IfcShapeAspect

Semantic definitions at the entity

Entity definition

IfcShapeAspect allows for grouping of shape representation items that represent aspects (or components) of the shape of a product. Thereby shape representations of components of the product shape represent a distinctive part to a product that can be explicitly addressed.

The IfcShapeAspect's may have distinct material information or other distict characteristics that differs from other parts of the product shape representation.

NOTE The IfcShapeAspect together with the IfcMaterialConstituent can be used to associate distict material information to parts of the product shape representation.

Figure 436 indicates the association of material characteristics to shape aspects.

Figure 436 — shape aspects for associating material

NOTE Definition from ISO 10303-41:
A shape aspect is an identifiable element of the shape of an object.

NOTE Entity adapted from shape_aspect defined in ISO 10303-42.

HISTORY New entity in IFC2.0

IFC4 CHANGE Attribute PartOfProductDefinitionShape declared OPTIONAL and extended to type IfcProductRepresentationSelect with upward compatibility for file based exchange.

Informal Propositions:

If ShapeRepresentations points to shape representations that are part of an IfcProductDefinitionShape, PartOfProductDefinitionShape must refer to this instance of IfcProductDefinitionShape.
If ShapeRepresentations points to shape representations that are part of an IfcRepresentationMap, PartOfProductDefinitionShape must refer to this instance of IfcRepresentationMap.

Attribute definitions

#	Attribute	Type	Cardinality	Description	G
1	ShapeRepresentations	IfcShapeModel	L[1:?]	List of ~~shape~~ representations. Each member defines a valid representation of a particular type within a particular representation context as being an aspect (or part) of a product definition. IFC2x3 CHANGE The data type has been changed from IfcShapeRepresentation to IfcShapeModel with upward compatibility	X
2	Name	IfcLabel	?	The word or group of words by which the shape aspect is known. It is a tag to indicate the particular semantic of a component within the product definition shape, used to provide meaning. Example: use the tag "Glazing" to define which component of a window shape defines the glazing area.	X
3	Description	IfcText	?	The word or group of words that characterize the shape aspect. It can be used to add additional meaning to the name of the aspect.	X
4	ProductDefinitional	IfcLogical		An indication that the shape aspect is on the physical boundary of the product definition shape. If the value of this attribute is TRUE, it shall be asserted that the shape aspect being identified is on such a boundary. If the value is FALSE, it shall be asserted that the shape aspect being identified is not on such a boundary. If the value is UNKNOWN, it shall be asserted that it is not known whether or not the shape aspect being identified is on such a boundary. --- EXAMPLE: Would be FALSE for a center line, identified as shape aspect; would be TRUE for a cantilever. ---	X
5	PartOfProductDefinitionShape	IfcProductRepresentationSelect	?	Reference to the IfcProductDefinitionShape or the IfcRepresentationMap of which this shape is an aspect. IFC4 CHANGE Data type modified to be IfcProductRepresentationSelect allowing the assignment also to IfcRepresentationMap.	X
	HasExternalReferences	IfcExternalReferenceRelationship @RelatedResourceObjects	S[0:?]	External references (e.g. classification) associated with the shape aspect.	X

Inherited definitions from supertypes

Entity inheritance

Attribute inheritance

#	Attribute	Type	Cardinality	Description	G
IfcShapeAspect
1	ShapeRepresentations	IfcShapeModel	L[1:?]	List of ~~shape~~ representations. Each member defines a valid representation of a particular type within a particular representation context as being an aspect (or part) of a product definition. IFC2x3 CHANGE The data type has been changed from IfcShapeRepresentation to IfcShapeModel with upward compatibility	X
2	Name	IfcLabel	?	The word or group of words by which the shape aspect is known. It is a tag to indicate the particular semantic of a component within the product definition shape, used to provide meaning. Example: use the tag "Glazing" to define which component of a window shape defines the glazing area.	X
3	Description	IfcText	?	The word or group of words that characterize the shape aspect. It can be used to add additional meaning to the name of the aspect.	X
4	ProductDefinitional	IfcLogical		An indication that the shape aspect is on the physical boundary of the product definition shape. If the value of this attribute is TRUE, it shall be asserted that the shape aspect being identified is on such a boundary. If the value is FALSE, it shall be asserted that the shape aspect being identified is not on such a boundary. If the value is UNKNOWN, it shall be asserted that it is not known whether or not the shape aspect being identified is on such a boundary. --- EXAMPLE: Would be FALSE for a center line, identified as shape aspect; would be TRUE for a cantilever. ---	X
5	PartOfProductDefinitionShape	IfcProductRepresentationSelect	?	Reference to the IfcProductDefinitionShape or the IfcRepresentationMap of which this shape is an aspect. IFC4 CHANGE Data type modified to be IfcProductRepresentationSelect allowing the assignment also to IfcRepresentationMap.	X
	HasExternalReferences	IfcExternalReferenceRelationship @RelatedResourceObjects	S[0:?]	External references (e.g. classification) associated with the shape aspect.	X

Formal representations

XML Specification

 <xs:element name="IfcShapeAspect" type="ifc:IfcShapeAspect" substitutionGroup="ifc:Entity" nillable="true"/>

 <xs:complexType name="IfcShapeAspect">

  <xs:complexContent>

   <xs:extension base="ifc:Entity">

    <xs:sequence>

     <xs:element name="ShapeRepresentations">

      <xs:complexType>

       <xs:sequence>

        <xs:element ref="ifc:IfcShapeModel" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>

       </xs:sequence>

       <xs:attribute ref="ifc:itemType" fixed="ifc:IfcShapeModel"/>

       <xs:attribute ref="ifc:cType" fixed="list"/>

       <xs:attribute ref="ifc:arraySize" use="optional"/>

      </xs:complexType>

     </xs:element>

    </xs:sequence>

    <xs:attribute name="Name" type="ifc:IfcLabel" use="optional"/>

    <xs:attribute name="Description" type="ifc:IfcText" use="optional"/>

    <xs:attribute name="ProductDefinitional" type="ifc:IfcLogical" use="optional"/>

   </xs:extension>

  </xs:complexContent>

 </xs:complexType>

EXPRESS Specification


ENTITY IfcShapeAspect;

  ShapeRepresentations : LIST [1:?] OF IfcShapeModel;

  Name : OPTIONAL IfcLabel;

  Description : OPTIONAL IfcText;

  ProductDefinitional : IfcLogical;

  PartOfProductDefinitionShape : OPTIONAL IfcProductRepresentationSelect;

 INVERSE

  HasExternalReferences : SET [0:?] OF IfcExternalReferenceRelationship FOR RelatedResourceObjects;

END_ENTITY;

 EXPRESS-G diagram

Item	Change	Description
IFC2x3 to IFC4
IfcShapeAspect
PartOfProductDefinitionShape	MODIFIED	Type changed from IfcProductDefinitionShape to IfcProductRepresentationSelect. Instantiation changed to OPTIONAL.
IFC4 Addendum 1
IfcShapeAspect
ProductDefinitional	MODIFIED	Type changed from LOGICAL to IfcLogical.
IFC4x1 Release Candidate 3
IfcShapeAspect
HasExternalReferences	ADDED

	Form - Aspekt
	Shape Aspect
	Aspect de forme