Working version of elaborate numbering tool for Bonsai

BjornFidderBjornFidder
in General

Over the last two weeks, I have worked at engineering firm 3BM to create a numbering tool in Bonsai. The image below shows the UI.

The user can select which elements to number, in which order, with which format and where to store the number. Settings for a numbering can be saved in the project or exported.

The code is available in this repository, which also contains a short demo video:
https://github.com/BjornFidder/BonsaiNumbering
The only feature not working yet is to allow for storage of the number inside a Type-Common Pset (e.g. Pset_WallCommon).

Would this tool be suitable to include into native Bonsai? I'd love to hear your feedback. Any tips for better structuring the code or where the tool could be placed in the UI are welcome.

Tagged:
falken10vdlzoomerDarth_BlenderShegstheoryshawsteverugiMaartenFroughNigelwalpaMassimoand 4 others.

Comments

  • kurb70kurb70

    Great. This is a very useful tool.

    BTW, I asked myself why this numbering cannot be stored (at all or alternatively) in the entity Tag attribute. If I understand the specification correctly, this attribute was created precisely for this purpose. https://standards.buildingsmart.org/IFC/RELEASE/IFC4/ADD2_TC1/HTML/link/ifcelement.htm

    BjornFidder
  • MasMas

    tags I think are also used to store softwarespecific ID's. I used the Name to count, in kombination with csv-tool. But almost my parts are instances of a type.

  • sjb007sjb007

    The tag (or label) identifier at the particular instance of a product, e.g. the serial number, or the position number. It is the identifier at the occurrence level.

    If other software is abusing that field, that is not a valid reason for you to not use it correctly, otherwise you become part of the problem. You are instead inventing a whole new custom Pset that nobody else uses. In effect you punish those other applications that do adhere to the standard.
    Better to do the right thing now, and raise a bug with applications that are not doing the right thing.

    kurb70
  • BjornFidderBjornFidder

    In the current version, the user can select whether the number should be stored in the Tag property, or in a custom Pset (Pset_Numbering). It seems indeed that Tag is the most suitable place to store the number (and this is the default), but I guess it is fine to allow for storage in a new custom Pset if users wish to do so?

    kurb70
  • theoryshawtheoryshaw

    Would recommend allowing a user to push the value to any designated attribute or property.

    Nigel
  • sjb007sjb007

    @BjornFidder Oh, OK. I got the impression originally that you were actively avoiding using the Tag. Good to know it is user selectable. Unless there's a real good reason not to, I'd suggest you default to using the Tag.

    BjornFidder
  • BjornFidderBjornFidder

    @theoryshaw said:
    Would recommend allowing a user to push the value to any designated attribute or property.

    Would be nice! I will see whether this is feasible. If multiple types are selected, I would have to see if I can check which atttibutes and properties are shared among the whole selection.

  • MasMas

    @sjb007 said:

    The tag (or label) identifier at the particular instance of a product, e.g. the serial number, or the position number. It is the identifier at the occurrence level.

    If other software is abusing that field, that is not a valid reason for you to not use it correctly, otherwise you become part of the problem. You are instead inventing a whole new custom Pset that nobody else uses. In effect you punish those other applications that do adhere to the standard.
    Better to do the right thing now, and raise a bug with applications that are not doing the right thing.

    BjornFiddersteverugiNigelatomkarinca
  • sjb007sjb007

    😳 Errr... was it too difficult to understand? Sorry. I sometimes forget that English is a second language for others. It's easy to get carried away with it.
    Short translation of my original post: Follow the standard, and do the right thing. The world will be a better place.

