Comparing with another model¶

You can load other models next to yours as references: typically the architect's IFC next to your structural model. Yours is the host: it owns the views and sheets, and only it is edited. Linked models are read-only. All are placed by their world coordinates, so files from the same project line up.

Link a model¶

• Collaborate → Link IFC, or File → Link IFC… (once a model is open), as many times as you have models to link, or
• bimble view structure.ifc --link architecture.ifc.

Linking a file that is already linked replaces it. Collaborate → Manage links reloads, replaces or deletes links (Manage links). Each linked model appears under Links in the project browser, and can be shown three ways:

Where both models have the same face, yours is drawn.

Unlink removes a linked model.

In each view¶

A view's Visibility lists each linked model ("Link: architecture.ifc"): untick it to hide that model in this view only. Like the rest of the view's visibility, it is saved with the view.

Select, measure, snap¶

Click an element of a linked model to select it: it is outlined, and its properties show, read only: which model, name, GlobalId, storey, material, volume, and whether your model has something at the same place. Measuring snaps to linked models' corners, edges and faces like to yours.

Show differences¶

Tick Show differences under a linked model (one at a time) to colour what only one of the two models has:

• elements that are only in your model;
• elements that are only in the linked model.

The two counts are written under the checkbox.

Elements are matched by position, not by GlobalId, because two offices' files never share ids. An element is matched when elements of the other model, one or several, cover at least 80 % of its bounding box, with 20 mm of tolerance. A wall split in two in one model still matches the whole wall in the other.

The colours are part of the graphic style: only_here, only_in_reference, reference and reference_edges.