MEP elements in IFC exchange

Import IFC distribution elements

If you are importing IFC distribution elements to MEP Designer, the results depend on IFC Import Translator settings (specifically, the translator’s “Geometry Conversion” settings).

To optimize results, make sure that your IFC import translator converts IFC distribution elements to MEP elements whenever possible.

To check your translator settings:  

1.Go to File > Interoperability > IFC > IFC Translators

2.Choose a Translator for Import

3.Open the Geometry Conversion preset for editing

4.In the “Geometry Conversion for IFC Import” dialog, go to the Distribution elements option

5.Select “MEP elements, otherwise Objects”. Where possible, this option generates parametric MEP elements from the imported distribution elements.

MEP elements are converted as shown in this table.

Note: Even if you choose this option, the MEP IFC model might not contain sufficient data to generate the parameters, in which case non-parametric MEP Equipment elements will be generated, or - in case of limited data - Objects will be generated

For more details on this translator dialog, see Geometry Conversion for IFC Import

Export MEP elements to IFC

When exporting MEP elements to IFC, each exported element is assigned an IFC Type (this is “IFC Type Mapping”).

There are two ways to manage IFC Type mapping:

•By Element Type: Assigns each Element Type automatically to a default, basic IFC Type, corresponding to its tool or (for GDL objects) to its Object Subtype. If you choose this option, the conversion happens automatically based on built-in mapping. For a list of how MEP elements are converted, see the MEP tools section at Built-in IFC Type Mapping

•By Classification: With this method, you can map each Archicad Classification to an IFC Type, Type Product, and/or Predefined Type. This method allows for flexible and detailed IFC Type classification.

Set your preferred type mapping method in IFC Export Translator settings (specifically, the translator’s “Type Mapping” settings).

1.Go to File > Interoperability > IFC > IFC Translators

2.Choose a Translator for Export

3.Open the Type Mapping preset.

4.From this preset dialog, click the Map IFC Types for Export button to access the mapping definitions.

Here, you can choose to map by Element Type or by Classification.

For details on these dialogs and on Classification-based mapping, see Type Mapping for IFC Export.