Make and Review Approvals with External Systems

How the Round-Trip Works

When your partner does not use ConVoid, approvals travel through a three-step round-trip:

1. You provide a geometry file (so the partner can locate each opening) plus a decision file (for the partner to fill in).
2. Your partner reviews in their tool of choice - a BCF platform, an IFC viewer, a spreadsheet, a PDF, or a combination - and updates the decision file.
3. You import the returned decision file. ConVoid merges status, comments and (for BCF) snapshots into your openings.

The geometry file is one-way (you only send it). The decision file is round-trip: it goes out blank or pending, and comes back filled in.

This page explains how to choose the right combo of geometry + decision file and how to run each round. The export and import mechanics themselves live in Exchange with External Systems.

Prerequisites

If you are a ConVoid User, see on how the approval and exchange is working in ConVoid for Revit and ConVoid Manager Stand-Alone.

What You Provide and What You Receive

Side	What it carries	Formats	Direction
Geometry	Position, dimensions, shape, so the partner can see and locate each opening.	IFC, PDF (2D Plans)	You send only
Decisions	Approval status, comments, and (BCF only) snapshots.	BCF, Excel	You send blank, partner fills in, you import back

You always send one geometry file plus one decision file as a pair. The right pair depends on what your partner can open and how they want to review.

Choose the Right Combo

Combo	Use when partner	You receive back	Effort
IFC + BCF	Uses a BIM viewer or BCF platform (BIMcollab, BIM Track, Solibri, Stabicad).	Status, comments, snapshots.	Low
PDF + BCF	Has a BCF tool but no IFC viewer. Reviews spatial context on the printed plans.	Status, comments, snapshots.	Medium
IFC + Excel	Reviews in spreadsheets but still wants to see the geometry in 3D.	Status, comments.	Medium
PDF + Excel	Does not work with BIM at all (clients, accountants, authorities).	Status, comments.	Medium

Combo A: IFC + BCF

The most BIM-mature option. The partner opens the IFC in their viewer, links the BCF, navigates issue by issue and updates the labels.

One-time setup: the partner's BCF platform must contain the labels for their discipline. See BCF Labels Reference below.

Each round:

• You send: IFC + BCF, both with the same Coordinate Base and IFCSITE setting. For example see Coordinate Settings in Revit.
• Partner does: Loads the IFC in their viewer, opens the BCF, walks through each issue and applies one of the three discipline labels - for example ARC Approved, ARC Rejected or ARC Pending - then adds comments and snapshots and exports the updated BCF.
• You import: the returned BCF, ticking only the partner's discipline.

Same Coordinate Base or wrong viewpoints

If the IFC and the BCF use different Coordinate Bases or differ on the IFCSITE elevation, BCF viewpoints navigate the partner to the wrong place. Set both exports to the identical base before sending.

Combo B: PDF + BCF

Use this when the partner has a BCF tool but no IFC viewer. Spatial context comes from the printed plans; the BCF carries snapshots that ConVoid generates automatically.

One-time setup: the partner's BCF platform must contain the labels for their discipline. See BCF Labels Reference below.

Each round:

• You send: PDF plans (with Smart Tags so each opening shows its Void-ID and dimensions) + BCF.
• Partner does: For each BCF issue, looks up the matching opening on the PDF plan by Void-ID, applies one of the three discipline labels (for example ARC Approved), adds a comment if needed, exports and returns the BCF.
• You import: the returned BCF, ticking only the partner's discipline.

Make Void-IDs the BCF Title

Reviewers find issues faster when the BCF title matches the tag on the plan. ConVoid uses the Void-ID as the title by default. If the partner asks for a different format, set a dynamic title before exporting. See ConVoid for Revit and ConVoid Manager.

Combo C: IFC + Excel

For partners who decide in spreadsheets but still want 3D context.

One-time setup: the partner needs to know how to mark approvals in Excel, which abbreviation to type, in which column, and how to add comments. See Excel Approval Reference below.

Each round:

• You send: IFC + Excel. Set up the Excel via Fields to show only the columns the partner needs (Title, dimensions, Approved by, Rejected by, Pending by and the Void-ID).
• Partner does: Browses the IFC for spatial context, then for each opening types their discipline abbreviation in the column matching their decision (for example ARC in Approved by) and adds any comments as Excel comments on the Void-ID cell. Returns the file.
• You import: the returned Excel, ticking only the partner's discipline.

