e-builder bim module · 2020-05-30 · e-builderbimmodule pagei tableofcontents aboutthebimmodule 1...

e-Builder BIM Module

March 2020


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Table of Contents

About the BIM Module 1

BIM System Requirements 1

Access BIM Module 1

Access BIM Viewer 2

Update BIM Settings 2

Add BIM Files 3

Add/Edit Model Sets 3

Save Viewpoints 4

Model Sets Page Overview 5

Add/Edit Model Set Page 6

BIM Viewer Page 7

BIM Settings Page 15


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About the BIM ModuleNote: BIM must be enabled by tech support. For assistance, please contact your e-Builder account manager.

e-Builder's Building Information Modeling (BIM) module is the first BIM solution fully integrated with a ProjectManagement Information System (PMIS) that is designed from the ground up to serve the needs of the owner.A single integrated BIM and PMIS solution drives further cost and schedule reductions and more risk mitigationthan can be achieved from stand-alone solutions or relying on third parties.

The primary aim of the e-Builder BIM Viewer is to put BIM data into the hands of the extended project team, notjust those on the design team with the design software. The BIM Viewer can be utilized to provide a simple inter-face for linking BIM content to other relevant project management data. All the information can be stored in oneintegrated system to maintain a complete set of interconnected data.

Building on the existing e-Builder collaboration environment, Processes, Forms, Documents, Equipment Man-agement, etc. can be enhanced with the related BIM data for better communication. Any location that allows forthe attachment of documents can be expanded to link BIM content.

Views of the model can be saved with additional comments and markups to provide more collaborative com-munication. Project issues such as RFI's could be more easily understood in the linked context of the commonmodel.

The BIM viewer includes all standard navigation features including pan, zoom, rotate, and walk through. Usershave control over the visibility of components which can be enabled/ disabled or made transparent to get a betterview of the model. Users can also inspect and review the properties of any object in the model.

BIM System Requirements

Supported Browsersl Chrome - 48.0.2564 or later (Recommended)l Firefox - 44.0 or laterl Internet Explorer 11 - 11.0.9600.18163 or later

Supported File Import Sourcesl IFC 2X3l Autodesk AutoCAD MEP 2017 (Recommended), 2016, 2015l Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2017 (Recommended), 2016, 2015l Autodesk Revit Architecture 2017 (Recommended), 2016, 2015l Autodesk Revit MEP 2017 (Recommended), 2016, 2015l Autodesk Revit Structure 2017 (Recommended), 2016, 2015

Access BIM ModuleThe BIM module is accessed from the Project Menu which appears after a project is selected - a BIM tab is notpresent on the Top Navigation menu. The steps below describe accessing this module before a project is selec-ted.


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To access the BIM module

1. From the Home page, click theAll Projects drop-down menu to select a project.2. From the Project Menu, clickBIM. The BIM Viewer page is displayed.

Related Topics:

l About the BIM Modulel Update BIM Settingsl Add BIM Filesl Add/Edit Model Sets

Access BIM ViewerThe BIM Viewer allows you to view BIM models. In order for models to display here, they must be part of amodel set and also stored in the BIM File Import Folder. To learn more about either setting, see the topics in theRelated Topics section toward the bottom of this page.

Note: If the Project Menu is already in view, click BIM from this menu in order to display the Viewer.

To access the BIM Viewer

1. From the Home page, click theAll Projects drop-down menu to select a project.2. From the Project Menu, clickBIM.

The BIM Viewer page is displayed.

Related Topics:

l Add Model Setsl Update BIM Settingsl BIM Settings Page Overview

Update BIM SettingsThis task can be completed by administrators and those with Modify Settings permissions.

BIM Settings should be established prior to using the module as it contains the basic preferences for setting upthe BIM module including the folder where BIM files will be pulled from when viewed in the BIM Viewer andwhere saved viewpoints will be stored.

To update BIM settings1. Go to the BIM module.

See Access BIM Module for instructions.

2. From the Project Menu, clickSettings in the BIM section.

The BIM Settings page displays.

3. Complete all necessary fields.


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o Project: Choose the project to update settings for.o Saved Viewpoint Default Folder Path: Viewpoints of different areas in the model can be saved

from the BIM Viewer. You can optionally choose a default folder to add saved viewpoints to. Thiswill ensure smoother accessibility of viewpoints.

o BIM File Import Folder: Choose folder path that will be monitored for new and modified BIMfiles to be imported to the system and available in the BIM Viewer.

4. ClickSave.

Related Topics:

l BIM Settings Page Overviewl BIM Viewer Page Overview

Add BIM FilesBIM files are added and versioned in the Documents module just like any other file in the system. When creatingmodel sets, you are prompted to choose your models from the Document module.

