COBie Tools
COBie is an international standard for a structured file that contains asset data. You can read about what COBie is here.
Understanding how COBie Maps to a Bluerithm Project
"Instance" refers to a specific equipment, e.g. AHU-001. "Type" refers to Bluerithm Equipment Types.
COBie.Type = Bluerithm Equipment Type
- COBie.Type.Name = Type Name
- COBie.Type.ModelNumber = Model Number (instance)
- COBie.Type.WarrantyDurationParts = Warranty Duration - Parts (instance)
- COBie.Type.WarrantyDuration.Labor = Warranty Duration - Labor (instance)
COBie Component = Bluerithm Equipment
- COBie.Component.Name = Name (instance)
- COBie.Component.Description = Description (instance)
- COBie.Component.SerialNumber = Serial Number (instance)
- COBie.Component.InstallationDate = Installation Date (instance)
- COBie.Component.WarrantyStartDate = Warranty Start Date (instance)
- COBie.Component.Space = Location and Location Description (instance)
COBie Attribute = Bluerithm Custom Property
COBie.Attributes can be specified as Component (instance) or Type (for Equipment Types which is similar to how Bluerithm custom equipment properties are defined at the Equpiment Type level, with unique values at the Equipment (instance) level.
- COBie.Attribute.Name = Property Name (type or instance)
- COBie Attribute.Value = Property Value (type or instance)
- The COBie Attribute.Value will be written to the Bluerithm final value. Currently there isn't an option to import specifically to the design and proposed values on Bluerithm custom equipment properties. Although you can create additional custom equipment properties to represent design and proposed values if they need to be supported with the COBie import process.
- The Bluerithm Revit add-in may be a better option with options that allow writing directly from Revit to custom property design, proposed, and final values.
- COBie Attribute.Units = Property Units (type or instance)
COBie Import
The COBie import tool allows adding and updating equipment in a Bluerithm project with data in a COBie file using the data on the COBie Component, Type, Space, and Attribute worksheets.
When updating existing equipment, equipment data will be overwritten with data from matching COBie Components, Types, Spaces, and Attributes, INCLUDING BLANK VALUES. Ensure the COBie data is accurate when updating existing equipment.
When adding new equipment with a COBie import, duplicates will not be created. If your COBie file has more than one of any Component name, only one equipment with that Component name will be created in your Bluerithm project.
You can access the COBie import page from the main navigation menu, or as an option on the Add Equipment page.
On the import page, you select a COBie file to import, the project, and whether you want the import to update existing equipment (if matches are found), or import new equipment, or both.
On any import, even if Import New or Update Existing is not selected, equipment types and custom properties will be automatically added to the project. This makes the COBie import tool an efficient way to add equipment types and custom properties to projects.
The COBie import will create folders for each COBie Type that is added during the import. This is done to avoid ending up with potentially 10's of thousands of equipment in a single folder, which most browsers won't handle well. You probably won't want to use the folder structure from the import (but if you do, that's usually fine). You can then select equipment and move it to the correct folders on your project.
In general, having less folders is considered better, since there are other properties of equipment to filter on (e.g. equipment type, location, universal tags, the work attached to them, etc.)
COBie Export
The COBie export tool will export a COBie file from any existing project.
It is accessed from the main navigation menu like the import tool, or additionally on the Reports page in the Excel Exports menu.