Lock the Void-ID column

Tell the partner not to edit the Void-ID column. ConVoid uses it to match rows back to your openings, an edited Void-ID cannot be matched and the row is silently skipped on import.

No snapshots through Excel

Excel cannot carry snapshots. If the partner needs to attach an image to a finding, they should send it separately, or use a BCF combo instead.

Combo D: PDF + Excel

The fully non-BIM path. Common for clients, accountants and authorities who only handle paper or PDF.

One-time setup: the partner needs to know how to mark approvals in Excel. See Excel Approval Reference below.

Each round:

• You send: PDF plans (with Smart Tags so the Void-ID is visible on each opening) + Excel.
• Partner does: For each row in Excel, looks up the matching opening on the PDF plan by Void-ID, types their discipline abbreviation in the column matching their decision (for example ARC in Approved by), adds any comments as Excel comments on the Void-ID cell, and returns the Excel.
• You import: the returned Excel, ticking only the partner's discipline.

The Universal Import Rule

Every BCF Import, Excel Import or Approval Synchronization opens a discipline picker. The rule is the same across all combos:

Never tick your own discipline

Importing your own discipline overwrites your existing approvals. Tick only the discipline that did the review (for example ARC or STR).

If the partner only commented and did not change a label, ConVoid still merges the comment.

BCF Labels Reference

ConVoid uses BCF labels to track multi-discipline approvals, one opening can be approved by the Architect and the Structural Engineer in parallel, each via their own labels. For the round-trip to work, the partner's BCF platform must contain the labels for their discipline, spelled exactly as ConVoid expects.

Where the Labels Live in the Partner's Platform

Each platform stores the labels in a different field:

Platform	Field that holds the labels
BIMcollab	Labels
BIM Track	Discipline
Solibri / Stabicad / others	Labels (project-level setup)

The Label List by Language

Each discipline uses three labels in the form <Abbreviation> <Status>. Labels are language-specific, so use the tab matching the Project Language set in your ConVoid profile. Click any code block to copy the three labels for that discipline, then send them to your partner so they can add them in their platform.

English

Discipline	Labels
Architectural (ARC)	ARC Approved ARC Rejected ARC Pending
Structural (STR)	STR Approved STR Rejected STR Pending
Mechanical (HVAC)	HVAC Approved HVAC Rejected HVAC Pending
Electrical (ELEC)	ELEC Approved ELEC Rejected ELEC Pending
Plumbing (PLBG)	PLBG Approved PLBG Rejected PLBG Pending
Coordination (COORD)	COORD Approved COORD Rejected COORD Pending
Fire Protection (FP)	FP Approved FP Rejected FP Pending
Technical Planner (TP)	TP Approved TP Rejected TP Pending
MEP	MEP Approved MEP Rejected MEP Pending
HVAC & PLBG	HVAC & PLBG Approved HVAC & PLBG Rejected HVAC & PLBG Pending
HVAC & ELEC	HVAC & ELEC Approved HVAC & ELEC Rejected HVAC & ELEC Pending
PLGB & ELEC	PLGB & ELEC Approved PLGB & ELEC Rejected PLGB & ELEC Pending

Deutsch

Disziplin	Bezeichnungen
Architektur (ARC)	ARC Genehmigt ARC Abgelehnt ARC Ausstehend
Tragwerksplaner (TWP)	TWP Genehmigt TWP Abgelehnt TWP Ausstehend
Heizung Klima Lüftung (HKL)	HKL Genehmigt HKL Abgelehnt HKL Ausstehend
Elektrotechnik (ELT)	ELT Genehmigt ELT Abgelehnt ELT Ausstehend
Sanitärtechnik (SAN)	SAN Genehmigt SAN Abgelehnt SAN Ausstehend
Koordination (KOORD)	KOORD Genehmigt KOORD Abgelehnt KOORD Ausstehend
Brandschutz (BS)	BS Genehmigt BS Abgelehnt BS Ausstehend
Technische Planer (TP)	TP Genehmigt TP Abgelehnt TP Ausstehend
TGA	TGA Genehmigt TGA Abgelehnt TGA Ausstehend
HKLS	HKLS Genehmigt HKLS Abgelehnt HKLS Ausstehend
HKL & ELT	HKL & ELT Genehmigt HKL & ELT Abgelehnt HKL & ELT Ausstehend
SAN & ELT	SAN & ELT Genehmigt SAN & ELT Abgelehnt SAN & ELT Ausstehend

