In case the source BIM demands a modification to the native model, i.e. element splitting, design updates, etc., the ALICE Customer Success team can provide such service for models in Revit/Navis & Civil 3D formats. For any other file format, the project team will be responsible for making the modifications.
CIM Element Types
All element types are compatible with the ALICE platform. However, to efficiently manage your project in ALICE, we suggest simplifying the BIM to the following types of elements:
- Reinforced concrete elements (columns, beams, slabs, roofs, foundations, walls)
- Steel elements (columns, beams)
- Stairs
- Skin elements (walls, windows)
- Generic elements (masses)
- MEP elements
If your source BIM ends up having some undesired elements within ALICE, you can simply exclude them from scheduling by using the 'Remove' feature or not assigning a Recipe to them; elements without a recipe assigned will simply not be scheduled. However, that approach might affect your 4D Visualization in an undesirable way and therefore it is highly recommended to do the following:
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2D elements: Remove or hide all 2D elements before source BIM is uploaded into ALICE as they do not fall into the construction scope.
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Detail elements, i.e. railings, grids, mullions, furniture, etc: We can use the placeholder method, which we will discuss later in the document, to add them to the scope by not adding them as a BIM element. Therefore, you can hide these detailed elements from the ALICE 3D view.
How to Remove Excess Elements from your Model
Please review the following video to learn how to proceed.
NOTE:
Here are some additional tips to reduce your CIM file size compared to BIM:
- Purge Unused families, sheets, and views
- Delete unused sheets and views
- Delete schedules from the file - if any
- Remove any linked 2D CAD files
- Remove any linked 3D CAD files that are not part of the construction scope