About Object Types

This section provides definitions you should be familiar with to understand how to create and use object types in Building and Civil Assemblies.

BIM

Building Information Modeling. Also known as modeler. A digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a building. The BIM enable sharing reliable information throughout the lifetime of a building, defined from conception to demolition.

BIM manager

Person in charge of the Building Information Modeling management. This person is responsible for capitalizing and sharing the company knowledge, structuring a project and making sure the delivered model complies with the original expectations and the standards. For more information, see Setting Up Procedure (BIM Manager).

BIM technician

A CAD technician whose position involves a specialized technical knowledge in the construction or software domains.

IFC

IFC stands for Industry Foundation Classes. It is an object-oriented file format used by the AEC industry to exchange and share information between software products. For more information, see IFC.

Business Object

An object can be a feature (3D shape) or a PLM Reference. Also referred to as object. Business objects are created by BIM technicians

Specification Feature

Also referred to as component specification feature, or component specification, or specification, or anchor (in Smart Mechanical Components). It is an extended axis system feature containing technological and geometrical information needed to automatically generate 3D models in part and product contexts. This type of feature specifies an object in terms of attributes and main characteristics. A specification can be exposed at feature-level as user feature or at product-level.

User Feature

A template that lets you model a geometrical feature based on the composition of other features. It is a template that works at the 3D shape representation level. From a collection of features (geometry, literals, formulas, constraints, etc.), a user can create his own feature. The result is a Part Design feature or a Generative Shape Design feature that can be reused in the design of another 3D shape representation.

Engineering Template

A representation that allows BIM managers or project leaders to create structured reusable components that any user can access at design time. It works at the product level.

Object types are defined as resource objects that do not take part to the product structure.

Object Type Definition

Defines the specific information about a type, being common to all occurrences of this type. It refers to the specific level of the well-recognized generic - specific - occurrence modeling paradigm. The object type is assigned to an individual object through a conceptual relationship Defines by Type.

The above figure illustrates the relationship that links a type to an object type. One object type can define by type several objects.

The above figure illustrates a conceptual object type.

• Object types are created by BIM managers.
• Object types bear attributes (that is Pset/Qto) and a resource table that provides the necessary information to build a simplified and a detailed 3D view of objects defined by those object types.
• BIM Technicians create building and civil objects by object types in Building and Civil Assemblies from a typical product structure. To complete the definition, as a BIM technician, use the BIM Attributes command. The corresponding BIM Attributes panel reflects the current selection, and possibly provides a list of the object types that are available.

  For more information, see Specifying Product Attributes.

Example of object types for the Pier Type

In the component-based design approach, a component is modeled with the help of object types.

This section describes the basic resources an object type can contain.

When defining an object type, you can assign a product-based component to the product-based design model of an object type directly.

An object type contains:

• Attributes. An object type supports standard Pset/Qto through extensions
• Resource table:
  • Icons: Various format to help the BIM technician in choosing an object type.
  • Documentation: One or several documents describing further the object type.
  • A feature-based design (optional): Used to produce a rough 3D representation.
  • A product-based design that can either be an engineering template or a reference (optional): Used to produce a detailed 3D representation.
  • Design Table (optional): To limit the variability of a design. See Creating Object Type Families.
    
    

This section provides an example to illustrate the usage of an object type.

Consider a BIM manager wants to restrict the types of wall objects in the project to Shear Wall and Partitioning Wall and thereby give the exact specifications for those object types in terms of attributes (for example specify a Thickness value) and structure (for example a shear wall is made up of a concrete layer, an insulation layer and a covering). The objective is to prevent technicians from creating walls with non-standard characteristics.

With Civil Engineering 3D Design, you draw geometry, and create and modify shapes and feature objects in the 3D shape or feature world—also referred to as part context. In Building and Civil Assemblies you are in the product world—also referred to as product context, you can create and edit the product structure, and move and position 3D parts, products and PLM objects.

In both cases, you can generate geometry of a predefined object. The major difference between these two work environments is PLM (based on Owner, lifecycle, revision). A PLM object enables to identify directly the different attributes of a product in a database. It is not possible in the 3D shape or feature world.

Three types of object types are available in Building and Civil Assemblies and Civil Engineering 3D Design.

The BIM manager make these object types available to you.

Reference Object Type

Fixed and driven by parameters only. Two levels of detail. The object is an instantiation of the reference template. This object is mostly used in the component-based design approach.

This object is positioned in a context but its geometry is not adaptive. It can be used with manufactured items or patterns of uniform objects. You can then select its design level, as an example, you can specify a limited detail level for a pre-design step in the 3D shape or feature world and a structured and detailed design in the product world.

If it is used with a multi-instantiation method, in the feature world, the geometry is not duplicated in database (it is stored only once). In the product world, there is a difference with the adaptive object type: it is possible to create a repetitive object with the same or with different attributes for each instance.

In the first case, attributes and geometry of each object are present once in the database. In the second case, the attributes and geometry of each object are duplicated. Attributes and geometry are less demanding in terms of storage and treatment resources than an adaptive object type.

Example of a bridge crosshead (same object in the entire project)

Consider the figure above where the two blue-circled crossheads are similar. The reference object type permits saving resources.

Adaptive Object Type

Adapts to its environment. Two levels of detail. The object is an instantiation of the engineering template. This object is mostly used in the component-based design approach.

The shape of the object depends of its position on a project. It is automatically adapted to its geometrical context in a project. You can later on select its design level. For example, you can select a limited detail level for a pre-design step in the 3D shape or feature world and a structured and detailed design in the product world.

If the object is used with a multi-instantiation method, in the 3D shape or feature world, only geometry is duplicated in database. In the product world, both geometry and attributes are duplicated in database. In each case, duplication involves storage and treatment resources.

Example of a bridge column with adaptive height to the ground level

Consider the figure above where both columns (marked with an arrow) are originated from the same adaptive object type. They are instantiated in the model simultaneously. Their dimensions are different.

Distribution Object Type

The geometry of such an object is a simple copy of its associated feature. This geometry adapts to the environment. The geometry in both the 3D shape or feature world and the product world should exactly be the same. If the object is used with a multi-instantiation method, it is duplicated in the database whereas the attributes are similar for each instance.

Example of a feature structure and a product structure for the same Object (deck segment)

In the above example, only the structure of the two first deck segments is displayed.