How to check unconnected elements between MEP elements

Xavier

Hi to everyone!

In the IFC standard, there are classes that helps to check unconnected elements between MEP element: for example, in a pipefitting with 3 connectors, these classes helps to detect if in each connector there is really an element connected.

In IFC schema, there are classes to help to do this check. For example:

IfcRelConnectsPortToElement -> List the connectors of a MEP element
IfcDistributionPort -> It’s each connector of a MEP element
IfcRelConnectsPorts -> In each IfcDistributionPort of a MEP element, it shows a list of the connected elements, under class relatedport/relatingport.

I share 2 images about the IFC classes explained:

Image 01 -> A sample of a pipe fitting, with 3 connectors, and 3 elements connected. For each 3 IfcDistributionPorts, it shows the class “IfcRelConnectsPorts” and lists the connected elements
Image 02 -> A sample of a pipe fitting, with 3 connectors, and 2 elements connected. In the IfcDistributionPorts, only 2 IfcDistributionPorts shows the class “IfcRelConnectsPorts” (and lists the connected elements in the connectors that really has an element connected)

In Solibri, it shows two relations, “Connected to” and “Connections”:

Conceptually these relations seems to be similar like the IFC classes: IfcDistributionPort -> Connections, IfcRelConnectsPorts -> Connected to
I share a Solibri image (image 03): it shows the 2 samples explained before, and the relations “Connected to” and “Connections”. But the in the example 2 (pipefitting with 3 connectors, and 2 connected elements), it happens something strange: the relation “Connections” shows a list of 2 elements, and I think it should show 3 elements. Maybe “Connections” relation it’s not working correctly…

So, how to check in Solibri, the unconnected MEP elements or the connector of a MEP element without any element connected?

I also share a ZIP with the IFC sample file.

Thanks in advance!
Xavier Coll
EiPM
MEP_TEST.zip

Lauri Luoma

Hello @Xavier ,

Please see this post related to the same topic:
https://society.solibri.com/topic/1520/checking-pipe-continuity

There is an example model using the rule #231 to perform this kind of check.

Xavier

Good afternoon @Lauri-Luoma ,

First of all, thanks a lot for your answer, it’s very interesting as a first step towards an efficient workflow to be applyed in any kind of models.

In a process to validate if all the connectors of the MEP elements has connected elements, the workflow shown in your shared link (using the rule #231) it works fantastic if you knows exactly the number of connectors for each type of the MEP element of a project (like pipes, ducts, pipefittings, ducfitings,…)

But in the projects, the variability is more complex, and it’s difficult to know how much number of conectors has been configured in each type of MEP element:

The Ductfittings, or Pipefittings hasn’t a fix number of conectors. Depending of the type, a DuctFitting or a Pipefitting can has 2, 3, 4 or more conectors
Also same situation for other kind of MEP elements, like mechanical equipment, and so on.

So, in my oppinion, the ideal workflow to detect if all the MEP elements has all it’s own conectors conected to someone other MEP element, it’s: in a MEP element, compare the number ot IfcDistributionPorts of this element, agains the number of the IfcRelConnectsPorts of the same element. But I think this is not possible to do it in Solibri, because Solibri it’s not reading correctly the class IfcDistributionPort of the MEP elements.
But, please, if there is any workaround to do this ideal workflow, please, comment it.

Thanks in advance!
Kind regards,
Xavier Coll
EiPM

john.lipp

Hi @Xavier

if you had the number of connections as a value in the component, you could use the “Component Property Values Must Be Consistent” to see if it the same across the type or type name of components.

The Information API can be used to create a simple custom Info property to access :
https://solibri.github.io/Developer-Platform/

Using the AmountOfDoors.java example in the Info-Examples folder as a basis, I created a similar custom info to get the connection count.

In the zip attached, copy the smc-api-info-number-of-connections-1.0.0.jar into the C:\Program Files\Solibri\SOLIBRI\lib folder:

info-number-of-connections.zip

You’ll then see a Custom Info tab in the info view when you select a component that has connection relations.

This property can be used in your rules or in ITO.

The SMC in the zip demonstrates with your file, and it worked well with a complex model.

Xavier

Thanks a lot for your support @john-lipp !
I will check your solution using Solibri Api.

Thanks and kind regards!
Xavier Coll