Tridify BIM Tools - Get your 3D BIM models and data to Unity. Seamless workflow to application

Tridify Convert - Cloud based BIM conversion and seamless workflow to Unity application using automated tools

Tridify Convert is a 2-part service that allows you to take 3D BIM & CAD models to Unity with BIM data attached!

The first part is a Tridify Convert conversion web service where you if upload your 3D BIM file in an IFC format, we automatically convert it to a Collada (DAE) format and you get a UV mapped and optimised model with automatic polygon reduction for hidden face and database access to all the BIM data. This takes minutes not hours!

The second part is our Tridify BIM Tools, Unity Editor plugin. Now that you can connect all 3D objects to the original BIM data, you can use an advanced search to group objects with specific data such as a construction phase or a building’s external structures. There’s material mapping that can be saved and used for multiple projects, and automatic lighting and light probe generation in a few simple steps.

You can register for the Tridify Convert at https://convert.tridify.com/#/register?utm_source=assetstore&utm_medium=forum

Once you have an account you can upload your models and get the Tridify BIMTools from the Asset Store: https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/tools/utilities/Tridify-BIM-Tools-125779


About input IFC:

The IFC 2x3 is the open source ASCII format that transports 3D BIM information between programs; it can be be exported from almost any 3D BIM and 3D CAD program.

The IFC file size depends on two things: the amount of 3D geometry data and the data attached to different elements of the model. The attached data can be information about the who is the manufacturer of the element to what is the purpose of the element. For example, the element is a door and it is going to be installed on phase x of the construction. This is the data that you can use in Unity. That is also the data that we use to provide you the functionalities in Tridify IFC Tools.


Conversion Web Service: Just drag and drop your files to verify the suitability for conversion.


Conversion Web Service: Start your conversion – depending on your file size, this can only take minutes
You have different conversion options which can either be used separately or combined:

- Convert by IFC type: Creates separate files for different object types. For example, doors, floors, windows, etc.
- Covert by storey: Building will be separated to different files by storey.




Tridify BIMTools: Import your converted models in Unity – with all the BIM data available, instead of searching game objects, you can now search IFC data types, attributes or properties!

IFC data types can be for example door, floor, window, bolt, etc. IFC properties can consist of any data inserted into the original model; for example, when the related object was attached to the model, who actioned this, or whether the object is part of the external structure of the building.



Tridify BIMTools: Access individual types in separate storeys – automatically divided into a hierarchy to make it fast to search and less prone to errors.



Tridify BIMTools: Material mapper to map BIM materials to Unity materials – the mapping can be saved and used for all your projects.

 

Tridify BIM Tools: Automatic lighting and light probe generation in a few simple steps


Tridify BIM Tools: Most of the functionalities are available on runtime like BIM data. Selecting and hiding external elements using basic Linq functions in Unity in runtime – easy and fast!

 

Here's a video showing the whole end-to-end workflow to get BIM to Unity and how to use our BIM tools

 

Hi,

I tried the currently free assetstore version and it works really great.
My question is:
When we use a Revit Cloud System ( e.g "BIM 360") to store and share files, wouldn´t it be cool when Tridify could access files directly from the cloud, without the need to download and upload IFC-files?
This would dramatically speed up updating files to Unity!

Best
Carsten

 

Hi Cascho01,

Our philosophy is to create service that is available for users that use any BIM related software. That is why we chose IFC format. We are looking into different products that could automatically connect to our cloud service and BIM 360 is definitely interesting platform since they provide possibility to create plugins for their software. Thank you for the suggestion and we will be looking into it in the future.
Best
Jukka Muhonen
Tridify

 

Great!

 

A current Unityblog confirms that updating the model (Live-Sync) is a highly demanded feature....

 

hi, I've testing free tridify converter, the convertion was quickly complete with a validate status, but can't see the file into Unity3D below My Files, I reload several times, and nothing happen.

 

Hello Macabana! I just want to make sure that everything went well in the conversion service, so I will give an overview what should have happened.

1. After you uploaded the file to the convert.tridify.com, it will automatically start verification process that makes sure that the file has no corrupted data. If there is something wrong with the file, it will give you information about what went wrong with the verification.

2. After verification, you need to select how you are going to convert the file selecting "Start new conversion".

3. Then you can select conversion parameters and after that the conversion starts.

4. When the conversion is finished, the results will be available at the Unity3D with our tool.

If there was something wrong or you want to know more about what is in the file you have converted, you can click on the file name on the conversion website to see more detailed view of the converted files and the conversion results.

I think that you just did the part 1. the verification. Now just go to the https://convert.tridify.com, login and select Start new conversion for you file. Then the results should be available in the unity tools.

Best regards,
Jukka Muhonen
Tridify

 

thanks, is working now.

 

Hi there, there is a way I want to open the information to the screen I can not reach the scripts of the ıfc objects (ıfc property set).

 

Hi, if I got it right then you should check my post about showing BIM data in real time https://forum.unity.com/threads/unity-bim-data.579535/ .
Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to help you!

 

Hi,
I have just tried using the tool for the first time. It all worked correctly. When I select each part of the model it shows up in the inspector as it should. However, when I drag it into the scene, nothing shows up in the scene window... I'm not sure what is going on? I can see the objects in the hierarchy, but nothing in the scene. Any ideas?

Edit: Ok I found that the model was showing up outside the possible range of Unity. I think the Revit model was placed at real world coordinates. I could go through and manually adjust every object to transform 0,0,0 but they obviously don't fit together then. Is there a workaround to this?

