How to Generate Drawings in BricsCAD BIM

Quick answer: BIMSECTIONUPDATE generates section drawings from BIM section entities, usable either by selecting a BIM Section entity in the 3D model or an existing section in a generated drawing. The result saves as a new drawing in the same folder as the model drawing, unless a different one is specified in the section’s Destination File property, confirming the same property covered on this hub’s BIM sections page.

Generating BIM Sections

In model space:

1. Select one or more BIM section entities.
2. Optionally edit their properties (Scale, Name, Destination File).
3. Choose Generate Section from the Model command tab of the Quad.

BricsCAD reports the number of sections generated and their names in the Command line, for example: “8 section(s) were generated,” listing three files, Elevations.dwg, Plans.dwg, and Sections.dwg, in this case representing 2 plans, 4 elevations, and 2 cross-sections exported across those three drawings.

Using the Project Browser:

1. In the Sections and views tab, right-click the section.
2. Optionally choose Select Section Entity to edit its properties in the Properties panel.
3. Choose Update Now or Update in Background.
4. Choose Refresh project; a new section appears in the Sheets segment of the Project Browser.

The previous generation’s result stores on the dedicated BIM_SECTIONS_PREVIOUS layer, frozen by default; generated viewports optionally place on the dedicated BIM_VIEWPORTS layer. The SheetSet manager automatically and silently adjusts file paths if the project folder gets relocated, provided the same folder holds every file.

Opening BIM Sections

BIMSECTIONOPEN navigates bi-directionally between a model drawing’s BIM Section entity and its corresponding generated drawing.

From the 3D model:

1. Select one or more BIM sections.
2. Choose Open Model from the Model command group of the Quad.
3. The 2D section drawing(s) open.

Via the Project Browser: either double-click the sheet view in the Sheets tab (opens with that sheet view selected), or right-click the section in the Sections and views tab and choose Display Section Result.

Deleting a viewport linked to a section result also erases its linked view label, sheet view, and the result block itself, but only if no other viewport is currently viewing that block.

Updating BIM Sections

A red mark on a sheet view in the Project Browser’s Sheets tab means the 2D documentation is out of sync with the 3D model; an orange mark means it hasn’t been updated yet.

In the 3D model: use the same process as generating.

In the 2D documentation file, in model space:

1. Place the cursor over the section block to update.
2. Choose Update Section from the Model command group of the Quad.

Or in a layout:

1. Click the Layout tab.
2. Place the cursor over the section’s viewport.
3. Choose Update Section from the Model command group.

The previous section generation’s result stores on BIM_SECTIONS_PREVIOUS; thaw that layer to review the modifications, its content displays in magenta.

Customizing the result with Typed Plans: select the section block, go to the BIM properties category in the Properties panel, and choose an option from the Typed plan property’s dropdown. Typed plans let you customize model entities’ graphics independent of their assigned layers or layer states, and can add a background image (created in the model’s active visual style) for shadows on elevations or richer graphical quality. RENDERCOMPOSITIONMATERIAL must be set to On for this, the same variable covered on this hub’s level of detail and BIM ply editing pages. See this hub’s separate coverage of the BIM Typed Plan Editor and working with Typed Plans for more depth.

Via the Project Browser: right-click a section and choose Update Now or Update in Background from the context menu.

Section Indicators, Story Indicators, and Grid Callouts

Section indicators appear for any section intersecting the source section, when that source is a plan; they store on the dedicated BIM_SECTIONS layer, toggle it on or off to manage their visibility. Story indicators appear for any non-horizontal section, provided the model drawing has stories defined. Grid callouts appear if the model drawing has a grid parallel or perpendicular to the source section plane.

All three are genuine BIM Tag entities, editable and customizable the same way as any other tag, confirming the same system covered on this hub’s BIM tags page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a red mark on a sheet view in the Project Browser actually mean? The 2D documentation is out of sync with the 3D model and needs updating; an orange mark instead means it just hasn’t been updated yet.

Can I customize a section’s graphics independent of the drawing’s layers? Yes, using a Typed Plan, assigned via the Typed plan property in the BIM properties category of the Properties panel.

Are section indicators, story indicators, and grid callouts editable the same way as regular BIM tags? Yes, they’re genuine BIM Tag entities and can be customized the same way.

What happens to previously generated section results when I update a section? They preserve on the dedicated BIM_SECTIONS_PREVIOUS layer, frozen by default, thaw it to review what changed.