Naming conventions and folder rules
Reuse a whole naming pattern, start from a standard such as ISO 19650, and give one folder its own naming rule.
Work in progress
Writing a naming pattern part by part is flexible but slow. A naming convention is a whole pattern that has been saved, so you can reuse it, start from a published standard, or give a single folder its own rule.
The words the app uses
The app keeps a few words apart on purpose:
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Convention | The whole formula: all the parts, in order. "Start from a convention." |
| Part | One segment of the name. "Add a part", "Save a part." |
| Classification source | A section of a published standard (for example OmniClass, Uniclass or IFC) that supplies the allowed values for a part. |
| Saved part | A single part that you or your team saved to reuse. |
Start from a convention
Above the pattern, choose Apply convention (the wand icon). The window is titled Apply a naming convention:
Pick a naming convention. Parts with a recommended classification source are snapshotted when you apply.
Pick a convention and it replaces the parts of your current pattern. You can then edit it like any other pattern, and nothing is saved until you choose Save changes on the page.
The window lists more than 60 built-in conventions, and your own saved ones under My conventions marked Personal. Narrow the list with the search box and these filters:
| Filter | Choices |
|---|---|
| Source | All, Built-in, My conventions |
| Region | All regions, UK, US, AU/NZ, International |
| Standard | ISO 19650, COBie, OmniClass, Uniclass 2015, AEC (UK), NBS, NATSPEC, Manufacturer |
| Discipline | Design (Architecture, Structure, MEP, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Fire Protection, Telecom / Security and more), Construction (Formwork, Steel, Scaffolding, Earthworks and more), General |
Choose a convention to see its parts on the right: each part with its allowed
values, for example Category (2 fixed values), and an example name. Examples
of what is built in:
- ISO 19650 - Container (7 parts) and ISO 19650 - Asset (5 parts);
- COBie - Handover (4 parts);
- OmniClass conventions per discipline, such as OmniClass - Architecture and OmniClass - Plumbing, and Uniclass 2015 - Product;
- AEC (UK), NBS BIM Object, NATSPEC National BIM and Manufacturer Content;
- conventions per trade, such as Formwork - Element or Scaffolding - Element.
What "snapshotted" means
Some parts get their values from a classification system, which can hold thousands of entries. When you apply the convention, the values are copied into your rules at that moment. If the standard is updated later, your rules do not change on their own. The copy stays as it was.
Keep your own
- Save as convention (the bookmark icon above the pattern) stores your current pattern under a name, so you can apply it again. You can add notes, and tag it with a region, a standard and a discipline so it shows up under the matching filters.
- In the Add name part window, Save part stores a single part as a saved part. Saved parts are offered again when you build another pattern.
- Manage rules in the convention window takes you to the Naming convention settings.
- A convention you saved for yourself can be edited and deleted by you. A convention saved for a workspace can be edited and deleted by its creator or by a workspace admin.
Give a folder its own naming rule
Sometimes one rule does not suit the whole library. For example, structural families may follow ISO 19650 naming while everything else uses your general pattern. A folder can carry its own rule.
On a folder, open its menu and choose Naming rules. The window is titled Naming rules followed by the folder name:
Assign a saved naming convention to this folder, or inherit the general rules.
There are two choices:
| Choice | What it means |
|---|---|
| Inherit | The folder uses the general rules. If a parent folder has a rule, it shows Inherited from folder rules: "name". Otherwise it reads Use the general My families naming rules. |
| Use saved convention | The folder uses one saved convention. Choose it with Change convention. The window then reads Using "name". |
Choosing Use saved convention opens a window, Choose a naming convention, with the same search and filters. Pick one and choose Select; the folder's window then shows the convention's name. Choose Save to apply. Two things to remember:
- The folder follows the convention, not a copy of it. If you edit the convention later, the folders that use it change too.
- Subfolders inherit. A family is checked against the rule of its own folder or, failing that, the nearest parent folder that has one.
What the folder rule changes
| Action | Effect |
|---|---|
| Uploading into the folder | The upload check uses the folder's convention and names it in the Naming rule check. |
| Copying or moving a family into the folder | Refused if its name does not match the folder's convention. |
| Renaming a family that is already there | Allowed. A rename is not blocked, so run Verify file rules to find families that have drifted. |
This is why a folder rule should be set up before you fill the folder: families already inside are not renamed for you.
A folder can also be given its rule when you create it: the New folder window has the same Naming rules choice, Inherit or Use saved convention.
TODO — Confirm before publishing
- Whether the classification values of a convention can be refreshed after you apply it. Neither the Apply window nor the part editor offered a refresh or a "new version available" notice on DEV, so the page says the copy stays as it was; confirm this is final.
- The wording of the Select from preset window inside Add name part, and how it relates to saved parts (My parts, Team parts).