Bentley Architecture Dataset Overview

revision: 23 Jul, 2009 - 10:54 AM

Table of Contents
Datasets ................................................................................................................................................. 3
Application dataset ......................................................................................................................... 4
Project datasets .............................................................................................................................. 4
Company datasets .......................................................................................................................... 8
Localized datasets ........................................................................................................................ 12
Family/Part system .............................................................................................................................. 13
Definitions ..................................................................................................................................... 13
Drawing Symbology ...................................................................................................................... 14
Cut Pattern .................................................................................................................................... 15
Centerline Symbology................................................................................................................... 15
Rendering Properties .................................................................................................................... 16
Report Components...................................................................................................................... 16
Drawing Notation .......................................................................................................................... 17
Compound Part library ......................................................................................................................... 18
Component library................................................................................................................................ 19
Definitions ..................................................................................................................................... 19
Variable Prices .............................................................................................................................. 19
Specification Texts........................................................................................................................ 20
Report generation ......................................................................................................................... 21
Parametric and non-parametric cells ................................................................................................... 22
Compound cells ............................................................................................................................ 22
PFB cells ....................................................................................................................................... 23
Parametric Cell Studio cells .......................................................................................................... 24
Section tables ...................................................................................................................................... 24
Render materials .................................................................................................................................. 25
Material palettes ........................................................................................................................... 25
Patterns ........................................................................................................................................ 25
Bumps ........................................................................................................................................... 25
DataGroup system ............................................................................................................................... 27
DataGroup Definition .................................................................................................................... 27
DataGroup Catalogs ..................................................................................................................... 28
DataGroup Reports....................................................................................................................... 32
Revisions ............................................................................................................................................. 34

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Datasets
Datasets add the ‘I’ to ‘BIM’, i.e. the Information to Building Information Modeling. They power the Bentley
Architecture engine and without datasets, the application is not able to create a building information
model and to generate drawings, rendered images and animations, reports, schedules, analysis data and
other output. All such outputs depend on different inputs from the datasets. Therefore, it is vital to
understand the different dataset components and their interactions, relationships, and dependencies, and
how they affect the BIM as well as outputs from the BIM.

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Bentley Architecture is delivered with two datasets:
 the application dataset
 a project dataset included in the project template

Application dataset
The application dataset, e.g. ArchDatasetNcsUS, contains all necessary files and folders to run the
application ‘out of the box’:
bak dataset backups
catalogs menu catalogs
cell parametric and non-parametric cells and cell libraries
comp report components
cpart compound parts
data steel section tables
datagroupcatalogs DataGroup catalog files
datagrouplayouts DataGroup schedule layouts and templates
datagroupsystem DataGroup definition files, displaynames, etc.
dgn dgnlib’s
frame parametric files for casework, doors, windows, shelving, etc.
guide column grids
keynote keynote resource files
macro macros for compilation of specification texts
materials material palettes, bump and pattern map files
part parts
rules drawing annotation rules
seed seed files
settings setting files for the Parametric Framebuilder, IFC, etc
text specification texts
vba examples of Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) programs

The configuration variable in the pcf-file determines which application datasets is to be used, e.g.
TF_DATASETNAME = ArchDatasetNcsUS
Delivered datasets should not be modified, because edits will be deleted with the next installation,,
although a backup copy can be saved during the installation process. Instead, edits and additions should
be made in company and/or project-specific datasets or dataset extensions, which are appended to the
delivered dataset via configuration variables in pcf-files.

Project datasets
The project dataset is included in the project template, e.g. in
ArchProjectTemplateNcsUS. Delivered empty, it can be used to store project-
specific cells, components, compound parts, data, materials and parts. If the
following configuration variables are set in the project configuration file, then files
in the Project Dataset will be considered before files in the application dataset,
because they prepend (<) the folders to the search path of dataset folder:
TFDIR_PART < $(PROJ_DATASET)part/
TFDIR_CELL < $(PROJ_DATASET)cell/
TFDIR_COMP < $(PROJ_DATASET)comp/
TFDIR_CPART < $(PROJ_DATASET)cpart/
MS_CELLLIST < $(PROJ_DATASET)cell/*.*
MS_MATERIAL < $(PROJ_DATASET)materials/
MS_BACKUP < $(PROJ_DATASET)bak/
MS_PATTERN < $(PROJ_DATASET)materials/pattern/
MS_BUMP < $(PROJ_DATASET)materials/bump/

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 For instance, in the Dataset Explorer, Parts, Compound Parts, and Components of the project dataset
are shown before the Parts, Compound Parts, and Components of the application dataset.

