3D lines (created by Morph) - export to IFC

[bucha-michael]

There are in some BIM Data Standards requirements for road/pavement axes modeled in IFC by a separate 3D lines with their own properties. Archicad doesn’t have tools tool like 3D-Line tool or 3D-Fill tool (3D-Shape), but I found I can create it all by Morph tool. Everything works well in Archicad, but when I want to export my model to IFC, there is a problem. Export to IFC works fine for 3D surface created by Morph (even if it is not solid object). but the 3D line created by Morph doesn't export to IFC and Archicad writes "Export failed". I can set the IFC Converter settings anyhow, but export of Morph, which contains only 3D lines is not able.
I know that for infrastructural projects is used different software (Civil 3D, Microstation) instead of Archicad, but also civil buildings are often modeled together with the immediate surroundings like streets and pavements, so Archicad could be able to export a 3D line made by Morph to IFC. But Archicad is also used for processing architectural and territorial studies, which are already moving from a 2D surface to a 3D space, and therefore 3D lines with color and style settings would be useful. Therefore, the best thing would be a full-fledged 3D line tool, which many people have been wanting for years. A tool that could create different types of parametric curves independently in the horizontal and vertical directions, which could then serve as guidelines for other types of organic constructions. Morph can only create straight lines and arc sections.

[Aaron Bourgoin]

quick question and it might not solve your problem. Did you assign a classification to your morph lines? That might solve the problem. Try a test.

[bucha-michael]

I tried almost everything and any kind of IFC converter settings. I really don't know what to do anymore. Even if the element is not classified in Archicad, it should be automatically classified as IfcBuildingElementProxy. I have the same morph where I just removed the fill and it can't be exported to IFC anymore.

[Aaron Bourgoin]

the only thing we use morph lines for are property lines, not construction elements. I've exported a Zone Classified as Site Area for exporting these boundaries.

a 3D DWG can be saved as a GDL object and you might be able to project this linework that way.

[bucha-michael]

I tried to save this 3D curve (created by Morph) to GDL, I tried to import another 3D curve from 3D DWG as GDL - but nothing is exported and it reports the same error. When I created empty 3D zone (to wrap the curve in) and saved it together as GDL, there was no error after export to IFC, but when I opened IFC in BIMvision or Windows Notepad - only zone was exported as subobject of the main element, but the 3D curve was not included there as another subobject... Interestingly, if I draw a 2D curve in the 2D floorplan, I can export it and it displays beautifully in the IFC reader - but it is exported as IfcClass named IfcAnnotation and in Archicad it is not possible to associate BIM attributes to objects created with the 2D tool. (In addition, roads or pavements are often not in the horizontal plane, so the axe curve must be 3D.)

Normally I get IFCs created from Microstation where the railroad axis is modeled as a curve. So it looks like ARCHICAD exporter just can't export the curve as a Polyline which connecting cartesian points (BuildingSMART defined objects like IfcPolyline or IfcCurve). It either exports it as a face/surface, and when there is no face, it gives an error.