Open BIM Quantities

Update history

February 13, 2023

Character set in FIEBDC-3 export (.bc3)

As of version 2023.f, the character set to be used when exporting the bill of quantities in the standard FIEBDC-3 format (.bc3) can be selected from the "Bill of quantities" tab in the applications that have it. For this purpose, the "Character set" field has been included in the export configuration window and has three options:

  • Automatic selection
    The ANSI character set shall be used whenever possible. If the application detects characters that are not compatible with ANSI encoding, the UTF-8 character set shall be used.
  • ANSI
    This is the character set defined for Windows and the default character set used in previous versions. Not all Unicode characters can be represented by this encoding format.
  • UTF-8
    Through this standard encoding format (RFC 3629) all Unicode characters can be represented. However, the current FIEBDC-3 standard specification (3/2020) does not support UFT-8 encoding, so the ANSI character set should be used where possible (Automatic selection).

Thanks to the possibility of exporting and importing the bill of quantities in UTF-8 encoding, applications can now share bills of quantities that include Unicode characters. This establishes a fully multilingual environment for managing the project’s bills of quantities.

In the FIEBDC-3 standard, the character set is specified in the CHARACTER_SET field of the V record.

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January 19, 2023

Mapping to resources

As of version 2023.e, applications with a "Bill of quantities" tab can map their model's elements to an item's resource. For this purpose, in the editing of a mapping file, the "Resource code" option has been added when components are modified in the "Classification" list. By activating this option, users can specify the resource code on which the quantity of the model element will be mapped. This will be added to the breakdown of the concept described by means of the "Concept code" and "Concept reference"  fields.

When the resource indicated in the mapping file is a cost breakdown in the associated cost database, only the unit components of this breakdown shall be assigned to the concept.

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January 19, 2023

“UNTEC method” work section structure

The predefined work section structure "France - UNTEC Method" has been added when creating a new "Set of measurement rules" (Open BIM Quantities) or a "Mapping file" (applications with a "Bill of quantities" tab).

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January 16, 2023

Dockable windows

As of version 2023.e, some CYPE applications have a new dockable window system that replaces the main screen user interface. As a result, users can now customise the workspace to suit their needs.

The list of applications that have this dockable window system appears at the end of this new feature. In future versions, the number of applications with this window system will be increased.

Dockable windows can be moved and resized. They can be either floating windows, pinned to a location within the application's main dialogue box, dragged outside of it, or even moved to another monitor.

  • Move windows
    A docked window can be moved by clicking on the title bar at the top of the window and dragging it.

    When dragging a dockable window, several visual aids are displayed to make its relocation easier. Next to the cursor, a text box appears containing the title of the dockable window being moved. Whenever the cursor approaches the edge of another window, a box appears showing a preview of the space it would occupy.

    It is possible to leave a window as a floating window without docking it to another window, and it is also possible to dock windows within a floating window. Holding down the CTRL key can prevent a floating window from being docked while it is being moved.

  • Group windows
    It is possible to group several windows in the same space by dragging one window to the top left-hand corner or to the bottom left-hand corner of another window. When this is carried out, tabs will appear at the bottom or top of the group, allowing users to alternate between the grouped windows. If the tabs are at the bottom, the title of the group of windows corresponds to the active window. On the other hand, if the tabs are at the top, they will be used as the title.

  • Show/Hide windows
    The icon to close the window can be found in the top right-hand corner of each dockable window.

    To manage the display of the dockable windows in the user interface, a "Window" button () has been added to the application environment, next to the "General Settings" button (icons on the top right-hand side of the program). By clicking on it, a drop-down menu appears with the available dockable windows and users are able to change their status. In addition, there is the "Reset Window Layout" option which allows users to restore the default workspace.

    In some cases, such as the "Work area" of applications with a 3D environment, the window cannot be hidden. In these cases, the icon for closing the window is not displayed and, in the "Window" menu (), the "Work area" will be locked.

  • Collapse windows
    When several dockable windows are arranged vertically, an icon is displayed, next to the close icon, which allows each window to be expanded or collapsed. When the window is collapsed, it will return to its previous size.

The window layout and display settings are saved when closing the application.

It is important to note that not all floating windows in an application are dockable windows. In order to tell them apart, the icon has been added to the title bar of windows that are dockable.

The following applications now include the new floating window environment in version 2023.e:

  • AcouBAT by CYPE
  • CYPE Architecture
  • CYPE Connect
  • CYPEFIRE
  • CYPEHVAC Hydronics 3D
  • CYPEPLUMBING Water Systems
  • CYPESOUND
  • CYPETHERM LOADS
  • Open BIM Analytical Model
  • Open BIM Construction Systems
  • Open BIM COVID-19
  • Open BIM Layout
  • Open BIM Lightning
  • Open BIM Quantities
  • Open BIM Site
  • StruBIM Steel
  • The floating window environment also includes the "Bill of Quantities" tab in all applications that have this tab.
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October 26, 2022

Quantities on the 2D/3D model

As of version 2023.d, all applications with a "Bill of quantities" tab now have a new set of tools that allow users to measure the work area. More specifically, the following options have been added:

  • Measure length
    The distance between points inserted in the work area can be measured. Several segments can be entered and the application will calculate the sum of the lengths of each one.
  • Measure area
    The area of a polygon defined by points inserted in the work area can be measured. Several polygons can be entered and the application will calculate the sum of the areas of each one.
  • Measure angle
    The three-point angle inserted in the work area can be measured. Several angles can be defined and the application will calculate the sum of them.
  • Count the number of objects
    The number of selected 3D model objects can be counted.
  • Measure the area of objects
    The total area of the selected 3D model objects can be measured.
  • Measure the volume of objects
    The total volume of the selected 3D model objects can be measured.