    NigelBjornFidder
  • MasMas
    edited August 2025

    Ok

    BjornFidder
  • theoryshawtheoryshaw
    edited August 2025

    I got the following error, perhaps not using it correctly...
    video: https://community.osarch.org/uploads/editor/il/sly2k2n00f5p.mp4

    Python: Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "\Text", line 713, in execute
  File "\Text", line 713, in <dictcomp>
  File "\Text", line 568, in get_number
  File "C:\Users\Ryan Schultz\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\4.2\extensions\.local\lib\python3.11\site-packages\ifcopenshell\util\element.py", line 74, in get_pset
    ifc_file = element.file
               ^^^^^^^^^^^^
AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'file'
  • BjornFidderBjornFidder
    edited August 2025

    @theoryshaw said:
    I got the following error, perhaps not using it correctly...
    video: https://community.osarch.org/uploads/editor/il/sly2k2n00f5p.mp4

    Thanks for testing.
    I can not reproduce the error myself, but I added a simple check for None-types that might solve the problem. Can you try with the new version in the repo?
    (Presumably it was trying to read numbers from the Sun element)

  • theoryshawtheoryshaw

    Tried with the latest, got the same error...
    video: https://community.osarch.org/uploads/editor/r9/ghzzxao4wave.mp4

    Revision: 488d79e081d84cacd12ee72097b8656e28cca250
Author: BjornFidder <[email protected]>
Date: 8/20/2025 10:26:49 AM

    Python: Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "\Text", line 889, in execute
  File "\Text", line 772, in execute_with_undo
  File "\Text", line 878, in assign_numbers
AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'is_a'


    os: Windows
os_version: 10.0.19045
python_version: 3.11.7
architecture: ('64bit', 'WindowsPE')
machine: AMD64
processor: Intel64 Family 6 Model 158 Stepping 10, GenuineIntel
blender_version: 4.2.9 LTS
bonsai_version: 0.0.0
bonsai_commit_hash: 4cbf551
bonsai_commit_date: 2025-08-20T13:01:42-05:00
  • BjornFidderBjornFidder
    edited August 2025

    @theoryshaw said:
    Tried with the latest, got the same error...
    video: https://community.osarch.org/uploads/editor/r9/ghzzxao4wave.mp4

    Fixed.
    I was able to reproduce your error with the Sun object enabled in Blender. I missed one handling of such objects in my previous fix, sorry.
    I have confirmed that the current version works also with the Sun (or any other non-IFC object) in view.

  • falken10vdlfalken10vdl

    @BjornFidder I just tested it in linux and it works beautifully :)

    Thanks!

    BjornFidder
  • BjornFidderBjornFidder
    edited August 2025

    @theoryshaw said:
    Would recommend allowing a user to push the value to any designated attribute or property.

    This is supported in the new version! User can assign number to attribute (tag, name or description) or to a pset (shared among selected types, or custom pset)

  • theoryshawtheoryshaw

    Got it working!
    Curious, could this evolve into a bulk namer? That is be able to both number and name?
    Could you do something like this, i wonder?
    And play off the syntax here:https://docs.ifcopenshell.org/ifcopenshell-python/selector_syntax.html
    Just thinking outloud...

    BjornFidder
  • theoryshawtheoryshaw

    Another nice feature, would be to have an option to base 'numbering order' on the order objects where selected in the scene--since numbering, might not relative to X,Y,Z sometimes.

    BjornFidder
  • sjb007sjb007
    edited August 2025

    Seems like a lot of that Format/Prefix/Suffix can just be defined using Pythons format mini language: i.e.

    f"{E:02}{C[3]}{T:02}T{:02}S-Space:{X.upper()}"

    giving:

    01D01T01S-Space:BEDROOM"

    where C would be the class name.

  • BjornFidderBjornFidder

    @theoryshaw Glad you got it working, and thanks for the ideas. In the current version of the tool, numbering+name is already somewhat supported, e.g.
    [T] is the first letter of the type (IfcDoor-> D) and [TF] the full name (so Door). The syntax is shown in the tooltip of the Format textbox.
    However, supporting regex and additional syntaxes might be nice! I will look into the ifcopenshell syntax.

