COBie Frequently Asked Questions
Last updated: 12-01-2011
This page contains answers to frequently asked questions about the specifics of COBie. Please submit your question on COBie through our comment form. Frequently encountered questions will be documented and added this list of FAQ's.
Operational Questions
1. Is COBie a building model?
No, COBie is format for the publication of a subset of a building model. COBie's focus is on delivering building information not geometric modeling. COBie formatted building information is not an entire building model. COBie is a subset of a building model referred to as a "model view."
2. Do I have to fill out the whole COBie Spreadsheet?
The amount of the COBie worksheets to fill in depends on the project stage. Project team members only enter the data for which they are responsible. Designers provide spaces and equipment locations. Builders provide manufacturer information and installed product data. Commissioning agents provide warranties, parts, maintenance information. For more details please see the COBie Means and Methods page.
3. When do I deliver COBie data?
COBie data is delivered along with, or in lieu of, existing contract deliverables depending on your specific contract. COBie does not change the content of existing contract deliverables. COBie does, however, change the format of the information that is delivered. An example specification for the delivery of COBie files may be found here. Delivery of COBie is an information publication activity. The delivery of a COBie data set is not an invitation to share a building model since COBie is simply a set of published building information.
4. Why is COBie a spreadsheet?
Given a large project and progressive owner, there will be sufficient overheads needed to provide a wide range of value-added services that may include the proprietary development of Facility Handover data sets. Most public projects are, however, relative simple, square buildings, completed on a shoestring budget with taxpayer funds. An open exchange format for facility handover data must, therefore, accommodate both the large custom buildings and small public buildings with the least common denominator of technology allowing the widest possible set of project stakeholders. COBie for large projects uses IFC-standard STEP and ifcXML formatted files. Small projects may exchange COBie data, displayed as spreadsheets, and directly update COBie data using these common spreadsheet programs.
5. How is COBie updated for specific clients?
COBie is a standardized format but it's contents are configurable for regional and project practice. The only changes needed are values for columns in the PickList Worksheet. The green columns are client, national, or regional classifications and can be updated. The green coded COBie values are provided as default settings only. PickList Worksheet columns in non-green colors should NOT be changed because they will result in inconsistent use of COBie data by software vendors. For example, the values for 'FloorType' is always one of the three values 'Site', 'Floor', or 'Roof' and coordinates are taken from the 5 values that describe a point, line, or box.
6. What products and equipment do I include in COBie?
All products and equipment listed in design schedules, should be found in the COBie file under the Type and Component Worksheets. Type worksheets identify the category of product. Components are specific instances of each of the Types, typically found in one room. Components must be listed by room. Components that link or span rooms must be listed in each applicable room. Interior doors, for example, should be listed in both spaces that the doors connect.
7. What software is required to create COBie?
The COBie Specification (DOC 37 KB) is a performance specification. This means that it doesn't matter what software is used to create COBie information, as long as the format of the information meets the COBie specification and the content of the COBie file reflects your specific project. Software vendors have begun to directly export to COBie, however, on small projects COBie may also be created or updated by hand directly in the spreadsheet version of the COBie data.
8. What if my software doesn't support COBie today?
Often software that doesn't directly export COBie today will export spreadsheet formatted information in a different order than that provided by COBie. Such information may cut and paste into COBie creating the start of the COBie file without rekeying room and equipment schedules.
9. Where is the COBie submittal register?
The submittal register is held within the Document Worksheet. The set of all documents identified in the designer COBie file as 'Required' can be used to create a submittal register. Use of a web-based submittal register to automatically linked manufacturer documents to building information (models) is essential to the cost-effective implementation of COBie. One web-based submittal register that may be used is the eSubmittal module of ProjNetSM.
10. How to I check a COBie file?
A free program has been created to allow you to directly check a COBie file. This command line program is provided without technical support.
Technical Questions
1 How many buildings can be exchanged using COBie?
Each COBie file should contain a single building. If there are multiple buildings in a given project, each of these buildings should be held it their own COBie worksheet.
2 Can COBie Spaces contain other Spaces?
No. Spaces cannot contain other spaces. Zones should be used instead as super elements that may contain multiple spaces.
3. What is are COBie Zones?
A Zone is a group of spaces that together provide a specific function. A common example of a zone is a group of spaces that the public are allowed to access, and a group of spaces that may only be accessed by employees.
4 What are COBie Systems?
A System is a group of components that work together to provide a specific building service such as ventilation or fire protection. In COBie systems are described by their lowest level. In a two story building, for example, one may describe the HVAC system as two separate systems, '1st Floor HVAC,' and '2nd Floor HVAC.'
5 What fields are required to be unique within COBie?
The first column of each worksheet, called 'Name,' is the unique name for all the rows in that worksheet. Names must avoid unusual punctuation. Using Names, as opposed to row numbers, ensures users' cut-and-pastes across worksheets provide consistent information. For example each worksheet can be prepared from reports produced by disparate applications and then merged into the COBie worksheet. Also character names have been preferred as a miss-typed character is more likely to make a key invalid, whereas a mistyped number is more likely to be a valid but wrong key.
6 What columns are required in COBie?
COBie is color coded. Yellow coded columns are mandatory. These columns must contain a value. If you do not have, or know the value, enter 'n/a' standing for not applicable or not available.
7 Where can I add properties to COBie?
The Attribute worksheet is used to record the attributes of the Components, Types, Systems, Zones and Spaces. One attribute Value record is recorded for a given Attribute Name, SheetName and RowName. Values held for a Type and System can be expected to be overridden by values held against an individual Component. Values held for a Zone can be expected to be overridden by values held against an individual Space.