How to Insert and Edit Windows and Doors in BricsCAD BIM

Quick answer: The Insert BIM Component tool inserts windows, doors, and other components, furniture, sanitary equipment, plants, and more, onto any face of a 3D solid, typically used for windows and doors. It’s built on INSERT/-INSERT and BMINSERT/-BMINSERT, the same mechanical block insertion commands covered on this hub’s mechanical blocks page; -INSERT launches automatically when you drag a component from the Library panel. Make sure Dynamic UCS (DUCS) and Dynamic Dimensions (DYN) are both on before inserting, and components work equally well from a 2D floor plan or a 3D view.

Inserting a Window or Door

1. Open the Library panel.
2. Make sure the Bricsys Bim library is selected in the Library menu.
3. Click the Windows folder.
4. Click the icon of the window you want; the Properties panel displays, and the window attaches to the cursor.
5. Optionally edit its parameters under Inserted Components Properties in the Properties panel.
6. Move the window over the face of a wall solid; the face highlights, and the distances from the insert to the nearest parallel edges of the parent solid display.
7. Optionally press Ctrl to switch the Hotkey Assistant widget from Pick position mode to Change parameters mode, adjusting the width and height; press Tab to switch between those two fields, and press Ctrl again to confirm the dimensions and switch back to Pick position mode.
8. Either specify a point to insert the window, or type a value in a dynamic dimension field and press Tab to move to the next one (a locked field turns red), then press Enter to insert it.
9. Optionally select the window afterward to adjust its position (see Moving an Insert below).

Inserting a Copy of an Insert

1. Hover over the insert and choose Insert from the Modify tab of the Quad; the insert attaches to the cursor.
2. Continue from step 6 of the insertion procedure above.

Editing the Parameters of an Insert

Parameters defined in the window or door’s source drawing let you edit each detail separately.

1. Select the insert; its current parameter values display in the Parameters section of the Properties panel.
2. Select a parameter and type a value in its settings field.

Moving an Insert

Three methods are available.

Using distance fields and reference points:

1. Select the insert; the distances from it to the nearest parallel edges of the parent solid display, along with their reference points.
2. Optionally reposition those reference points to measure distance to different points instead.
3. Click a distance field, type a value, and press Enter.

Using DMPUSHPULL (requires Select faces enabled under SELECTIONMODES, the same tool covered in more depth on this hub’s DmPushPull page):

1. Hover over the top or bottom inner face of the opening to move the insert vertically, or the left or right inner face to move it horizontally.
2. Once the face highlights, choose PushPull from the Modify tab of the Quad.
3. The insert moves vertically or horizontally depending on which face you highlighted.
4. Either specify a point, type a distance in the dynamic dimension field, or use the Ruler’s Adaptive Grid Snap.

Using the Manipulator (requires MANIPULATOR set to 2, the same widget covered on this hub’s roofs page):

1. Select the insert by holding the left mouse button down slightly longer; the Manipulator displays.
2. Hover over its vertical or horizontal axis trigger zone; that axis highlights while the rest fades.
3. Click to start the movement; the Ruler displays.
4. Either type a distance in the dynamic dimension field, or use the Ruler’s Adaptive Grid Snap.

Hold Ctrl before starting the movement to create a copy of the insert instead of moving the original.

Replacing an Insert

BMREPLACE, the same mechanical block replacement command covered on this hub’s mechanical blocks page, replaces an insert either with one from a file (choose the source file in a dialog), or with a similar insert already in the model. For the latter, you’re prompted whether to replace just the selected insert or every similar one in the model, and whether the Parameter changes option should keep the original values or apply the replacement’s values.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which system variable needs to be on before I can use DMPUSHPULL to move an insert? SELECTIONMODES, with Select faces specifically enabled.

How do I copy an insert instead of moving it with the Manipulator? Hold Ctrl before starting the movement operation.

Can I replace every instance of a window throughout the model at once? Yes, BMREPLACE asks whether to replace just the selected insert or every similar one in the entire model.

What do I need active before inserting a window or door? Dynamic UCS (DUCS) and Dynamic Dimensions (DYN) should both be turned on.