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Autodesk BIM Curriculum 2011

Instructor Guide
Unit 5: Using BIM in Integrated Project Delivery

Contents
Unit Overview .....................................................................................................................2!

Key Concepts.................................................................................................................2!

Lesson Roadmap ...........................................................................................................5!

Software Tools and Requirements.................................................................................6!

Suggested Resources....................................................................................................6!
Lesson 1: Model Integration and Management...............................................................8!

Lesson Overview............................................................................................................8!

Learning Objectives .....................................................................................................10!

Suggested Exercises ...................................................................................................11!

Assessment..................................................................................................................15!

Key Terms....................................................................................................................16!
Lesson 2: Identifying and Resolving Issues .................................................................18!

Lesson Overview..........................................................................................................18!

Learning Objectives .....................................................................................................19!

Suggested Exercises ...................................................................................................20!

Assessment..................................................................................................................24!

Key Terms....................................................................................................................25!
Lesson 3: Scheduling and 4D Simulation .....................................................................26!

Lesson Overview..........................................................................................................26!

Learning Objectives .....................................................................................................27!

Suggested Exercises ...................................................................................................27!

Assessment..................................................................................................................31!

Key Terms....................................................................................................................32!
Lesson 4: Presenting the Project Model........................................................................33!

Lesson Overview..........................................................................................................33!

Learning Objectives .....................................................................................................34!

Suggested Exercises ...................................................................................................35!

Assessment..................................................................................................................37!

Key Terms....................................................................................................................38!
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Unit Overview
Key Concepts
Integrated Project Delivery

Integrated project delivery (IPD) is an approach to delivering projects that integrates


people, systems, business structures, and practices into a process that collaboratively
uses the talents and insights of all participants to optimize project results. By facilitating
streamlined coordination between the design disciplines and building trades, IPD
maximizes value to the owner by cutting waste and improving efficiency through all
phases of design, fabrication, and construction.

IPD principles are flexible and can be applied to a wide variety of contractual
arrangements. IPD teams can focus on the basic triad of owner, architect, and contractor
or extend beyond to include other members of the design and construction team. What
distinguishes integrated projects from traditional delivery approaches is a highly effective
level of collaboration between the owner, the principal designer, and the prime
constructor, commencing at the early design stages and continuing through the life of the
project up to the final handover.

Effectively structured, trust-based collaboration encourages parties to focus on project


outcomes rather than their individual goals by shifting the fundamental interaction from
risk avoidance and compensation to shared risk and shared reward. Relationships
between the major parties in construction projects using traditional delivery approaches
have grown increasingly adverse and antagonistic to the effect of being counterproductive
for all. The IPD approach recognizes and offers immense benefits of early sharing of
information and insight by a diverse set of stakeholders and decision makers to optimize
project outcomes and increase workflow efficiency for all involved.

Without such transparency, each discipline or project participant must include sizable
contingencies and contract conditions as protection against risk and uncertainty. With
increased use of BIM tools and the IPD approach, problems can be identified much earlier
and more easily, before they become costly field change orders or create delays that
result in liquidated damages.

The Impact of Waste and Inefficiency

Practitioners have been studying and documenting the negative impacts of inefficiency
and waste on the construction industry:

• An Economist article from 2000 cited 30 percent waste in the U.S. construction
industry.

• A National Institute of Standards and Technology study from 2004 recognized


that the lack of AEC software interoperability costs the industry $15.8B
annually.

• A U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics study showed construction alone as


decreasing in productivity since 1964, while all other nonfarm industries have
increased productivity by more than 200 percent during the same period.

AEC industry leaders are now recognizing that coupling emerging BIM technologies with
proven workflow processes can bring substantial increases in productivity and decreases
in requests for information (RFIs), field conflicts, waste, and project schedules. Owners

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are also becoming savvier and now requiring that these methodologies be used to deliver
better outcomes.

Principles of Integrated Project Delivery

Achieving the benefits of this new delivery approach requires adopting a new mindset.
The AIA set forth the following guiding principles for IPD:

• Mutual Respect and Trust. As the owner, designer, consultants, constructor,


subcontractors, and suppliers rely on collaboration and teamwork to support
the best interests of the project, they must show greater respect and trust.

• Mutual Benefit and Reward. Compensation structures must recognize and


reward early involvement in the project, as this often leads to higher efficiency.
Compensation should reward “what’s best for project” behavior.

• Collaborative Innovation. Creative decision making and innovation is stimulated


when ideas are freely exchanged among all participants in a team
environment. In an integrated project, ideas should be judged on their merits,
not on the originator’s role or status.

• Early Involvement of Key Participants. Key participants should be involved as


early as possible to improve decision making. Their diverse knowledge and
expertise can have a greater impact on cost and value if it is employed earlier.

• Early Goal Definition. Project goals should be developed early, and agreed
upon and respected by all team participants.

• Intensified Planning. Increased effort in planning can result in increased


efficiency and savings by streamlining and shortening the construction effort,
which is typically much more expensive.

• Open Communication. Team performance relies on open, direct, and honest


communication among all participants. A no-blame culture can lead to quick
identification and resolution of problems, rather than focusing on liability.

• Appropriate Technology. Technologies should be specified at project initiation


to maximize functionality, generality, and interoperability. Open and
interoperable data exchanges based on disciplined and transparent data
structures are essential.

• Organization and Leadership. The project team is an organization in its own


right where all the team members, for the duration of the project, are committed
to the project team’s goals and values. Leadership should be assigned to the
team member most capable of the specific work and services at hand. Clearly
defined roles can help prevent artificial barriers that inhibit open communication
and risk taking.

For a more detailed explanation of these principles, refer to the AIA Integrated Project
Delivery: A Guide in the list of suggested resources below.

Utilizing the Potential of BIM

The AEC industry faces the unique challenges of constant design and change
management—both of the product and the organization—since each project poses distinct
and rarely repeated conditions. The streamlining and data management capabilities
enabled by applying BIM tools offers enormous value for managing the continual stream
of changes that are always present in an AEC project.

BIM tools facilitate early analysis, assessment, and decision making by allowing team
members to communicate and visualize vast amounts of complex project information in a

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systematic and consistent way. Incorporating detailed information from all team
participants into a single integrated model can reduce construction time and material
waste and enable the integrated design required for a resource-efficient project.

By utilizing BIM at the earliest project stages, team members can assess how their design
decisions fit into the larger picture—for example, how design decisions about windows
and their placement in turn impact the lighting and HVAC system designs. Rather than
working in silos and making decisions optimized for a single discipline, the BIM
methodology enables design decisions to be evaluated in light of their impact on the total
project.

