BIM Object Properties

In this article, we’ll explore how to efficiently manage the properties of various architectural elements, transforming geometric components into dynamic containers of valuable data.

We will highlight the importance of standardization and discuss strategies to prevent information fragmentation, ensuring complete control over your digital model.

Finally, we’ll move from theory to practice: you’ll learn concrete methods to optimize your workflow using a BIM software for architectural design, enabling data management that is smooth, secure, and highly professional.

IFC model properties

How to Efficiently Manage BIM Object Properties

In the BIM landscape, the geometric component represents only the tip of the iceberg. The real value lies in “Information”, that is, the complex ecosystem of properties and attributes that transform a simple 3D volume into an intelligent digital component. Managing these properties efficiently is not just a matter of archival order, but it is the fundamental requirement to ensure interoperability and the accuracy of metrics, energy analyses, future maintenance (FM), and much more.

Centralization and Standardization of Data

The first step for effective data management is adopting a classification standard (such as UniClass, Omniclass, or MasterFormat). Without a predefined structure, properties risk becoming disorganized background noise. An efficient approach entails:

• mapping parameters – associating custom properties with IFC standards to ensure information is not lost during export to other software;
• project templates – using pre-configured templates that already contain the necessary property sets for each object category, drastically reducing manual data-entry times;
• management of property sets (Pset) – organizing attributes into logical groups (thermal performance, acoustic data, installation references) to facilitate consultation and mass editing.

Automation and Synchronization

Efficiency is also measured by the ability to avoid redundancy. A common mistake is manually entering information that could be automatically extracted from geometry or external databases. Modern BIM software allows the creation of calculated properties or linking external files (such as PDF data sheets or links to SQL databases) directly to the object. In this way, updating a single property instantly reflects across all views, schedules, and labels of the project, eliminating the risk of inconsistencies between documents.

Optimizing this process means shifting from purely visual modeling to data-driven modeling, where every design choice is supported by immediately accessible technical information.

Importing and Exporting BIM Data Using Excel Property Sets

The integration between the BIM model and spreadsheets represents the most advanced solution for managing large volumes of data, allowing properties of objects to be treated as rows of a database external to the modeling environment.

The Bridge Between Modeling and Spreadsheet

Using Excel for managing Property Sets is not a simple “copy and paste”, but a genuine bidirectional synchronization process. This approach is crucial at various stages:

• mass data population – imagine having to enter technical characteristics (thermal transmittance, fire resistance, manufacturer) for hundreds of fixtures or partitions. By exporting the schedule of objects to Excel, fields can be filled quickly, utilizing drag-and-drop features and filters typical of spreadsheets, and then re-importing everything into the model with a click;
• collaboration with non-BIM figures – often, those holding technical information (suppliers, acoustic specialists, purchase managers) do not use BIM authoring software. Providing them with a pre-structured Excel file allows for the collection of certified data that integrates into the model without degrading intermediate steps;
• validation and quality control – exporting data to Excel enables quick cross-checking (Rule Checking) to ensure there are no empty fields or out-of-range values, guaranteeing a rigorous informational Model Checking before the IFC file delivery.

Dynamic Synchronization and Parameter Mapping

The real technical challenge lies in correct mapping. Each row of the Excel sheet must be uniquely linked to the object in the model via its GUID (Global Unique Identifier). Advanced software must be able to recognize this correspondence, updating only modified parameters without altering the geometry or structure of the project.

This method transforms the Excel file into a sort of external “control panel”, where maintenance management or cost updates become smooth operations without redundancy. It is not just about speed, but ensuring data integrity throughout the entire lifecycle of the work.

Importing and Exporting Properties

Do you need to add new properties to the objects in your project? For example, do you want to add PSet (property Set – property groups for IFC objects) for the IFC model you will export from Edificius? You can now import properties from an Excel file and assign them directly to the object in your project, or you can export the properties you have assigned to the model in Excel format and reuse them for your future projects.

In the “Properties” toolbox on the right side of the software screen, in the “Object Properties” section, the functions “Load properties from an Excel file” and “Save properties to an Excel file” have been added. This way, you can define a series of additional information and properties, related to specific characteristics of the object (mass, temperature, thermal transmittance, pressure, and many others) and export them in Excel format or, conversely, import properties.

To understand how to operate with the software, let’s examine a practical example together.

If you want to import properties from an Excel file:

• open the EDF file of your project
• select an object (for example, a wall)
• in “Object Properties“, in the properties toolbox, click the three dots to edit the properties
• click the folder icon “Load properties from an Excel file”, in the dialog box that opens
• upload the Excel file with the properties to assign to the object
• click the green checkmark to confirm the change.

Import properties from an Excel file in Edificius

If you want to export the properties in Excel format:

• open the EDF file of your project
• select an object (for example, a wall)
• in “Object Properties“, in the properties toolbox, click on the three dots to edit the properties
• click on the folder icon “Save properties to an Excel file“, in the dialog that opens
• choose where to save the Excel file with the properties of the selected object.

All this information, along with the specific information of the object, can also be shared through the IFC file.

If, in fact, you add new properties to the objects and export the project in IFC format, you can read the added properties even by opening the IFC with a simple viewer.

So you can verify the added properties even in the IFC format:

• export the project in IFC format
• upload it and view it on usBIM
• select the object to which you have added the properties
• read the properties in the toolbox on the right.

Importing from Excel format to Object Properties requires that the data within the sheet has the same structure obtained with the export.

Video showing how to export/import Object Properties in Excel format

Here’s how to use the features of “Exporting and importing Object Properties in Excel format”.

FAQ on property import/export

How to efficiently manage BIM object properties?

In the BIM landscape, the geometric component represents only the tip of the iceberg. The real value lies in ‘Information’, that is, in the complex ecosystem of properties and attributes that transform a simple 3D volume into an intelligent digital component. Efficiently managing these properties is not only a matter of archive order but is the fundamental requirement to ensure interoperability and accuracy in quantity takeoffs, energy analyses, future maintenance (FM), and much more. An efficient approach involves centralization and standardization of the data through parameter mapping, project templates, and management of property sets (Pset), along with automation and synchronization to avoid redundancies and inconsistencies.

How does the import and export of BIM data using Excel property sets work?

The integration between the BIM model and spreadsheets represents the most advanced solution for managing large volumes of data, allowing the properties of the objects to be handled as rows of an external database outside the modeling environment. Using Excel for managing the Property Set is a true bidirectional synchronization process fundamental for mass data population, collaboration with non-BIM figures, and validation and quality control (Model Checking). The technical challenge lies in the correct mapping via the GUID (Global Unique Identifier), which transforms the Excel file into an external ‘dashboard’ to manage maintenance or costs without altering the geometry of the project.