CAD & BIM: Is There A Free Pass? A Report on GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD’s DWG Workflow Ralph Grabowski December 2010  a research paper from upFront.reSearch funded by Graphisoft an imprint of upFront.eZine Publishing, Ltd. CAD & BIM: Is There a Free Pass? 2  upFront.reSearch This research paper was prepared with financially support from Gra- phisoft, who have reviewed the con- tents for accuracy. Public and private sources may have assisted in provid- ing the information reported by this research paper. upFront. eZine Publishing, Ltd. provides this research paper as-is and does not guarantee its accuracy, and is not liable for any loss resulting from the use of its content. Over time, the information and summaries may change. upFront. eZine Publishing acknowledges that trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.  Credits Technical Writer Ralph Grabowski Copy Editor Stephen Dunning Technical Oversight Akos Pfemeter Production upFront.eZine Publishing  Copyright Copyright © 2010 by Graphisoft. All rights reserved worldwide. www.graphisoft.com ISBN: 978-1-926897-15-8 Visit www.upfrontezine.com/ebooks for the complete catalog of ebooks on working with computer-aided design software. upFront.reSearch Report on GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD’s DWG Workflow 3  Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................5 About the Author ................................................................................................................................................6 About upFront.reSearch .....................................................................................................................................6 I. Introduction to the Problem .....................................................................7 2D Linework vs. 3D Building Structures: Two Approaches to Design ....................................................7 2D Linework ....................................................................................................................................................................................................7 3D Building Structures ...................................................................................................................................................................................8 2D Drawing vs. 3D Modeling ........................................................................................................................................................................9 Basic Approaches to Conversion ...................................................................................................................10 Translation choice #1: Functional Correctness .....................................................................................................................................10 Translation choice #2 Visual Accuracy ....................................................................................................................................................11 Summary of Pros and Cons .............................................................................................................................12 II. Philosophy of ArchiCAD’s Support for DWG .........................................13 Openness = Multi-format Support ................................................................................................................13 Incompatibility = Translation + Problems ....................................................................................................14 ArchiCAD Does the Heavy Lifting ................................................................................................................15 Method 1: Importing AutoCAD Drawings .............................................................................................................................................15 Method 2: Merging Designs ........................................................................................................................................................................16 Method 3: Referencing Designs .................................................................................................................................................................18 Exporting ArchiCAD Drawings ...............................................................................................................................................................19 Translator Options and Settings ...............................................................................................................................................................20 Understanding Compromises .........................................................................................................................22 Entities ............................................................................................................................................................................................................22 Objects ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................23 Dimensions ....................................................................................................................................................................................................24 3D Models, 2D Views ..................................................................................................................................................................................24 Schedules ........................................................................................................................................................................................................25 upFront.reSearch CAD & BIM: Is There a Free Pass? 4 III. Making BIM Work with 2D CAD ..............................................................27 Practical Workflows ..........................................................................................................................................27 Making Use of DWG Data in ArchiCAD ................................................................................................................................................27 Making Use of ArchiCAD Data in DWG ................................................................................................................................................28 Summary of Solutions .......................................................................................................................................29 From AutoCAD to ArchiCAD ..................................................................................................................................................................29 From ArchiCAD to AutoCAD ..................................................................................................................................................................29 IV. Conclusion ..................................................................................................31 Hybrid Workflows .............................................................................................................................................31 upFront.reSearch Report on GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD’s DWG Workflow 5  Abstract Some 40 years after the introduction of 2D computer-aided drafting, programs like AutoCAD and In- telliCAD that mimic the hand drafting process are still popular. This is surprising, given that 3D mod- eling software programs, like Revit and ArchiCAD, are nearly as old, yet have the added advantage that they simulate the real world. True, it is easier to start drawing right away with a 2D design program, but it is puzzling that many architectural and engineering firms still prefer to represent walls and floors with four lines, rather than model them as a 3D walls and floors, complete with structural information. Because the two wildly different design systems are in common use, it is not uncommon to find that users of both systems must work with each other. The problem is that the approach to 2D drafting is so different from that of 3D modeling, and so the two are not particularly compatible. This paper describes the incompatibilities between the two design systems, and then provides a solu- tion: the hybrid workflow. This paper suggests a two-fold solution to the problem of converting draw- ings between AutoCAD and ArchiCAD: • Visual accuracy • Functional accuracy The title to this paper asks the question, “Is there a free pass between CAD and BIM?” There is no free pass. But by understanding the issues involved and by pre-planning, 2D line drawings can be made to work with 3D models — and vice versa. upFront.reSearch CAD & BIM: Is There a Free Pass? 6 About the Author Ralph Grabowski is an engineer with 25 years of experience with computer-aided design. He is the author of over 100 books on CAD, the editor of upFront.eZine e-newsletter and WorldCAD Access weblog, and the publisher of eBooks.onLine. [email protected]. About upFront.reSearch This research paper was prepared by upFront.reSearch on behalf of Graphisoft. upFront.reSearch has also prepared research papers on behalf of Autodesk, Adobe, Bricsys, Graebert, IMAGINiT Technologies, IMSI/design, IntelliCAD, and SolidWorks. upFront.reSearch is an imprint of upFront.eZine Publishing, Ltd. www.upfrontezine.com/reSearch upFront.reSearch Report on GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD’s DWG Workflow 7  I. Introduction to the Problem 2D Linework vs. 3D Building Structures: Two Approaches to Design 2D LINEWORK Traditional computer-aided design software mimics traditional hand drafting, in which drawings are almost always made in 2D, with lines and arcs representing objects in floor plans, elevations, fram- ing plans, and details. In the 1980s, computer-aided design began replacing drafting boards, yet three decades later, many design packages, such as AutoCAD and IntelliCAD, continue to mimic the hand drafting process. Left: Elevation drawn by hand in 1940. Right: Elevation drawn in 2D by design software in 2010. upFront.reSearch CAD & BIM: Is There a Free Pass? 8 The lines and arcs drawn by these design systems contain basic knowledge about themselves, such as their length and angle. In addition, limited amounts of information can be added to 2D drawings, such as tables of data. While many of these design packages can create 3D models, they are not much more intelligent than 2D linework. For instance, these 3D models don’t know how much they weigh! Many drawing files are employed when buildings are designed using 2D-oriented design packages. For instance, AutoCAD has a “sheet set manager,” a control panel meant for keeping track of the dozens or hundreds of drawings needed for building projects. Many users purchase additional software to make it easier for them to design buildings with linework-based software. They needn’t, for alternatives are readily available. 