A BIM-based IPD approach brings many benefits throughout the project lifecycle. BIM
models enable the integrated project team to collaboratively review and coordinate the
composite project—the aggregate of the designs created by each discipline and trade–
and jointly resolve conflicts that would traditionally result in finger-pointing and costly
change orders. The BIM model servers as a neutral platform for visualizing and assessing
the composite design in a way that leaves little question around who or what needs to be
changed.

The MacLeamy Curve, shown below, illustrates how IPD displaces the peak in the overall
team effort toward the beginning of the project, which is the time period that offers the
design team greater ability to impact cost and functional performance of the final design
product.

By pushing the design effort and effect earlier toward the design phase and away from the
construction phase, the cost of finding and correcting errors is greatly reduced. This
should result in fewer RFIs and change order requests during the construction phase of
the project. Finding these issues early through the BIM model enables quicker resolution
and tremendous cost savings.

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Benefits to Designers and Architects

Designers using the BIM modeling methodology can analyze many more design options
to hone in on and optimize the desired performance characteristics of their designs. For
example, they can instantaneously calculate the costs of substituting different types of
materials, or model the building performance and energy use impacts of their design
decisions based on actual geographic and meteorological information. BIM enhances and
empowers an iterative design process, which can improve the efficiency of the design
process and result in better decision decisions.

Benefits to Constructors and Project Managers

Early involvement of project managers in the design process enables increased


consideration for the constructability and costs as design decisions are being made.

The improved reliability and consistency of BIM-based designs can lower construction
costs by enabling many components to be prefabricated off-site in advance. Prefabricated
components, by virtue of being made in controlled factory environments, are typically
lower cost and lower risk by avoiding unpredictable field conditions.

Team members responsible for schedule planning and cost control can use the
information in the composite project model throughout the construction process to
measure the impacts of design changes and field conditions upon the predicted schedule
and budget. Changes to the BIM model can be assessed to generate updated schedules
and budget predictions, enabling project managers to better plan and allocate resources
in the day-to-day operations at the construction site.

Owners

Sophisticated and experienced owners are increasingly requiring the use of IPD and the
BIM methodology as they consider the proven impacts of these approaches on the bottom
line and the building performance.

Early input from all the disciplines and perspectives involved in the project yields better
results by focusing the entire team on the total performance of the completed outcome,
rather than their isolated design responsibilities. Project teams can tap into diverse
perspectives, ranging the facility operations staff to the actual building users, to improve
the functionality of design decisions and consider the impact on the lifecycle performance.

Lesson Roadmap
In this unit, students will learn how BIM tools can be used to support the integrated project
delivery approach by exploring how to:

• Create a composite model that incorporates the inputs from all members of a
typical project team.

• Enable collaborative review and analysis of the composite model to identify


and report on issues requiring resolution.

• Plan the construction sequence by mapping elements in the design to a task


timeline.

• Publish and present views of the project to communicate effectively with


different audiences and reviewers.

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Software Tools and Requirements


® ®
To complete the exercises in this unit, students should download Autodesk Navisworks
Manage 2011 software from the Autodesk Education Community website and install it on
® ®
their computers. The Autodesk Navisworks File Exporter will also be installed in
® ® ®
Autodesk Revit software to facilitate exporting models for use in Navisworks Manage.
® ®
This unit presents a high-level view of the Autodesk Navisworks Manage software
functionality to illustrate the powerful analysis capabilities that can be realized by
integrating and reviewing composite building models. The features presented are a small
subset of the full range available in the Navisworks tools, which we believe are essential
for illustrating the power of coordinating designs to make the impacts of design decisions
more transparent, available at earlier project stages, and available to the full project team.

Suggested Resources
Integrated Project Design

AIA Integrated Project Delivery: A Guide (2007)


info.aia.org/SiteObjects/files/IPD_Guide_2007.pdf

BIM Methodology

BIM Deployment Plan


usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?id=14652957&siteID=123112

Case Studies/White Papers

Factor Ten Engineering Introduction


Link to White Paper

Factor Ten Engineering Design Principles


Link to White Paper

Autodesk AEC Headquarters and Integrated Project Design, Factor Ten Engineering
Case Study, August 2010
Link to White Paper

Banana Farm 1.0, Factor Ten Engineering Case Study, August 2010
Link to White Paper

10 Exchange Square, London: Information Technology for Collaboration, 2005


www.gsd.harvard.edu/people/faculty/pollalis/cases/BL-CaseStudy-mar-2005.pdf

Architecture Programs Implement Interdisciplinary Collaboration Studios to Capitalize on


the Emergence of Integrated Project Delivery
Link to White Paper

Navisworks Manage
® ®
Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 User Guide
images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/autodesk_navisworks_manage_2011_installation_user_g
uide.pdf

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® ®
Autodesk Navisworks Review FAQ
cad.amsystems.com/products/docs/autodesk_navisworks_review_2010/autodesk_navisw
orks_review_2010_faq.pdf
® ®
Autodesk Navisworks Simulate 2011―Getting Started Guide
images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/navisworks_simulate_2011_getting_started_guide.pdf
® ®
The Essential Guide to Autodesk Navisworks
augiru.augi.com/content/library/au07/data/paper/PM304-1.pdf
® ®
A Walk-Through Autodesk Navisworks
augiru.augi.com/content/library/au07/data/paper/PM310-1L.pdf
® ®
Autodesk Navisworks for Architects Screencast
usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/oc/offer/form?siteID=123112&id=12708835

BIM Curriculum Materials and Support

Autodesk BIM for Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Management 2011


Curriculum
students.autodesk.com/ama/orig/bim2010/start.htm

BIM Curriculum Support and Discussion


http://www.bimtopia.com/bimcurriculum.html

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Autodesk BIM Curriculum 2011
Instructor Guide
Unit 5: Using BIM in Integrated Project Delivery
Lesson 1: Model Integration and Management

Lesson 1: Model Integration and


Management
Lesson Overview
Model Management

The move to a BIM-centric design methodology as part of an integrated project delivery


(IPD) strategy creates the need for a new responsibility and role within the organization:
the model manager. Whether a full-time dedicated position or a secondary assignment to
a manager with other responsibilities, the role is essential for facilitating model integration
and maximizing the model’s utility to all of the parties across the project organization.

The model manager typically creates a Model Coordination Plan that establishes
standards and lays out a framework for how the pieces that will be integrated into a
composite project model will be created, shared, transferred, documented, and published.
Standards and best practices must be established regarding software preferences,
naming conventions, file transfer methods, and file sharing and editing permissions.
® ®
While model viewing software solutions, such as Autodesk Navisworks products, help
make it relatively easy to integrate models from a wide variety of sources and in many file
formats, each file format option has advantages and disadvantages. An experienced
model manager must become familiar with the implications of these format differences on
downstream workflow and recommend preferred choices.