In order to make it easier to measure the quantities of the model, the work area has been modified to incorporate the 3D work environment tools that are already available in other CYPE Open BIM applications:

  • Defining views
    Different types of 2D and 3D views of the model can be generated from the "Views" panel in the sidebar of the work area.
  • Elements read
    The visibility and object snaps of model components can be controlled from the "Elements read" panel in the sidebar of the work area.
  • Inserting components
    When entering a measurement in the work area, the application provides a toolbar to make it easier for users to interact with the environment.

As well as measuring the 3D model, this new set of tools can be used to take measurements on plans or 2D drawings imported from CAD files (".dxf", ".dwg", ".dwf") or images (".jpeg", ".jpg", ".bmp", ".png", ".wmf", ".emf", ".pcx"). These files and the object snaps are managed through the "DXF-DWG Templates" and "Template object snaps" options respectively.

In order to use the measurements in the project's bill of quantities in a simple way, a button with a blue arrow has been added to the editing panel of the detail lines next to the editing window of each variable (A, B, C and D). Clicking it will assign the value of the measurement made on the work area to the variable.

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October 26, 2022

Improved "Zoom" tool

The option to "Zoom" into the 3D model element has been added in the following cases:

  • "Quantities of the BIM model" tab in Open BIM Quantities
    In previous versions, users could frame a component of the IFC model in the 3D view. The same can now be done for the different groups of elements (types, entities, structure, layers and groups).
  • "Bill of quantities" tab in applications
    In previous versions, users could frame the elements used in a quantity detail line of the bill of quantities in the 3D view. The same can now be done for items and work sections.
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October 26, 2022

Font size

The "Font size" option has been added to the general configuration menu of the applications. This tool allows users to increase or decrease the basic size of the font used in the user interface of the programs. Thanks to this implementation, the accessibility of the applications has been improved while also ensuring the correct visibility of the content on devices with different screen resolutions.

To enter a "Basic size" the "Set custom font size" option must be checked. The size users can enter is the application's basic font size. Any other font sizes that may exist in the program's interface will be automatically modified proportionally according to the change in the basic size.

It is important to note that, as this is a common parameter, its modification will affect all installed CYPE tools.

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September 21, 2022

Sets of measurement rules window

The editing window of the sets of measurement rules now allows users to continue working with other windows of the application without having to close it. This allows the BIM model loaded in the application to be inspected while defining the rules of measurement.

An "Apply" button has been added within the editing of a set of measurement rules. By clicking it, the rules of measurement will be applied to the model in the "Quantities of the BIM model" tab with no need to "Accept" the changes.

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September 20, 2022

New model parameters for rules of measurement

In the "Selection" panel of a rule of measurement, the "Entity" field has been added with two options: "Component" and "Spatial structure element". By selecting the latter, filtering can be carried out based on the parameters associated with the spatial structure element containing the components of the BIM model (e.g. the type of space in which they are located). In this case, the spatial structure element referred to in the IFC standard must be indicated:

  • Site (“IfcSite”)
  • Building (“IfcBuilding”)
  • Storey or level (“IfcBuildingStorey”)
  • Space (“IfcSpace”)

The "Component" option works in the same way as in previous versions, where a parameter is selected from the component of the BIM model itself.

The "Entity" field has also been enabled in the definition of the "Quantities" variables (B, C and D) of the "Items" associated with a rule of measurement. This way, the properties and quantities of the spatial structure elements containing the selected components can now be used to define the quantity criteria.

With the reading of the BIM model layers in version 2023.b and the reading of the BIM model object groups in this version, two new attributes associated with the BIM model components (layer and group) have emerged. However, up until now, its value could not be used to generate the bill of quantities from the rules of measurement. For this reason, we have extended the options of the "Type" of parameter drop-down menu. It can be found in the "Selection" panel of the model components, as well as in the definition of the variables of the "Detail line" comment, in the "Tags" and in the "Quantities" (B, C and D) of the "Items". It is now possible to choose between "Properties" and "Quantities", as well as the name of the "Layer" or "Group".

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September 20, 2022

BIM model object groups

As of version 2023.c, Open BIM Quantities offers four different ways of displaying the BIM model component tree in the "Quantities of the BIM model" tab. Up until now, elements could be arranged according to the IFC entity in which they belong (IfcWall, IfcSlab, IfcSpace, etc), the spatial structure (IfcSite->IfcBuilding-> IfcBuildingStorey, etc.) or the layer in which they are located. In this update, the "Groups" button has been added to the set of "View" options in the application toolbar. By clicking on it, the tree is organised based on the groups defined in the IFC model ( via the "IfcGroup" entity). The components of a group are collected in a branch of the tree which is given the name of the group.

For viewing groups in jobs made with previous versions of Open BIM Quantities, the linked BIMserver.center project must be updated.

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September 20, 2022

Icons in the component tree of the BIM model

The icons in the BIM model component tree that are displayed next to each element have been modified in order to provide more information on their status. The statuses associated with each icon are as follows:

  • All components have at least one associated item.
  • None of the components have associated items because they have been selected from a rule of measurement not marked as "Import" in the set of rules.
  • Some components in that group have an associated item and other components do not have associated items because they have been selected from a rule of measurement that is not marked as "Import".
  • There are selected components in a rule of measurement with warnings.
  • There are components without an associated item.
  • An error has occurred when applying the rule of measurement to one of the components.
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