Start a new building

What you'll do

Start a building model from nothing instead of opening one. BimCraft makes a blank IFC model with a project, a site, the building and its levels. You can place equipment and furniture on the levels from the library and save it as an IFC file.

Steps

1. Click New building under Open a file or folder, or on the start page.
2. Type the Building name.
3. Choose how many Levels it has (1 to 200).
4. Type the Level height, floor to floor: for example 10'-0", 10'6" or 3000 mm. A plain number is feet in the US, millimeters elsewhere.
5. Click Create. The levels are stacked from 0, each one level height above the last, and named Level 1, Level 2 and so on. They show in the model tree, and the plan of Level 1 opens beside the 3D view with Draw on.
6. Draw the walls: see Draw walls. Rename levels or change their heights in the Levels panel.
7. Place items: see Place equipment and furniture from the library. The placing bar lists every level.
8. Click Save as IFC. The file is named after the building, for example Smith's house.ifc.

Good to know

• The model is saved in millimeters, as IFC4. Other BIM programs open it.
• Storeys in the left panel lists only levels with something on them; the model tree lists them all.
• Until you save, the new building counts as unsaved work. BimCraft asks before you open another file or leave, and keeps a copy in this browser in case the tab closes.