column of a schedule that a value is mapped into. Refer to this name to tie in with schedule configurations.

Show All Columns

Shows all possible columns available to be configured in the currently selected BIM schedule.
Unconfigured columns are shown in pink.

Import Column

The name of the property imported from the model to be used as the value in the schedule. The colour of the listing, along with the round bracket entry, refers to the type of property from the model.

Blue indicates a value of the object family type.

Black indicates a value of the individual object instance.

Green indicates a value of the model that relates to that object, even though it is not directly a property of that object. E.g: ‘Building’ refers to the reference set for the model during the upload.

Orange indicates a user parameter defined for the currently selected model family type.

The value shown in square brackets […..] is an example of the values from the selected family.  It is intended to help map the correct property by showing which values are set and which are blank. 

Note: Knowledge of the source file properties is required to ensure accurate mapping of data.

If an import column is left blank then it remains an unmapped value and is edited manually in the BIMXtra workflow.  Refer to the design/schedules section for details.

System Column

The name of the Schedule Column that a value is mapped into. Refer to this name to tie in with schedule configurations.

Show All Properties

Shows all import parameters from the source model including those that have not got a value set. Orange indicates the values that are not set in the source model.

This is typically used to configure schedule mapping at an early stage prior to the completion of data values in a source model. Doing this ensures that subsequently issued source files are valid and have data fields present as previously agreed.

Divisor

The divisor calculated on the import column. Typically used to change the units of a value.

          e.g. a Divisor value of '1000' will change an import column of 1(m) to 1000(mm)

System Column:  The database name of the of the column, for consistent reference across the project.

Tools

  Save - Saves the currently selected object mappings. Must be saved before moving to another object.

  Copy - Copies the mappings of the currently selected object, including any DIVISOR setting.

 Paste - Pastes the previously copied mappings to the currently selected items. Items are selected with the tick boxes in the model family types tree. 

  Default Mappings - Applies the default mappings to the currently selected object only. Uses the same mappings as the model default mappings button.

  Delete Mappings - Deletes the mappings from the currently selected object only. 

Import

Mapping data from the model to the import columns defines how data is imported into BIMXtra schedules. Data is imported into BIMXtra schedules in 2 ways:

1. When a model is loaded by a plugin and mapped for the first time in a project, the import is forced through manually with the currently saved mappings.
2. When an already uploaded model is re-uploaded by a plugin, the import is forced automatically with the currently saved mappings.

Use the import options to force that import process and to populate the schedules with imported data at any other time to suit your workflow.
Specifically, it's important to import any changes you make to mappings to see those changes for any currently loaded models in the currently visible schedules.

Import Changes

Sends an import request for the currently selected model to the job queue immediately. 

Import Selection

Sends an import request for the multiple selected models to the job queue immediately. 

Select the models to import and press import selected. The mapping changed date shown against any model is the last date any changes to the mappings were made and that have not yet been imported.

Validation

When saving the mapping a validation check is made against the mappings. If a text field has been mapped into a numerical column the system will highlight the field in Red and request that it's content be changed to an appropriate data type.