Very few project teams work on a single software platform that all members can share. It
is much more common that project team members each work with their own preferred
software tools, and the outputs of these tools must be integrated to create a composite
project model. For these teams, software that can aggregate many disparate models into
a single analysis and viewing environment is essential.
®
In this lesson, students will explore the model importing capabilities of Autodesk
®
Navisworks Manage software to create composite models that can be viewed and
explored.
®
Navisworks Manage has its own native file formats (.nwd, .nwf, .nwc), but it can also
import models created by many other modeling tools using common BIM and CAD file
formats, such as the ones listed in the table below.

Format Extension
®
Navisworks
.nwd, .nwf, .nwc

AutoCAD®
dwg, .dxf, .sat
®
MicroStation (SE, J, V8 and XM) .prp, .prw
3D Studio .3ds, .prj
®
ACIS SAT .sat

www.autodesk.com/edcommunity
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Format Extension
CIS2 .stp
DWF™ .dwf
PDS Design Review .dri
IFC .ifc
IGES .igs, .iges
® ®
Autodesk Inventor .ipt, .iam, .ipj
Informatix MicroGDS .man, .cv7
JT Open .jt
RVM .rvm
®
SketchUp .skp
STEP .stp, .step
STL .stl
VRML .wrl, .wrz

Creating a Composite Model

To prepare a model for review by the entire multidisciplinary team, it is essential to unite
the models prepared by each discipline into one shared reviewing environment, such as
®
Navisworks Manage.

Many different types of models can be integrated


into the composite model, depending on the specific
needs and the nature of the project. For example,
these might include site, existing utilities, existing
buildings, roadwork, temporary structures (formwork
or scaffolding), finished structure, architectural shell,
MEP, and so on.

Creating a composite model requires an


understanding of the available 3D modeling
applications and their associated export and import
functionalities. To aggregate the models in
®
Navisworks Manage, they must be exported to the
native NWC file format or one of the other
compatible 3D formats, such as DWG or IFC.

Each file format has its own strengths and limitations.


Figure 5.1.1. Navisworks Manage imports models using
So the project team should create and deploy a Model
many common 3D file formats
Coordination Plan within the design and construction
team to avoid potential file and data compatibility problems.

Exploring a Composite Model

Having created a composite model that integrates models from the various design team
participants, the team can now explore and interact with the unified composite model.
Viewpoints of interest can be saved for later review, analysis, and presentation. These
viewpoints might focus on finite issues requiring resolution, or, might present big picture
views that show the interaction of building systems.

To create special scene views that more clearly communicate the design intent, model
managers can:

• Use different camera positions.

• Hide or require selected elements or categories of elements.

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• Change color and transparency overrides of individual elements or categories


of elements to emphasize or diminish their appearance.

Viewpoints—snapshots of the model as it is displayed in the scene view—can be used for


more than just saving a specific view of the model. Model reviewers can add annotations
with redlines and comments that create a design review audit trail. When viewpoints are
recalled, the redlines and comments saved with the viewpoint also appear.

Viewpoints can also save the color and transparency overrides, hidden items, section
planes, navigation speeds, and modes that best convey and communicate the issues
discovered during the model review. This guarantees that when someone reviews the
viewpoints, they will see a view model that displays the information exactly as you
intended.

Defining Sets of Model Elements

BIM models can contain detailed information that describes the properties and parameters
of the model elements in addition to the geometry that enables the models to be utilized
®
throughout the full lifecycle of the building. Navisworks Manage enables reviewers to
interrogate and use this information for many design, construction, and operational
purposes without the need for the originating design software.

To prepare for the different types analyses that will run at various project stages, it is
typically useful to create “intelligent” groups or sets of objects. These can be created as:

• Search sets—specified by finding items based on search criteria to select items


having a common property or combination of properties.

• Selection sets—specified by selecting items directly in a scene view or in the


element selection tree and manually assigning them to a set.

The most efficient method depends on how elements are organized by name or in the
selection tree hierarchy. Generally, if search sets can be used, they offer the quickest
method and can be saved and exported to other projects. While the method used to
create sets can differ, the sets defined can be used interchangeably in analysis.

Sets can be used to facilitate many type of analysis, for example, to:

• Perform clash detections between model objects.

• Link model elements to schedule tasks.

• Add material, light and effects for rendering.

Learning Objectives
After completing this lesson, students will be able to:

• Understand the importance of creating a composite model to facilitate whole


project viewing.

• Describe the options available and tradeoffs of exporting and importing models
using different file formats.

• Apply the concept of transforms to align separate models.

• Appreciate the value of creating and saving scene views to communicate


design intent and document the model evolution through the project stages.

• Interrogate the composite model to explore how the integrated models relate to
the whole.

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• Create sets of elements that cut across all models and develop a model
hierarchy for the integrated composite model.

Suggested Exercises
Exercise 5.1.1: Creating a Composite Model

In this exercise, students will learn how to:

• Export model files to different file format supported for transferring model
®
information to Navisworks Manage (including NWC, DWG, and IFC).
®
• Set the appropriate global options for working effectively in Navisworks
Manage.

• Open and append multiple model files to create a single composite model.

• Transform individual models to provide the proper alignment and positioning in


the composite model.

Video Tutorial

Unit5_Lesson1_Tutorial1.mp4

Figure 5.1.2. Setting the global options in Navisworks

Student Exercise

Unit5_Lesson1_Exercise1_Start.rvt
® ®
• Export the Autodesk Revit MEP plumbing model named MEP_Plumbing.rvt
® ®
to a NWC file using the Autodesk Navisworks 2010 Export Utility Add-in.
Make sure that Geometry Compression is not enabled in the export settings.

• Export the Revit MEP lighting model named MEP_Lighting.rvt to an IFC file.

• Open the composite model file named Unit5_Lesson1_Exercise1_Start.nwf,


then append the two exported files—MEP_Plumbing.nwc and
MEP_Lighting.ifc—from the previous steps.

• Adjust the offset of the MEP_Lighting.ifc to bring it into alignment with the
composite model. Select the model in the selection tree, then click the Item
Tools tab, and choose Move. Transform the model -20 feet (-6.10 m) in the x-
direction by entering -20 into the pull-down menu.

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Figure 5.1.3. Transforming the Lighting model to new coordinate positions

Exercise 5.1.2: Exploring a Composite Model

In this exercise, students will learn how to:

• Interact with the composite model in the scene view using the orbit, walk-
through, and sectioning tools.