To add a file to a Project Dataset folder, e.g. a Part file, highlight the path to the folder, then right-click in
the right window and select ‘New’.

Enter a name for the new file, e.g. ProjectParts, and click ‘OK’.

Note that a new file ‘ProjectParts.xml’ is added to the Project Dataset part folder.

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To add a part Family, highlight the xml-file, then right-click in the right window and select ‘New’.

Enter a name and description for the new part Family and click ‘OK’.

Note that a new part Family is added to ‘ProjectParts.xml’ in the Project Dataset part folder.

To add a Part, highlight the part Family, then right-click the right window and select ‘New’.

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Enter Name and Description, then define Default Model Attributes, and click ‘OK’.

Note that a new Part is added to the Part Family ‘CompanyWalls’.

Define further attributes in the other Parts View options (see below).
Note: Project-specific Compound Parts and Components are added in the similar way.

To add further project-specific files to the project dataset, add the folders to the Project Dataset using the
Windows ‘New Folder’ tools, e.g. a frame folder with subfolders doors and windows for project-specific
doors and windows, and a DataGroup folders for project-specific DataGroup catalog, schedule layout,
and definition files.

Then add the appropriate configuration variables to the pcf-file, e.g.

ATFDIR_WINDOW < $(PROJ_DATASET)frame/windows/
ATFDIR_DOOR < $(PROJ_DATASET)frame/doors/
DG_CATALOGS_PATH < $(PROJ_DATASET)datagroupcatalogs/
DG_SCHEDULE_LAYOUT_PATH < $(PROJ_DATASET)datagrouplayouts/
1
DG_PATH > $(PROJ_DATASET)datagroupsystem/ )
1
) Note: DG_PATH is appended (>), to ensure that system definition files are used first.

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Company datasets
Additional datasets or subsets of datasets can be created and configured in pcf-files, for instance, for
company-specific dataset content.
Use the Windows ‘New Folder’ tool to add folders to the workspace, e.g. under …\Application
Data\Bentley\MicroStation\WorkSpace\TriForma\DatasetExtensions

Add the appropriate configuration variables to the pcf-files of projects that should have access to the
additional contents, for example:
#----------------------------------------------------------------------
# Append search path for any company-level portions of the TriForma Dataset,
#----------------------------------------------------------------------
DG_CATALOGS_PATH < $(TF_DATASETS)DatasetExtensions/Arch_Company/datagroupcatalogs/
TFDIR_PART < $(TF_DATASETS)DatasetExtensions/Arch_Company/part/
ATFDIR_WINDOW < $(TF_DATASETS)DatasetExtensions/Arch_Company/frame/windows/
ATFDIR_DOOR < $(TF_DATASETS)DatasetExtensions/Arch_Company/frame/doors/

Alternatively, create a configuration variable for the company-level dataset location and use it for
configuration variables for the sub-folders:
COMP_DATASET = $(TF_DATASETS)DatasetExtensions/Arch_Company/
TFDIR_PART < $(COMP_DATASET)part/
DG_CATALOGS_PATH < $(COMP_DATASET)datagroupcatalogs/
ATFDIR_WINDOW < $(COMP_DATASET)windows/
ATFDIR_DOOR < $(COMP_DATASET)doors/

This enables Parts to be added to company-level dataset extensions.

To add a file to a Company Dataset folder, e.g. a Part file, highlight the path to the folder, then right-click
in the right window and select ‘New’.

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Enter a name for the new file, e.g. CompanyParts, and click ‘OK’.

Note that a new file CompanyParts.xml is added to the Company Dataset part folder.

To add a Part Family, highlight the xml-file, then right-click in the right window and select ‘New’.

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Enter a name and description for the new Part Family and click ‘OK’.

Note that a new Part Family is added to ProjectParts.xml in the Project Dataset part folder.

To add a Part, highlight the Part Family, then right-click the right window and select ‘New’.

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Enter Name and Description, then define Default Model Attributes, and click ‘OK’.

Note that a new Part is added to the Part Family ‘CompanyWalls’.

Define further attributes in the various Parts View options (see below).

Note: Company-level Compound Parts and Components are added in the similar way.

