Data enrichment
Data Enrichment add-in represents a simple and fast solution for model enrichment with the properties or editing existing ones. From BEXEL Manager 23 version add-in comes with the software. Data Enrichment workflow is based on standardized Excel spreadsheets or custom ones created by the user for specific project needs.
Activate the Add-Ins tab within the main ribbon at the top of the screen → Click on the Import properties from Excel add-in → Choose the proper Excel spreadsheet from the Knowledge Base folder or import custom created one as input for data → Finish the process by clicking Open.
Once the import has been completed, the newly added properties will be visible when certain elements are selected in the Properties tab. Besides data enrichment, the add-in will create smart selection sets that contain all elements on which property enrichment has been performed. The names of the folders in which the selection sets are placed contain information about the values of the added properties, while the names of the selection set itself, which category it is about. For further analysis, with the help of newly created selection sets, the user can quickly select all elements on which data enrichment was performed and then create a Custom Breakdown structure in relation to the property values.
How to use a sample Excel spreadsheet
Excel spreadsheet contains four main parts: 1. Existing property names, 2. Existing property values, 3. Property Definitions to be added or edited, 4. Values for properties to be added or edited.
A sample of the excel file comes with an add-in in the Knowledge Base folder. It should be used as a template, and its formatting should not be altered, but you can create a custom template by editing the data in the file based on the specific project needs.
First, names for any existing properties in the 4th row must be defined.
Based on the values of those properties, elements will be selected for processing.
Desired values should be defined in the same column where the property is defined, starting from the 5th row.
Properties to add or edit should be defined starting from the first available column (column E in this case).
- The Group Name of the property to be added or changed should be defined in the first row. (BEXEL Added in this case).
- The Type of the property to be added or changed should be defined in the second row. Supported property types are Numeric, Length, Area, Volume, Angle, Mass, TimeSpan, DateTime, Boolean, Color, and Text. (Text in this case).
- The Type of the property to be added or changed should be defined in the third row (e.g., for Length m, ft, for Area m^2, ft^2, Volume m^3, ft^3, etc.). This field is not required; it is there just for information. The Name of the property to be added or changed should be defined in the fourth row (UniFormat Code and UniFormat Description in this case).
- The Value of the property to be added or changed should be defined in the same column as desired property, starting from the 5th row.
The Excel table can be customized and more columns added to specify more rules according to the project needs.
If necessary, all automatically added properties can be exported at any time, to an Excel or IFC file.
To export properties → Select the elements whose properties to export → Activate the Properties tab located on the right side of the screen → Click Export → The Properties Export windows open → Check the properties to export → Define Include Parent Properties, Export Custom Properties As Values or Display Common Properties Only by clicking on the check box near the desired option at the bottom of the Properties Export window → Click OK → Enter a file name and choose the desired location → Finish the process by clicking Save.
The same Add-In can be used multiple times to add different properties by loading different Excel templates.
The latest version of this add-in will be automatically pre-installed within BEXEL Manager starting from version 23.0.0.0. A check for a newer version of this plugin will be performed every time BEXEL Manager is started.
