How to Configure the Structure Panel for BIM in BricsCAD BIM

Quick answer: The Structure panel is an interactive tree showing every entity in the current model, its display depends on the selected configuration. For BIM, the preselected configuration is the predefined bim CST file, editable via the Configure Structure Tree dialog and saveable as a new CST file. CST files store in the Support Folder, the same location covered elsewhere in this hub, and this confirms the default grouping mentioned on this hub’s spatial locations page.

Access it by right-clicking a toolbar or ribbon panel and choosing Structure, or by typing STRUCTUREPANEL.

Exploring the Structure Panel

1. Open the panel; it displays on the left by default, with a Search field at the top.
2. Click the three-dots button and choose Select Configuration… to pick a CST file; the BIM model organizes into a tree structure based on that file.
3. Click a node’s expand/collapse icon to toggle it, or right-click a group name and choose Expand All or Collapse All. Right-click selected entity names to Show, Hide, or Isolate them in the model space, or Zoom into a specific one.

Querying in the Structure Panel

1. Type a term in the Search field for a simple text search, for example typing “wall” and pressing Enter filters to everything with “wall” in its name, including both walls and curtain walls.
2. Text searches are quick, but expressions offer more powerful filtering.
3. An expression starts with $. For example, $type = wall filters to entities whose BIM type is specifically Wall, curtain walls no longer show up with this more precise filter.
4. Expressions can combine multiple properties, for example, $type = wall and Height > 5000 filters to walls taller than 5000 mm.
5. Nest logical expressions with brackets: $type = wall and (Height > 5000 or Height < 4000).

Managing the Tree Structure

The tree represents a hierarchical set of rules, each with a filter property, a grouping property, and a sorting property, letting you establish a hierarchy across building element types, buildings, stories, and more.

1. Right-click your drawing’s name in the Structure panel and choose Configure; the Configure Structure Tree dialog opens.
2. Select an existing rule, then click Add (or right-click and choose Add Rule, the same menu also lets you delete or rename rules); the new rule adds below the selected one, type a name for it.
3. Select the rule’s Group node, then click Add (or right-click and choose Add Grouping Property); the Select Property dialog opens, choose a property to group by and click OK, it adds to the Group node (adding a property via the Filter node instead adds it there).
4. Use Move Up or Move Down to reposition items in the tree.
5. Use the Show/Skip tab to sort entity types or exclude them from the panel.
6. Use the Options tab to set entity actions, including whether selecting an entity in the Structure panel also selects it in the model space.
7. Save your configuration by clicking OK, or via the File menu: Open (opens another CST file), Save (saves the current configuration, keeping the dialog open), or Save as (saves under a new name, keeping the dialog open).

The Select Property dialog groups properties into three categories: General (general properties), Entities (various entity type properties), and Extensions (BIM and Quantity extension properties).

Managing the Tree Structure with Custom Properties

Custom (user-defined) properties are available directly in the Select Property dialog’s GUI, dynamically listed based on the current workspace, and can be used to group the tree structure, confirming the User namespace covered on this hub’s custom properties page.

1. Right-click your drawing’s name in the Structure panel and choose Configure; the Configure Structure Tree dialog opens.
2. Select the rule’s Group node and click Add (or right-click and choose Add Grouping Property); the Select Property dialog opens. Custom properties display under Extensions, grouped by their namespace.
3. Click a node’s expand/collapse icon; for example, expanding the User namespace reveals its property sets and properties.
4. Select the property to group by and click OK; it adds to the Group node.
5. Click OK again to use that property for grouping entities in the Structure panel.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between a plain text search and an expression search in the Structure panel? A text search matches anything containing that term in its name (curtain walls included when searching “wall”). An expression search, starting with $, filters precisely by property, $type = wall matches only entities whose BIM type is specifically Wall.

Can I group the Structure panel’s tree by my own custom properties? Yes, they appear under Extensions in the Select Property dialog, grouped by namespace, including the User namespace.

Where are Structure panel configuration (CST) files stored? The Support Folder, the same location referenced elsewhere in this hub.

Does selecting an entity in the Structure panel also select it in the model space? Depends on your configuration, set via the Options tab of the Configure Structure Tree dialog.