
Cad To Data
- 228 installs
- 264 repo stars
- Updated February 14, 2026
- datadrivenconstruction/ddc_skills_for_ai_agents_in_construction
For development and infrastructure management.
About
cad-to-data is an AI coding tool that enhances development workflows. Builders use it for infrastructure, integration, and platform development within the catalog ecosystem.
- cad-to-data
- Development
Cad To Data by the numbers
- 228 all-time installs (skills.sh)
- Ranked #1,691 of 4,347 Backend & APIs skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
- Data as of Aug 4, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
npx skills add https://github.com/datadrivenconstruction/ddc_skills_for_ai_agents_in_construction --skill cad-to-dataAdd your badge
Show developers this skill is listed on Skillselion. Paste this into your README.
| Installs | 228 |
|---|---|
| repo stars | ★ 264 |
| Last updated | February 14, 2026 |
| Repository | datadrivenconstruction/ddc_skills_for_ai_agents_in_construction ↗ |
What it does
For development and infrastructure management.
Files
CAD To Data
Overview
Based on DDC methodology (Chapter 2.4), this skill converts CAD and BIM files to structured data, extracting element properties, quantities, and relationships from Revit, IFC, DWG, and DGN files.
Book Reference: "Преобразование данных в структурированную форму" / "Data Transformation to Structured Form"
Quick Start
from dataclasses import dataclass, field
from enum import Enum
from typing import List, Dict, Optional, Any, Tuple, Generator
from datetime import datetime
import json
class CADFormat(Enum):
"""Supported CAD/BIM formats"""
IFC = "ifc"
RVT = "rvt"
DWG = "dwg"
DXF = "dxf"
DGN = "dgn"
NWD = "nwd"
STEP = "step"
class ElementCategory(Enum):
"""BIM element categories"""
WALL = "wall"
FLOOR = "floor"
ROOF = "roof"
CEILING = "ceiling"
DOOR = "door"
WINDOW = "window"
COLUMN = "column"
BEAM = "beam"
STAIR = "stair"
RAMP = "ramp"
FURNITURE = "furniture"
EQUIPMENT = "equipment"
PIPE = "pipe"
DUCT = "duct"
CABLE_TRAY = "cable_tray"
SPACE = "space"
GENERIC = "generic"
@dataclass
class Point3D:
"""3D point"""
x: float
y: float
z: float
@dataclass
class BoundingBox3D:
"""3D bounding box"""
min_point: Point3D
max_point: Point3D
@property
def width(self) -> float:
return abs(self.max_point.x - self.min_point.x)
@property
def depth(self) -> float:
return abs(self.max_point.y - self.min_point.y)
@property
def height(self) -> float:
return abs(self.max_point.z - self.min_point.z)
@property
def volume(self) -> float:
return self.width * self.depth * self.height
@dataclass
class MaterialInfo:
"""Material information"""
name: str
category: str
color: Optional[str] = None
area: float = 0.0
volume: float = 0.0
properties: Dict[str, Any] = field(default_factory=dict)
@dataclass
class CADElement:
"""Extracted CAD/BIM element"""
id: str
guid: str
name: str
category: ElementCategory
type_name: str
level: Optional[str] = None
bounding_box: Optional[BoundingBox3D] = None
properties: Dict[str, Any] = field(default_factory=dict)
quantities: Dict[str, float] = field(default_factory=dict)
materials: List[MaterialInfo] = field(default_factory=list)
relationships: Dict[str, List[str]] = field(default_factory=dict)
@dataclass
class CADLayer:
"""CAD layer information"""
name: str
color: Optional[str] = None
line_type: Optional[str] = None
visible: bool = True
element_count: int = 0
@dataclass
class CADExtractionResult:
"""Result of CAD extraction"""
file_path: str
file_format: CADFormat
elements: List[CADElement]
layers: List[CADLayer]
levels: List[str]
total_elements: int
categories: Dict[str, int]
extraction_time: float
metadata: Dict[str, Any] = field(default_factory=dict)
class IFCExtractor:
"""Extract data from IFC files"""
def __init__(self):
self.schema_version = "IFC4"
self.element_mapping = self._build_element_mapping()
def _build_element_mapping(self) -> Dict[str, ElementCategory]:
"""Map IFC types to categories"""
return {
"IfcWall": ElementCategory.WALL,
"IfcWallStandardCase": ElementCategory.WALL,
"IfcSlab": ElementCategory.FLOOR,
"IfcRoof": ElementCategory.ROOF,
"IfcCeiling": ElementCategory.CEILING,
"IfcDoor": ElementCategory.DOOR,
"IfcWindow": ElementCategory.WINDOW,
"IfcColumn": ElementCategory.COLUMN,
"IfcBeam": ElementCategory.BEAM,
"IfcStair": ElementCategory.STAIR,
"IfcRamp": ElementCategory.RAMP,
"IfcFurnishingElement": ElementCategory.FURNITURE,
"IfcPipeSegment": ElementCategory.PIPE,
"IfcDuctSegment": ElementCategory.DUCT,
"IfcCableCarrierSegment": ElementCategory.CABLE_TRAY,
"IfcSpace": ElementCategory.SPACE,
}
def extract(
self,
file_path: str,
categories: Optional[List[ElementCategory]] = None
) -> CADExtractionResult:
"""
Extract data from IFC file.
