How to Use Custom Properties in BricsCAD BIM

Quick answer: BricsCAD lets you assign your own properties to building elements through a single command: BIMPROPERTIES. The approach is to create a custom property set first, then assign it to the elements it should apply to. Custom properties are included in IFC export, confirming the same note covered on this hub’s classification codes page.

The BIM Properties Dialog

Open it by typing BIMPROPERTIES.

• Namespace: groups property sets by category.
• Classification System namespace: shows the classification system namespace, the same one covered on this hub’s classification codes page.
• IFC namespace: shows IFC2x3 and IFC4 properties merged together.
• Quantity namespace: shows hardcoded quantities.
• User namespace: shows your custom properties.
• Set button: creates a new property set.
• Property button: adds a new property to the currently selected set.
• Value button: creates a new value definition for the currently selected set.
• Up/Down buttons: reorder the selected property or value in the list.
• Remove button: removes the selected property set, property definition, or value definition.

Creating a Custom Property Set

1. Select User in the Namespace dropdown, then click Set; a new property set adds to the User space.
2. Type a name in the Id field (must be unique) and a name in the Label field (shown in the properties tree; if left blank, the Id displays instead).
3. Optionally restrict the property to specific instances, and set its visibility. To enable Per Instance: click BIM > Entity property sets in the Properties panel, click Browse, tick User in the Enable per-instance property set dialog, and click OK.
4. Select the building element categories the set applies to; expand a category to see its sub-categories and tick the ones you want associated.

Adding a Property

1. Select the property set and click Property.
2. Type a name in the Id field, a name in the Label field, and optionally a Description.
3. Choose a Type: Boolean (On or Off), Integer (a whole number from -2147483648 to 2147483647), Real (an approximation of a real number), or String (any sequence of characters).
4. Optionally define enumerated values, a fixed set of possible values: click Browse to open the Enumerated Property dialog, then Add new enumerated value to add each one. These become a dropdown list in the Properties panel; optionally tick Mapping to add a description for each value.

Adding a Value

1. Select the property set and click Value.
2. Type a name in the Id field, a Label (for example, “Surface”), and optionally a Description.
3. Choose a Type (for example, Real); if Real, the Measure property becomes available, setting the value as Length, Area, Volume, or Mass.
4. Choose a Measure (for example, Area).
5. Edit the Formula field, typing a value appropriate to the chosen type; you can reuse the Formula syntax from the corresponding BIM entity type in the Quantity namespace to compose it.

Removing, Assigning, and Setting Values

Select any property set, property, or value in the tree and click Remove to delete it, then click OK to accept your changes.

Select a building element associated with the relevant category, open the Properties panel, and the new property set displays there, its property definition (without a value set), and its value definition with its computed value. To assign a value to your property definition, select it in the Properties panel and type a new value directly in its field.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are custom properties included when exporting a BIM model to IFC? Yes, confirming the same note covered on this hub’s classification codes page.

What’s the difference between a custom property and a custom value in this dialog? A property is a field you define and later fill in per element (like Boolean, Integer, Real, or String). A value uses a Formula, often reusing Quantity namespace syntax, to compute its result automatically based on the entity’s geometry.

How do I restrict a custom property so it only applies to a specific instance rather than every element in a category? Enable Per Instance via BIM > Entity property sets in the Properties panel, Browse, then tick User in the Enable per-instance property set dialog.

Can I limit a custom property to a fixed set of selectable values? Yes, define enumerated values via the Browse button, which then appear as a dropdown list in the Properties panel.