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Localized datasets
Localized datasets that support country-specific standards can be downloaded from Bentley SELECT
under ‘Enhancements and Updates’ or from Bentley Library.

(Sample Part library of Bentley Architecture Dataset Germany (DE)

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The key systems within datasets are the:
 Family/Part system with the Part and Component libraries; it deals with:
representational properties, i.e. how objects are displayed in models, extracted drawings, and
rendered images, e.g. level, symbology, render properties, etc.,
quantification properties, i.e. how objects are quantified, costed, and linked to specifications;

 DataGroup system with catalog and property definition files; it is concerned with:
dimensional properties, i.e. parametric default values, like wall width and height, door size and
threshold, program area, etc.,
report properties, i.e. properties used for schedules and reports, such as door numbers, room
names, fire ratings, thermal properties, model numbers, manufacturers, etc.
Note: The latter was added to datasets in the Bentley Architecture V8 release in 2004.

In addition, other files are provided for section tables, parametric and non-parametric objects, seed files,
dgnlib’s, material palettes with bump and pattern files, settings, specification texts, etc.

Family/Part system
The Family/Part system deals with properties that affect the representation of building elements in
models, drawings, and rendered images. They also influence the output of quantities, costs, and
specification texts.

Parts define default settings that determine the way building objects are placed and displayed in the BIM
as well as in extracted drawings and images. These default settings can be overwritten during placement
or afterwards. Parts are and can be organized into Families (categories) and reside in one or multiple xml-
files in the ‘part’ folder of the dataset(s). Because Parts determine display properties they can be
regarded as ‘Styles’
In the Dataset Editor, defaults settings for Parts are managed in different views:

Note: In the Dataset Editor window, properties of multiple Parts can be edited by placing them in a
selection set.
Note: Properties can be edited in the Dataset Editor window or the ‘Properties’ window for individual
Parts.
Definitions
In the ‘Definition’ view, the following element properties are defined:
 default 3D level and symbology (color, style, weight) in the building information model
 default thickness and height for elements that are not placed via the DataGroup system.
Note: Default dimensions for elements placed via the DataGroup system are defined in DataGroup
Catalogs.

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Drawing Symbology
In the ‘Drawing Symbology’ view, the following element properties are defined:
 2D level and symbology (color, style, weight) in extracted drawings, separate for cut, forward and
reflected view
 unification behavior, i.e. whether elements unify with themselves only or whether they unify with other
elements that have the same ‘Unifier’.
Note: a ‘Unifier’ is a Part that determines the default 2D level and symbology for all elements that
have the same ‘Unifier’, thus the default 2D level and symbology of the individual Parts are ignored.

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Cut Pattern
In the ‘Cut Pattern’ view, the following element properties are defined:
 fill color, pattern type, color, style, weight, angles, distances, pattern cell, cell scale, angle, row and
column spacing

Centerline Symbology
In the ‘Centerline Symbology’ view, the following element properties are defined:
 level and symbolgy (color, style, weight)
Note: style can be custom line style, e.g. ‘Batten’

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 centerline behavior if custom line style, i.e. whether to use wall thickness and/or scale

Rendering Properties
In the ‘Rendering Properties’ view, the following element properties are defined:
 render palette and material

<add Rendering Properties dialog box>

Report Components
In the ‘Report Components’ view, the following element properties are defined:
 the components from the Components library, which will be used for quantity takeoff and cost
calculation reports
 the calculation formula to be used (volume, length, surface area(s), number, …)
 the type (all, linear, slab, or free form)

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For further information, see chapter ‘Component Library’.

Drawing Notation
In the ‘Report Components’ view, the following element properties are defined:
 the type of auto dimensioning (overall, openings, opening if necessary, openings on axis, …)
 the position (left, right)
 the distance from the form

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Compound Part library
Compound parts define horizontal and/or vertical assemblies of max. 8 Parts that can be placed in a
single operation. With the Graphic Group lock ‘on’, the entire assembly can be manipulated, e.g. moved,
deleted or extended, but if the lock is ‘off’, then individual Parts of the assembly can be manipulated.
Compound Parts are and can be organized into Families (categories) and reside in one or multiple xml-
files in the ‘cpart’ folder of the dataset(s).

Note: If Thickness and Height are defined in the Part, they will be used as default values.