Args:
file_path: Path to IFC file
categories: Optional filter for categories
Returns:
Extraction result
"""
start_time = datetime.now()
# In production, use ifcopenshell:
# import ifcopenshell
# ifc_file = ifcopenshell.open(file_path)
# Simulated extraction
elements = self._simulate_ifc_elements()
# Filter by category if specified
if categories:
elements = [e for e in elements if e.category in categories]
# Build category counts
category_counts = {}
for element in elements:
cat = element.category.value
category_counts[cat] = category_counts.get(cat, 0) + 1
# Extract levels
levels = list(set(e.level for e in elements if e.level))
extraction_time = (datetime.now() - start_time).total_seconds()
return CADExtractionResult(
file_path=file_path,
file_format=CADFormat.IFC,
elements=elements,
layers=[], # IFC doesn't use layers in traditional sense
levels=levels,
total_elements=len(elements),
categories=category_counts,
extraction_time=extraction_time,
metadata={
"schema": self.schema_version,
"project_name": "Sample Project"
}
)
def _simulate_ifc_elements(self) -> List[CADElement]:
"""Simulate IFC element extraction"""
elements = []
# Sample walls
for i in range(10):
elements.append(CADElement(
id=f"wall_{i}",
guid=f"1234567890ABCDEF{i:04d}",
name=f"Basic Wall {i}",
category=ElementCategory.WALL,
type_name="Basic Wall:200mm Concrete",
level="Level 1",
bounding_box=BoundingBox3D(
min_point=Point3D(i * 5, 0, 0),
max_point=Point3D(i * 5 + 5, 0.2, 3)
),
properties={
"IsExternal": True,
"FireRating": "1 HR",
"LoadBearing": True
},
quantities={
"Length": 5.0,
"Height": 3.0,
"Width": 0.2,
"Area": 15.0,
"Volume": 3.0
},
materials=[
MaterialInfo(
name="Concrete",
category="Concrete",
area=15.0,
volume=3.0
)
]
))
# Sample doors
for i in range(5):
elements.append(CADElement(
id=f"door_{i}",
guid=f"DOOR0000000000{i:04d}",
name=f"Single Door {i}",
category=ElementCategory.DOOR,
type_name="Single Flush:900x2100",
level="Level 1",
properties={
"FireRating": "None",
"IsExternal": False
},
quantities={
"Width": 0.9,
"Height": 2.1,
"Area": 1.89
},
relationships={
"host_wall": [f"wall_{i}"]
}
))
# Sample spaces
for i in range(3):
elements.append(CADElement(
id=f"space_{i}",
guid=f"SPACE000000000{i:04d}",
name=f"Room {i+101}",
category=ElementCategory.SPACE,
type_name="Office",
level="Level 1",
quantities={
"Area": 25.0 + i * 5,
"Volume": 75.0 + i * 15,
"Perimeter": 20.0 + i * 2
},
properties={
"OccupancyType": "Office",
"DesignOccupancy": 4
}
))
return elements
def get_quantities(
self,
elements: List[CADElement],
quantity_type: str = "all"
) -> Dict[str, float]:
"""Aggregate quantities from elements"""
totals = {}
for element in elements:
for qty_name, qty_value in element.quantities.items():
if quantity_type == "all" or qty_name.lower() == quantity_type.lower():
key = f"{element.category.value}_{qty_name}"
totals[key] = totals.get(key, 0) + qty_value
return totals
class DWGExtractor:
"""Extract data from DWG/DXF files"""
def __init__(self):
self.supported_entities = ["LINE", "POLYLINE", "CIRCLE", "ARC", "TEXT", "MTEXT", "INSERT", "HATCH"]
def extract(
self,
file_path: str,
layers: Optional[List[str]] = None
) -> CADExtractionResult:
"""Extract data from DWG file"""
start_time = datetime.now()
# In production, use ezdxf:
# import ezdxf
# doc = ezdxf.readfile(file_path)
# Simulated extraction
elements, cad_layers = self._simulate_dwg_extraction()
# Filter by layers if specified
if layers:
elements = [e for e in elements if e.properties.get("layer") in layers]
extraction_time = (datetime.now() - start_time).total_seconds()
return CADExtractionResult(
file_path=file_path,
file_format=CADFormat.DWG,
elements=elements,
layers=cad_layers,
levels=[],
total_elements=len(elements),
categories={"generic": len(elements)},
extraction_time=extraction_time,
metadata={"units": "millimeters"}
)
def _simulate_dwg_extraction(self) -> Tuple[List[CADElement], List[CADLayer]]:
"""Simulate DWG extraction"""
elements = []
layers = [
CADLayer("Walls", "Red", "Continuous", True, 15),
CADLayer("Doors", "Blue", "Continuous", True, 8),
CADLayer("Windows", "Cyan", "Continuous", True, 12),
CADLayer("Dimensions", "Green", "Continuous", True, 50),
CADLayer("Text", "White", "Continuous", True, 25),
]
# Simulate polylines (walls)
for i in range(15):
elements.append(CADElement(
id=f"polyline_{i}",
guid=f"PL{i:08d}",
name=f"Polyline {i}",
category=ElementCategory.GENERIC,
type_name="POLYLINE",
properties={
"layer": "Walls",
"color": "Red",
"closed": True
},
quantities={
"Length": 10.5 + i * 0.5
}
))
return elements, layers
class CADDataConverter:
"""
Convert CAD/BIM files to structured data.
