ConVoid Manager Stand-Alone
Step-By-Step: Quick Start!
About the Step-By-Step
The Step-by-Step Guide provides a practical introduction to ConVoid Manager and is designed to help you get started quickly.
Before You Begin
System Requirements & File Storage
Default save location:
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Windows: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Documents\Conclass Void Manager
Maximum import file size:
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Up to 2 GB
Supported file formats:
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.ifc, .frag, .bcf, .bcfzip
IFC and BCF:
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All IFC models must use the same units (meters).
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All IFC models must share the same origin point.
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For optimal compatibility, IFC and BCF files should also share the same origin.
Licensing Information
Required license type
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Requires a floating license.
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Desktop (node-locked) licenses are not currently supported.
Simultaneous Use
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When working with ConVoid for Revit and ConVoid Manager (Stand-Alone) at the same time,
two licenses will be occupied.
Auto-release:
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The license is automatically released 30 minutes after the application is closed.
Download, Install and Activate
The demonstration project shown in this guide uses our sample project files. You can download the demo files below, or use your own IFC and BCF files.
01: Setup your user profile
Setting up your user role (discipline) is the first step after launching ConVoid Manager.
User Settings Options
You can find the user settings in the dropdown menu in the upper right corner, where your email address is displayed.
Interface Language
Choose your preferred interface language. Note that this setting only affects your personal interface and does not change the project language.
Discipline
Your selected discipline determines how issues are labeled and how they appear in the approval workflow. Choose the role that matches your position or fits your project workflow.
For this tutorial, we'll use the role of Structural Engineer (STR).
Important notes:
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You can change your discipline at any time
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It's strongly recommended not to change your discipline during an active approval process
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You can have different roles in different projects
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Your selected discipline is saved within each project's settings
Auto Save
Once the Auto Save is enabled, the project will be saved every 15 minutes automatically.
02: Create Your First Project
The project defines the project language, BCF configuration, and other important settings. It contains all the data and is saved as a separate *.cc file. The *.cc file is a standalone file that contains all the project's data. You can therefore share this file with project participants, who will then have access to the entire project including all models.
Create Project
To create a new project, click the Create Project button in the project dropdown located in the upper left corner.
Where to find my Project?
All projects are saved in the Documents folder under a directory automatically created during installation:
C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Documents\Conclass Void Manager
Project Name
The project name identifies your project. It’s required but can be changed anytime.
Description
The description field is optional.
Project Language
The project language is a crucial setting that defines the language used for approval. You can change the project language if you selected the wrong one initially. However, it is recommended to avoid doing so after starting the approval process.
03: Adding IFC and BCF Files
Adding Models and BCF Files
You can add IFC models and BCF files individually or all at once. In this example we are using our sample project.
Remove Models
To remove models, click the Models icon at the bottom center of the 3D viewer, then select the Settings button in the ribbon header. In the model settings window, click the minus (-) icon to the right of a model name to remove it.
Manage building levels
You can access level settings by clicking the Levels icon at the bottom center of the 3D viewer, then selecting the Settings icon in the popup header. This allows you to define building levels and navigate through each level.
You can delete unneeded levels, rename levels, apply an elevation offset (e.g., 1.00 m above finished floor level) to use as a cutting plane, or manually add levels if none are provided.
Extract Levels from Models
By clicking Extract Levels from Models, ConVoid Manager automatically extracts all levels provided in the loaded models and merges them based on their level names. You'll see detailed information for each level, including elevation and source model.
04: Basic Navigation and Visibility
Navigate in 3D Model
Navigation in the 3D view is based on familiar mouse and keyboard combinations.
Selection Tools
Hide and Isolate
You can hide or isolate elements by category or by selecting individual elements. To do this, select the element, right-click, and choose the desired option from the context menu. The term "Category" refers to the IFC category of the selected element, such as walls, windows, or slabs.
When you hide elements, an orange frame appears around the 3D viewer to indicate that some elements are hidden. To reset the view and show all elements again, simply click the label in the lower-left corner that displays how many elements are hidden. All elements will reappear and the orange frame will disappear.
Section Plane
To create a section plane, hover over an element surface, then right-click and choose Add Section Plane from the context menu. A section plane will be created aligned to the element face. You can create multiple section planes in different directions.
To adjust a section plane's position, use the displayed arrow to move it back and forth. To remove all section planes, right-click and select Remove Section Planes.
Switch to Plan View
To switch from a 3D view to a 2D view, you can use the Plan View feature from the context menu. Hover over an element surface, then right-click and choose Switch to Plan View. The view will be aligned and locked to the surface, allowing you to pan instead of rotating. This is useful for reviewing the model in a fixed 2D orientation. To return to the 3D view, right-click and select Switch to Orbit View.
Section Box
A Section Box consists of six section planes surrounding the selected element. You can adjust individual planes using the corresponding arrows, just as you would with a single section plane. To remove the section box, right-click and select Remove Section Planes.
Search Elements
Use the search field in the upper right corner of the 3D viewer to hide elements that don't match your search criteria. Only matching elements will remain visible.
