BIM - RFA files

#1
Anyone with experience in attching RFA files and accessing the contents??

I have attched a RFA file from a suppliers website, yet when attached (via TOOLS > BIM UNDERLAY) all I manage to get is a single block.
No table is loaded/displayed, yet there is a TXT file with the RFA in the search path.

?
CMS Intellicad 14.1.411.168739.PE+.VC17.x64.CMS141
i9-12900k / 64gb-3200 - NVIDIA GeForce TRX 3060 Ti 8Gb Windows 11 Pro
Steve Nichols

Re: BIM - RFA files

#2
Hi Steve,
How are you ?

> (via TOOLS > BIM UNDERLAY)
I mean you make a mistake, you must use Insert > RVT underlay...
A RFA file is a Autodesk Revit Architecture file, a Revit Family no?
Could you share this file please ?

Example: Coffret C100P100.rfa
image_2025-04-30_161423485.png
image_2025-04-30_161423485.png (52.73 KiB) Viewed 115927 times
Then your resource is manageable by the REFs EXPLORER :
image_2025-04-30_162136361.png
image_2025-04-30_162136361.png (16.54 KiB) Viewed 115925 times
Last edited by SPirou4D on Wed Apr 30, 2025 8:21 am, edited 1 time in total.

Re: BIM - RFA files

#3
Hi Pat, I'm well :) & you?

Look here:
https://www.stelrad.com/trade/bim-information/
Compact.png
Compact.png (23.54 KiB) Viewed 115926 times
You should download the zip file, inside is an RFA file & TXT file. Put these into a folder in the search paths
Or as in my case make and add a new one.

Open a new dwg, then from the dropdown, Insert/BIM Underlay/Bim underlay..... goto the folder with the zip/RFA file and select the RFA file.

The TXT file is a Catalogue of all that is in the RFA (see the 2 pdf files in the zip)
60+ items in the RFA, but I can only achieve 1 ..????????

-------

Sent a feedback form & currently in discussion with Support @ ITC.
CMS Intellicad 14.1.411.168739.PE+.VC17.x64.CMS141
i9-12900k / 64gb-3200 - NVIDIA GeForce TRX 3060 Ti 8Gb Windows 11 Pro
Steve Nichols

Re: BIM - RFA files

#4
Yes there is a radiator :
image_2025-05-01_183238329.png
image_2025-05-01_183238329.png (19.57 KiB) Viewed 115583 times
But is it possible to have a parametric object like in REVIT, I don't know???
My thought : this txt file must be in excel format to be associated to the shape....I will search...

EDIT : Steve I tranformed the .txt in .xsl and attached it to the drawing but nothing.

This .txt is for parametric data to REVIT and don't work with IntelliCAD.

Re: BIM - RFA files

#5
Hi Pat,

Yes you are probably correct,
but there is no explanation in the HELP files as to what the user should expect when attaching an RFA file.
So I wait for the ITC support to get back to me.

My view is that having a RFA Underlay is worthless without the contents of the family/catalogue.

PS, I also created an XLS file, copied it to the ITC support along with ALL I posted above + more :)
CMS Intellicad 14.1.411.168739.PE+.VC17.x64.CMS141
i9-12900k / 64gb-3200 - NVIDIA GeForce TRX 3060 Ti 8Gb Windows 11 Pro
Steve Nichols

Re: BIM - RFA files

#6
From ITC support:

The ability to embed multiple components into one RFA is a feature that the current version of IntelliCAD does not support.

This is poor in my opinion, why have the ability to attached an RFA Underlay, but NOT access it's contents??
CMS Intellicad 14.1.411.168739.PE+.VC17.x64.CMS141
i9-12900k / 64gb-3200 - NVIDIA GeForce TRX 3060 Ti 8Gb Windows 11 Pro
Steve Nichols

Re: BIM - RFA files

#7
Look here in the properties panel :
image_2025-05-02_103910162.png
image_2025-05-02_103910162.png (36.02 KiB) Viewed 115349 times
A lot of values are not changeable !!! Because we are not in REVIT but this parametric values are there !

EDIT: I have learned that in REVIT there are System parameters and Shared parameters and etc...
System parameters are these parameters inactifs in IntelliCAD.
The .txt file is a shared parameters. In REVIT these values ared in a table and each column are used to change the shape of your radiator, not as parametric model but simply with custom parameters .
If you have a concrete post with d section et h hight, you create a custom parameter to d weight (or H) and connect it with a shared parameter. In the shared parameters editor, you select your model and D + H are actived and transfered to your drawing with these shared parameters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_YQvEbjxeo