• Explore the hierarchy of elements in the composite model in the Selection


Tree.

• Manipulate the appearance of elements in the scene view using the Hide,
Require, and Override commands.

• Create and save viewpoints of interest that feature different systems or aspects
of the model.

• Publish the model as a compressed .nwd file for sharing with others.

Video Tutorial

Unit5_Lesson1_Tutorial2.mp4

Figure 5.1.4. A viewpoint employing a sectioning plane

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Student Exercise

Unit5_Lesson1_Exercise2_Start.rvt

• Create new viewpoints to illustrate specific points and features to reviewers of


the composite model. Apply hide, require, and overrides to emphasize the key
elements and eliminate extraneous items from each viewpoint saved. Create
these viewpoints:

o Structural Frame-Overall—an overall view that isolates the


Structural_Model and hides the other models.

o Structural-MEP—an overall view that shows the structural and MEP


models and hides the Architectural_Shell.

o Restroom-Wet-Wall-Top—a perspective view of a restroom from the


top and with a green color override to draw attention to the plumbing
model.

o Exposed Ceiling-Level 1 Retail-Section Box—an internal camera


view created by walking into the Level 1 retail space and aiming the
camera up at the ceiling with the Look Around tool.

• Create new folders named Plumbing, Structural, and Mechanical to organize


the viewpoints. Then move the new viewpoints into the appropriate folders that
match their discipline.

• Save a new copy of the master NWF file to capture these changes and the
current state of the composite model.

® ® ® ®
Figure 5.1.5. Viewpoint of all Autodesk Revit Structure and Autodesk Revit MEP
elements

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Exercise 5.1.3: Defining Sets of Model Elements

In this exercise, students will learn how to:

• Interrogate the composite model to find particular elements.

• Define selection sets of like elements that include elements from several of the
appended models.

• Define search criteria to select sets of elements that share common properties
or parameter values.

• Merge previously defined selection sets and organizing the sets into folders.

Video Tutorial

Unit5_Lesson1_Tutorial3.mp4

Figure 5.1.6. Using the section box to expose the


building systems in a 3D view
Student Exercise

Unit5_Lesson1_Exercise3_Start.rvt

• Create a multicriteria Search Set, called Wood Framing, that contains the
wood framing elements that meet at least one of the following constraints:

o Item Name Contains timber


o Item Name Contains joist
o Item Name Contains pine
o Item Name Contains wood

• Create a Selection Set, called Windows & Doors that includes all the
windows and doors of the model, regardless of the family type.

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Figure 5.1.7. Selection set of the wood framing elements

Assessment
Creating a Composite Model

• Is there a limit to the number of models that can be appended to a composite


model?

No.
®
• Navisworks Manage can also publish a composite model in the NWD file
format—a highly compressed formation that cannot be edited and can be
secured with password protection. For what purposes would this file format be
useful?

The NWD file is the recommended format for sharing the entire project with all
stakeholders, enabling individual disciplines to see how their design fits within
the overall project while protecting the original designs.
NWD files can be reviewed in the free viewer, Autodesk® Navisworks®
Freedom software, as well as in the full Navisworks® Manage program if the
ability to add markups and carry out full analysis of the project is needed."
• Considering that there may be several different audiences for the composite
model, each with their unique set of concerns, would it be useful to save
several different NWF files of the composite model? What might an NWF file to
be shared with the project owner contain, as compared to an NWF created for
the MEP consultants?

Yes; although each NWF file is based on the same composite model, the
actions and viewpoints saved in each NWF could be quite different. This
approach respects the needs of the various audiences, all of which may have
differing objectives and reasons for using the model.

Exploring a Composite Model

• What techniques can you use to filter the information displayed in a scene
view?

Scene views can filtered using the Hide, Require, and Override commands to
emphasize the critical elements and deemphasize the model elements that
provide context but are not central to the issue being illustrated

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• What might be conditions under which we would not want a viewpoint to retain
the saved hide/require and overrides, but instead to inherit all the real-time
settings in the course of our view navigation?

Locking the saved hide/require and override settings for a viewpoint can limit
the flexibility available to experienced model reviewers as they navigate though
a model in Navisworks® Manage. Experienced reviewers may prefer to save
only the camera position, so their preferred hide/require and override settings
are not lost when a new viewpoint is opened.
• Can you cut a section view using a cutting plane that is not vertical?

Yes. You can use the rotate tool upon any given section plane when sectioning
is enabled. The viewpoint saves section plane angles on a per-view basis so
that the section planes in other viewpoints are not affected.

Defining Sets of Model Elements

• Can you describe a quick method for merging two existing search sets into a
joined set?

Select both search sets in the Sets dialog box, then define a new selection set
which captures all of the selected items (the union of the two sets).
• Can you edit the search constraints that define a search set after it has been
created?

Yes. Select the search set in the Sets dialog box, and then use the Find Items
tool to modify, add, or delete search criteria as desired.

Key Terms
The following key terms were used in this lesson:

Key Term Definition

Selection Tree The hierarchy of the files users have opened and appended
into the current scene and the model elements in each of
these files. This hierarchy reflects the structure of the data
created by the original design application.

Viewpoints Viewpoints are saved camera positions and view settings that
allow model reviewers to capture and easily return to specific
views of the model. Viewpoints can also store information
that facilitates design review audit trails and setting up model
animations.

Orthographic A mode of view displaying all the points of a model being


projected parallel to the screen, and thus making it easier to
work with a model due to all the edges of the model
appearing as the same size, regardless of the distance from
the camera.

Perspective The mode of view as we see things in the real world, where
with increasing distance objects recede.

Selection Set Selection sets are static groups of items used for saving a
group of objects that you want to regularly perform some
action on. They simply store a group of items for later
retrieval, and do not dynamically update as the model

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changes.

Search Set Search sets are dynamic groups of items selected by


specifying search criteria. They are used in ways similar to
selection sets, but the search criteria can rerun at a later date
to update the search set when the model changes.

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Autodesk BIM Curriculum 2011
Instructor Guide
Unit 5: Using BIM in Integrated Project Delivery
Lesson 2: Identifying and Resolving Issues

Lesson 2: Identifying and Resolving


Issues
Lesson Overview
In any large multidisciplinary project, the task of reviewing the composite design requires
a mix of applying subjective judgment as well as standard tests and analysis to identify
conflicts between the elements incorporated from the models integrated.

The use of BIM models has revolutionized the way integrated project models are
reviewed. By objectively merging elements from all models, it ensures that all members of
the design team are seeing and understanding the same design. The ability of computers
to automatically verify the spatial relationship between various model elements allows
clash detection tools to easily find conflicts between complex systems, eliminating the
need for project members to spend countless hours over light tables manually searching
for clashes with each model revision.