3D BUILDING STRUCTURES In the late 1980s, a completely different kind of design software was developed. Instead of mimicking hand drafting, it used 3D models to mimic the real-world structures that make up buildings, such as the walls, floors, windows, and doors. With the old style of design software, drafters drew four independent lines to represent the edges of a wall. With the new style of software, drafters draw the entire wall fully three-dimensionally with useful information embedded, such as the material from which it should be constructed. See the figure below. Wall drawn by 3D modeling software. The new line of software uses intelligent objects. Walls know that they are upright, connect to other walls, have floors above and below them, and make openings for doors and windows. They contain in- formation, such as the materials from which they are made, whether they are interior or exterior, and whether they contain insulation or are faced with cladding. This kind of information is missing from the four lines. upFront.reSearch Report on GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD’s DWG Workflow 9 This 3D modeling software is available from companies such as Autodesk (Revit), Graphisoft (ArchiCAD), and Nemetschek (AllPlan). They work in roughly the same way: when a building is designed in 3D, the design is stored in a single file that contains everything known about the building, from its core structure to electrical wiring, carpet colors, and bills of material. When necessary, 2D drawings can be extracted from the 3D model. Projects contain all data relating to a single building model, as illustrat- ed by ArchiCAD’s Navigator panel. See figure at right. The Navigator panel shows how a single 3D model integrates 3D data, elevations and floor plans, object inventories, 2D drawing sheets, reports, and more. 2D DRAWING VS. 3D MODELING Although 3D modeling software is almost as old as 2D drafting soft- ware, 2D software surprisingly became much more popular — and remains that way in today’s market. There are two factors that may have contributed to this: • 2D drafting tends to be easier to understand, and to thus begin using. • 2D drafting software can be cheaper than 3D modeling software, though not always. And so here we are in 2010 with two completely different ways of creating drawings, each employing a method that is inherently incompatible with the other. The good news is that as long as different systems remain separate, they work well within their own spheres. For instance, AutoCAD users can easily exchange drawings with AutoCAD LT and Intelli- CAD users, because all use the same file format. Data exchange between 2D packages is not prob- lematic, because there aren’t conceptual differences between the systems. A problem occurs, however, when the AutoCAD user wants to access 3D models created by a Revit or an ArchiCAD — and vice versa. AutoCAD cannot understand what they are saying, and so data exchange between 2D CAD and 3D BIM is a challenge in both directions. Freely-composed 2D line- work needs to be integrated into a modelling environment; complex BIM models need to be trans- lated into 2D primitives. A well thought-out translation system provides the solution for those times when users need to mix and match drawings from AutoCAD and ArchiCAD. For instance, it is not uncommon for an ArchiCAD-using architect to read site elevation data recorded by an AutoCAD-using surveyor, thus translation system needs to ensure the AutoCAD drawings mesh well with the 3D model. As it turns out, there are two solutions. One is to maintain object integrity; the other is to maintain visual accuracy. Translated drawings may function correctly or look correctly, but not necessarily both. The purpose of this white paper is to examine the differences between functional and visual accuracy, and then explain the solutions provided by Graphisoft in its ArchiCAD software. upFront.reSearch CAD & BIM: Is There a Free Pass? 10 Basic Approaches to Conversion CAD programs primarily create 2D linework, and at the binary level they are incompatible with BIM solutions that primarily create 3D models. To complicate matters further, both have conceptual dif- ferences as well. As a result, you will need to be prepared for a few compromises, should you need to exchange data between these systems. Now, it is true that standard element information, such as basic objects and properties, tends to trans- late without problems, but to translate system-specific information you have two choices: as we have seen: to maintain functional correctness or to maintain visual accuracy. Either choice works fine in its own way, but you cannot mix the two. The choice you make should be based on the exact purposes for which you need information from the other system: • If you need to further edit elements, then your obvious choice is functional correctness. • If you only need drawings as references or backgrounds, then you should go for visual accuracy. TRANSLATION CHOICE #1: FUNCTIONAL CORRECTNESS Oft times, your 3D building models need to access the information stored in AutoCAD drawings (a.k.a. “DWG format”). The information can range from survey data of the land, to symbols (blocks) of windows drawn by manufacturers in DWG format. In these cases, you want the lines and other information from the AutoCAD files translated to a for- mat understood by your 3D modeling software. Because the two systems treat data in such a different manner, they face many subtle difficulties in translation. Do colors and plot styles match? How should unique entities be handled? What about layer names? Should layouts be included? Are the same sets of fonts available on both systems? Do the drawing scales match? The issue of scale may come as a surprise to you, since we always work with design software at full- size scale, 1:1. The problem lies in the fact that AutoCAD measures distances in “generic” units that are neither metric nor Imperial. As a result, one stage in any translation process is specifying whether AutoCAD’s linear units should be interpreted as inches, feet, millimeters, meters, or perhaps some other esoteric unit. (Fortunately, AutoCAD’s angle measurements do not suffer from this problem.) I talk about these translation issues in greater detail later in this white paper. Once you spend a few moments setting up the parameters correctly for an optimal translation, you simply reuse the same settings for subsequent translations. The result is a drawing that you can modify with the 3D modeling software’s tools. upFront.reSearch