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Component library
Components define report components used by Parts for quantity takeoff, cost, weight calculation, and
compilation of specification texts. They are and can be organized into Families (categories) and reside in
one or multiple xml-files in the ‘comp’ folder of the dataset(s).
In the Dataset Editor, settings for Components are set in different views:

Definitions
In the ‘Definition’ view, the following component properties are defined:
2 3
 unit (ft, sq.ft, cu.ft, m, m , m , piece, hour, …)
 density, i.e. weight
 Lambda (not used)
 deduction (openings of specified value or smaller will be ignored for quantification)
 accuracy
 unit price

Variable Prices
In the ‘Variable Prices’ view, the following component properties are defined:
 price type, i.e. variable price (no, by single part, by sum of total)
 high, medium, and low price for small, medium, and large quantity, typically, the higher the quantity,
the lower the price.

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Specification Texts
In the ‘Specification Texts’ view, the following component properties are defined:
 specification text(s) associated per component, i.e. text files that will be compiled into a specification
document of all components used in the building information model

Note: the text files located in the ‘data’ folder of the dataset are used to populate the list of available files.

A text file (‘textinfo’ located in the ‘data’ folder) for ‘Spec Text Information’ can be created, which adds a
Name and Info for each specification text file for easier selection.

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Report generation
Detailed and summary reports as well as specification texts are extracted using the ‘Quantify’ tool.

Column layouts, sort keys, output formats, etc. can be customized and save to a .lay file.

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Parametric and non-parametric cells
Bentley Architecture supports the creation, placement and manipulation of non-parametric and parametric
cells.

Compound cells
Compound cells are non-parametric cells that combine a 2D with a 3D cell in one cell: the 3D cell is
placed in the building information model with the 2D cell as a construction element, while the 2D cell is
used in extracted plan drawings. Optionally, they can incorporate a Perforator, which is used to punch a
hole through linear or slab forms, if the compound cell is placed within the Sense Distance. They are
stored in cell libraries with extension .bxc and located in the ‘cell’ folder of datasets.
Compound cells can be created with elements that have Part information attached, or the entire cell can
have a Part attached. This can be used to quantify/count them if the Part has one or more Report
Components associated where the formula is set to ‘pc’, i.e. piece, and the formula to an integer, e.g. ‘1’.

Compound cells are typically place through the DataGroup system. They can also be placed with the
‘Place Compound Cell’ tool, which provides various options, however, no DataGroup instance data will be
attached. See section <Compound cells> for further details.

Compound cells are created by identifying the 3D graphics, the Plan graphics, the Perforator (optional),
and the Origin, then giving a Name, Type and Description.

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PFB cells
PFB cells are parametric cells created with the Parametric Frame Builder tool, e.g. doors, windows,
casework, etc. Via ‘Add’ and ‘Set’ tools, macros are created, which are stored as .bxf files in the
appropriate folder of the dataset, e.g. …\frame\doors. Alternatively, the can also be stored as compound
cell.

Parametric Frame Builder cells are typically place through the DataGroup system. They can also be
placed with the ‘Place’ option in the ‘Parametric Frame Builder’ tool, however, no DataGroup instance
data will be attached. See section <Compound cells> for further details.

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Parametric Cell Studio cells
PC Studio cells are parametric and rule-based cells created with Parametric Cell Studio, an integral
module of Bentley Architecture. They are stored as .paz files in the appropriate folder of the dataset, e.g.
…\frame\doors.

Section tables
Bentley Architecture is delivered with more than 25 international steel section tables. Columns and
Beams are placed by selecting the Section Type and Section Name, then adding parameters, such as
height, base offset, rotation, and cardinal point.

Additional section types, e.g. Rectangular or Solid Rounds, can be added to the tables.

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Column and Beam sections are placed with the settings defined for the active Family/Part.

Render materials
In Bentley Architecture (and the Building applications), materials can be applied to elements in the
following ways:
1. by level/color assignment: all objects in the model that have a specific color and are located on a
specific level will be rendered with the same material.
2. by Part assignment: a rendering material is assigned to a Part by specifying the Render Palette
and Render Material in the ‘Rendering Properties’ view of the Dataset Explorer, which is then
applied to the element(s) during the modeling process.

The configuration variable TFPART_RENDER controls whether or not part rendering is enabled:
if on (1), the rendering materials assigned to the part are used for rendering operations, if off (0)
they will be ignored.
Note: Part rendering takes precedence over materials assigned by level/color.
3. by element attachment: a material is applied to a single element or a an individual surface of an
element, thus overriding any level/color assignment affecting that element.
Note: Element attachment takes precedence over materials assigned by level/color and part
rendering.

