A BIM model contains a lot of useful information. Walls have dimensions and material properties. Rooms have names and areas. Building elements also contain classifications and other data that describe what they are and how they're used. But getting that information into drawings clearly and consistently can take time, especially when changes to a model mean updating annotations.

That's where BIM tags come in. Our Working with BIM Tags course shows you how to create, customize and place tags that connect your building documentation to the information in your BIM model in BricsCAD.

What this course is about

BIM tags let you display information about building elements directly in your drawings, using properties from your model rather than entering every detail manually. This self-paced course takes you through the tagging workflow, from understanding multileader styles and fields to preparing sections, placing tags and creating more advanced tagging solutions. With downloadable drawing files and step-by-step demonstrations, you can practice each workflow as you go.

1. Understanding how BIM tagging works

The course begins with multileaders (Mleaders), the entities BricsCAD uses to create BIM tags in generated section drawings. You'll learn how Mleader styles control the appearance of annotations, including text, blocks, leader lines and formatting. You'll also see how fields connect tag content to BIM properties, allowing displayed information to update when the underlying data changes. The lesson introduces the source files that control BIM tagging, providing the foundation for creating your own tagging standards.

2. Working with fields

Fields make BIM tags more than static annotations. They allow text in a drawing to display information from properties, variables and other sources. You'll learn how to insert fields into text and block attributes, select which properties to display and update field values when the underlying information changes. The lesson also covers extension properties, which let you reference BIM entity information, and introduces fields that display project-specific custom properties.

3. Creating and customizing Mleader styles

Once you understand fields, the next step is deciding how your tags should look. The course introduces two ways to create Mleader styles: using text-based content or blocks. Text-based styles offer a straightforward way to customize tags, while block-based styles provide more control over their structure and attributes. You'll learn how to create styles, adjust leader settings, connect content to BIM properties and modify existing styles to suit your documentation requirements.

4. Connecting styles to BIM elements

Creating a tag style is only part of the process. BricsCAD also needs to know which styles to use for different building elements. This lesson explains how two source files work together: SectionTag.dwg, which contains tag styles and blocks, and TagTypeToStyle.xml, which links BIM entity types to those styles.

You'll learn how to configure automatic placement, rotation and positioning, as well as add styles for new BIM entity types. Using a furnishing element as an example, the course demonstrates how to create a corresponding Mleader style and connect it to the tagging system.

5. Preparing BIM sections for tagging

Before placing tags, you need to prepare your model and drawings. The course explains why BIM entities must be classified so BricsCAD can identify them and apply the correct tag styles. You'll see how to classify objects manually with BIMCLASSIFY or automatically using BIMIFY.

From there, you'll learn how to create BIM sections, configure section settings and generate sheets ready for annotation. These steps establish the connection between your 3D model and the generated drawings where BIM tags can be placed.

6. Placing and managing tags with BIMTAG

With your sections ready, it's time to start tagging. The BIMTAG command lets you place tags automatically across a viewport, select a group of elements using box selection or tag individual entities manually.

You'll also learn how to display specific information, including load-bearing directions, material compositions and spot elevations. The lesson covers switching between Mleader styles, placing custom tags and reassociating tags that have lost their connection to the model. Together, these options give you control over how much information appears in your drawings and where it's placed.

7. Using typed plans to control tag appearance

Not every building element needs to display information in the same way. For example, a building plan might need to distinguish between rooms with low, medium and high fire risk. Typed plans and tag overrides let you apply different tag styles automatically based on property values.

Using BIM spaces and their Fire Risk Factor properties, the course shows you how to create styles for different risk levels, define rules and assign the appropriate tags. You'll also learn how standard tagging rules provide a fallback when no override applies.

8. Creating a workflow with custom properties

Sometimes the information you want to display isn't included in the standard BIM properties. The final lesson shows how to create custom property sets, connect them to Mleader styles and configure the source files needed for tagging.

Using properties such as author and cost, you'll explore both text-based and block-based approaches before generating a BIM section and placing tags that reference your custom data. It's a practical way to extend BIM tagging to the information your particular project needs to communicate.

What you get out of it

By the end of the course, you'll understand how to create and customize BIM tags, connect annotations to model properties and prepare drawings for tagging. You'll also know how to use automatic and manual tagging, typed plans and custom properties to create more flexible documentation workflows.

The course is entirely self-paced, with downloadable practice files, supporting Help Center resources and a certificate of completion.

Make better use of your BIM model information

Your BIM model already contains much of the information needed to document a building. BIM tags help bring that information into your drawings, reducing repetitive manual work and helping keep documentation consistent.

Take the Working with BIM Tags course to build your skills in creating and managing BIM annotations in BricsCAD. And explore the rest of the BricsCAD Learning Center for more courses to help you make the most of BricsCAD.