A 4D Simulation can be created by adding time to a 3D Model. In construction projects, time is usually visible in construction schedules (master schedule or lookahead plan) where activities have specific start and finish dates. A 4D model can be created by establishing a link between schedule items and BIM elements.
Once that link is established, Reconstruct uses the schedule data to show/hide and color BIM elements according to schedule planned and actual dates. BIM elements can also be color-coded according to subcontractors (trades) and the state of progress of their corresponding schedule activities.
Preparing Your Workspace
- Hide reality and cameras to clear the viewer and focus on the BIM and Schedule. This will also improve the loading and response speed of the viewer.
- Check that the BIM models have been uploaded and activated and that the schedule has been uploaded. Activate the schedule in the viewer by clicking on the schedule icon on the lower right corner of the viewer, and check that the schedule is in editing mode (blue header bar). If it's in published mode (black header bar), click "Select Schedule" and choose a schedule that's in editing mode. Once the schedule is selected, do not click "Publish"; instead, click the "x" icon to leave the pop-up. If there is no schedule in editing mode yet, click "Edit Schedule" on the upper right corner of the most recent schedule.
- Right-click on the column headers of the schedule, mouse over "Show columns", and check the box next to the "Elements Count" to show how many elements are assigned to each activity. Showing this information is helpful for monitoring and troubleshooting the 4D BIM creation process.
- Look for elements or properties mentioned in the schedule activities and find the corresponding elements in the BIM model. We suggest matching from activity to element for the greatest efficiency. The workflow is explained in the following article.
- Read the following article to review how to manually multi-select elements in the viewer, save a selection set for future reference, and use the BIM Breakdown Structure and BIM Property Search to select BIM elements.
Some Useful Tips
- There may be some activities that have no representation in the BIM model. This can be due to insufficient level of detail in the BIM (for example, not having an MEP model in BIM, but having an activity for it), or because the activity is a milestone (e.g. getting a work permit, inspection, etc.)
- Use the focus, hide, and isolate tools as well as the BIM Section Tool to facilitate selecting your desired elements.
- If you do not see a hierarchy view, go to the schedule settings. Under “Gantt chart organized by”, choose “Work Breakdown Structure” from the dropdown menu.
- Assign elements to Look-Ahead tasks instead of Master Schedule tasks to create a 4D BIM simulation of future tasks. To do this, go to the schedule filters and select the date range. Instead of “All Tasks”, select “Look-ahead”. In the following demonstration, there are no look-ahead tasks in the default “Look-ahead” date range. In this case, manually select the date range instead.
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