Based on DDC methodology Chapter 2.4.
"""
def __init__(self):
self.ifc_extractor = IFCExtractor()
self.dwg_extractor = DWGExtractor()
def convert(
self,
file_path: str,
output_format: str = "json"
) -> Dict[str, Any]:
"""
Convert CAD file to structured data.
Args:
file_path: Path to CAD file
output_format: Output format (json, csv, dataframe)
Returns:
Structured data
"""
# Detect file format
file_format = self._detect_format(file_path)
# Extract based on format
if file_format == CADFormat.IFC:
result = self.ifc_extractor.extract(file_path)
elif file_format in [CADFormat.DWG, CADFormat.DXF]:
result = self.dwg_extractor.extract(file_path)
else:
raise ValueError(f"Unsupported format: {file_format}")
# Convert to output format
return self._format_output(result, output_format)
def _detect_format(self, file_path: str) -> CADFormat:
"""Detect CAD file format"""
extension = file_path.lower().split(".")[-1]
format_map = {
"ifc": CADFormat.IFC,
"rvt": CADFormat.RVT,
"dwg": CADFormat.DWG,
"dxf": CADFormat.DXF,
"dgn": CADFormat.DGN,
"nwd": CADFormat.NWD,
}
return format_map.get(extension, CADFormat.IFC)
def _format_output(
self,
result: CADExtractionResult,
format: str
) -> Dict[str, Any]:
"""Format extraction result"""
output = {
"file": result.file_path,
"format": result.file_format.value,
"total_elements": result.total_elements,
"categories": result.categories,
"levels": result.levels,
"extraction_time": result.extraction_time,
"elements": []
}
for element in result.elements:
output["elements"].append({
"id": element.id,
"guid": element.guid,
"name": element.name,
"category": element.category.value,
"type": element.type_name,
"level": element.level,
"properties": element.properties,
"quantities": element.quantities,
"materials": [
{"name": m.name, "area": m.area, "volume": m.volume}
for m in element.materials
]
})
return output
def extract_quantities(
self,
file_path: str,
categories: Optional[List[ElementCategory]] = None
) -> Dict[str, Any]:
"""Extract quantity takeoff from CAD file"""
file_format = self._detect_format(file_path)
if file_format == CADFormat.IFC:
result = self.ifc_extractor.extract(file_path, categories)
else:
result = self.dwg_extractor.extract(file_path)
# Aggregate quantities by category
quantities = {}
for element in result.elements:
cat = element.category.value
if cat not in quantities:
quantities[cat] = {
"count": 0,
"totals": {}
}
quantities[cat]["count"] += 1
for qty_name, qty_value in element.quantities.items():
if qty_name not in quantities[cat]["totals"]:
quantities[cat]["totals"][qty_name] = 0
quantities[cat]["totals"][qty_name] += qty_value
return {
"file": file_path,
"quantities": quantities,
"summary": {
"total_elements": result.total_elements,
"categories": list(quantities.keys())
}
}
def extract_schedule(
self,
file_path: str,
category: ElementCategory,
fields: List[str]
) -> List[Dict]:
"""Extract schedule data for specific category"""
file_format = self._detect_format(file_path)
if file_format == CADFormat.IFC:
result = self.ifc_extractor.extract(file_path, [category])
else:
result = self.dwg_extractor.extract(file_path)
schedule = []
for element in result.elements:
if element.category == category:
row = {"id": element.id, "name": element.name, "type": element.type_name}
for field in fields:
if field in element.properties:
row[field] = element.properties[field]
elif field in element.quantities:
row[field] = element.quantities[field]
schedule.append(row)
return schedule
def export_to_json(
self,
result: CADExtractionResult,
output_path: str
):
"""Export extraction result to JSON file"""
output = self._format_output(result, "json")
with open(output_path, 'w') as f:
json.dump(output, f, indent=2)
def generate_report(self, result: CADExtractionResult) -> str:
"""Generate extraction report"""
report = f"""
# CAD Extraction Report
**File:** {result.file_path}
**Format:** {result.file_format.value}
**Total Elements:** {result.total_elements}
**Extraction Time:** {result.extraction_time:.2f}s
## Elements by Category
"""
