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BIM Workbench

In v1.0 the BIM, Native-IFC and Arch Workbenches have been merged into the integrated BIM Workbench.
This page has been updated for that version.

BIM Workbench icon

Introduction

The BIM Workbench provides a modern Building Information Modelling workflow in FreeCAD, with fully parametric objects such as walls, beams, roofs, windows, stairs, pipes, and furniture. It supports Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) files, and the production of 2D plans in combination with the TechDraw Workbench.

The BIM Workbench imports tools from the Draft Workbench, as it uses its 2D objects to build 3D parametric objects. But it can also use solid shapes created with other workbenches like Part and PartDesign.

See FreeCAD BIM migration guide for a quick overview if you are already a user of another BIM application.

The developers of Draft and BIM also collaborate with the greater OSArch community, with the ultimate goal of improving building design by using entirely free software.

Getting started

When starting the BIM workbench for the first time, a welcome dialog is shown, giving a quick overview of how the workbench works, and allowing the user to start an in-game tutorial. The welcome dialog is also available from the help menu. When the welcome screen is closed by clicking OK, the BIM setup dialog will be shown, that allows the user to quickly set some of the most common BIM-related preferences of FreeCAD without the need to browse through the full FreeCAD preferences pages.

The BIM project setup tool allows you to quickly setup a BIM project by entering some basic information about your project. You can then, for example, use the different 2D drafting tools to sketch guidelines and baselines, then use the different 3D modeling tools to automatically build 3D BIM objects from them. A line, for example, can become a wall simply by selecting it and pressing the Wall button.

Common building elements such as walls or columns are easily created by pressing the appropriate toolbar button and clicking points in the 3D view. They can be moved, rotated and edited once created. Most BIM elements are created on the current working plane, so a typical workflow involves placing the working plane first, then creating a BIM element. More complex elements can be created by drawing 2D elements first, then using one of the BIM tools to convert them into the desired element.

Elements of building projects can be organized using sites, buildings and levels, to reproduce what is commonly done in other BIM applications. In FreeCAD, however, such structures are not mandatory, and you are free to organize your model elements as you see fit, for example using groups.

2D drawings can be generated from a model to represent plan, section or elevation views. To generate such a drawing,section planes are placed in the model, to indicate where it should be cut or viewed from. Once the section planes are in place, two methods are possible:

  1. Create projected views in the document using shape views, then add all the necessary annotations such as texts and dimensions, then put all this on a page. This is the recommended way, as it offers more flexibility.
  2. Create a view on a page directly from the section plane. Then all the needed 2D annotations must either be added to the section plane, or done directly on the page. This is less flexible.

Finally, quantities schedules can be created using the schedule tool.

If you are used to another BIM application, check our BIM application compatibility table to get your bearings when starting with FreeCAD.

The in-game tutorial is an easy way to quickly get on track with the BIM workbench.

Tools

The BIM workbench gathers tools from several other FreeCAD workbenches, mainly Draft and Part, roughly reorganized in logical categories.

Additionally, if such addons are installed, tools from Reinforcement (extra reinforcing bar tools), Fasteners (bolts and screws), Flamingo/Dodo (metal structure and piping tools) and Parts Library are automatically included in the BIM workbench.

The BIM workbench also adds a series of items in the status bar of FreeCAD, and a couple of context menu items, accessible by right-clicking in the 3D view or in the tree view.

2D drafting

2D objects are commonly used as drafting aids, or to draw base lines and profiles to build BIM objects on. They can also be used to draw symbols and annotations in your model. Apart from sketches, that use their own coordinate system, 2D objects will be drawn on the current working plane.

  • Sketch: Creates‎ a new sketch and enters sketch edit mode. Sketches are advanced 2D objects with constraints support.

  • Line: Creates a straight line.

  • Polyline: Creates a polyline (also called wire), a sequence of several connected line segments.

  • Circle: Creates a circle from a center and a radius.

  • Arc: Creates a circular arc from a center, a radius, a start angle and an aperture angle.

  • Arc by 3 points: Creates a circular arc from three points that define its circumference.

  • Fillet: Creates a fillet, a rounded corner, or a chamfer, a straight edge, between two Draft Lines.

  • Ellipse: Creates an ellipse from two points defining a rectangle in which the ellipse will fit.

  • Polygon: Creates a regular polygon from a center and a radius.

  • Rectangle: Creates a rectangle from two points.

  • B-spline: Creates a B-spline curve from several points.

  • Bézier curve: Creates a Bézier curve from several points.

  • Cubic Bézier curve: Creates a Bézier curve of the third degree.

  • Point: Creates a simple point.

3D/BIM

3D and BIM objects are the real-world elements that will compose your BIM project.

  • Project: Creates an IFC project including selected objects.

  • Site: Creates a site including selected objects.

  • Building: Creates a building including selected objects.

  • Level: Creates a floor including selected objects.

  • Space: Creates a space object.

  • Wall: Creates a wall from scratch or using a selected object as a base.

  • Curtain Wall: Creates a curtain wall from scratch or using a selected object as a base.

  • Column: Creates a vertical structural element at a given point, optionally using a selected object as a profile.

  • Beam: Creates a horizontal structural element between two points, optionally using a selected object as a profile.

  • Slab: Creates a flat structural element by extruding a selected flat object.

  • Door: Creates a Window object using door presets.

  • Window: Creates a window from scratch or using a selected object as a base.

  • Pipe: Creates a pipe.

  • Connector: Creates a corner or T-connection between 2 or 3 selected pipes.

  • Stairs: Creates a stairs object.

  • Roof: Creates a sloped roof from a selected wire.

  • Panel: Creates a panel object from a selected 2D object.

  • Frame: Creates a frame object from a selected layout.

  • Fence: Creates a fence object from a selected post and path.

  • Truss: Creates a truss from a selected line or from scratch.

  • Equipment: Creates an equipment or furniture object.

  • Reinforcement tools:

: These tools, except the first, are only available if the Reinforcement Workbench has been installed.

  • Custom Rebar: Creates a custom reinforcement bar in a selected structural element using a sketch.

  • Straight Rebar: Creates a straight reinforcement bar in a selected structural element.

  • U-Shape Rebar: Creates a U-shape reinforcement bar in a selected structural element.

  • L-Shape Rebar: Creates an L-shape reinforcement bar in a selected structural element.

  • Stirrup: Creates a stirrup reinforcement bar in a selected structural element.

  • Bent-Shape Rebar: Creates a bent-shape reinforcement bar in a selected structural element.

  • Helical Rebar: Creates a helical reinforcement bar in a selected structural element.

  • Column Reinforcement: Creates reinforcement bars in a selected column.

  • Beam Reinforcement: Creates reinforcement bars in a selected beam.

  • Slab Reinforcement: Creates reinforcement bars in a selected slab.

  • Footing Reinforcement: Creates reinforcement bars in a selected footing.

  • Generic 3D tools:

: These tools build generic 3D objects that can be turned or used into BIM components.

  • Profile: Creates a parametric 2D profile.

  • Box: Creates a box by specifying its dimensions graphically.

  • Shape builder...: Creates more complex shapes from various geometric primitives.

  • Facebinder: creates a surface object from selected faces.

  • Objects library: Inserts an equipment or furniture object. Requires the Parts Library addon.

  • Component: Creates a non-parametric Arch component.

  • External reference: Links objects from another FreeCAD file into the current document.

Annotation

Annotations are visual help objects that can be placed inside your model. They can be used to export your model directly to a 2D format like DXF, or reused when creating 2D views of your model with the TechDraw Workbench.

  • Text: Creates a 2D text in a document or on a TechDraw page.

  • Shape from text: Creates a compound shape that represents a text string.

  • Aligned dimension: Creates a dimension aligned with two points or a selected edge.

  • Horizontal dimension: Creates an horizontal dimension between two points or from a selected edge.

  • Vertical dimension: Creates a vertical dimension between two points or from a selected edge.

  • Leader: Creates a 2-segment polyline with an arrow at its end, to be used as a leader line in conjunction with a Text.

  • Label: Creates a multi-line text with a 2-segment leader line and an arrow.

  • Axis: Adds a 1-direction array of axes.

