Use BCF files

File > Import / export > BCF files, BCFFILE

BCF (BIM Collaboration Format) is an information transfer format between separate planning applications. The users of these applications that support BCF, can discuss about details and possible problems in their plans.

Users can create topics in BCF file and send it to other designers. Program attaches a screenshot and exact location data of the current view in the file. With this data the user that receives the BCF file finds the objects related tot the topic easily. You can add multiple comments to a single topic.

Opening and saving BCF files

A BCF file that has been saved to the computer is a compressed file (its file extension is "BCFZIP").

If you want to see the topics and comments in the BCF file, click Importin the dialog.

If you want to save your topics seen in the dialog or email the BCF file, you must first save the BCF file to your computer's disk.

Do the following:

  1. Click Export in the dialog.

  2. Enter a filename for the BCF file. The file will automatically have the file extension BCFZIP.

  3. Select if you want to email it as an email attachment or if you want to save it to the disk. If you choose to save the BCF file to disk, enter target folder for it (or browse for the folder by clicking the button).
    If you choose to email the BCF file, the function will open the default email application defined in Windows and attaches the BCF file to the new email.

Creating a new BCF file

Note: If you have already a BCF file open in the dialog, save it first by clicking Export. If you don't save the open BCF file it will be automatically deleted when creating a new BCF file.

Do the following:

  1. Click New.

  2. Create a new topic to the file by selecting Add new topic from the Topics list.

  3. Enter topic and optionally a comment.

  4. Save the topic by clicking Save.

Screenshot of the topic

You can attach one screenshot picture to each topic in a BCF file. The attached screenshot is shown in the dialog when its topic is selected in the topics list. This helps in finding the right objects in the drawing. The view parameters (view target, viewing angle...) are also always saved to the BCF file when a screenshot is saved. If the drawing file of the topic is open, you can easily move to the location where the screenshot has originally been saved.

By clicking Zoomon the right of the screenshot picture, program zooms to the location where the screenshot has originally been saved.

If you want to change the screenshot to another, click Define. The current view will be set to new screenshot. The view parameters (view target, viewing angle...) are also always saved to the BCF file to enable zooming to the same location afterwards. If the topic already had a saved screenshot, it will be replaced. A topic can have only one screenshot.

Editing topics and comments

To edit a topic, do the following:

  1. Select the topic you want to edit from the topic list.

  2. Edit the values located below the topic list.

  3. If you want to change the screenshot to another, click Define.
    The current view will replace the topic's screenshot.

  4. Click Save to save the modifications.

To edit a comment, do the following:

All the comments shown are linked to the selected topic.

  1. Select the comment to edit in the comments list.

  2. Edit the values located below the list.

  3. Click Save to save the modifications.

To create a new topic or comment, do the following:

  1. Select Add new topic or Add new comment from the list (the last item in the list).

  2. Enter data for the new topic or comment and click Save.
    At least the caption must be entered for a topic. The obligatory fields for a comment are Status, Date, Owner, and Comment.

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