How to Use BIM Project Info in BricsCAD BIM
Quick answer: The BIM Project Info dialog shows information about properties, materials, compositions, profiles, and spatial structures across the Project and Central databases, letting you import or export the database and set the project database as embedded or external, the same Central Database tab referenced on this hub’s BIM data structure page.
Setting the Project Database
- Type
BIMPROJECTINFOand select the Project Database tab. - Choose Embedded or External from the Project Database dropdown. An external database stays independent from the current drawing, useful for sharing it across multiple models, for example when a model consists of several Xref drawings.
- Switching from Embedded to External opens the Select or create a Bricsys Library dialog: either type a new file name to export the project database’s content into a new BSYSLIB file, or select an existing BSYSLIB file to merge the current content into it, including any already-imported libraries.
- Switching from External to Embedded copies the external database’s content into the embedded project database.
- Fill in the Region field and choose a language option to set the Project Database’s properties.
- Optionally use the custom properties button to add material and composition custom properties to the Project Database.
- Click OK to accept.
Setting the Central Database
- Click the Central Database tab in the BIM Project Info dialog.
- Click Browse next to the Path field and choose a BSYSLIB file in the Select or create a Bricsys Library dialog.
- Optionally tick Set as default to use this database as the default library for future projects.
Edit the default library database settings directly via DEFAULTBSYSLIBMETRIC and DEFAULTBSYSLIBIMPERIAL in the Settings dialog, under Program options > System.
Adding Profiles via XML or CSV Import
- In the Project Database tab, click Import; the Select xml/csv file to import dialog opens.
- Choose your XML or CSV file and click Open.
CSV profile files must follow a specific format. The first row names the profile shape (one of AsymmetricIShape, CShape, Circle, CircleHollow, CraneRailAShape, CraneRailFShape, Ellipse, IShape, LShape, Rectangle, RectangleHollow, RoundedRectangle, Trapezium, TShape, UShape, or ZShape). The second row lists the profile property names, the first five being general (standard, name, type, size, material), followed by shape-specific parameters. Lines starting with // or # are treated as comments and ignored.
General columns (required for every shape): standard, name, type (Electrical, Generic, HVAC, Structural Steel, Structural Concrete, or Piping), size, and material (must already exist in the project or library, check with BLMATERIALS; Steel is the most common). Type and material names are case sensitive, and empty fields aren’t currently accepted.
Shape-specific parameters (bold entries are required for a successful import):
| Shape | Parameters |
|---|---|
| AsymmetricIShape | overallWidth, overallDepth, webThickness, flangeThickness, filletRadius, topFlangeWidth, topFlangeThickness, topFlangeFilletRadius, centreOfGravityInX |
| CShape | depth, width, wallThickness, girth, internalFilletRadius, centreOfGravityInX |
| Circle | radius |
| CircleHollow | radius, wallThickness |
| CraneRailAShape | overallHeight, baseWidth2, radius, headWidth, headDepth2, headDepth3, webThickness, baseWidth4, baseDepth1, baseDepth2, baseDepth3, centreOfGravityInY |
| CraneRailFShape | overallHeight, headWidth, radius, headDepth2, headDepth3, webThickness, baseDepth1, baseDepth2, centreOfGravityInY |
| Ellipse | semiAxis1, semiAxis2 |
| IShape | overallWidth, overallDepth, webThickness, flangeThickness, filletRadius |
| LShape | depth, width, thickness, filletRadius, edgeRadius, legSlope, centreOfGravityInX |
| Rectangle | xDim, yDim |
| RectangleHollow | xDim, yDim, wallThickness, innerFilletRadius, outerFilletRadius |
| RoundedRectangle | xDim, yDim, roundingRadius |
| Trapezium | bottomXDim, topXDim, yDim, topXOffset |
| TShape | depth, flangeWidth, webThickness, flangeThickness, filletRadius, flangeEdgeRadius, webEdgeRadius, webSlope, flangeSlope, centreOfGravityInY |
| UShape | depth, flangeWidth, webThickness, flangeThickness, filletRadius, edgeRadius, flangeSlope, centreOfGravityInX |
| ZShape | depth, flangeWidth, webThickness, flangeThickness, filletRadius, edgeRadius |
A template CSV of commonly used profiles (templates_of_mostly_used_profiles.csv) ships in your Support folder at C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Bricsys\BricsCAD\V26x64\en_US\Support\Bim\Profiles, confirming the same Support folder location covered on this hub’s user files page (the AppData folder is hidden by default; run SUPPORTFOLDER to open it directly instead).
The Project Filter
Any string can be attached as a tag to a Physical Material or Composition, and each tag can then filter the database. A filter button at the top of each list toggles filtering on or off, and has three states: inactive (the project filter is empty, in the BIM Compositions panel) or unavailable (in the Materials and Compositions editors); defined but not active; or defined and active, in which case a tooltip shows the current filter.
Setting the Project Filter
- Select the Filter tab in the BIM Project Info dialog.
- Tick the tags you want included in the filter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between an embedded and an external project database? Embedded keeps the database inside the current drawing. External stores it independently, useful for sharing across multiple models, like a model made up of several Xref drawings.
Which parameters are absolutely required to import a CircleHollow profile via CSV? radius and wallThickness, both bold and therefore required for successful import.
Are profile type and material names case sensitive in a CSV import? Yes, and empty fields aren’t currently accepted either.
Where can I find a ready-made template CSV of commonly used profiles? templates_of_mostly_used_profiles.csv in the Support folder, or run SUPPORTFOLDER to open that location directly.