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Saving filters and viewpoints with BCF

BCF (BIM Collaboration Format) simplifies capturing and sharing specific model views, including filters and viewpoints, across your project team. This ensures everyone experiences the exact scenario or issue context, improving clarity and collaboration.

Why save filters and viewpoints?

Saving filters and viewpoints with BCF allows you to:

  • Highlight Relevant Elements: Focus attention on selected or hidden components to illustrate issues or design decisions.
  • Preserve Visual Context: Store precise camera angles, zoom levels, and section cuts, ensuring others see exactly what you intended.
  • Streamline Communication: Reduce confusion by sharing model snapshots with all relevant filters and views applied.

Using filters and viewpoints with BCF

When creating a BCF topic, the selection and visibility states of model elements, along with camera position, orientation, and clipping planes, are automatically saved. Every BCF topic acts as a visual bookmark, guiding team members directly to the relevant model area with the intended context.

To start:

  1. Open the viewer.
  2. Apply desired filters by selecting or hiding elements and setting clipping planes.
  3. Create a new BCF topic; filters and viewpoint are automatically saved.
  4. Share the BCF file or topic with your team for seamless, context-rich collaboration.

Practical use cases

  • Issue Reporting: Select problematic elements, hide irrelevant geometry, and create a BCF topic. Saved filters and viewpoints ensure reviewers view the issue exactly as intended.
  • Design Coordination: Isolate disciplines or systems using filters, then save viewpoints to communicate coordination requirements or conflicts.
  • Progress Tracking: Capture model states at various project milestones by saving filters and viewpoints, facilitating easy comparisons and review of changes.