Creates a BIM section entity.
Accessing the Command
Commandline: BIMSECTION
Quad: Model | Define Section
Ribbon: Home | Section
Toolbar: BIM Toolbar | BIM Sections
: BimSection
The Section Tracker is attached to the cursor.
The section plane (1) lies in the XY-plane of the current coordinate system (WCS or UCS). The view direction (2) is in the negative Z-direction of the current coordinate system.
If Dynamic UCS (UCSDETECT) is ON, the section plane aligns to the face of a 3D solid under the cursor.
Prompts you in the command bar:
Select a point to place section or [Detail/Interior/Scale/Reflected ceiling]:
(Specify a point.)
The section plane displays dynamically parallel to UCS XY-plane, through the cursor position.
Specify distance: (Type a distance* or specify a point.)
Note: it is recommended to have Dynamic Dimensions (DYN) active, which allows to type the distance in the dynamic entry field.
The section plane is defined through the point or at the specified offset from the first point.
The section line is parallel to the X-axis of the UCS or dynamic UCS and through the point at the specified offset from the first point.
Only the section line and the callouts of a BIM Section entity display. When highlighted or selected the section plane, section boundary and/or section volume display.
The Clip Display property of the BIM Section entity is enabled by default. Double click the section line or a callout of a section to toggle Clip Display on/off. Multiple sections can have Clip Display on simultaneously.
The Clip Display property can be saved in a model view (See the View command).
BIM section entities are created on the current layer. It is recommended to create a dedicated layer for BIM sections. The BIM_Sections layer is created automatically along the first BIM section entity.
Horizontal sections get the Plan section type, other sections get the Section section type, unless no geometry is cut by the section plane, then the section type is Elevation .
The section type can be edited in the Section Type field on the Properties Bar .
NOTE | The GENERATEASSOCVIEWS system variable controls whether VIEWSECTION produces 2D drawings which are persistently associated with the source 3D model. If GENERATEASSOCIVIEWS is ON, associative dimensions are updated automatically when the 3D model is modified and BIMSECTIONUPDATE is executed. |
Command Options
Option | Description |
Scale | Sets the Scale property of the viewport in the drawing file created by the BIMSECTIONUPDATE command. The default Scale is saved through the SectionScale user preference. Default = 0.02. Prompts you: Specify a scale for the viewport with the section result (0.000001 - 1000000.000000) <0.02>: (Do one of the following:) Press Enter to accept the default scale. The default scale is saved through the SectionScale user preference. Type a value, then press Enter. The value is saved to the SectionScale user preference. |
Detail | Creates a Detail section type. Prompts you: Select first corner of the volume box base rectangle or [Based on an existing section/Scale]: (Specify a point, or choose an option.) Select the oppersite corner of volume box base rectangle: (Do one of the following): Specify a point. Use the dynamic dimension fields to define the base rectangle. Hit the TAB key to switch between the dynamic dimension fields. Select the height of volume box: (Do one of the following): Specify a point. Type a value in the dynamic dimension field. |
Based on an existing section | Creates a Detail section type based on an existing section. The base rectangle of the detail section will be parallel to the section plane of the selected section. Prompts you: Select an existing section plane as base - (Select a Bim section). Select first corner of the volume box base rectangle or [Based on an existing section/Scale] - (Specify a point, or choose an option.) Select the oppersite corner of volume box base rectangle: (Do one of the following): Specify a point. Use the dynamic dimension fields to define the base rectangle. Hit the TAB key to switch between the dynamic dimension fields. Select the height of volume box: (Do one of the following): Specify a point. Type a value in the dynamic dimension field. |
Interior | Creates interior elevations and a floor plan of a room. Prompts you: Select BIM Rooms to generate Interior Elevations - (Select a room). Entities in set: 1 Select BIM Rooms to generate Interior Elevations - (Select more rooms or press Enter.) Interior Elevations created for 1 BIM Room(s). The BIM / Interior Elevations property of the selected room(s) is set to ON. Use BimSectionUpdate to update the interior elevations. |
Reflected ceiling | Creates the plan of a ceiling projected onto the section plane. A reflected ceiling plan shows the size and location of light fixtures and other structures on the ceiling. Prompts you: Select a point to place section or [Detail/Interior/Scale/Reflected ceiling] - (Specify a point). The section plane displays dynamically parallel to UCS XY-plane, through the cursor position. Specify distance - (Type a distance* or specify a point). The Clip display property of a reflected ceiling section is Off by default. |
Grips Editing
BIM Section entities can be edited through grips.
Select the entity. A section entity in Plane state has 3 grips.
- 3: Start grip: allows to move the section and the position of the Start callout..
- 4: End grip: allows to modify the orientation of the section and the position of the End callout.
- 5: Center Grip: allows to move the section and the position of the Mid callout.
- 6: Click the arrow to flip the view direction.
In Boundary state, section entities have five more grips.
- 7: Midpoint grip: allows to move the section entity.
- 8: Corner grip: allows to deform the section boundary/volume.
- 9: Midpoint grip: allows to stretch the section boundary/volume.
- 10: Corner grip: allows to deform the section boundary/volume.
- 11: Midpoint grip: allows to stretch the section boundary/volume.
In Volume state, section entities have two more grips, compared to the boundary state..
- 12: Allows to move the top plane of the section entity.
- 13: Allows to move the bottom plane of the section entity.
Procedures
Align a section plane to a face
To create a vertical section plane
To create a horizontal section plane
To create a vertical jogged section plane
To create a horizontal jogged section plane
To create an orthographic section plane
To open the Drawing Explorer - Section Planes dialog
Editing the properties of a section plane
Difference between Live Section and Clip Display
To modify the size and position of a section plane
To launch SectionPlaneToBlock command
Related Commands
BimPatch - Allows to replace part of a generated section.
BimSectionOpen - Opens the drawing file related to a BIM section entity; or the 3D BIM model related to a BIM section drawing.
BimSectionUpdate - Exports or updates the result of a BIM section in a drawing.
ClipDisplay - Toggles the Clip Display property of a section plane or a BIM section entity.
Section - Creates section planes of 3D solids; the results are region entities.
SectionPlane - Creates a section entity that creates sections of 3D solids.
SectionPlaneSettings - Defines the properties of a section plane entity in the Drawing Explorer - Section Planes dialog.