Interoperability format translation and transformation between IFC architectural design file and simulation file formats

1. A method for automatically translating and transforming a building architecture file format to a simulation file, comprising:

extracting from a building architecture file, data and metadata used by a target simulation tool;

creating interoperability data objects and storing the extracted data in the interoperability data objects;

preparing a model translation procedure to identify a mapping from a Model View Definition to a translation and transformation function;

transforming the extracted data using the data stored in the interoperability data objects, an input Model View Definition template, and the translation and transformation function to convert the extracted data to correct geometric values needed for a target simulation file format used by the target simulation tool; and

generating the simulation file in the target simulation file format,

wherein the preparing of the model translation procedure comprises:

creating translation function definitions; and

filling in the translation and transformation function with data of the one or more interoperability data objects,

wherein the translating and transforming function comprises:

a function to perform geometric transformation of data values stored in the interoperability data objects to specific building simulation models by converting the data values to geometric values based on at least offset, clipping, and rotation to represent a placement on an energy simulation model file;

logic to perform the transforming of the extracted data stored in the interoperability data objects into the target simulation file format; and

a function to fill in the module view definition template with the converted geometric values for the simulation file in the target simulation file format.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the extracting of the data and metadata from the building architecture file comprises:

parsing and extracting geometric data, the metadata, and context data from a selected subset of IFC elements of the building architecture file, the selected subset including only items needed by the target simulation tool, using an XML parser and governed by a set of parsing rules;

retrieving IFC elements of the building architecture file using web-based APIs from a building information management data file repository to extract geometric data, the metadata, and context data; or

combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parsing rules comprises handling reading elements in a reversed order.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the storing of the extracted data in the interoperability data objects comprises storing geometric data values, the metadata and context data from the building architecture file.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interoperability data objects represent a set of selected building objects needed to generate a target simulation file used by the target simulation tool.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising invoking one or more interoperability data objects query APIs to retrieve the data for filling in the translation and transformation function.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transforming of the extracted data further comprises translating and transforming the extracted data to geometric values needed for the target simulation file format.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Model View Definition template comprises schema formats of both the building architecture file and the simulation file, and a set of queries to the interoperability data objects.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the set of queries to the interoperability data objects is supported by a building interoperability database schema.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the building interoperability database schema uses relational object database structure to support related building object models.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating of the simulation file comprises filling in an instance of the module view definition template with the transformed extracted data.

12. A method of automatically translating and transforming a building architecture file format to a simulation file, comprising:

extracting geometry data, metadata and context data from an Industry Foundation Class architectural design file, the geometry data, metadata and context data selected based on a Model View Definition template;

storing the extracted data as interoperability data objects;

identifying a mapping from the Model View Definition template to one or more format translation and transformation functions; and

translating and transformation the data stored as the interoperability data objects by executing said one or more format translation and transformation functions into a selected target simulation tool format,

the translating and transforming function comprising:

a function to perform geometric transformation of data values stored in the interoperability data objects to specific building simulation models by converting the data values to geometric values based on at least offset, clipping, and rotation to represent a placement on an energy simulation model file;

logic to perform the transforming of the extracted data stored in the interoperability data objects into the target simulation file format; and

a function to fill in the module view definition template with the converted geometric values for the simulation file in the target simulation file format.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

generating a target output file comprising the translated and transformed data in the selected target simulation tool format.