bridge-io 0.1.1

An open-source IFC 4.3 to structural engineering analytical and detailed design exporter

bridge-io 🌉

bridge-io is a production-grade, highly extensible open-source Python library designed to act as an interoperability translation layer. It parses bridge models represented in the international building information modeling standard IFC 4.3 (Industry Foundation Classes for Infrastructure) and exports them into standard structural engineering analytical and detailed design packages.

🚀 The Translation Pipeline

graph LR
    A[IFC 4.3 File] --> B[bridge-io Parser]
    B --> C[In-Memory Spatial Tree]
    C --> D[Target Exporter]
    D --> E[Target Design File]
    
    style A fill:#34495e,stroke:#2c3e50,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style B fill:#3498db,stroke:#2980b9,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style C fill:#2ecc71,stroke:#27ae60,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style D fill:#f39c12,stroke:#d35400,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style E fill:#e74c3c,stroke:#c0392b,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff

By reading standard structural alignment curves, deck sections, girder distributions, pier cap geometries, and materials via the ifcopenshell framework, bridge-io builds a highly cohesive intermediate spatial tree which is then mapped and serialized by specialized exporters.

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🔌 Target Integrations

Target Software	Exporter Key	Export Format	Status
CSiBridge	csibridge	.b2k / SAP2000 Text Format	Production
PGSuper	pgsuper	.pgt / XML Project Template	Production
Bentley OpenBridge	openbridge	.xml / .landxml LandXML Schema	Production
midas Civil	midas	.mxt Midas Exchange Command File	Production
STAAD.Pro	staad	.std STAAD Structural Commands	Production
LUSAS	lusas	.cmd LUSAS CMD Automation Script	Production
LARSA 4D	larsa4d	.csv / .txt Copy-Paste Data & COM Script	Production

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📦 Installation

To install bridge-io from PyPI, run:

pip install bridge-io

Alternatively, to install from source using Poetry or Hatch:

git clone https://github.com/bridgecopilot/bridge-io.git
cd bridge-io
pip install .

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💻 Programmatic API Usage

Translate models programmatically using Python:

from bridge_io import IFCParser, get_exporter

# 1. Parse your IFC 4.3 infrastructure file
parser = IFCParser()
bridge_def = parser.parse("my_bridge_model.ifc")

print(f"Parsed Bridge: {bridge_def.name}")
print(f"Total Spans count: {len(bridge_def.spans)}")

# 2. Re-route structural parameters to PGSuper XML templates
pgsuper_exporter = get_exporter("pgsuper")
pgsuper_exporter.export(bridge_def, "outputs/pgsuper_model.pgt")

# 3. Export to analytical CSiBridge B2K command file
csibridge_exporter = get_exporter("csibridge")
csibridge_exporter.export(bridge_def, "outputs/csibridge_model.b2k")

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🛠️ CLI Usage

bridge-io includes a rich command-line interface for batch processing and automated translation pipelines:

# List all registered exporters and their target extensions
bridge-io list

# Translate an IFC 4.3 model to CSiBridge B2K
bridge-io translate input_bridge.ifc --target csibridge --output translated_model.b2k

# Translate an IFC 4.3 model to PGSuper XML
bridge-io translate input_bridge.ifc -t pgsuper

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🤝 Extensibility & Contributions

bridge-io was architected with a developer-first mindset. If you wish to write and register a new exporter for a structural package not listed here (e.g. Ansys APDL, Abaqus, Autodesk Robot, or SAP2000), please consult our CONTRIBUTING.md manual.

We highly encourage engineering firms and BIM developers to showcase their custom translators by contributing upstream!

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📄 License

This project is licensed under the Mozilla Public License 2.0 (MPL 2.0) - see the LICENSE file for details. [e-mail]