You will be able to find the exchange topics action in the new item action menu to the top right in a topic board. The exchange topics menu can look something like this:
This article contains information about the following topics:
Import BCF
Catenda is 100% committed to open standards. Based on this we have implemented import and export of BCF (BIM collaboration format).
This means that the user can import and export topics from/to other software that supports this format (for instance Solibri, Navisworks and many others).
You can for instance import a file with collision control data for the same model created in another software application. This way you can continue your workflow inside Catenda.
The import BCF dialogue can look something like this:
Note: One BCF file can contain multiple topics
Upload BCF file
Click on browse to select a BCF file you would like to upload
Select board
Select the topic board where you would like the topic to be imported to.
Generate new types and statuses from the BCF-file
If your BCF file has statuses and types that do not exist in the topic board, you will be able to create these automatically by checking this box.
Access required: Full access to the topic board
If your BCF file has statuses and types that do not exist in the topic board, the non-existing statuses/types will be unlinked if this box remains unchecked.
After the import is finished you can map the unlinked statuses/types to existing statuses/types.
Linking multiple statuses/types at once
If there are unlinked statuses/types in a topic board you will see an orange warning message that there are unlinked fields in a topic board.
Access required: Project administrator
Clicking on the link will take you to the unlinked fields area of the topic board settings where you can link all fields of one kind to an existing value in one go.
Export topics
You will either be able to export topics by choosing export topics in the new item action menu to the top right in a topic board or by selecting a topic in the topics list and choosing the export option in the selected item action menu above the topic board.
The export topics dialogue can look something like this:
Note: Topics can only be exported from one topic board at a time.
Filter options
All topics from the current board
Current filter
Selected topics
BCF export
Depending on which version of BCF you choose you can get different file types.
BCF v3.0 and v2.1 will produce a .bcf while v2.0 will produce a .bcfzip
Excel export
It is possible to export topics to excel.
The column order will be the same as the default topic board table view column order.
Note: No images and only the 10 last comments in an topic will be exported.
PDF export
Click here to read more about exporting topics to PDF
Connect to a BCF client
If you use Catenda Hub as a BCF-server you can connect directly to other software.
Here you can and send and receive topics from there to and from Catenda without having to export and import topics.
This uses the standardized (from buildingSMART International) BCF API. Examples of software supporting this are Navisworks, Revit, Archicad and Solibri.
In these software you can use the general URL to our server which is https://opencde.bimsync.com/ after which you will get all topic boards from all your projects. This can quickly become a long list to scroll through so to help you out we provide the link to your current topic board in this menu.
If you use this link instead you will easily be able to find the topics you are looking for.