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The 3D sketch in the FeatureManager contains lines forming the columns (Y direction lines between the levels). This sketch is hidden by default.

FIGURE 22.7

Listing the GridSystem output

You may also notice that the GridSystem uses transparent surfaces to represent interior and exterior walls. These are hidden by default. Depending on your structure, you may or may not need information about walls, or you might only care about the exterior walls. SolidWorks Corp. has indicated that the surfaces are intended to support functionality, which has not yet been added to the software.

If you are not familiar with surfaces, in this case your interaction with them is limited to showing and hiding them. You can use either the Display Pane or RMB menus to do this. You can also refer to the SolidWorks 2011 Parts Bible, which contains detailed descriptions of working with and visualizing surfaces in the chapters on visualization, surfaces, and multi-body modeling.

Viewing the Grid Components

If you right-click the GridSystem feature in the FeatureManager, a selection appears named View Grid Components. This is useful if you create a weldment from the grid and want to see a list of only the features that comprise the actual grid, rather than all of the weldment features. The View Grid Components dialog box is shown in Figure 22.8.

FIGURE 22.8

Isolating the grid components in the View Grid Components dialog box

Transferring Data with the IFC File Type

IFC stands for Industry Foundation Classes and was developed by the International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI) as an open data exchange format. It is meant to transfer data on building models between building information model (BIM) software packages. ArchiCAD and Revit are two examples of BIM modelers that might use this type of information.

The IFC file type includes geometry, but it also includes non-geometrical information about the function and occupant of spaces within the building. You could think of this as the ability to transfer SolidWorks custom property information along with a STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product model data) file transfer.

While SolidWorks is a relative newcomer to the AEC fields, it is firmly established in equipment design, which is closely related to the design of plants and industrial steel-framed structures.

To save a GridSystem as an *.IFC file, choose File⇒Save As, and in the Save as type drop-down list, select the *.IFC file type. You can also click the Options button to set the units and OmniClass™, as shown in Figure 22.9.

The OmniClass™ classifications give you a detailed structure for classifying the data prior to importing it into a building model. Software such as SolidWorks can be used for small components in buildings rather than for the actual building, but the equipment produced in SolidWorks can still be used in the BIM model. Air conditioning equipment, windows, plumbing, and other component hardware are commonly created in SolidWorks.

If you would like to learn more about the IFC standard, you can go to the website at www.aecbytes.com/feature/2004/IFCmodel.html, which has a detailed description of the structure, purpose, and history of the file type.

FIGURE 22.9

Saving data as an *.IFC file

Summary

SolidWorks has long been used for the design of equipment and components that go into buildings. Recently, with Large Scale Design, the software is starting to move into the design of small plants and gridded structures. The Walk-through feature gives Large Scale Design users some animation capabilities, and the *.IFC export options allow users to share SolidWorks Large Scale Designs with other BIM software users.

Large Scale Design is an early phase in the evolution toward SolidWorks being used for AEC applications. Large Scale Design may at some point be combined with SolidWorks Live Buildings, another nascent BIM modeler intended for more traditional architectural design.

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