How-to Guides

2026-07-04

Simon Dilhas

From IFC to IDA ICE in Minutes: The Crash-Free Import Workflow

Import any architectural IFC into IDA ICE without crashes or manual remodeling. abstractBIM normalizes IfcSpace geometry into a simulation-ready gbXML or IFC in minutes.

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2026-07-04

Simon Dilhas

From IFC to Lesosai in Minutes: BIM-Based SIA 380/1 and Minergie Workflows

Get architectural IFC models into Lesosai for SIA 380/1 and Minergie calculations without manual surface takeoff. abstractBIM exports clean gbXML geometry in minutes.

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2026-06-14

Simon Dilhas

Why BPS Engineers Waste 50% of Their Time on Remodeling (And How We Solve It)

BPS engineers spend 25–50% of project time manually remodeling IFC geometry. The Abstract Normalizer uses IfcSpace to generate consistent gbXML and IFC for IDA ICE, DesignBuilder, and EnergyPlus.

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2026-06-12

Simon Dilhas

How to Calculate Accurate Project Costs Using Minimalist BIM (The Lean 5D Workflow)

Run agile 5D cost calculations from basic IfcSpaces, doors, and windows. abstractBIM generates consistent walls and slabs for early material scenario testing in CostX or BIMcollab ZOOM.

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2026-06-11

Simon Dilhas

BIM in Architectural Competitions: How to Reduce Effort and Stop Wasting 80,000 CHF

Cut 80,000 CHF of competition admin waste with open Excel room programs, lightweight IfcSpace room cubes, and client-side automated auditing with abstractBIM.

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2026-06-10

Simon Dilhas

How to Fix IFC Models Before Using abstractBIM: The One-Rule Checklist

abstractBIM needs only one IFC prerequisite—3D IfcSpace room volumes. No manual cleaning, layer filtering, or export plugins required. See the full ingestion checklist.

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2026-06-09

Simon Dilhas

Quantity Takeoff with BIMcollab ZOOM and abstractBIM: The Reusable QTO Ruleset Pipeline

Combine abstractBIM spatial normalization with BIMcollab ZOOM Smart Properties for 100% reusable quantity takeoff rulesets—immune to architectural naming chaos.

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2026-06-08

Simon Dilhas

Data Science in BIM: The Graph Engine Approach to Automated Quantity Takeoff (QTO)

Move QTO from fragile text labels to spatial graph topology. abstractBIM classifies BIM components by physical relationships and IfcSpace adjacency—not architect naming conventions.

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2026-06-07

Simon Dilhas

From SketchUp to IDA ICE in Minutes: The Fast-Track BPS Workflow

Fast-track building performance simulation from SketchUp to IDA ICE. Use SketchUp IFC Manager for spatial triage, then abstractBIM for automated normalization and crash-free import.

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2026-06-06

Simon Dilhas

How to Import 3,000+ Rooms into Solarcomputer Without a Crash

Import large architectural IFC models into Solarcomputer for heating and cooling load calculations without crashes. Automate IfcSpace extraction, gbXML export, and DY format conversion with abstractBIM.

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2026-06-05

Simon Dilhas

Stop Asking Architects to "Fix" Their BIM Models (Do This Instead)

Solve the BIM data bottleneck in building performance simulation and quantity takeoff. Request raw IFC, isolate IfcSpaces, and automate downstream prep with abstractBIM.

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