for cat, count in result.categories.items():
report += f"- **{cat.title()}:** {count}\n"
if result.levels:
report += "\n## Levels\n"
for level in result.levels:
report += f"- {level}\n"
if result.layers:
report += "\n## Layers\n"
for layer in result.layers:
report += f"- {layer.name}: {layer.element_count} elements\n"
return reportCommon Use Cases
Extract IFC Data
converter = CADDataConverter()
# Convert IFC to structured data
data = converter.convert("building.ifc", output_format="json")
print(f"Total elements: {data['total_elements']}")
print(f"Categories: {data['categories']}")
# Access elements
for element in data['elements'][:5]:
print(f" {element['name']}: {element['type']}")Extract Quantities
quantities = converter.extract_quantities(
"building.ifc",
categories=[ElementCategory.WALL, ElementCategory.FLOOR]
)
print(f"Wall count: {quantities['quantities']['wall']['count']}")
print(f"Total wall area: {quantities['quantities']['wall']['totals']['Area']}")Generate Schedule
door_schedule = converter.extract_schedule(
"building.ifc",
category=ElementCategory.DOOR,
fields=["Width", "Height", "FireRating", "IsExternal"]
)
for door in door_schedule:
print(f"{door['name']}: {door.get('Width')}x{door.get('Height')}")Generate Report
ifc_extractor = IFCExtractor()
result = ifc_extractor.extract("building.ifc")
report = converter.generate_report(result)
print(report)Quick Reference
| Component | Purpose |
|---|---|
CADDataConverter | Main conversion engine |
IFCExtractor | IFC file extraction |
DWGExtractor | DWG/DXF extraction |
CADElement | Extracted element data |
CADExtractionResult | Complete extraction result |
ElementCategory | BIM element categories |
Resources
- Book: "Data-Driven Construction" by Artem Boiko, Chapter 2.4
- Website: https://datadrivenconstruction.io
Next Steps
- Use image-to-data for image extraction
- Use qto-report for quantity reports
- Use bim-validation-pipeline for validation
{
"name": "cad-to-data",
"version": "2.0.0",
"description": "Convert CAD/BIM files to structured data. Extract element data from Revit, IFC, DWG, DGN files.",
"author": "datadrivenconstruction",
"license": "MIT",
"permissions": ["filesystem"],
"entry": "instructions.md",
"tags": ["construction", "CAD", "BIM", "data-extraction", "Revit", "IFC", "DWG", "DGN"],
"models": ["claude-*", "gpt-*"],
"minOpenClawVersion": "0.8.0"
}
You are a CAD/BIM data extraction assistant. You help users convert proprietary CAD and BIM files into structured, analyzable data formats (Excel, CSV, JSON, DataFrame).
When the user asks to extract data from CAD/BIM files: 1. Identify the file format (.rvt, .ifc, .dwg, .dgn) and select the right converter 2. Extract element data: type, category, layer/level, properties, geometry 3. Structure into tabular format with consistent columns 4. Export to user's preferred format (Excel, CSV, JSON, pandas DataFrame)
When the user asks about supported formats: 1. Revit (.rvt/.rfa): categories, families, types, parameters, quantities 2. IFC (.ifc): entities, property sets, quantities, spatial structure 3. DWG (.dwg): layers, blocks, attributes, entities, coordinates 4. DGN (.dgn): levels, cells, elements, tags, text nodes
Input Format
- CAD/BIM file path (any supported format)
- Optional: specific elements or properties to extract
- Optional: output format (Excel, CSV, JSON)
Output Format
- Structured table: element type, properties, quantities, coordinates
- One sheet/table per element category
- Summary with element counts and basic statistics
- Metadata: source file, extraction date, converter version
Constraints
- Filesystem permission required for file reading and writing
- Format-specific CLI converters invoked via subprocess.run()
- No proprietary CAD software licenses required
- Large models may need category-by-category extraction