Français

Discipline	Étiquettes
ARC	ARC Approuvé ARC Refusé ARC En attente
STR	STR Approuvé STR Refusé STR En attente
CVC	CVC Approuvé CVC Refusé CVC En attente
ELEC	ELEC Approuvé ELEC Refusé ELEC En attente
PLB	PLB Approuvé PLB Refusé PLB En attente
COORD	COORD Approuvé COORD Refusé COORD En attente
SI	SI Approuvé SI Refusé SI En attente
TP	TP Approuvé TP Refusé TP En attente
MEP	MEP Approuvé MEP Refusé MEP En attente
CVC & PLB	CVC & PLB Approuvé CVC & PLB Refusé CVC & PLB En attente
CVC & ELEC	CVC & ELEC Approuvé CVC & ELEC Refusé CVC & ELEC En attente
PLB & ELEC	PLB & ELEC Approuvé PLB & ELEC Refusé PLB & ELEC En attente

Español

Disciplina	Etiquetas
ARC	ARC Aprobado ARC Rechazado ARC Pendiente
STR	STR Aprobado STR Rechazado STR Pendiente
HVAC	HVAC Aprobado HVAC Rechazado HVAC Pendiente
ELEC	ELEC Aprobado ELEC Rechazado ELEC Pendiente
PLBG	PLBG Aprobado PLBG Rechazado PLBG Pendiente
COORD	COORD Aprobado COORD Rechazado COORD Pendiente
FP	FP Aprobado FP Rechazado FP Pendiente
TP	TP Aprobado TP Rechazado TP Pendiente
MEP	MEP Aprobado MEP Rechazado MEP Pendiente
HVAC & PLBG	HVAC & PLBG Aprobado HVAC & PLBG Rechazado HVAC & PLBG Pendiente
HVAC & ELEC	HVAC & ELEC Aprobado HVAC & ELEC Rechazado HVAC & ELEC Pendiente
PLGB & ELEC	PLGB & ELEC Aprobado PLGB & ELEC Rechazado PLGB & ELEC Pendiente

Português

Disciplina	Etiquetas
ARC	ARC Aprovado ARC Recusado ARC Pendente
STR	STR Aprovado STR Recusado STR Pendente
HVAC	HVAC Aprovado HVAC Recusado HVAC Pendente
ELEC	ELEC Aprovado ELEC Recusado ELEC Pendente
PLBG	PLBG Aprovado PLBG Recusado PLBG Pendente
COORD	COORD Aprovado COORD Recusado COORD Pendente
FP	FP Aprovado FP Recusado FP Pendente
TP	TP Aprovado TP Recusado TP Pendente
MEP	MEP Aprovado MEP Recusado MEP Pendente
HVAC & PLBG	HVAC & PLBG Aprovado HVAC & PLBG Recusado HVAC & PLBG Pendente
HVAC & ELEC	HVAC & ELEC Aprovado HVAC & ELEC Recusado HVAC & ELEC Pendente
PLGB & ELEC	PLGB & ELEC Aprovado PLGB & ELEC Recusado PLGB & ELEC Pendente

Italiano

Disciplina	Etichette
ARC	ARC Approvato ARC Respingere ARC In attesa
STR	STR Approvato STR Respingere STR In attesa
HVAC	HVAC Approvato HVAC Respingere HVAC In attesa
ELEC	ELEC Approvato ELEC Respingere ELEC In attesa
PLBG	PLBG Approvato PLBG Respingere PLBG In attesa
COORD	COORD Approvato COORD Respingere COORD In attesa
FP	FP Approvato FP Respingere FP In attesa
TP	TP Approvato TP Respingere TP In attesa
MEP	MEP Approvato MEP Respingere MEP In attesa
HVAC & PLBG	HVAC & PLBG Approvato HVAC & PLBG Respingere HVAC & PLBG In attesa
HVAC & ELEC	HVAC & ELEC Approvato HVAC & ELEC Respingere HVAC & ELEC In attesa
PLGB & ELEC	PLGB & ELEC Approvato PLGB & ELEC Respingere PLGB & ELEC In attesa

