Creating and editing IFC product selections

Although you can create IFC product selections within Library Explorer, the main way of creating IFC product selections is by dragging and dropping 3D objects from a 3D model onto a task - either in a bar chart view or in a calendar view. Doing this creates an IFC product selection object, containing the 3D objects that you have selected in the 3D model. You can also drag and drop 3D objects within a 3D model onto blank sections of bars, or onto completely empty bars. Doing this creates a new task and an IFC product selection for each 3D object.

Once you have created an IFC product selection, you can edit its properties. The main reason for doing this is to maintain the list of 3D objects that are included in the IFC product selection.

To edit an IFC product selection:

Launch Library Explorer and click IFC Product Selection in the left pane. All existing IFC product selections appear in the right pane of Library Explorer.
Right-click the IFC product selection and select Properties from the menu that appears. The IFC Product Selection Properties dialog appears.
Click the Details tab.
Enter a brief name and an additional description in the Name and Description fields. If you want to associate 3D objects in the 3D model with tasks automatically according to name, give the IFC product selection the same name as the task (or bar) to which you want to assign it. Note that the name must be an exact, case-sensitive match for automatic association to work.

If you are editing an IFC product selection that already includes one or more 3D objects, the IFC model field indicates the 3D model from which the selection of objects has been taken.
If you want to associate 3D objects in the 3D model with tasks automatically according to code library or WBS code, select the appropriate code library entry or WBS code in the Code library entry and WBS entry fields. Making a selection in one of these fields enables you to assign the IFC product selection automatically to any task to which the same code library entry or WBS entry has been assigned.
Click the Products tab. The main grid on this tab displays a list of the 3D objects in the 3D model that are included in the IFC product selection. You can select items in the grid and use the following buttons to edit the IFC product selection:
- Remove Item - click this button to remove the 3D objects that are currently selected in the grid from the IFC product selection.
- Add Current Model Selection - click this button to add the 3D objects that are currently selected in the 3D model to the IFC product selection.
- Reset to Current Model Selection - click this button to remove all of the 3D objects that are currently displayed in the grid from the IFC product selection and replace them with the objects that are currently selected in the 3D model.
- Select All Items in Model - click this button to select all of the 3D objects in the 3D model, regardless of whether or not the objects are included in the IFC product selection.
- Select Item in Model - click this button to select the 3D objects that are currently selected in the grid in the 3D model.
- Go To Item in Model - click this button to display the 3D object that is currently selected in the grid in the 3D model, changing the camera position as required to display it as prominently as possible. Note that this button is available only when a single 3D object is selected in the grid.
Click Close to close the IFC Product Selection Properties dialog.

If the current IFC product selection includes 3D objects that are the results of splits or merges in a 3D model that is not currently displayed in the IFC Model pane, "Product information unavailable" appears on the Products tab of the IFC Product Selection Properties dialog. If you see this message when you view the properties of an IFC product selection, open the 3D model that contains the 3D objects in question in the IFC Model pane. Details of the 3D objects will then be displayed in the IFC Product Selection Properties dialog.

The Tasks tab of the IFC Product Selection Properties dialog displays a list of all tasks to which the IFC product selection is associated, showing the name and path of each task. To display a view containing all of the tasks in the list, click Open View of Tasks. This can be useful when identifying the tasks that are associated with 3D objects.