This article describes how the Existence rule type works and how you can configure a rule based on this rule type.

The article coveres the following topics:

• Description of the Existence Rule Type
• Existence Rule Logic
• Existence Rule Requirements
• Existence Rule Results in Plugin

Description of the Existence Rule Type

This rule type can be used to make sure that a model meets the requirements for a minimum or maximum number of specified objects in different spatial contexts (for example, in relation to the whole model, individual floors, individual rooms, or zones). Also, it can be used to ensure that the planning contains all required components.

This rule type is very generic and can therefore be used for various purposes. Requirements of this type can be found in modelling guidelines, office working standards, plausibility checks, or standards and guidelines.

With the help of this rule type, you can check these requirements yourself instead of counting them by using, for example, a report in the authoring tool. You can, for example:

• Check that the model contains (a specified number of) components of a selected IfcEntity
  • Check if the model has IfcSpaces; at least a certain number of IfcSpaces per floor
• Check that there’s the required number of components in spaces
  • Check if each space has a Door
• Check that there’s a specific number of components per floor (= IfcBuildingStorey)
  • Check if there’s at least one fire extinguisher on each floor
• Check that there’s at least one accessible parking lot for each ten parking lots in a garage (= IfcBuilding)
  • Check if each floor has a given number of spaces of a given type.

Existence Rule Logic

The rule checks if there is a sufficient number of specified components in a defined (spatial) set. The spatial context is represented by spatial IfcEntities, such as IfcSite, IfcBuilding, IfcBuildingStorey, IfcSpace, and IfcSpatialZone. All of them are derived from IfcSpatialElement (Ifc4) IfcSpatialStructureElement (Ifc2x3).

Existence Rule Requirements

In the rule requirements, you can define the spatial structure to be checked, the rule requirement and the target component to be checked:

• Spatial structure to be checked: Select at least one spatial target. Ycan only choose targets that are defined with the IfcEntity IfcSpatialElement or one of its inherited child entities. For IFC4, those are:

  • IfcSpatialElement
  • IfcExternalSpatialStructureElement
    • IfcExternalSpatialElement
  • IfcSpatialStructureElement
    • IfcBuilding
    • IfcBuildingStorey
    • IfcSite
    • IfcSpace
  • IfcSpatialZone

  For IFC2x3, they are:

  • IfcSpatialStructureElement
    • IfcBuilding
    • IfcBuildingStorey
    • IfcSite
    • IfcSpace

• Rule requirement: Select from the options in the drop-down menu and define the number(s)

  • has more than
  • has lest than
  • has at least
  • has at most
  • has exactly
  • has exactly not
  • has between

• Target component to be checked: Define at least one target component to be checked.

In the Rule summary, you can see a summary of the rule you’ve created written out. This helps you ensure you’ve configured the rule correctly:

Existence Rule Results in Plugin

The Existence rule type gives an error for any target component that doesn’t meet the requirements. If a spatial component violates the requirements, the Solibri Inside Plugin will show a summary of each spatial target component, along with the checked components reviewed in the context.