Reviewing and Marking Up the Composite Model


® ®
Autodesk Navisworks software provides four essential tools for reviewing and capturing
feedback on the composite model. These tools enable you to:

• Measure and verify the placement and clearance between model elements.

• Redline to highlight and annotate potential problems and issues found during
review.

• Tag and classify issues for follow up.

• Comment and capture textual descriptions of the issues for later review.

As issues are found and tagged, it is helpful to classify and organize them for later
retrieval and follow up. This can be done with folders and careful naming of the saved
viewpoints to help team members can quickly sort out and find issues that pertain to their
tasks.

Performing Clash Detection

Clash detection enables the effective identification, inspection, and reporting of


interferences in the composite project model. It helps reduce the risk of human error and
oversights during model reviews by automatically detecting model interferences. Clash
detection can be used as a one-time sanity check for completed design work or as part of
an ongoing project audit and quality control process.
®
Navisworks Manage software’s Clash Detective tool enables teams to conduct clash
tests between model elements by checking across the entire composite model or by
checking specific subsets of the model elements. Clash checking can look for these types
of conflicts:

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• Hard—conflicts of elements in 3D space (If such a conflict is temporal in that it


occurs for only a certain phase of project, it is termed a “soft” clash).

• Clearance—instances of not meeting set clearances between pairs of objects.

• Duplicates—identical instances of the same geometry.

It is important to recognize that not all clashes are truly problems. In fact, some clashes
may have been intentional during the modeling process for the sake of simplifying the
modeling task. Clash results need to be judged in the context of the level of detail included
in each model, and this need underscores the importance of having an experienced model
manager with a strong foundation of construction and design experience.

Teams can create batches of clash tests to be repeated with each model revision, and
these batches can be exported and shared. Teams can also create a custom clash test
suite for reuse on multiple projects. This approach provides an easy way to roll out a
standardized set of tests across an organization that enables the expertise of
sophisticated model users to be reused by everyone.

Clash tests can also be used as a way of implementing object intelligence. For example, a
custom clash test could be created to check for compliance with a local building codes
based on object information and the properties defined in a particular model system.

Creating Digital Requests for Information

Issues that require resolution are typically documented, communicated, and tracked as
requests for information (RFIs).
®
With Navisworks Manage, RFIs can easily be created using the results of the clash
detection process. These results can be saved as viewpoints with associated tags and
reviewer comments, and then shared as fully formatted reports that contain both an image
and the description of the problem.

Clash detection can be overwhelming if not approached in a systematic way. Defining


clash tests too broadly can yield an enormous number of clashes, so experience and
judgment are required to define meaningful test. By carefully defining selection and search
sets of model elements, the accuracy and effectiveness of the process can be greatly
improved.

When clash results contain multiple clashes deriving from a single design issue, reviewers
can organize the clashes into folders and subfolders to simplify reporting and tracking.
After organizing and classifying the issues, images can be annotated and reports
prepared with comments that synthesize the problems and communicate them effectively
to the designers who must resolve them.

Learning Objectives
After completing this lesson, students will be able to:

• Understand the importance of creating viewpoints that include markups,


comments, and measurements.

• Organize viewpoints into meaningful hierarchies that support an effective


workflow for resolving the issues.

• Assess the validity of the clashes reported and understand the importance of
properly constraining a clash detection test.

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• Appreciate the value of performing systematic clash detection, using a


combination of user-defined tests and custom clash tests commonly employed
within an organization.

• Investigate clash test results and organize them into an effective format for
reporting them to the responsible disciplines for resolution.

Suggested Exercises
Exercise 5.2.1: Reviewing and Marking Up

In this exercise, students will learn how to:

• Create viewpoints that effectively communicate issues needing resolution.

• Measure, tag, redline, and add comments to a saved viewpoint.

• Manage issues through searching comments and tags based on issue status
or author.

Video Tutorial

Unit5_Lesson2_Tutorial1.mp4

Figure 5.2.1. Saving viewpoints that highlight a lighting


issue

Student Exercise

Unit5_Lesson2_Exercise1_Start.rvt

• Create viewpoints to effectively communicate the following problems found


during model review:

o Conference Glass Door Panel Missing on Level 2.

Create this view using a top cutting section plane that reveals the
Level 2 interior spaces, and then hide the Structural Model and the
Ceiling objects to better expose the view of the door panel. (The
difference is subtle, but the fixed panel in the model is missing the
door handle.)

o Level 2 Sink Fixture at Wrong Elevation.

Create this view by using a front face cutting section plane to expose
the restroom layout in a perspective-elevation view.

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o Missing Atrium Railing on Level 3.

Create this view by walking through the model or using a face cutting
section plane from back to front.

• Classify these viewpoints and organize them into file folders that target the
disciplines responsible for resolving each issue.
• Try searching for comments created by particular authors or having different
status.

Figure 5.2.2. A viewpoint displaying the restroom sink located at wrong height

Exercise 5.2.2: Performing Clash Detection

In this exercise, students will learn how to:

• Design clash detection tests to look for conflicts between different pairings of
element types using the selection tree and set manager.

• Specify different types of class detection tests to look for hard, clearance, and
duplicate clash types.

• Use batch tests to evaluate and verify design iterations.

• Save and export clash tests for use on other projects.

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Video Tutorial

Unit5_Lesson2_Tutorial2.mp4

Figure 5.2.3. Clash detection results between the wood


framing and HVAC systems

Student Exercise

Unit5_Lesson2_Exercise2_Start.rvt

• Run a hard clash test looking for conflicts between the HVAC elements and
concrete beams on Level 1. Use the selection tree to select the model
elements to be verified.

• Repeat the same hard clash test as above, but use a selection set select the
concrete framing elements.

• Run a clearance clash test with a tolerance of 6" (0.15 m) to look for conflicts
between the ducts and lighting fixtures on Level 1.

• View the results from the previous test by selecting each of the reported
clashes and altering the display settings for each viewpoint to highlight the
conflict.

Figure 5.2.4. Concrete beams interfering with the round flex duct of the HVAC system

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Exercise 5.2.3: Creating Digital Requests for Information

In this exercise, students will learn how to:

• Explore the results of the clash tests as lists and as scene views.

• Manage and organize clash test results by the cause of the problem or the
discipline responsible for resolving the problem.

• Differentiate between valid and invalid clashes.

• Tune the appearance of the viewpoints in order to highlight the essential


elements shown.

• Creating clash reports using various output formats options (Viewpoints,


HTML, TEXT, or XML).

Video Tutorial

Unit5_Lesson2_Tutorial3.mp4

Figure 5.2.5. Grouping like clashes into clash sets

Student Exercise

Unit5_Lesson2_Exercise3_Start.rvt

• Review the clash test results and the conflicts reported between the concrete
framing and the exposed HVAC system in the ceiling space of Level 1. Then
create folders to group and consolidate the clashes related to the Flex Duct
Round and to the Oval Duct.

• Using a similar approach, group and consolidate the clashes reported in the
clearance clash test between the ducts and lighting fixtures on Level 1. Group
the clashes results into folders based on the root causes of the conflicts.

• Add tags and comments to each set of clash results that describe the needed
resolution.

• Create a Viewpoint report and an HTML to report these results to the


responsible disciplines. Open each report to confirm the accuracy of the
simplified set of clashes included in the reports.

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Figure 5.2.6. Managing clashes from concrete framing and exposed ducts

Assessment
Reviewing and Marking Up

• Who are some of the different audiences for whom we might want to focus our
markups to the saved viewpoints?

Examples include owners, HVAC consultants, plumbing consultants, structural


designers, and fire protection specialists.
• For each of those different audiences, describe the types of viewpoints that
would focus on their primary concerns.

For owners, views of project architectural features, both external and internal.
For HVAC consultants, views that show the interaction with the plumbing and
electrical systems, and views of rooftops or utility rooms where equipment is
typically located.
For plumbing consultants, views of the sanitary system, wall cross-sections,
and views that show the interaction with HVAC and electrical systems.
For structural designers, views that show the interaction with the HVAC and
plumbing systems.

Performing Clash Detection

• Describe examples of standardized clash detection tests that might be saved


and repeated across many projects.

Examples include sprinklers against HVAC ducts, HVAC ducts against


structural framing, plumbing piping against HVAC ducts, or structural framing.
• Should each discipline be responsible for clash testing its own model before
contributing it to the model aggregator for cross-discipline testing?

Yes! Intra-model clashes, conflicts, and inconsistencies should be eliminated


(or understood) before checking for conflicts with models created by other
disciplines.

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• What are the key advantages of automated clash detection of BIM models
when compared to the traditional method of comparing paper documents?

Dramatically faster to perform and free of human error. Also, without the need
for large light tables or being in a design office, project managers can perform
clash testing at the construction site.

Creating Digital Requests for Information

• What is the best format to use to distribute punch lists or digital RFIs to the
relevant parties?

One of the best formats for reporting viewpoints and issues is the HTML report
option. This format can easily be used to reach a wide audience, as the reports
require no additional software to see the screenshot of the tagged item and any
associated comments.
• Is it wise to save all the review session markups over the course of the project
and the model’s versions?

It is always safer to document the work, whether for internal referencing or for
contract management. You can easily store each version’s review’s session
tags in folders marked with their date, thus keeping records of what you have
found and discussed. You can then save this to go back to it later and easily
distribute it to other team members.
• How can this paperless workflow for reviewing issues save costs over the life
of a project?

Using digital RFIs saves time in the printing, distribution, and administration of
the information requests. The 3D visualization environment minimizes the need
to interpret and compose written explanations of each issue, since the
interactive model carries so much contextual and particular information
implicitly. A 3D model is worth more than 1,000 words!

Key Terms
The following key terms were used in this lesson:

Key Term Definition

Redline Tag A common method for marking up a viewpoint to report a


potential issue. Adding redline tags automates viewpoint
creation and provides a method for reviewers to comment
freely on the model.

Hard Clash A clash defined by two objects actually intersecting.

Clearance Clash A clash type occurring when two objects come within a
specified distance of each other. Selecting this clash type
also detects any hard clashes.

Duplicate Clash A clash type characterized by two objects that are identical in
type and position. This type of clash testing may be used to
clash an entire model against itself to detect of any items that
may have duplicated by mistake.

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Autodesk BIM Curriculum 2011
Instructor Guide
Unit 5: Using BIM in Integrated Project Delivery
Lesson 3: Scheduling and 4D Simulation

Lesson 3: Scheduling and 4D


Simulation
Lesson Overview
Project managers can create a 4D simulation of the planned construction process by
linking elements in the composite model to a timeline of project tasks. 4D simulations can
have many construction process planning applications; for example, validating the
planned sequence are construction operations and identifying any time-based clashes.

Creating a 4D Simulation

By linking timelines of project tasks to model elements, we can create a complete 4D


simulation of the construction process from the demolition phase through owner move-in.
This simulation can be used to inform critical planning decisions about construction
methods, resource allocation, activity sequencing, site space utilization, and so on.
®
The Navisworks Manage TimeLiner tool enables project teams to:

• Manually enter information about project tasks.

• Import project schedules from a wide variety of project planning tools.

• Link elements in the composite model with tasks in the schedule.

• Simulate the schedule and see the effects on the model, including planned
versus actual schedules.

• Export images and animations based on the results of the simulation.

TimeLiner automatically updates the simulation if the model or schedule changes and
offers many options for creating customized simulations to support the needs of the
project team.

Before linking the composite model to schedule tasks, it is helpful to group model
elements and create selection and search sets that facilitate easy mapping; the
importance of this point will be demonstrated in the tutorials.

Identifying Time-Based Clashes

For complicated projects where the site space is constrained, project managers must
carefully plan the sequence of operations to make sure that the demolition, permanent
construction, and temporary construction activities can occur without creating conflicts.
The vast number of moving parts and equipment involved in a construction project makes
time-based clash testing incredibly valuable to project managers in their continuing effort
to coordinate the trades, materials, and equipment that must coexist in the limited space
available.

The ability to forecast and anticipate problems before they occur is essential for effective
project management. When the cost of schedule delays or construction rework because of

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errors is considered, it is clear that project managers need to carefully plan and
orchestrate construction operations down to the last detail, both in space and time.

Construction planning models can be created and integrated with the composite project
model to consider the impact of temporary items, such as work packages, formwork,
cranes, installations, and so on. The locations of these temporary items can be modeled
and linked to the project timeline, so that their appearance and removal at particular
project locations over specific periods of time can be verified and checked for potential
time-based clashes.
® ®
By combining the functionality of the Autodesk Navisworks Manage TimeLiner and
Clash Detective tools, project teams can perform time-based clash checks on the project
and continue with this automated checking throughout the project lifetime.

Learning Objectives
After completing this lesson, students will be able to:

• Define selection and search sets to easily map model elements to the
scheduled construction tasks.

• Assess the best method for mapping model elements to schedule tasks—either
manually or by defining mapping rules.

• Identify problems in construction sequencing through 4D simulation.