The ‘material’ folder contains material palette files. Bump and pattern map files are located in their
respective sub-folders. For further information, see MicroStation Help ‘Material Characteristics’.

Material palettes
Material palettes (.pal files) store material definitions, i.e. attributes related to color, texture, reflectivity,
opacity (transparency), finish, etc.

Patterns
Pattern maps (typically .jpg files) are raster images (patterns) that can be mapped to surfaces in the
design file, as determined by the material assignments.

Bumps

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Bump maps (typically .jpg files) are raster images (bumps) that interpret brighter portions of the image as
high points and darker areas as depressions or dents, thus making the rendered image more photo-
realistic.

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DataGroup system
The DataGroup system is concerned with dimensional and parametric properties that are used to change
the size of building components, as well as with element properties to produce schedules and reports.
DataGroup Instance Data is attached to all Bentley Architecture building elements that are placed through
the DataGroup system, such as walls, doors, windows, curtain wall, stairs, etc., however, user-definable
properties can be applied to virtually any 2D or 3D element.

DataGroup Definition
DataGroup definitions define the name, grouping, data format, default value, optional lists of element
properties.
Bentley Architecture is delivered with application definitions that are required for the application to work
properly; typically, they reside in C:\Program Files\Bentley\TriForma\datagroupsystem and must not be
changed. Additional definition files are delivered with each dataset, which are mainly optional and reside
in the ‘datagroupsystem’ folder of the dataset as xsd-files. It is highly recommended, not to edit these
definition files as some may affect the application.
User-defined definition files can be created using the DataGroup Definition Editor, which is opened from
the Programs > Bentley Building V8i > Building Tools > DataGroup > DataGroup Definition Editor menu.

User-defined DataGroup definition files should be saved in a ‘datagroupsystem’ folder in a company or

project-specific dataset.

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DataGroup Catalogs
DataGroup Catalog Items contain catalog items that define default property values, for example Width,
Height, Frame Depth and Thickness, and Leaf Thickness, Fire Rating, etc. They are created and
managed in the DataGroup Catalog Editor (Catalog Items) dialog box.

DataGroup Definition files are attached to DataGroup Catalog Types using the DataGroup Catalog Editor
(Catalog Types) dialog box.
Note: the same definition file can be attached to multiple Catalog Types, for instance, a file defining model
number and manufacturer name can be attached to doors, windows, casework, etc.

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Default property values defined in DataGroup Catalogs can be overwritten in the placement dialog boxes
and additional values can be added. The parametric property values affect the sizes of building objects.

Catalog Items for walls also define the default Family and Part (property ‘Part Definition), i.e. the level and
symbology in models and drawings, rendering properties, report components, etc.

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At placement or any time afterwards, the ‘Part Definition’ can be modified, which immediately affects the
representation.

Sample DataGroup Catalog Items are delivered with Bentley Architecture in xlm-files that resided in the
‘datagroupcatalogs’ folder of the dataset. It is recommended that additional Catalog Items are saved in a
‘datagroupcatalogs’ folder in a company or project-specific dataset.

To add catalog items in the project or company dataset portion(s), new DataGroup catalog files must be
created in the appropriate datagroupcatalogs folder, if they do not already exist.

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Select the appropriate datagroupcatalogs Directory and enter a file name for the xml-file, e.g.
ProjectWalls

Enter a Name for the catalog item and select the appropriate Destination file, e.g. ProjectWalls

For the new catalog item, enter default Width, Height and other property values. For property ‘Part
Definition’, select the appropriate project or company Family and Part in the ‘Part and Family Chooser’,
and click OK.

Save the DataGroup Catalog edits!

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DataGroup Reports
In the DataGroup Explorer, all building elements in the model or selection set are listed with all properties
for each Catalog Type. Schedule layouts can be customized by deleting and moving columns to other
positions, then saved.

Schedule can be exported to a variety of formats, such as Excel, Text, CSV, and XML.

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Excel templates can be created for DataGroup schedules …

… which are then populated with the schedule data.

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Revisions
Sep 23, 2009 added alternative configuration variables to ‘Company Datasets’ paragraph
added SELECT downloads images to ‘Localized Datasets’ paragraph

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