  • Axis System: Adds an axis system composed of several axes.

  • Grid: Adds a grid-like object.

  • Section Plane: Adds a section plane object.

  • Hatch: Creates hatches on the planar faces of a selected object.

  • Page: Creates a TechDraw page from a template SVG file.

  • View: Creates a view of the selected object(s) such as a Section plane or a Group containing the different elements of a 2D view.

  • Shape-based view: Creates a 2D projected view from a selected object such as a Section plane or a Level.

Snapping

This menu contains the Draft Snap tools as well as the following tools:

Modify

  • Move: Moves or copies selected objects from one point to another.

  • Copy: Copies selected objects from one point to another.

  • Rotate: Rotates or copies selected objects around a center point by a given angle.

  • Clone: Clones selected objects.

  • Create simple copy: Creates a non-parametric copy of a selected object. This is the same tool as Part SimpleCopy.

  • Make compound: Creates a compound from selected objects. This is the same tool as Part Compound.

  • Offset: Offsets each segment of a selected object over a given distance, or creates an offset copy of the selected object.

  • 2D Offset...: Constructs a parallel wire at a given distance from the original, or enlarges/shrinks a planar face (parametric version). This is the same tool as Part Offset2D.

  • Trimex: Trims or extends a selected object.

  • Join: Joins Draft Lines and Draft Wires into a single wire.

  • Split: Splits a Draft Line or Draft Wire at a specified point or edge.

  • Scale: Scales or copies selected objects around a base point.

  • Stretch: Stretches objects by moving selected points.

  • Draft to sketch: Converts Draft objects to Sketcher Sketches and vice versa.

  • Upgrade: Upgrades selected objects.

  • Downgrade: Downgrades selected objects.

  • Add component: Adds objects to a component.

  • Remove component: Subtracts or removes objects from a component.

  • Array: Creates an orthogonal array from a selected object. It can optionally create a Link array.

  • Path array: Creates an array from a selected object by placing copies along a path.

  • Polar array: Creates an array from a selected object by placing copies along a circumference. It can optionally create a Link array.

  • Point array: Creates an array from a selected object by placing copies at the points from a point compound.

  • Cut with plane: Cuts an object according to a plane.

  • Mirror: Creates mirrored copies from selected objects.

  • Extrude...: Extrudes planar faces of an object. This is the same tool as Part Extrude.

  • Difference: Subtracts one object from another. This is the same tool as Part Cut.

  • Union: Fuses two objects. This is the same tool as Part Fuse.

  • Intersection: Extracts the common part of two objects. This is the same tool as Part Common.

Manage

Utils

Status bar

The status bar contains a few buttons that allow to easily change different states:

  • Toggle panels: Shows or hides the Report view and the Python console.

  • Toggle Views: Shows or hides the BIM Views panel.

  • Cycle background: Cycles between vertical gradient, radial gradient and simple color background modes. This can be used to toggle between a dark background for modelling and a white background for 2D drawing.

  • Lock IFC: Switches between locked and unlocked IFC mode.

Tree view context menu

TBD

3D view context menu

TBD

Obsolete tools

Preferences

  • Preferences: General preferences for the BIM Workbench.
  • Fine tuning: Extra parameters to fine-tune BIM behavior.

Working with IFC

The BIM workbench works natively with Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) files. Native means there is no more translation between the IFC contents and FreeCAD: The IFC contents are directly rendered in FreeCAD, and any change affects the IFC contents directly. Read more on NativeIFC.

If you don't plan to work with others, and have no need for IFC, you can still use the BIM workbench tools and simply ignore anything related to IFC. You can still export your model to IFC anytime.

The old Arch IFC importer is disabled by default in FreeCAD, but still available from Python.

File formats

  • IFC: industry foundation classes
  • DAE: Collada mesh format
  • OBJ: OBJ mesh format (export only)
  • JSON: JavaScript Object Notation format (export only)
  • 3DS: 3DS format (import only)
  • SHP: GIS Shapefiles (import only)

API

The Arch module can be used in Python scripts and macros using the Arch Python API functions.

Tutorials and learning

Example files

⏵ documentation index > Workbenches > BIM > BIM Workbench