• Understand the various methods available for saving and sharing a timeline
simulation.

• Identify time-based clashes that temporary construction materials.

Suggested Exercises
Exercise 5.3.1: Creating a 4D Simulation

In this exercise, students will learn how to:

• Link a schedule file to the TimeLiner tool and generate the hierarchy of tasks.

• Create selection sets and search sets to facilitate linking model elements to the
schedule tasks.

• Specify simulation settings and run a 4D simulation.

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Video Tutorial

Unit5_Lesson3_Tutorial1.mp4

Figure 5.3.1. Simulating the creation of an array of


lighting fixtures

Student Exercise

Unit5_Lesson3_Exercise1_Start.rvt

• Continuing from the point where the tutorial left off, creating additional search
and selection sets to select groups of model objects between Level 2 and the
Roof level. Each set should contain the elements to be mapped to a specific
task in the construction schedule.

• Use the TimeLiner tool to attach the sets of objects to their associated
schedule tasks.

• Run a 4D simulation of the construction schedule. Modify the playback duration


and interval size to achieve the desired visual effect for effectively sharing the
simulation with others.

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Figure 5.3.2. 4D simulation of the complete building model

Exercise 5.3.2: Identifying Time-Based Clashes

In this exercise, students will learn how to:

• Reveal a time-based clash by linking a clash test to the project schedule.

• Add schedule tasks to accurately reflect the existence of temporary


construction objects, and attach model geometry to that task.

• Run a time-based clash test to confirm the elimination of the time-based clash.

• Run a 4D simulation that includes the appearance and disappearance of


temporary object to the project.

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Video Tutorial

Unit5_Lesson3_Tutorial2.mp4

Figure 5.3.3. Clash testing the materials lift against the


architectural and structural model elements

Exercise

Unit5_Lesson3_Exercise2_Start.rvt

• Use the project schedule to determine the date by which the material lift must
be removed in order to avoid interfering with the installation of the building
stair.

• Modify the schedule task linked to the materials lift so that it reflects the
required installation and removal dates.

• Perform a time-based clash test between the Construction_Equipment and


the Architectural_Shell models to confirm that a clash no longer exists
between the materials lift and the stair. Be sure to link to the TimeLiner when
you run this test in the Clash Detective tool.

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Figure 5.3.4. Adjusting the start and finish dates of the task associated with the temporary
materials lift

Assessment
Creating a 4D Simulation

• Who are the project team members that might be most interested in seeing the
4D simulation?

Team members responsible for planning and executing construction operations


are most interested in the 4D simulation results. For example, the construction
superintendent, contractors, and subcontractors.
• Can you automatically map schedule tasks to search or selection sets in the
composite model?

If you carefully match the names between the sets and the schedule tasks,
automatic mapping is possible. The TimeLiner rules tab includes an option to
Map TimeLiner Tasks from Column Name to Selection Sets with the Same
Name. Using this rule, all items associated with a search set will be attached to
the task of the same name.
• What types of projects would receive the greatest benefit from creating 4D
simulations to illustrate the construction process to the general public or
governing officials?

Busy downtown construction sites where commercial and residential property


owners will feel the impacts of the construction process on their daily routines
are good candidates for 4D simulation. Also, transportation projects where
major detours will be needed during the course of completing the project.

Identifying Time-Based Clashes

• How do you model dynamic representations of temporary items—for example,


work packages, ships, cranes, and other installation equipment? Can you
perform a clash test that takes these moving work packages into account?

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You could use the Animator window to create animation scenes with these
objects, so that they will be moving around a project site, change their size,
and so forth.
Since these moving objects could collide, “soft clashing” enables the
automated checking of this. In a soft clash test, at each step of a scene
sequence, Clash Detective checks to see if a clash has occurred. If it has, the
time of the clash is logged, along with the event that caused the clash.

Key Terms
The following key terms were used in this lesson:

Key Term Definition

Tasks Activities that appear in the project schedule. These activities


can include construction, demolition, or temporary operations.

4D Simulation A simulation of a construction process that maps model


elements to schedule tasks, adding the fourth dimension of
time to a 3D model.

Time-based Clash A clash occurring when two static model elements occupy the
same space at a specific time in the project schedule.

Soft Clash A clash occurring when two moving objects collide.

Time-based Soft Clash A clash occurring when the appearance or disappearance of


static objects obstructs the movement of animated objects on
the site.

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Autodesk BIM Curriculum 2011
Instructor Guide
Unit 5: Using BIM in Integrated Project Delivery
Lesson 4: Presenting the Project Model

Lesson 4: Presenting the Project


Model
Lesson Overview
Computer visualization in project development has been proven in studies to be an
effective method for developing projects and to improve cost/benefit outcomes. According
to researchers, it is beneficial for two reasons:

• Better representation of future improvements resulting in enhanced public and


political support.
• Early identification of adverse environmental and land impacts as well as detail
design requirements resulting in fewer scope changes.

Experiencing designs before they are real ensures better decisions are made and enables
participation by a wider audience of stakeholders or decision makers. Using visualization
in conjunction with BIM on a project engages more people sooner, leading to broader-
reaching feedback and more predictable outcomes.

This lesson demonstrates how viewpoints and animations can be used as compelling
vehicles for transmitting design intent and facilitating conceptual buy in. Adding more
visual information to our model viewpoints and animations can greatly improve the
effectiveness of the interactive experience by allowing users to navigate through and
experience fully textured and more realistic models.

Using Model Images to Enhance Communication

We can enhance the viewpoints that have been created to frame particular problems and
isolate issues of interest by improving the clarity of the visual information presented.
Refining them to create virtual 3D schematics enables us to effectively communicate the
technical or design issue at hand, leaving little room for error in interpretation.

In addition to saving camera positions, viewpoints also allow manipulation of the visibility
of objects, color and transparency overrides, and section planes. Applying the right
combination of these view settings and filters can transform an image from being one of
simple shapes into one conveying a very clear and targeted message for the design or
engineering team members responsible for addressing the design changes or technical
problems.

We can also create near realistic renderings of the viewpoints to create images with
®
evocative stylistic effects or photorealism for use in print or digital media. The Autodesk
®
Navisworks Manage Presenter module offers many choices in adding materials, textures,
lighting, effects, and content to enhance scene images for many purposes—both technical
and communicative in nature. These rendered scenes can be exported as images, shown
in presentations, displayed on websites, used in print, and so on.

We can also export animated AVI presentations and instructional movies, in which the
animated objects move in photorealistically rendered scenes.

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®
The Navisworks Manage Presenter module helps make it easy to enhance viewpoints
and improve the effectiveness of images by applying the following effects:

• Materials—using existing materials in the library or creating new ones as


needed.