Polski

Dyscyplina	Etykiety
ARC	ARC Zatwierdzone ARC Odrzucone ARC W toku
STR	STR Zatwierdzone STR Odrzucone STR W toku
HVAC	HVAC Zatwierdzone HVAC Odrzucone HVAC W toku
ELEC	ELEC Zatwierdzone ELEC Odrzucone ELEC W toku
PLBG	PLBG Zatwierdzone PLBG Odrzucone PLBG W toku
COORD	COORD Zatwierdzone COORD Odrzucone COORD W toku
FP	FP Zatwierdzone FP Odrzucone FP W toku
TP	TP Zatwierdzone TP Odrzucone TP W toku
MEP	MEP Zatwierdzone MEP Odrzucone MEP W toku
HVAC & PLBG	HVAC & PLBG Zatwierdzone HVAC & PLBG Odrzucone HVAC & PLBG W toku
HVAC & ELEC	HVAC & ELEC Zatwierdzone HVAC & ELEC Odrzucone HVAC & ELEC W toku
PLGB & ELEC	PLGB & ELEC Zatwierdzone PLGB & ELEC Odrzucone PLGB & ELEC W toku

Čeština

Disciplína	Štítky
ARC	ARC Schváleno ARC Zamítnuto ARC Čekající
STR	STR Schváleno STR Zamítnuto STR Čekající
HVAC	HVAC Schváleno HVAC Zamítnuto HVAC Čekající
ELEC	ELEC Schváleno ELEC Zamítnuto ELEC Čekající
PLBG	PLBG Schváleno PLBG Zamítnuto PLBG Čekající
COORD	COORD Schváleno COORD Zamítnuto COORD Čekající
FP	FP Schváleno FP Zamítnuto FP Čekající
TP	TP Schváleno TP Zamítnuto TP Čekající
TZB	TZB Schváleno TZB Zamítnuto TZB Čekající
HVAC & PLBG	HVAC & PLBG Schváleno HVAC & PLBG Zamítnuto HVAC & PLBG Čekající
HVAC & ELEC	HVAC & ELEC Schváleno HVAC & ELEC Zamítnuto HVAC & ELEC Čekající
PLGB & ELEC	PLGB & ELEC Schváleno PLGB & ELEC Zamítnuto PLGB & ELEC Čekající

Send your partner only the three labels for their discipline.

Labels must match exactly

Spelling, casing, accents and ampersand spacing have to be identical (HVAC & PLBG, not HVAC&PLBG). ConVoid silently ignores unknown labels on import.

Project language change breaks labels

If someone changes the project language in, the BCF labels in your export change with it and stop matching the partner's setup. Reset the language and re-export.

Excel Approval Reference

For partners reviewing in Excel (Combos C and D), four columns drive the round-trip. The export contains many other columns for context, but only the four below are read on import. Brief the partner on the rules here before sending the first file.

The Four Columns That Matter

ConVoid recognizes the column headers in any supported project language, so a partner working on a German export sees Genehmigt von instead of Approved by and the import still works.

Column	What the partner does with it
Void-ID	Matching key, never edit. ConVoid uses this to find the matching opening; an edited Void-ID breaks the match and the row is silently skipped on import. The Void-ID cell is also where comments go (see below).
Approved by	To approve, type your discipline abbreviation here. Example: ARC
Rejected by	To reject, type your discipline abbreviation here. Example: STR
Pending by	If more information is needed, type your discipline abbreviation here. Example: HVAC

To change a decision, move the abbreviation from one column to another. To withdraw a decision entirely, remove the abbreviation from all three columns.

Discipline Abbreviations

The abbreviations are the same prefixes that appear in the BCF labels, ARC, STR, HVAC, ELEC, PLBG and so on. Use the abbreviation matching the project language; ConVoid recognizes all language variants on import.

For multiple disciplines at the same status, separate them with a forward slash:

HVAC/ELEC

Spaces around the slash are tolerated (HVAC / ELEC works the same). Unknown abbreviations are silently ignored on import, so case and spelling have to match the discipline list exactly.

How to Add Comments

Excel comments must go on the Void-ID cell of the row, not in a separate text column. ConVoid does not read free-text columns on import.

• Modern Excel (threaded comments): right-click the Void-ID cell → New Comment. Replies are imported in order.
• Legacy Excel (notes): right-click → New Note.

Both formats are supported in the same file.

A "Comment" column in the export is not imported

The export may contain a Comment column that shows the latest existing comment from ConVoid. This column is for the partner's reference only, anything they type in there is not imported. Use Excel cell comments on the Void-ID cell instead.

The partner does not need to keep all rows

The partner can hide, sort or filter rows freely as long as they leave the four columns intact. Filtered-out rows are still in the file and will be imported normally.