This article gives an introduction to one of the key features in Solibri Office: Checking. In the checking process, parameterized rules are used to perform quality assurance on the project. Checking is only available in Solibri Office, but the results can be viewed in Solibri Site and Anywhere.
The article covers the following topics:
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Rule-based checking in Solibri refers to the process of validating Building Information Models against predefined rules. This approach allows users to verify the accuracy, quality, and compliance of a model based on specific criteria, such as building codes, design guidelines, or project requirements.
Each rule within Solibri represents a particular check, such as verifying that door clearances meet accessibility standards or that structural components don't clash with one another. Solibri Office includes more than 50 rule templates, which are delivered with the installer. Users can then configure their own rules based on these templates. Rules are organized into rulesets, which can be tailored to the needs of a project or use industry-standard templates. Pre-configured example rules and rulesets are also included in the Solibri installer. Rulesets can be attached to a role. When the user selects the role before checking, the rulesets are automatically loaded.
With rule-based checking, Solibri makes the process of identifying potential errors, inconsistencies, or non-compliance issues within the BIM more efficient. Instead of manually reviewing the model, users can rely on Solibri to systematically assess everything from geometry and attributes to relationships between components. This ensures greater accuracy and efficiency in the quality control process, ultimately reducing construction errors and improving overall project compliance with design and regulatory requirements.
The Checking Layout in Solibri Office is where users can conduct rule-based model validation and manage the results of their checks. It provides a structured interface for applying predefined rulesets to a model and allows users to review the results of these checks.
Once a check is performed, the results are displayed in the layout, categorized by rule or issue type. Users can navigate through these results, visualize problem areas directly within the 3D model, and filter the findings by severity or other criteria. The Checking Layout also enables users to create reports summarizing the issues found, making it easier to communicate them with other project stakeholders. It serves as a central hub for ensuring the model is accurate, compliant, and free of critical errors before moving forward in the design or construction process.
Tip
If you wish to focus on certain rules and rulesets and speed up the checking process, you can disable rules and rulesets in the Checking view by right-clicking the item and selecting Disable from the context menu.
After a check on the model in Solibri Office, the checking results provide a detailed breakdown of any issues detected in the model. Each result is accompanied by a severity icon (see details in the next section). You can view the checking results in different ways according to you needs. The Result Summary view shows a summary of the checking results and allows you to create detailed reports.
The Results view offers a more detailed breakdown of the results of a rule. You can filter and sort issues, which makes it easier to focus on specific problem areas. The results are organized in a tree structure with categories, sub-categories, issues, and components. Related Components provide additional context for easier comprehension and resolution. Once a result has been investigated, you can choose to make a decision or create an issue on the right click context menu. Detailed information on each result is available in the Info view.
Important
If you add, remove, or update models, or modify the loaded Rulesets or Rules, the Results and Result Summary views will be disabled (grayed out). You will need to perform the check again to obtain updated checking results.
Structure of the results:
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A category provides a general description of a problem and displays the total number of results within that category. Essentially, it groups results that share common characteristics, such as components with the same construction type, or those located on the same building story. Categories can also be hierarchical, meaning a category can include subcategories. Each category will contain either results or further subcategories, helping to organize and contextualize the results for easier navigation and review.
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A subcategory provides a more specific definition of the problem, focusing on a particular attribute of the component, such as its type.
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A result is a single problem with components associated to it. Result types and number of components attached to them depend on the rule used. Each rule has its own way of creating and organizing results. Each result has a name and a description (shown in the Info view).
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Components which are associated to the problem.
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Related components which are not directly associated to the problem, but give context to help the user understand the situation.
Note
In the Results view, you can create an issue slide on result or category level. Issue slides can be saved to presentations and communicated to other stakeholders in the project.
Decisions:
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You can make a decision (reject, accept, mark as undefined or unhandled) on any component, result or category. In some cases, a rule rejects a component automatically.
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Decisions can be used in filtering in the same way severities. A category's symbol displays the 'Accepted' icon (
) when all issues within it are accepted. Conversely, if all issues are decided and at least one is rejected, the 'Rejected' icon (
) will be displayed for that category.
Rule tools and reports:
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Some rules (for example, rule #1), have specific tools, which are like small applications that support the rule it belongs to. Because of the nature of rule tools, the appearance and functionality varies considerably between the different rules. Typically, rule tools are used for advanced visualization of the checking results. The tools are shown in the Tools view:
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In addition to checking the building model, some rules have the ability to report information from the model. The report is shown in the Report view:
The results of each rule are indicated with severity icons. In checking results, the severity icons are visual indicators that represent the importance or seriousness of the issues detected during model checks. These icons help you to quickly understand the impact of each issue on the project's quality or compliance. Severity levels can be used to prioritize problem-solving efforts, allowing teams to address the most critical issues first.
Tip
In the Checking view, you can 'switch off' the Severity and Decision columns. This allows you to concentrate on the severe issues or, if you switch off the rejected/accepted issues, you can concentrate on the outstanding items.
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Icon |
Meaning |
|---|---|
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Passed (no issues found) |
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Irrelevant (model doesn't contain the components defined in this rule) |
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Accepted (user has marked an issue as accepted) |
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Rejected (rule is automatically rejected or a user has marked an issue as rejected) |
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Rule has critical issues. Indicates a serious problem that needs immediate attention. These issues could involve major design flaws, code violations, or significant clashes that could affect the structural integrity or safety of the project. |
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Rule has moderate issues. Represents a moderate issue that might not be critical but still requires correction. These are typically errors that could lead to inefficiencies or minor non-compliance but don't pose an immediate threat to the project's success. |
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Rule has low severity issues. These may not necessarily be errors but are potential improvements or considerations that could enhance the model's quality, such as optimization suggestions or slight deviations from best practices. |
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Error (rule is blocked because at least one precondition rule did not pass) |
Tip
In some rules, the assignment is automatic depending on how far off the results a value is (for example, distance checks 10% = low, 50% = moderate, etc.), but others allow customization based on further filtering parameters. For more information, see here.