    Numbering order based on order of selection is a nice feature, will look into that.

    Mas
  • BjornFidderBjornFidder

    I am wondering: should I try to get this tool into a pull request so that it can be incorporated into native Bonsai? Or would it be better suited as a standalone tool?

    I was also thinking to split up the tool such that it can be easily used in code, separate from the Blender UI. Then, you could for example also select elements using the ifcopenshell selector syntax.
    Maybe then, this part of the tool could be added to native ifcopenshell?

    Mas
  • theoryshawtheoryshaw

    I am wondering: should I try to get this tool into a pull request so that it can be incorporated into native Bonsai?

    Yes, i think that would be a nice addition.

    Maybe then, this part of the tool could be added to native ifcopenshell?

    Yes, another nice addition.

  • BjornFidderBjornFidder
    edited August 2025

    @theoryshaw said:

    I am wondering: should I try to get this tool into a pull request so that it can be incorporated into native Bonsai?

    Yes, i think that would be a nice addition.

    I have created a pull request, see PR #7064.
    I have not fully separated a tool into native ifcopenshell, however, the tool can be used as a script, separate from the UI, as such:

    import ifcopenshell
from ifcopenshell.util.pset import PsetQto
from bonsai.tool.numbering import Numbering, SaveNumber, Settings, ElementGeometry

path = "path/to/your/file.ifc"
ifc_file = ifcopenshell.open(path)
SaveNumber.pset_qto = PsetQto(ifc_file.schema)

elements = ifc_file.by_type("IfcWall")
settings = Settings.default_settings()
settings["format"] = "E{E}"

elements_locations = {element: ElementGeometry.get_element_location(element, settings) for element in elements}
elements_dimensions = {element: ElementGeometry.get_element_dimensions(element) for element in elements}

Numbering.number_elements(elements, ifc_file, settings, elements_locations, elements_dimensions)

ifc_file.write(path)

    The settings are given as a dictionary. You can get a default set of settings and customize the dictionary values as desired, or you can use a json file that you exported from the UI as such:

    settings = Settings.import_settings("path/to/settings.json")
    falken10vdl
  • theoryshawtheoryshaw

    Very cool. I would like to defer to the core developers on the review and ultimate pull.
    Thinking it might take awhile, as there's a few backlogged PR's out there, it seems.

    BjornFidder
  • BjornFidderBjornFidder

    @theoryshaw said:
    Would recommend allowing a user to push the value to any designated attribute or property.

    This is now implemented in the current version. The user can select any of the attributes Tag, Name or Description, or select one of the available Psets that is shared among the selected types, including the Type-Common pset, and a Custom Pset.

    Could you also test whether the tool does not lead to an error anymore in the current version?

  • BjornFidderBjornFidder

    @theoryshaw said:
    Would recommend allowing a user to push the value to any designated attribute or property.

    This is now implemented in the current version. The user can select any of the attributes Tag, Name or Description, or select one of the available Psets that is shared among the selected types, including the Type-Common pset, and a Custom Pset.

    Could you also test whether the tool does not lead to an error anymore in the current version?

  • BjornFidderBjornFidder

    @theoryshaw said:
    Would recommend allowing a user to push the value to any designated attribute or property.

    This is now implemented in the current version. The user can select any of the attributes Tag, Name or Description, or select one of the available Psets that is shared among the selected types, including the Type-Common pset, and a Custom Pset.

    Could you also test whether the tool does not lead to an error anymore in the current version?

  • MasMas
    edited October 2025

    @BjornFidder really cool! Thx (I´m not a console user, so I run it as explaned and it worked well)
    Info for users: One way to run/open a pythonscript in blender
    1. Split the screen: Open the (Blender-) Texteditor
    2. Drag and Drop the file into the texteditor
    3. Press the "play" button
    (For this script use the link above, press on the green "Code" button, "download ZIP", extract it, use the .py file as described in step 1-3)

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