Merging 3D objects in a 3D model

You can merge 3D objects in a 3D model into a single object. This enables you to associate the larger, merged 3D object with a task in a project rather than having to associate each of the individual objects with tasks individually. Object merging may be useful if a number of 3D objects represent items that can be dealt with as a single item. For example, you may want to merge a number of 3D objects that represent multiple columns, windows or beams into a single object so that you can schedule them as a single entity rather than individually.

3D objects in a 3D model do not have to be physically connected to one another in order for you to be able to merge them. For example, you could merge a number of columns in a 3D model even if they were geographically distinct from one another.

You cannot merge multiple site objects into a single site object.

To merge together 3D objects in a 3D model:

Select the 3D objects that you want to merge.
Right-click one of the selected 3D objects in the IFC Model pane and select Split/Merge Products - Merge Products from the menu that appears. The 3D objects are merged into a single object and all properties of the first selected original object except the internal identifier are copied to the resulting merged object.

If the original 3D objects were included in one or more IFC product searches, the resulting merged object is included in the IFC product searches automatically. However, if the original 3D objects were included in one or more IFC product selections, the resulting merged object is not included in the IFC product selections automatically, and the Update IFC Product Selections dialog appears, listing the IFC product selections in which the original objects were included.
To update an IFC product selection so that it includes the resulting merged 3D object rather than one of the original objects, select the check box to the left of the IFC product selection and click Update. Updating IFC product selections in this way means that any tasks that were associated with one of the original 3D objects via an IFC product selection will be associated with the resulting merged object. If you choose not to update any IFC product selections, you will need to associate the merged 3D object with tasks manually.

If a project contains multiple IFC product selections, with each one containing one of the original 3D objects, updating IFC product selections in this way results in a number of individual IFC product selections that all contain the resulting merged object. If this is the case, you can delete any unwanted duplicate IFC product selections.

If you want to undo a split or a merge, it is best not to use Asta Powerproject's standard Undo Ribbon command, but to use the Split/Merge Products - Remove Split right-click command to recombine split 3D objects, or the Split/Merge Products - Remove Product Merge right-click command to reseparate merged 3D objects. The reason for this is that if carrying out a split or a merge resulted in the need for one or more IFC product selections to be updated, you would need to click Undo twice: once to undo the IFC product selection updates and a second time to undo the split or merge itself. Using the Split/Merge Products - Remove Split and Split/Merge Products - Remove Product Merge right-click commands instead of Undo enables you to specify the way in which any IFC product selections are updated.

Merging 3D objects in IFC group models

If the IFC Model pane is currently displaying an IFC group model, it is not possible to merge 3D objects from more than one of the individual 3D models in the IFC group model. For this reason, it may be easier to open the 3D models individually if you want to merge 3D objects within them.