• Lighting—using a wide array of lighting source and shadow options.

• Rich photorealistic content (RPC)—incorporating photorealistic images of


people, trees, cars, and so on to establish context.

• Rendering styles—using a variety of rendering styles, from photorealistic to


sketchy to wireframe, to determine the way a scene is rendered.

• Texture spaces—defining the way in which a texture is rendered on an object


to create more natural effects.

Creating Animations

We can also transform a few key viewpoints into a simple animation to show a viewer the
experience of moving through the project. Once we have set up and rendered viewpoints,
we can easily create animations from these scenes. The rendering settings are applied to
each frame of the animation.

Animations can be used to:

• Move from high-level overviews of the entire project, and to focus on specific
points and particular locations. This technique helps to establish context and
enables the target audience to better understand how a particular piece of a
project fits into the big picture.

• Record the path followed by a model reviewer to uncover a problem. The


animation can be replayed as the issue is reviewed, streamlining the issue-
resolution process.

• Create 3D walk-through tours of the project.

• Produce virtual experiences of the design that can be distributed and


reproduced for various project team members, public officials, owners, and the
general public.

In addition to creating walk-throughs and tours, we can also animate and interact with 3D
geometry in the model to:

• Open doors as you pass through them.

• Raise or lowering elevator cars.

• Move cranes or vehicles around a construction site.

• Animate the mechanical equipment in an industrial facility.

• And more.

In an age of increasing multimedia use, animations have become powerful communication


tools for effectively and compellingly transmitting dense information visually without being
limited by language.

Learning Objectives
After completing this lesson, students will be able to:

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AUTODESK CURRICULUM

• Explore the application of materials, rich photorealistic content, and


backgrounds to create different and more realistic visual effects.

• Understand how to add external lighting to create more natural-looking


rendering results.

• Appreciate the value of creating viewpoints that highlight the objects of interest
and diminish or even hide the appearance of other objects.

• Explore scene and object animations to create project visualizations and real-
time walk-throughs.

Suggested Exercises
Exercise 5.4.1: Using Model Images to Enhance Communication

In this exercise, students will learn how to:

• Manipulate viewpoints to highlight and better communicate problems that


require resolution.

• Increase the realism of an image by adding material textures, lights, content,


and backgrounds.

Video Tutorial

Unit5_Lesson4_Tutorial1.mp4

Figure 5.4.1. Enhancing a viewpoint to better


communicate a conflict requiring resolution
Student Exercise

Unit5_Lesson4_Exercise1_Start.rvt

• Create a viewpoint that highlights the conflicts between the concrete beams
and the exposed oval duct HVAC system in the ceiling space of Level 1. Try
making the lighting fixtures transparent to reduce clutter in the view.

• Duplicate a viewpoint from that same camera angle and fine-tune the
appearance to highlight the clearance problems that existing between the
lighting fixtures and the exposed oval duct HVAC system. Try making the
beams transparent and hiding any elements that obstruct the view.

• Create an exterior rendering of the composite model testing different material


finishes on the architectural shell of the building. Use a natural sky as the
background for the image.

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AUTODESK CURRICULUM

Figure 5.4.2. Rendered preview of the interior of retail space on Level 1

Exercise 5.4.2: Creating Animations

In this exercise, students will learn how to:

• Record a real-time walk-through of the project using different effects and


perspectives.

• Program simple object animations to heighten the model interactivity.

• Associate object animations with events that can be triggered by the user
navigation.

• Create scripts that play animations during the course of a real-time walk-
through.

Video Tutorial

Unit5_Lesson4_Tutorial2.mp4

Figure 5.4.3. Animating door objects to open and close

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Student Exercise

Unit5_Lesson4_Exercise2_Start.rvt

• Create a real-time walk-through that starts at the exterior of the building; walks
around and passes through the front entry doors; looks around the lobby; and
stops in front of the elevator shaft.

• End the animation on a viewpoint with redline tags and comments regarding
the design.

• Create an object animation that opens and closes the front door of the building.

• Script the animation to be triggered when a reviewer navigates through a


hotspot with a 3-foot (0.91 m) radius from the center of the door, then rerecord
the walk-through, triggering the door animation as you pass through the front
door.

• Export the animation to an AVI file, being careful to choose a resolution so that
it is easily uploaded to the web.

Figure 5.4.4. Real-time walk-through animation with object animation incorporated

Assessment
Using Model Images to Enhance Communication

• Are there ways to define rules that map materials from a predefined palette to
search sets to create quick renderings?

Use a predefined palette of materials that have been taken from the default
library and renamed to correspond with the search sets added earlier.
You can create a predefined list of generic search sets and corresponding
textures. Then you can reuse these on similar projects, which will save an
enormous amount of time.

• What file formats retain their material rendering properties from their source
® ®
software when they are imported into Autodesk Navisworks software?

NWC files exported from Autodesk®Revit®products.

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Creating Animations

• What types of motions can be illustrated using object animations?

The list is open-ended. Popular examples include: opening and closing doors;
raising or lowering elevator cars or crane loads; rotating crane booms; moving
heavy equipment around on site; moving vehicles, boats, and mechanical
equipment.
• How does including animation enhance the effectiveness of a walk-through
movie?

Adding motion to the objects that appear in a walk-through movie increases the
realism and believability of the process being illustrated. Static objects create a
barrier that makes the movie less believable and, thus, less effective at
communicating your point. Motion helps to create a truly immersive experience
that reinforces the apparent validity of the movie.
• What methods can be used to trigger an animation?

Animations can be triggered by specific frames in a walk-through movie or by


passing through hotspots as a user navigates in a model.

Key Terms
The following key terms were used in this lesson:

Key Term Definition

Reflectance The ratio of the total amount of radiation or light reflected by a


surface to the total amount of radiation incident on the
surface.

Transparency A measure of the ability of a material to transmit light so that


objects or images can be seen as if there were no intervening
material.

Rich Photorealistic A content format that uses photo image data to create
Content (RPC) realistic images of objects (for example, people, furniture,
plants, and vehicles) that can be added to models to enhance
renderings.

Walk Mode A navigation mode that enables you to walk through the
model on a horizontal plane, always maintaining the up
direction.

Fly Mode A navigation model that enables you to fly around the model
like in a flight simulator, without respecting the up direction.

Frame per Second A measurement of how many animation frames are played
during each second of a finished movie. This measurement
determines the smoothness of the animation in the video.

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Autodesk, AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, DWF, DWG, Inventor, Navisworks, and Revit are registered trademarks or
trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other
brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter
product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for
typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

© 2010 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

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