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Finding BIM Clashes with an API
Finding BIM Clashes with an API

Using VIM's Clash API to automate clash detection

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Written by VIM
Updated over a year ago

The VIM Clash API (vim.clash.cli.exe) is a Windows command line tool to detect clashes in VIM files. It's fast, powerful, and easy to use. Even if you're not familiar with coding!

Before we start, let's ensure you can open a command prompt and access vim.clash.cli.exe.

  1. You have been given access to a Vim.clash.cli.vx.x.xx.zip file

    Note: Windows will take %UserName% and insert your Windows username.

  2. Download it and unzip it to a location of your choice. Example: C:\Users\%UserName%\Documents

    Note: Windows will take %UserName% and insert your Windows username.

  3. Navigate to the following folder using Windows File Explorer C:\Users\%UserName%\Documents\Vim.clash.cli.vx.x.xx

  4. Type cmd in the address bar. A command prompt will appear and be set to that current folder location.

Try typing vim.clash.cli.exe --help if you get a list of tools, you're good to go!

Tip: Get full paths of files in Windows by Shift + right mouse click and choosing 'Copy as path'

Start here

  1. You may want control over what categories are tested for clashes. If so, start the whole process by creating a clash preset file,

  2. Edit it as you see fit in a tool like Excel to turn your detected categories on and off.

  3. Once you're happy with your clash preset, run clash (see below) and wait for the results!

  4. You can open the resulting vim project file (vimprojx) in our desktop app, or take it further by loading the vimprojx file with all it's clash data into an existing VIM SQL db for some serious data slicing.

clash-preset

  1. Users can change what clashes to look for (because you may not like the defaults we picked!). To rank and batch categories of your choosing, you'll need to create a base preset file, then edit it in a text editor:

    vim.clash.cli.exe clash-preset -o "c:\username\documents\mypresetfile.csv"

    1. -o, --output Required. The output clash preset file

    2. -l, --log The log file path

    3. --help Display a help screen

clash

  1. This will detect clashes in the VIM and create a vim project file (.vimprojx) which can be opened up to interact with VIM's apps.
    ​Tip: Make a preset file following the instructions above first.

    vim.clash.cli.exe clash -i "c:\username\documents\vimfile1.vim" -o "c:\username\documents\vimfile1.vimprojx" -p "c:\username\documents\mypresetfile.csv"

    1. -i, --input Required. The input VIM file path

    2. -o, --output Required. The output VIM project file path

    3. -p, --preset The clash categories preset file

    4. -n, --new-output (Default: false) Determines whether the existing output file is overwritten (true) or updated (false)

    5. -l, --log The log file path

    6. --help Display a help screen

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