Note: Files that are intended to be viewed in the BIM Viewer must be saved in the BIM File Import Folder oth-erwise it will not be available when creating model sets and consequently unavailable for viewing in the BIMViewer. See BIM Settings to learn more.

To add BIM files1. Go to the Project Documents page.

For instructions, see Access Project Documents page.

2. Click the folder you wish to upload files to, and then clickUpload.

The Upload Documents dialog box displays.

3. ClickBrowse to search for and select the file.4. ClickUpload Files.

Related Topics:

l Upload Documentsl Update BIM Settings

Add/Edit Model SetsModel sets are groups of models linked together, which can be viewed from the BIM Viewer. Steps are addingand editing models sets are below.

Add Model SetsEdit Model Sets

Add Model Sets

This task can be completed by administrators and those with Create Model Sets permission.

To add a model set


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1. Go to the BIM module.See Access BIM Module for instructions.

2. From the Project Menu, clickModel Sets in the BIM section.

The Model Sets page is displayed.

3. ClickNew Model Set.

The Add New Model Set page is displayed.

4. Complete all necessary fields.For detailed descriptions of each field, see Add/Edit New Model Set Page Overview.

o Model Set Name: Enter a name for this model set.o Description: Enter a description.o Attach: Click to select models to add to the set.

Only folders that have BIM files saved to them will be displayed.

5. ClickSave.

Edit Model Sets

This task can be completed by administrators and those with Edit Model Sets permission.

To edit model sets1. Go to the BIM module.

See Access BIM Module for instructions.

2. From the Project Menu, clickModel Sets in the BIM section.

The Model Sets page is displayed.

3. Click the name of the model set you wish to edit.The Edit Model Set page is displayed.

4. Complete all necessary fields.For detailed descriptions of each field, see Add/Edit New Model Set Page Overview.

5. ClickSave.

Related Topics:

l BIM Viewer Page Overview

Save ViewpointsViewpoints are visual snapshots of a model. Once captured they are stored in the Viewpoints folder defined inBIM Settings. Use the various tools available in the Viewer to see different aspects of the model and then save aviewpoint for reference.

To save viewpoints1. Go to the BIM Viewer.

For instructions see Access BIM Viewer.


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2. Render the image you want to capture.For information on navigating the viewer, see BIM Viewer Page Overview.

3. From the Saved Views pane, click the save icon.

The Save Viewpoint window appears.

4. Complete all necessary fields, and then clickSave.Tip

l Left click: Clicking on a saved viewpoint will move the camera position to the location where the view-point was created from. This can be done from viewpoints created in this model set as well as those cre-ated in other model sets when the Show All Viewpoints option is selected. If you would prefer to navigateto the viewpoint in the original model set, use the right click Open in Original Model Set mennu option.

l Right click: The viewpoint Right Click menu contains commands similar to those in the Documents mod-ule. Right Click the viewpoint and choose Download, Send, Redline, or Properties to operate on thestored Viewpoint file.

TheOpen in Original Model Set option is used in conjunction with Show All Viewpoints located inthe Command menu. When selecting a viewpoint from a different model set, you can choose to open themodel set where the viewpoint was originally created and then zoom to the location of the viewpoint.

Related Topics:

l About the BIM Module

Model Sets Page OverviewThis page lists all existing model sets for the selected project. Click the model set name to view the models thathave been grouped together and to make any necessary changes. By clicking Open In Viewer, you're able toopen the model sets in the BIM Viewer where you can see and manipulate the 3D images of the set including itsindividual models. For instructions on making changes, see Add/Edit Model Sets. Below is a description of thefields and buttons located on this page.


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Field Description

New ModelSet

Click to add a new model set. The Add Model Set page opens and allows you to start creatingthe model set by choosing the appropriate files from the Documents module.

Delete Click to delete the selected model set.

Model SetName

Click to view or edit the properties of an existing model set.

Description Provides a description of the model set.

Created By List the creator of the model set.

Created On Provides the date and time the model set was created.

Open InViewer

Click to open the selected model set in the BIM Viewer.

Add/Edit Model Set PageThis page allows you to create model sets or make changes to existing ones. From here you can choose the mod-els and versions you want to group together. In Edit mode you are also able to assign a color to each of the setsto assist in organization efforts. For instructions on making changes, see Add/Edit Model Sets. Below is adescription of the fields and buttons located on this page.

Field Description

Model SetName

Add Mode: Enter a name for the new model set.

Edit Mode: Displays the name of the model set

Description Enter a description for the new model set.

Created By Displays the name of the user creating the model set or the original creator of the set.

CreatedDate

Displays the date and time the model set was created.

