How to Use Match Properties in BricsCAD

Quick answer: MATCHPROP (short for “match properties”) assigns the properties of one entity to one or more other entities, a general version of the Match Properties tool mentioned in this hub’s text formatting coverage, applicable to any entity type.

Copying Properties Between Entities

1. Launch MATCHPROP. You’re prompted to select the entity to copy properties from.
2. Select the source entity.
3. You’re prompted with the active settings, Color, Layer, Linetype, Linetype Scale, Lineweight, Thickness, Plot Style, Dimension, Polyline, Material, Text, Shadow Display, Hatch, and Multileader, and asked to select entities to copy properties to, or choose Settings.
4. Optionally choose Settings and press Enter to adjust which properties are included, then click OK.
5. Select the target entities.
6. You’re prompted again to select more entities, or choose Settings.
7. Keep selecting entities, or right-click to stop.

Copying Properties Between Entities with BIM Data

Whether BIM data gets copied depends on BIMMATCHPROP:

• 0: only standard properties copy, based on whichever settings are currently active.
• 1: standard properties copy, along with BIM data, including IFC properties and user-defined properties, except BIM Type, Composition/Profile, GUID, and Quantities.

Worth flagging a subtlety here: that exclusion list normally leaves out BIM Type. But when using MATCHPROP between a BIM-classified entity and one with no BIM data at all, the BIM Type itself does get copied to the unclassified entity, along with its corresponding BIM properties, everything except Composition/Profile, GUID, and Quantities still gets excluded. This makes sense given the goal: without the BIM Type coming across too, the newly copied BIM properties on the previously unclassified entity wouldn’t have anywhere to attach meaningfully.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does MATCHPROP always copy BIM data along with standard properties? No, only if BIMMATCHPROP is set to 1. At 0, only standard properties copy.

Does BIM Type ever get copied by MATCHPROP? Generally no, it’s excluded from the standard BIM data copy list. The one exception is copying from a BIM-classified entity onto an entity with no BIM data at all, where the BIM Type does come across.

What BIM-related data never gets copied by MATCHPROP, even between two BIM-classified entities? Composition/Profile, GUID, and Quantities stay excluded in every case.

Can I choose which specific properties MATCHPROP copies? Yes, choose the Settings option during the command and adjust which of the available property categories are active.