Model Visibility
You can control the visibility of entire models rather than individual elements. Click the Models icon at the bottom center of the 3D viewer and use the visibility toggle icon to the right of each model name.
Hide/Show
This allows you to hide or display an entire model. Use the visibility toggle next to the model name to switch between hidden and visible states.
Ghost
The Ghost feature is located to the right of the visibility toggle icon and makes the selected model 50% transparent, allowing you to see through it while keeping it visible for reference.
05: Measurements in Model
Accessing the measurement tools
The measurement tools are located in the tool panel at the bottom center of the 3D viewer. Click the dropdown arrow next to the tools icon (far left) to access them.
3-Axis Laser
Provides three-dimensional measurement across the element axes, giving you accurate measurements in all directions.
Point-to-Point
Measures distances between any two points in the model. The pointer snaps to elements when you hold the Shift key, making it easier to measure precise distances.
Delete last measurment
Removes the most recent measurement you created.
Delete all measurments
Removes all measurements from the model in one action.
06: Create and Review Your First Issues
This chapter guides you through creating issues, configuring BCF settings, and managing the review process in ConVoid Manager. Created issues appear both in the table and as 3D markers in the model. Once you select one or multiple issues via a markup or a row, the Comments Panel becomes active, allowing you to comment on the issue, add snapshots, set approvals, edit metadata, and delete issues.
Create single Issue
The Create Issue tool is located in the 3D viewer toolbox at the bottom center. Click the icon and select an element in the model to attach the issue to it.
Create multiple Issues from Selection
To create multiple issues from a selection, first select the desired elements in the model, then click the Create Multiple Issues icon in the 3D viewer toolbox. This saves time when you need to create similar issues for multiple elements.
Edit Issue
The issue editor window appears after you create an issue. Issues are automatically assigned to you as the creator, and the Title field is pre-filled with the selected element name. You can configure attributes such as Status, Type, Priority, and Milestone as needed to organize your issues effectively.
BCF Settings
Access BCF Settings through Project → Settings → BCF. If metadata such as Labels, Priority, Status, Milestones, or Type are missing from the loaded BCF file, you can add new entries here to customize your workflow.
Hide/Show Markups
You can hide issue markers by clicking Hide Markers in the lower middle area of the 3D viewer. To display them again, click Show Markers.
Overlay Markers
The Show and Overlay Markers feature displays all issue markers in front of the geometry, ensuring they're always visible even when elements are in front of them.
Edit and Delete Issues
The Issue Icons Overview lists the functions of the icons used in the issue panels:
Edit - Opens the issue for editing, allowing you to modify any of its properties.
Delete - Removes the issue from the project permanently.
Make a Snapshot - Creates a snapshot of the current model view and attaches it to the issue for reference.
Import Snapshot - Imports an external image and adds it to a comment.
Apply Comment - Sends the comment to all project participants.
07: Making and Reviewing Approvals
Issues can receive approvals from multiple disciplines. This chapter explains how to submit approvals and review approvals from other disciplines, ensuring smooth coordination across teams.
Making Approvals
To approve an issue, click on the 3D markup symbol in the viewer and set the approval status. Alternatively, you can set the approval status directly in the chat panel. Once you submit your approval, the issue will display a label showing the approval status and your discipline. A comment with the approval information is also added automatically.
Approval Options:
Issue - The issue markup has not yet received an approval status from the active disciplines.
Approve - Approve one or multiple issues. The issue will receive a label and comment showing your discipline and approval status.
Reject - Reject one or multiple issues. The issue will receive a label and comment showing your discipline and approval status.
Pending - Set one or multiple issues to pending. The issue will receive a label and comment showing your discipline and approval status.
Reviewing Approvals
To review approvals efficiently, you can filter issues in the table by their approval status. When filters are applied, only the filtered markups will be shown in the viewer.
To display markups with approval statuses from specific disciplines (or a combination of disciplines), use the dropdown menu at the top left of the table and enable the disciplines you want to review. The markups will then display their respective approval statuses based on the enabled disciplines, either individually or combined.
08: Exchange and Reports
The export functionality is located in the Project dropdown, providing access to all related sharing, collaboration, and reporting options.
BCF Export
Exports a BCF file containing the issues from the current project. The active filter in the Issue List also applies to the exported content, so you only export what you need. A notification window appears after export and displays a summary of the number of issues that will be exported based on the active filters in the Issue List. The window also includes the Discipline Approvals section, where you can choose to include all discipline approval labels or export only those related to your discipline.
Reports
Generates a layout with a header for documentation. Issues are color-coded according to their approval status. The exported columns correspond to the columns selected in the Issue List.
HTML
Generates an interactive report containing all project information and attributes included in the PDF. Issue snapshots appear as thumbnails and can be opened in resizable pop-up windows.
XLSX
Exports all issue data in a structured Excel format. The file preserves categories, labels, and approval statuses, allowing further filtering, sorting, and reporting within Excel or compatible tools.
CSV
Exports all issue data available in the BCF format in a structured format. Suitable for project analysis, filtering, and further processing in spreadsheet or BI tools.
Next Steps
You have learned the key features and capabilities of ConVoid Manager. Explore your own workflows and follow our webinars for practical, project-proven coordination processes.