 

Hi,

This is a known issue for Revit export of IFC. But the next version of the Tridify Unity Tools will have a "centering" tool to move the model in the origin.

Now the easiest way to move the model where you find it is to use following steps:

1. Select any object from the Unity editor Hierarchy tree that has x and y coordinates somewhere around plus or minus thousands or more.

2. Select the root node of the whole model from the same Hierarchy view and put opposite numbers from the object you found to x and y coordinates for the root node. So If you object had x=523132.8, y=186745.6 put x=-523132.8, y=-186745.6 to the root node. You can put z coordinate too but usually that is not the issue.

3. Now the whole model should be near the origin of the scene.

These steps should help you to find the model and once you get it to scene view in unity, it is easier to fine tune the position if needed by moving the root node.

Hopefully this will help an d in the next version we will give you a nice tool to handle this annoying coordinate issue.

Best
Jukka Muhonen
Tridify

 

I can put a 3gb Revit file into Unity, maintaining origin point, materials and the original parametric data from Revit and have VR ready output in 1 hour or less..

 

Hi @JudahJackson,

Sounds cool, do you mind sharing your workflow?

 

Hello!
I need to develop a Unity WebGL viewer of models built with BIM technology. For this purpose I need to load models dynamically in run-time.
Whereas the models to be charged would already be converted by the service. Does the plugin support this?

Thank you!

 

Hi @Cappa_Quidam!
If you are developing Unity WebGL viewer application, Unity offers their own workflow for loading content runtime. https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/AssetBundlesIntro.html.
Tridify fully supports this workflow. You only need an active subscription when converting data. After conversion you can download the data to your local computer.
We at Tridify are also developing sharing option where you can download geometry to any WebGL application.

 

You can download Tridify BIM Tools for Unity here: https://www.tridify.com/support/

 

What is the latest IFC-Version that is supported by Tridify BIM Tools?

 

Tridify supports IFC 2x3 format. We are currently working on support for IFC 4

 

I can't work around a CAD file modeled far away from the origin. I get those precision errors


Offsetting the translations isn't any good because even if I use TransformPro (or simply type in the offsets of the render meshes to rule out third party plugins) to get them closer to 0,0,0, the sub-meter precision is gone from the start and everything appears to be on an integer grid:

In the screenshot above, -722###, 0, -9089### show the original transform of an object I should bring closer to world origin - note the already missing decimal numbers
The viewport shows objects after they had +722000, 0, +9089000 added to their positions. Note the camera almost orthogonal to YZ, that's why the beams appear to be on a weird diagonal, the floor on these buildings that are actually diagonal, so the beams don't line up with the floor geometry.

I don't have software to open the source files and there is no way to get my client to do the offset. Is there a fix for that?

 

Hi @andre-ivankio,
Is it possible for you to share your file for testing? Our support team in Tridify could check it and find out if there's a way to fix the problem. You can send the file to support@tridify.com

 

Hi, @Miia_Tridify. I don't have Revit nor Tekla and I can't share the client's files.
But, as I understand, the problem aroses because the project used geographic location and this somehow was used as the project origin by the translators.

 

Hi, Any plans to implement reverse export? I mean 3D object generated in Unity export to IFC which can be open in BIM software?

 

The problem with converting polygon models to IFC or even in any CAD/BIM format is that you will loose the very essence of CAD or IFC that is the ability to scale and change the parameters of the model in CAD.
For example: If you have a wall element with window opening and you have created a polygon model in Tridify. If you then reverse it back to IFC you will have a polygon model in IFC, not a CAD object that has the ability to move the window opening to anywhere inside the wall or change the opening size.
This means that if you have any polygon model reversed to CAD object it will be only a reference object in the CAD world and no longer a real CAD object.
So if you are thinking of exporting polygon models from Unity to the CAD world, you can use any format like FBX or OBJ and then bring it to your CAD software, since it will only be a reference that you need to recreate in CAD anyway, if you want to have a flexibility of CAD. There are also converters that does FBX or OBJ to IFC if you really need it, but as I stated previously, it usually is not what you really want.
Hopefully this explains why we are not looking into exporting Unity objects to IFC.

 

Thank you for you answer and I am sorry for late reply. I hear your point, however there is one case where simple reference is sufficient and welcomed in architecture practise - decorative elements. Fully understand this is not the way Tridify will go, never less from your opinion, is it possible to write IFC data model in unity in general?

 

Hi there,

i am trying Tridify, i have succsessfully imported my Revit model into Unity, now my problem is calling a IFCproperty value from another script.

I have looked and tried your ShowBimData script, it works perfectly, but maybe the lack of my knowledge about using property sets, i couldn't figure out to get a specific value in order to use it in an another script. Can you help me about that please?

 

Hi anlbyb,

You did look at our updated tutorial https://www.tridify.com/support/tutorials/how-to-show-bim-data-in-runtime/ ?

 

yes as i mentioned, i looked, downloaded and used it... actually in order to use it i had to change this code:

var ifcPropertySets = _selectedObject.GetComponents();

to:

var ifcPropertySets = _selectedObject.GetComponents<ifcPropertySet>();

then it worked, but i am trying to get this parameter values in another script, for example:
call the type name of an object and get it into an another script attached to same object.

maybe i don't know exactly the usage of the attributes....

 

Hi there, i solved the issue, thank you anyways

 

Thank you for letting us know @anlbyb , we have now fixed the tutorial.