Keeping your BIM Data in Control

At Cadac Group we believe in collaboration. Collaboration is crucial in the construction business. The construction business is characterized by the many parties that all have to work together, but ultimately also have to look after their own interests. That is why it is crucial that these parties make clear agreements about how they handle data. Aligning the data with BIM standards (ILS, NL-SfB, …) will ensure a smooth collaboration, but then validation processes are desirable to maintain the correct use of these standards.

Cadac also collaborates. Together with Nordend they have created the solution Cadac Control. A solution that uses FME as a validation engine and Cadac Connect that connects the most common data environments to this validation service. Environments such as SharePoint and the Construction Cloud Validating BIM models is time consuming. With Cadac Control validating BIM has never been more easy. This time consuming activity is now in the past. Cadac Control checks your data immediately as soon as data is enters your work environment. Making sure that incorrect data is sneaking into your process and causes unnecessary costs and loss of time.

1. Keeping Your BIM Data in Control!

2. Presenters
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Björn
Ramaekers

Product Manager
Cadac Group
Jasper
 Wisbecq

FME Consultant
Nordend

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Agenda
1.Introduction
2.Our customers
3.Challenges
4.Solution and demonstration
5.FME Challenges
6.Call to action

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Introduction

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Cadac Group:

In 2025 the digital twin enabler
for our customers!

invalid data ?????? no information ?????? no Digital Twin!

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Who are our customers for today’s topic
Idea and design
Engineering
Construction
Documentation
Commissioning
Maintenance
Monitoring
Exploitation
Planning
Regulations
Geo / asset data
BIM data
AEC
ASSET
MANAGEMENT

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What challenges are our customers facing?
Are you working with:
Autocad drawings
Revit models
Other BIM models like IFC

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What challenges are our customers facing?
Do you need:
Reliable information;
Valid information;
Organized information.

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What challenges are our customers facing?
Then you have probably experienced:
Missing information;
As built is not conforming documentation;
Missing integrity in different sources;
Information fails standards;

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Cadac Control

11. The Peak of Data Integration
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Cadac Connect
ISO 19650
Cadac Control
Cadac Control
Professional
Autodesk
Construction Cloud
Microsoft
SharePoint
Other Common Data
Environments

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A short demonstration

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FME Solution

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FME Solution overview
Input

BIM model Validation Rules

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FME Solution overview
Input

BIM model
Validation Rules
Describe testDescribe objects to test

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FME Solution overview
No value

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FME Solution overview
Output

HTML
Validation Report

JSON
Technical output

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FME Solution overview
Output
HTML Validation Report

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FME Workspace structure
Process overview

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Preprocessing
Attribute names
•Parameter names of clients differ from attribute names Revit Reader
•Client refers as: Manufacturer <-> FME Revit Reader: IdentityData.Manufacturer
PythonCaller: endswith() to search matching attribute
•Model/Annotation Category:
•Transfer info from Metadata.FamilyInformation to features
•SitePoints: Separate Project Base Point and Survey Point in different feature types
•…

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Filter / Criterion
Dynamic validation: Python
Users define their own validation rules
•Tester Transformer, 
•operator cannot be set by attribute value
•separate flows for each individual operator
•Sometimes compare with list of values (Looping)
=> Python to keep it manageable

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Filter / Criterion
Check sub-rule
isFiltered = Yes/No
Check total
isFilteredOverall = Yes/No

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Criterion – HasUniqueValue test
HasUniqueValue operator
-Write SQLite table
-Query table

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FME Flow Alternative to Polling
FME Flow: Workaround for polling job status
•Parent (wrapper) – Child (secondary) workspace hierarchy


•Parent Workspace monitors child workspace status 
•FMEServerJobSubmitter output ports
•Wrapper posts job_status to API of Cadac Control (success/fail)
•When Cadac Control receives job_status = success
•Start downloading files from output folders

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FME Flow Alternative to Polling
Workaround for polling for FME job status

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Revit Reader Challenges

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FME - Revit Reader Challenges
In the past:
-16 Enhancement request for Revit Reader
-most of them regarding missing attributes
-Thank you Safe Software!

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FME - Revit Reader Challenges
Speed and memory
•Rather slow for large models
•Even when Reader parameter: Read Geometry As = Non-Spatial

•Memory Intensive
•700MB Revit file <> out of memory at 21 GB while reading
•Result: Handling concurrent jobs on FME Flow is challenging

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FME - Revit Reader Challenges
Revit Reader – version support
•FME Release = max supported Revit Release
•FME 2023 reads ≤ Revit 2023
•Wait 13 months

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Cadac Control

●Now I use only validated information;
●Without spending an extreme amount of time
on checking tables;
●No additional application to understand;
●Not only for IFC

Validation as a Service!

31. Thank You!
www.cadac.com/control-professional