How to Use Propagate Linear in BricsCAD BIM

Quick answer: BIMPROPAGATELINEAR, one of the five Propagate flavors confirmed on this hub’s general Propagate page, copies detailed connections between two or more linear solids, column-beam or column-slab connections, for example. At least one of the reference solids you select needs to be linear.

The Starting Situation

Consider four columns and two beams. Two connections are already designed with a plate and bolts through the column flanges. One connection instead uses a diagonal member for extra rotational stiffness. The last connection hasn’t been designed yet.

Propagating the Connection

This example copies the diagonal member connection to all four locations, replacing the bolted connections along the way.

1. Launch BIMPROPAGATELINEAR.
2. You’re prompted to select the linear or planar reference solids forming the connection (at least one must be linear); select the column and beam connected by the diagonal member, then press Enter.
3. You’re prompted to optionally select detail objects to copy; select the diagonal member and press Enter. A detail volume creates, fully encompassing the diagonal member and parts of the column and beam.
4. You’re prompted to accept: yes copy as Block, yes plain Copy, No, Inflate first, Save detail, or save detail to Library. Choose Block to keep the file smaller and more manageable, or Copy as an alternative; inflating isn’t needed here (see this hub’s general Propagate page for more on that option). Press Enter to accept the default.
5. BIMPROPAGATELINEAR scans the entire drawing for similar locations; the view zooms out to show every possible suggestion, each with a widget, the same icon system confirmed on the general Propagate page.
6. In this case, a question mark widget reveals on hover: “Existing details detected. Suggestion will not be applied. Click to change.” Since the goal is to replace the existing bolted connections with the diagonal member, click both blue widgets so they turn into green checkmarks.
7. Press Enter; every connection replaces with the diagonal member.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use BIMPROPAGATELINEAR to replace connections that already exist, not just fill in blank ones? Yes, this example shows exactly that, replacing bolted connections with a diagonal member; you just need to click the relevant widgets to override the “existing details detected” warning.

Do both reference solids need to be linear for BIMPROPAGATELINEAR? No, at least one needs to be linear, but the other can be planar.

Should I propagate a detail as a block or as a plain copy? Choose Block to keep your file smaller and more manageable; Copy is the alternative if you’d rather have independent entities at each location.

Why does a suggestion show a question mark instead of a green checkmark by default? It’s often because BricsCAD detected an existing detail there and is asking for confirmation before replacing it, hover the widget to see the specific reason and click it to change the outcome.