BCF Manager

Estimated reading: 6 minutes

The BCF Manager Module allows participants in the same project to exchange files in BCF formats, regardless of the software used. Sharing reports in the BCF format between participants using different software tools is only possible if the model originates from the same original IFC model and the software tools of all participants support the open BCF format.

1. Activate BCF Manager Module and click Connect to the BCF server button

2. Select Bexel Server if it is not pre-selected and click Connect to complete the action

3. The user can create the following issues within the BCF Manager module:

Issue – Instead of exchanging project issues in a traditional way by sending BCF files to each other via emails or other communication channels, all participants can communicate directly within the BEXEL ecosystem without the need for any additional application
Document Approval – the highly customizable process of approving external or internal documents after being uploaded into the BEXEL Docs in any phase of the project. The process can be finished after a single-step or a multi-step approval
Approval
Document Set – designed to hold together a set of related documents to make it easier for users to access them
Discussion – an easy way to communicate in real-time on a specific topic through a chat-like interface between all stakeholders within a single project

4. After selecting one of the issue creation options, user can add specific information about Issue in Editor window

5. A list of BCF issues created on the project appears in the menu

6. By clicking the circle next to the BCF issue name, model elements are selected in the Viewer. To isolate them in Viewer, click on the Hide Unselected button

7. Editing issues is enabled by selecting each issue from the list in the Editor window

8. Other tabs where the user can manage project BCF issues are Filters (Filter BCF Issues by selected criteria), Documents (attach documents from the Bexel Docs module), and Comments (various comments and notes provided by different project stakeholders)

9. BCF issues can be imported and exported from the platform

10. By selecting the Filters section on the right-hand side of the window, the Filters dialog will appear

11. Users can filter BCF Issues by criteria such as the person assigned, issue type, defined priority, status, deadline, and any tags associated with the issues. The BCF Issue list will be filtered accordingly

12. Quick filters are also available in the toolbar, where users can select from predefined options in the drop-down menu

13. By selecting the Documents section on the right-hand side of the window, the Link Documents dialog will appear, allowing the user to link a specific document uploaded to the CDE to the selected BCF Issue

14. The list of all documents linked to the selected BCF Issue is displayed in the main section of the window, along with details such as the last modified date, author, file size, and both the current and previous version numbers

15. To link a new document to the selected BCF Issue, click the Link Documents button

16. In the Link Documents window that appears, the user can view all project documentation uploaded to the Documents module of the CDE project. By selecting one or more documents from the list and clicking the Link Selected Documents button, the chosen documents will be linked to the BCF Issue

Note

In the Link Documents window, the user can choose whether to link the current or the latest version of the document to the BCF Issue. If the latest version is selected, the document linked to the issue will always reflect the most up-to-date version available in the project.

17. In the Comments section, users can communicate and exchange information related to the selected BCF Issue

18. All past comments are displayed along with the author’s name and the date the comment was submitted

19. To submit a new comment, type your message into the comment field and click the Submit Comment button.
Users can also attach a file to the comment by clicking the Attach Files button. A new window will appear, allowing the user to select the relevant document, similar to the process described in Step 16

20. To edit multiple issues simultaneously, hold the CTRL key and select the desired issues from the Issue list

21. In the Issue Editor, the user can modify the Name, Assigned To field, Type, Priority, and Deadline, as well as update Tags, Participants, and the Description for all selected issues. The Code and Viewpoint Type fields cannot be modified when editing multiple issues simultaneously

22. To export multiple selected or filtered BCF Issues into a PDF in tabular format, click the Report option in the toolbar

23. In the Select Template window that appears, the user can view all report templates defined for the project, along with details such as whether the template is intended for single or multiple issue selection, the author of the report, and the creation date. These fields can also be filtered by clicking the Filter button

24. In the Report Type section, the user can specify whether the report should be exported as a PDF or XLSX file. If the Append linked PDF files to report option is checked, all PDF documents linked to the selected BCF Issue will be attached to the report
Note: This option is only available for reports of type Single

25. By clicking the Generate button, the report will be downloaded to the local drive

26. To generate a report for the selected BCF Issues more quickly, click the downward arrow next to the Report button in the toolbar and select the desired report from the dropdown menu

27. In the Issue Editor window, the upper section is reserved for predefined fields such as Code, Name, Assigned To, Tags, Participants, Description, and Snapshot

28. In the bottom part of the window, Custom fields that are relevant to the project and the created issues are displayed

29. To create a new custom field, click the Settings button in the toolbar

30. In the Settings window that appears, custom fields can be created under the Custom Fields tab. Here, the user can create a new custom field by providing its name, selecting the Display On options, and specifying the allowed values for the field

31. In the Settings window, the user can also define custom tags under the Tags tab. To create a new tag, type the tag name in the Type a New Tag Name field and click the Create New button

32. All custom tags are displayed in the Tags section of the Issue Editor

33. In the Reports tab of the Settings, all Reports uploaded to the project are listed as described in Step 22

34. To upload a new report template, click the + button in the toolbar. From the dropdown menu, choose whether to upload a template for Single or Multiple issues