Attach Click to select the models from the Documents Module that will be included in the model set. Ifan existing model set is not selected, once will be created with the file(s) that you choose. Onlyfiles and folders that have had BIM files imported will be displayed in the list, not all files andfolders.

Remove Click to delete the selected model from the model set. First select the check box beside themodel name and the click the Remove Models button to delete it from the model set. At least


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Field Description

1 model is required to be in the model set in order to successfully save it.

ModelName

This column displays the name of the individual model.

Use LatestVersion

If the Use Latest Version box is selected for a model, the latest version of that model willalways be displayed in the model viewer. If unselected, the version selected in the Versioncolumn will always be displayed, even after the model has been versioned.

Version If you would like to only display a specific version of a model, you can click the version numberto open the File Properties Versions window. From the properties window, you can select anyof the historical versions to be used. You must uncheck the Use Latest Version option to use ahistorical version.

VersionDate

Displays the date and time the latest version was created.

OverrideColor

This column appears in Edit Mode only. Clicking the square icon will allow you to override theModel color, which may or may not have been set on the model. If your organization has exist-ing CAD standards that dictate colors by trade or function, this feature allows you to assign col-ors accordingly.

BIM Viewer PageThe BIM Viewer allows you to open and view the details of BIM drawings. Various tools and features enable youto interact with 3D models in very dynamic ways. You can view drawings from every angle and quickly accessrelated information such as object properties, and their relationship and proximities to other objects. The inter-active model tree allows you to view items in groups and then scale back or highlight as necessary. You can eas-ily review saved views and locate object summaries by keyword or attributes such as category (e,g, Alarm,Control Panel, Air Terminal, etc.) or level (Basement, First Floor, etc.), for example. For instructions on gettingto this page, see Access BIM Viewer.


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The following sections are described below:

l Navigation Toolbarl Viewerl Information Pane (Model Tree and Properties)

l Saved Views/Object Summary Pane

Field Description

Navigation Toolbar

Model Set Drop-Down Menu Displays a drop-down list of available model sets.Selected models display in the Viewer. Use the addi-tion controls in the toolbar to work with the image, forexample, orbit, walk, zoom, etc.

Orbit The Orbit tool moves the camera position around thecenter of the model space. If a model object is selec-ted, the model object is used as the focal point toorbit around.

Left click + move mouse in the direction to orbit

Look The Look tool allows you to move the direction thecamera is pointing from the current position.


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Field Description

Left click + move mouse in the direction to look

Pan Tool The Pan tool moves the view parallel to the screen.

Left Click + move mouse in the direction to pan

Walk Tool The Walk tool allows you to navigate through themodel as if you were walking through it. The Walk toolmovement is locked to a horizontal plane to help withorientation.

l Left Click + left/right mouse movement to turnleft/right

l Left Click + up/down mouse movement to moveforward/backwards

l Mouse Wheel scroll up/down to Look up/down

Dynamic Zoom Tool The Zoom tool is used to control the camera zoomfactor in the displayed scene.

Zoom Box Tool The Zoom Box tool is used to focus the zoom level toa particular area of the model.

Left Click + mouse drag to define zoom box

Reset The Reset button returns the view to the default start-ing home camera position. The zoom level and cam-era orientation, but appearance and visibility settingswill remain.

Select Tool The Select tool is used to select model objects fromthe view. The Select Tool is the default behavior if notool is selected.

l Left Click an object to select an objectl Mouse Wheel scroll up/down to zoom in/outl Middle Click + mouse movement direction to Panl Shift + Middle Click + mouse movement direction

to Orbit

Multiple Selection Tool The Multiple Selection tool is used to select allobjects in the selected area.

l Left Click + drag mouse to create the selection box


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Field Description

Hide The Hide tool hides the select object(s) in from view.

Hide Unselected The Hide Unselected tool hides all the objects in theview except for those that are selected.

Show All The Show All tool restores any objects hidden by theHide or Hide Unselected tools back to the view

Transparency The Transparency tool allows you to override thetransparency level for all objects in the view. The levelcan be adjusted by entering a number value for thepercentage of transparency or using the up/downarrows to adjust

Model Viewer Window

You can interact with images in the Viewer using any of the items in the Toolbar and also using a set ofdefault mouse and keyboard controls, as described below. The default controls can be used in conjunctionwith any of the toolbar tools unless otherwise noted for that specific tool. If no tool is selected, the defaultbehavior corresponds with the Select tool.

Default Controls l Mouse Wheel scroll up/down to zoom in/outl Middle Click + mouse movement direction to Panl Shift + Middle Click + mouse movement direction

to Orbit

Information Pane

The Information pane on the right side of the interface is used to display the Model Tree and The Object prop-erties window.

