BIM Sections

Command: BimSection

Overview: In this lesson will you learn how to create and manage plan, elevation, and section planes. How to create design documentation from these section planes will be covered in a future lesson.

Lesson Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

• Cut through a BIM model horizontally to show the details on a floor plan
• Cut through a BIM model vertically to show the interior detail
• Display a BIM model with a vertical section outside the model
• Toggle the Clip Display property of a BIM section entity
• Control the visibility of your BIM section cuts

Defining a Section

In BricsCAD BIM, the Define Section tool allows you to create BIM section entities. The BIM section allows you to section a BIM model by a plane and thus view the interior details.

For more information about this command, visit the Command Reference article BimSection.

When defining a BIM section, 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 direction of the current coordinate system.

Note:

• If Dynamic UCS (DUCS) is ON, the section plane aligns to the face of the 3D solid under the cursor. Hit the TAB-key to select an obscured face.
• You can press the Shift-key to lock a highlighted plane, allowing you to specify the definition point for the BIM section entity outside the face of the solid.
• The section line is parallel to the X-axis of the coordinate system (WCS, UCS or DUCS).

General procedure to create a BIM Section

1. Choose Define Section in the Model tab of the No Selection Quad.
   You are prompted: Select a point to place section or [Detail/Interior/Scale/Reflected ceiling]:
2. Do one of the following:
   • • To create a plan section, click a point anywhere outside the model.
     • Hover the cursor over the face of a 3D solid, parallel to the section plane you want to create. The section tracker aligns to the face under the cursor, on the condition that DUCS is active. Left-click.
     • Optional Hit the Shift-key to lock the highlighted plane. This allows you to start from a point outside the selected 3D solid face. Next, left-click.
3. The initial section plane displays dynamically and the 3D model is clipped accordingly.
   You are prompted: Specify distance:
   Do one of the following:
   • Type a value in the dynamic dimension field to offset the section from the initial position.
   • Left-click when the section plane is at the location you want it to be.

The BIM Section entity is defined.

The Section Type depends on the direction of the section plane (horizontal or vertical) and whether it intersects with the model.

To create a plan section

Note: A plan section is best defined in the WCS (World Coordinate System).

1. Choose Define Section in the Model tab of the No Selection Quad.
   You are prompted: Select a point to place section or [Detail/Interior/Scale/Reflected ceiling]:
2. Place the Section Tracker near the 3D model and click (6).
   

   

   
   The initial section plane lies in the XY-plane (Z = 0) of the current coordinate system (e.g. the WCS).
   The section plane displays dynamically and the 3D model is clipped accordingly (7).
   
   You are prompted: Specify distance:
3. If Dynamic Dimension is ON, the current distance displays in a dynamic dimension field.
   Do one of the following:
   • Move the cursor and click when the section plane is at the desired height.
   • Use an Entity Snap to specify a point.
   • Type a value to define the offset from the initial position of the section plane.

The plan section is defined.

To create a cross section

Make sure Dynamic UCS (DUCS) is enabled.

1. Choose Define Section in the Model tab of the No Selection Quad.
   You are prompted: Select a point to place section or [Detail/Interior/Scale/Reflected ceiling]:
2. Place the section tracker over a 3D solid face (8) parallel to the cross-section to be defined.
   
3. Click when the face highlights and move the section tracker inside the 3D model.
   The section plane displays dynamically and the 3D model is clipped accordingly (9).
   
   You are prompted: Specify distance:
   If Dynamic Dimension is ON, the current distance displays in a dynamic dimension field.
4. Click when the section plane is at the desired location or specify a distance.
   The cross-section is defined.
5. (Optional) Click the section entity and hold down the left mouse key a little longer to display the Manipulator. Drag an axis of the manipulator to move the section.
6. (Optional) Click the Arrow grip to flip the view direction.

To create an elevation

Make sure Dynamic UCS (DUCS) is enabled.

1. Choose Define Section in the Model tab of the No Selection Quad.
   You are prompted: Select a point to place section or [Detail/Interior/Scale/Reflected ceiling]:
2. Place the Section Tracker over a 3D solid face (10) which is parallel to the elevation to be defined and click when face highlights.
   
   
3. You are prompted: Specify distance:
   Move the section tracker outside the 3D model and click to define the elevation (11).
   
   

Vertical sections outside the model (no geometry is sectioned) get the Elevation section type automatically.

Editing the default properties of a BIM Section

The default properties of a BIM section entity are copied from the section entities in _SectionSettings.dwg in the BIM/Sections subfolder of the Support folder.

1. Select the BIM section in the drawing or the Structure panel.
   The section properties display in the Properties panel.

2. Define the properties of the BIM section entity.
   
   

Section Entity:

Geometry:

BIM:

To toggle the clipped display property of a BIM section entity

The Clip Display property of the BIM section temporarily clips 3D models. The Clip Display can be used in all modeling and editing operations on all drawing content.

The following illustration shows the 3D model of a villa with a plan section (16) for the ground floor plan.

To clip the 3D model, do one of the following:

• Double click the section entity.
• Select Clip Display from the Quad.
• Select the section plane and set the Clip Display property to Yes in the Properties panel.
• When RT (Rollover Tips) is selected in the Status Bar, place the cursor over a section entity to set the Clip Display property.

Note: Clip Display can be on for multiple section entities simultaneously.

In the following illustration, Clip Display is turned ON for two BIM section entities (17,18). These section entities are in opposite view directions: section plane 18 is a plan section, section plane 17 is a reflected ceiling section.

Option: Set the State property for the current section to Volume in the properties panel.

A clipped section shown in the Volume state (19).

Converting a section entity to a BIM section

The BIMIFY command converts a section entity to a BIM section

1. 1. Launch the BIMIFY command.
      You are prompted: Run Bimify on entire model or [Advanced] <Model>:
   2. Choose the Advanced option.
      The Bimify dialog box displays.
   3. Choose Select entities, then click the Select button.
      The Bimify dialog closes.
      You are promted: Select entities [selection options (?)]:
   4. Select the section entity, then right click.
      The Bimify dialog reopens.
   5. Click the OK button.