Rule ID: SOL/245
This article describes how the Clash Detection Matrix rule works and how you can configure the rule. With the Clash Detection Matrix rule, you can use a matrix to check for clashes between model components. This rule is equivalent to the General Intersection Rule.
The Clash Detection Matrix rule is available in v24.5.0 and newer.
The article covers the following topics:
Carrying out clash detection for BIM Coordination using the Clash Detection Matrix rule not only reduces rule definition time traditionally required for setting each individual component clash check using the General Intersection rule, but also means that changes to clash tolerances can be made globally if required. Using a predefined Clash Matrix Excel sheet, which can simply be imported to check reoccurring requirements, can also be carried out without rework.
The rule identifies clashes between specific groups of components based on an external Clash Matrix definition. The matrix can be based on either a predefined hierarchy, user-defined hierarchy or simply importing a previously defined Clash Matrix definition from Excel. Each combination in the matrix describes a potential clash.
A general tolerance (marked with a G in the matrix) is by default set to the combinations. By default, Spaces and Openings have been excluded. You can define custom tolerances and apply them to specific combinations in the matrix. Empty matrix cells are element combinations that won’t be checked for clashes, either because they’re checked elsewhere in the matrix or because they’ve set to be ignored.
The rule automatically creates results and reports that are categorized by their disciplines inline with the matrix definition.
In the rule parameters, you’ll first need to select how you create the matrix (use the default matrix, create a custom matrix or import an existing Clash Detection Matrix). Then you can define the more specific requirements.
You can create the matrix in three different ways:
-
Default Matrix: The matrix is automatically created using a default template which contains the disciplines and IFC entities that are most commonly found in building models
-
Custom Matrix: The matrix is created based on the model to be checked by specifying manually which hierarchies are used in the matrix rows and columns, and, optionally, by filtering the components that are included in the matrix:
When you’ve defined these, you can define the matrix requirements (see General Requirements and Custom Requirements below).
-
Import From Excel: You can import a previously created Excel spreadsheet. You can, for example, export the default matrix as Excel and modify that. Once the Excel has been set up, it’s easy to import it to other projects to ensure that certain checking standards are followed throughout the organization or different projects.
Tip
You can edit the matrix hierarchy levels and component filters at any time by clicking the Edit Matrix button in the rule parameters.
Whenever you
-
Create a new matrix by importing an Excel file
-
Export an existing matrix to Excel, or
-
Import to an existing matrix from Excel,
this will create a link between the Excel file and the matrix in Solibri. The file has multiple sheets for different purposes (for example, setting tolerances, defining general requirements and setting the hierarchy levels):
Via the linkage, you can edit the matrix in Excel instead of the Parameters view in Solibri.
To update the matrix in Solibri, save the changes in Excel and refresh the matrix by clicking in the Parameters view.
You can define the following general requirements for the matrix:
-
Clash types
-
Duplicate
-
When toggled on, the rule checks for duplicate components in the design.
-
A duplicate means that the components set in the filters have similar geometry (bounding boxes need to be inside each other) and the volume of Component 1 and Component 2 differs less than 10%. Also, if the actual intersection shape differs less than 2% from the component volume, it is considered to be a duplicate.
-
-
Inside
-
When toggled on, the rule checks for inner component clashes.
-
A component is inside (or contains) another, when two components with similar geometry (bounding boxes need to be inside each other) are inside each other and the outer volume is bigger than the inner volume.
-
-
Overlapping
-
When components are overlapping, the geometry and volume of that intersecting area is calculated
-
-
-
Use Volume Tolerance
-
Use volume tolerance to filter out intersections with small volume. Note that volume calculation is reliable only for solid geometries.
-
When toggled on, you can specify the volume tolerance.
-
-
Set All to General Tolerance
-
Overrides all custom requirements and sets all combinations in the matrix to G, with the values specified above
-
-
Ignore Clashes When Intersecting Components Are
-
You can select to ignore intersections when components are in the same system (e.g. MEP ducting and piping) or in the same layer and model.
-
You can set custom requirements for specific combinations in the matrix. You can give the custom requirement a name and reuse it in the matrix:
To set a custom tolerance:
-
Select a combination from the matrix.
-
Tolerance name: Give the custom tolerance a name. The maximum length is three letters. The name will be used in the matrix (instead of the letter G for general tolerance).
-
Horizontal: Specify the horizontal tolerance.
-
Vertical: Specify the vertical tolerance.
-
Use volume tolerance: Specify the volume tolerance (optional).
-
Click Apply.
Optional:
-
Severity: You can set the issue severity level (critical, moderate, low) for the matrix combination. By default, the level is moderate. Critical level is marked with red, moderate with orange and low with yellow background color in the matrix.
-
Relevance: You can set the combination to be ignored. The cell is then greyed out.
Excel Tools
-
Import: Create the matrix by import an Excel file
-
Export: Export the matrix to an Excel file, where you can adjust the matrix.
-
Refresh: Updates the matrix with the changes made in a synced Excel file
-
Unlink: Unlinks the exported Excel file
Quick Select
-
Select by Tolerance: select combinations in the matrix based on the tolerance name
-
Select by Severity: select combinations in the matrix based in their issue severity
-
Select All: select all combination in the matrix
Context menu options
-
Context menu options are available for the hierarchy levels (columns)
-
When you right-click the column, you can select to:
-
Edit the value
-
Insert or move a column right/left
-
Remove the column
-
After you’ve adjusted the matrix, you can run the checking. Checking results in the Results view are structured by the combinations or hierarchy levels in the matrix.
When you select the problem component in the Results view, you can see the clash type in the Info view:
A report is automatically created from the rule. The number of detected clashes of each combination is shown in the report, along with color that indicates the issue severity level, giving a quick visual overview of the model areas that produce the most issues. Grey cells are combinations that couldn’t be checked because they weren’t applicable to the model.
You can export the report in Excel format as such:
When you click a matrix combination in the report, you can see the clashing components in 3D view. When you double click, the 3D view will zoom in on them.
When you right-click a matrix combination from the report, you can click to see it in the Results view: