Archibus BIM Parameters Table (afm_bim_params)

The Archibus BIM Parameters table holds groups of shared parameters that the Archibus Extension for Revit matches with the individual fields of the Archibus database.

Given an Archibus Asset table, the Archibus BIM Parameters table lists what Revit properties the Extension needs in order to:

Whenever you use the Number, Data Edit, Data Edit Multiple, Read Database Values, or Reconcile commands on a Revit element, Archibus adds the parameters to that element and synchronize them according to the rules appropriate to each element.

Archibus managers can add or remove rows from this table to add or remove mappings between Revit parameters and Archibus fields.

You can access this task from the Navigator in Smart Client or Web Central: System / CAD and BIM Manager / Archibus BIM Parameters.

Archibus Fields that Map to Revit Parameters

This table lists only the fields that Archibus will match to Revit parameters. Archibus will not read or modify any Revit parameters that are not in this table.

Revit Parameter

   Archibus Asset Table Archibus Field Required by Archibus? Model-Driven or Database-Driven? Parameter Type
Building Code N/A rm bl_id Yes Model

Implied
Floor Code N/A rm fl_id Yes Model Implied
Number N/A rm rm_id Yes Model Built in - Room Number
Area N/A rm area Yes Model Built in - Area
Room Standard 04ad-adf2… rm rm_std No Database Shared
Room Category 04ad-adf2… rm rm_cat No Database Shared
Room Type 04ad-adf2… rm rm_type No Database Shared
Division Code 04ad-adf2… rm dv_id No Database Shared
Department Code 04ad-adf2… rm dp_id No Database Shared
Room Name N/A rm name No Model Named
Department N/A rm option1 No Model Named
Occupant N/A rm option2 No Model Named
Occupancy N/A rm option3 No Model Named
Organization N/A rm option4 No Model Named

Equipment Code

04ad-adf2 eq eq_id Yes Database Shared

Equipment Standard

04ad-adf2… eq eq_std No Database Shared
Building Code N/A eq bl_id Yes Model Implied
Floor Code N/A eq fl_id Yes Model Implied
Room Code N/A eq rm_id Yes Model Implied
Mark N/A eq Option1 No Model Named
Manufacturer N/A eq Option2 No Model Named
URL N/A eq Option3 No Model Named
OmniClass Number N/A eq Option4 No Model Named
OmniClass Title N/A eq Option5 No Model Named
Electrical Panel N/A eq mep_panel No Model Named
Electrical Load N/A eq mep_load No Model Named
Air Flow N/A eq mep_airflow No Model Named
Fluid Flow N/A eq mep_fluidflow No Model Named
Phase N/A rm_trial layer_name No Model Built in - Phase

General Properties

Property Description
Revit Parameter The name of the parameter within Revit.
Archibus Asset Table The Archibus table associated with this group parameter.
Archibus Field The field within the table associated with each particular parameter.
Parameter Type This property controls how Archibus matches the Revit parameter in the model to the definition in the BIM Parameters table. The type can be Shared, Named, Built In, or Implied, as discussed below.

Parameter Type: Shared Parameters

If a parameter is a Shared parameter, Archibus identifies the parameter by GUID, and Archibus will:

Parameters identified by GUIDs must be:

Note: You can have only one Shared or “by GUID” parameter mapped to a particular Archibus field (as otherwise Archibus will create two parameters in the same model and always update from both in the same invocation of the Catalog command).

Parameter Type: Named Parameters

If Named, Archibus:

Parameters identified by Name can be:

Note: You can have multiple “by Name” parameters (e.g. “Functional Use”, “Use Type”) mapped to the same Archibus field (e.g. “Room Use” or rm.rm_use). You should only have one or the other in the same model (i.e. have only “Functional Use” or “Use Type” in the same model). Using multiple parameters mapped to the same field can be a way of collecting data from models created at different times, by different architects, or by different divisions of a company that later merged.

Parameter Type: Built-in Parameters

Several parameters are built in to Revit and Archibus has special behavior to handle them.

Built In -- Room Number

The Room number that architects enter in Revit is most usually numbered sequentially by floor and is usually a good starting point for the wayfinding room numbers that facility management will use for lifecycle management. These Archibus commands use this Room Number parameter in this way:

Archibus Command Description
Catalog Attempts to use the existing Revit Room Number as the Room Code value if there is no Room Code value
Data Edit Fills in the existing Revit Room Number as the default value for the Room Code if there is no Room Code value
Number Updates the Revit Room Number parameter as well as update the Archibus Room Code. In this way, if the facility manager renumber all or part of a floor to be better suited for wayfinding, both Room Number and Room Code remain in sync

Built In -- Area

Is always read only" and model-driven.