Model

(Image below)

The Model pane displays a list of all the models andmodel elements that are included in the selectedmodel set. The objects are organized in a hierarchicalfashion, starting from the source file with furthergroupings down to the individual objects.

l The search icon will allow you to find objects usinga search term, such as door for example. Allobjects containing the term will be highlighted andin view in the Model Tree.

l To see all the doors highlighted in the model,select the entire tree.


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Field Description

TipClick the Hide Unselected icon to see only thedoors.

l The check box beside the model element can beused to toggle the visibility on and off for theobjects in that portion of the tree.

l Clicking on an object in the model pane alsoselects that object in the viewer pane.

l Right Click and choose View Object to zoom andfocus on the selected object.

Object Properties The Object Properties pane displays the property listfor the object(s) selected in the viewer pane. The prop-erties and the property groups displayed vary depend-ing on the source model type and the properties itprovides.

Saved Views/Object Summary Pane

The items that display in this pane depend on the selected option from the drop-down menu, either SavedViews orObject Summary.


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Field Description

Saved Views

The Saved Views pane contains a list of viewpoints that can be browsed through or searched. By default, onlyviewpoints created from the current model set are displayed. The Show All Viewpoints option can be selected

from the command menu to allow you to browse through all viewpoints from the project.

Object Summary

The Object Summary pane provides additional information on each object within the source file. The data thatdisplays in the grid is based on a customizable selection of columns, groupings, and search criteria which are

stored as filters which can be set via the Manage Filters option in the Command menu.

You can narrow the results list by utilizing the search. For even further detail, right-click an object and clickView Object to zoom into the model and highlight the object in the Viewer. Furthermore, the properties of

highlighted objects display in the Object Properties section of the page.

Filter Object Summary: This filter is only visible on the


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Field Description

Object Summary tab. It contains user defined sets ofcolumn, grouping and search results.

Search Viewpoints: Enter the term and click Enter or clickthe magnifying glass to execute the search. TheSearch utilizes the name and description of view-points.

Object Summary: The results list will update dynam-ically as you type the search term. The search utilizesseveral object details based on selected columns

Save icon Viewpoints & Object Summary: The Save iconallows you to save a viewpoint based on the currentdisplay in the Viewer. The Save Viewpoint dialogprompts you for a viewpoint name, description, andfile location to save the image to.

Note: TheDestination Foldermay be presetaccording to BIM Settings.

Command Menu Viewpoints: The Command drop-down menu con-tains a list of actions that can be taken on selectedviewpoints, similar to those in the Documents module(Delete, Move, Copy, Download, Send, Fill OutForm, Start Process, Compare, Show All View-points).

Show All Viewpoints - By default, only viewpointsfrom the current model set are displayed. Choose thisoption to show viewpoints from all available modelsets.


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Field Description

Object Summary: The Command menu contain thefollowing options:

Note: Users must have Manage Filters permissionto access these options.

l Export: Generates an excel file from the data cur-rently displayed in the grid. The column selectionand grouping will be included. Hidden objects willnot be displayed in the grid or the export.

l Select Columns: Allows you to add or removecolumns to be displayed in the grid. The availablecolumns list is derived from all the model fieldsthat are contained in the attached models.


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Field Description

l Group By: Dialog is used to select the fields bywhich the data is grouped. Only columns that aredisplayed in the grid can be grouped by, so youshould add any desired columns first and then usegroup by

l Save Filter: Saves the current state of grouping,column list, and search terms as a new filter. Theuser will be prompted to enter a name for the newfilter.

l Manage Filters: This opens the manage filtersdialog which allows you to rename, delete and setthe default filter for the model set.

Related topics:

l About the BIM Modulel Access BIM Viewerl Using Viewpoints

BIM Settings PageThe Settings page contains the basic preferences for setting up the BIM module including the folder where BIMfiles will be accessed from and where saved viewpoints will be stored. For instructions, see Update BIMSettings. Below is a description of the fields and buttons located on this page.

Field Description

Projects Click the drop-down arrow to view BIM settings for a different project.

SavedviewpointDefaultFolderPath

Sets the default folder path that is used when saving a new viewpoint. Click the Select Folder link to browse the documents folder tree and select a folder. If no folder is set here users will beprompted to select a folder when creating a new viewpoint.

Allow user to place the viewpoint in a different folder: If selected, users may override thedefault folder path and choose another folder from the documents tree.

BIM FileImportFolder

Sets the folder path that will be monitored for new and modified BIM files. When there areupdates to these files they will also be reflected in the BIM Viewer. Setting this folder path isrequired in order for the BIM Viewer to extract the geometry data and all object metadata. Clickthe Select Folder link to browse the documents folder tree and select a folder.

Include sub folders: If selected, BIM files will also be imported from any child folders of theselected BIM File Import Folder.