How to Define a Detailed Section in BricsCAD BIM

Quick answer: The Detail option of BIMSECTION creates a volume-type section box focused on a specific area, useful for zooming into construction details rather than sectioning the whole model.

Defining a Detailed Section from Scratch

1. Choose Detail Section from the ribbon, or type BIMSECTION and choose D for Detail. You’re prompted to select the first corner of the section box, or choose Based on an existing section or Scale.
2. Select the first corner of the area you want contained within the section.
3. Select the opposite corner, either snapping to a point or typing distances (press Tab to switch between the dynamic dimension fields). You’re prompted for the volume box’s height, defaulting to 4000 mm.
4. Either press Enter to accept the default height, specify a point, or type a value in the dynamic dimension field to complete the volume.

To view the result, hover over the section and choose Clip display from the Quad, or double-click it, the same toggle methods covered on this hub’s BIM sections page; only the detailed section becomes visible.

Defining a Detailed Section Based on an Existing Section

Position a new detailed section’s base directly on an already existing section.

1. Highlight the existing section you want the base positioned on and choose Detail Section from the Quad. You’re prompted to select the first corner of the volume box’s base rectangle.
2. Draw a rectangle around the desired area using the dynamic dimension fields (press Tab to move between them); it aligns automatically with the existing section’s plane.
3. Press Enter to confirm; the volume section box displays dynamically, and you’re prompted for its height.
4. Either press Enter to accept the default height, specify a point, or type a value.
5. The detailed section is now defined, findable in the Structure panel (confirming the same panel covered on the BIM sections page). View it by hovering and choosing Clip display from the Quad, or double-clicking it.
6. To generate the detailed section onto a sheet, select it and choose Generate Section from the Quad.
7. With the section plane(s) selected, click Open Model to open the results; the sheet saves in the same folder as the model drawing.

For more on generating drawings from sections, see this hub’s separate article on that topic, and for adding tags and linear dimensions to annotate the result.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the default height of a detailed section’s volume box? 4000 mm, though you can type a different value or specify a point instead.

Can I base a detailed section’s position on an existing section rather than starting from scratch? Yes, highlight the existing section first, and the new detailed section’s base rectangle aligns automatically with its plane.

How do I view just the detailed section, hiding the rest of the model? Hover over it and choose Clip display from the Quad, or double-click the section directly.

Where does a generated detailed section sheet get saved? The same folder as the model drawing.