Built In -- Phase

Is always read-only and model-driven.

Parameter Type: Implied Parameters

There are several parameters that are implied -- Archibus knows the value of these parameters based on the level or room location of the element that the BIM Modeler is working on. As such, Archibus can find and fill in the appropriate database value without needing any new parameter to be added to the Revit Model.

Field Description

Building Code

Floor Code

 When you begin working on a Level in Revit, you use the Archibus Level Properties command to associate the level with a Building and Floor. From then on, when editing any element on that level for the first time, the Archibus Extension for Revit uses that level’s Building and Floor Code values as the values for any field named "bl_id" or"fl_id" respectively.
Room Code Revit Furniture and Equipment elements know which room contains them. When you edit or catalog Furniture or Equipment items using the Archibus commands, Archibus uses the containing rooms Room Code if the room has one for any field named "rm_id".

Required by Archibus? Value

This Yes or No value specifies whether Archibus requires this parameter to be saved in the model to complete its CAD processes.

For instance, you need to enter Building Code, Floor Code, and Room Code, and Room Area in the model for Archibus to be able to reliably link rooms in the model to records in the database and to keep the room graphics and area up-to-date and in synch.

However, you can add as many other values to the mapping table as you like. Archibus will add these parameters to the Revit elements if the parameters are not there and synchronize these parameters with the database.

Sites often wish to maintain other parameters in the Revit model for these purposes:

Purpose Description
Highlighting Revit has thematic highlighting capabilities (e.g. to highlight rooms by Category or Type) which work from the parameters in the model.
Tags Revit can show labels or tags for each element, but those tag labels must be parameters in the model.
BIM Standards Some sites have BIM standards that require that certain types of elements be saved with specific parameters.
Validation Some sites will send their model to architects or contractors who will work on the model without connecting it to Archibus.

Notice that you do not need to add values to the mapping table in order to be able to edit them within the Revit model with Archibus. If you add fields to the “Default View -- Smart Client” view specified in the Archibus Asset Types table, then they will appear in the Edit Data or the Edit Data Multiple command, and Archibus will save their values directly in the database.

Model-driven or Database-driven Value

This value specifies whether the Archibus Catalog and Read Database Values actions move the value in the model to the database or vice versa for that particular piece of data.

Type of Value Description
Model-driven

For those parameters that site have collected commissioning in the model and want to write those values to the database.

If the parameter changes in the model, the site will always want the database value updated. This setting is particularly useful for non-validated values (e.g. the Room Name or Option 1 value) that sites want to write to the database.
Database-driven For those values that are always written from the database to the Revit parameter. This are for values, such as Division and Department Codes, that are validated and that must be synchronized with the enterprise data standards so that they are always 100% accurate.

Even if a parameter is model-driven, you can still read it from the database at will using the Synchronization / Read Database Values command. For instance, suppose you catalog your Revit elements with the Rooms table and write the Room Name to the Archibus database. Now you use the Archibus Smart Client’s spreadsheet-style grid to fix typos, improve consistency, and cut-and-paste to fill in missing values. You can now invoke the Read Database Values command to read the values back into the Revit model parameters.

Is Active?

Is Active? (is_active) has the following values and associated behaviors:

Value Description
Active - Synchronize

If the parameter is a shared parameter, the program will create the parameter if it is not present in the model.

The program runs all of the synchronization logic described above on that parameter. This is the default, and the usual setting for any parameter mapping.
Active - Read if Present

If the parameter is a shared parameter, the program will not create the parameter if it is not present. However, the program will read the value if the parameter is present.

This setting is useful for parameters that are used in certain models but not in others. You may require this feature in cases where different architectural offices submit models with differently named sets of parameters, or if different models use different families which contain differently named sets of parameters.
Inactive

The program will not use the parameter at all.

This setting is useful if you want to establish standard mappings for all use cases (such as using areas for groups, suites, and rooms or mappings for Revit MEP parameters) but are implementing only one use case (such as suites) in the near term.

Built-In Parameter ID

This column holds the Revit internal ID for any built-in parameters you have mapped. You do not need to edit or provide this ID; the Archibus program fills in this value as needed on first invocation.

Shared Parameters Associated with Area Elements

The Area element in Revit can have only one set of shared parameters. However, different Archibus tables require different sets of area parameters:

If you review these parameters using the Revit Properties window, area elements will have all of them.

However Archibus: