BIMX Docs Multiple Views on 1 Sheet

[Tim Ball]

I like to present as existing and proposed plans and elevations side by side on sheet to allow easy comparison by the client.

Is there any way to tell BIMX which plan to "grow" the 3D model from?

[Bricklyne Clarence]

Don't really understand what you want to show the client or how.

Do you want the client to see the two versions in 3D side-by-side (which would imply 2 separate models of existing and proposed side by side and then published to BIMx), or do you want them to see the proposed model (in 3D) and then compare that with the existing as 2D views?

I don't really have BIMx Docs but from what I've understood of how it works, you probably would have to choose one of the two options above and then (Assuming option #2 with the 3D of the proposed against the 2D of the existing) you would save a new publishing set with views referenced from a 3D model of the proposed option and then throw in 2D (worksheet or referenced 2D drawing images and views) of the existing into that same publishing set.
The question will then be whether you want to present the options superimposed on one another or side-by-side.

It all depends on how you organize your information in your working space I suppose, but from what I've seen of the demo videos where they show the model with super-imposed views of MEP drawings, is one option (that sort of borrows from how we use Virtual Trace/Reference in ArchiCAD - but which might be confusing for a client) or just place 2D existing drawings beside your model for side-to-side comparisons.

[Tim Ball]

Thanks for your reply. I am very familiar with using BIMX docs, so this is more of a clarification or work around questions than a simple how to.

If I create a sheet with 2 plan views; existing and proposed, side by side, when you flip into 3D the proposed 3D grows out of the as existing plan, not the proposed.

So I am trying to find a way of telling the BIMX software to grow the proposed 3D out of the proposed 2D.

[Bricklyne Clarence]

Tim wrote:
Thanks for your reply. I am very familiar with using BIMX docs, so this is more of a clarification or work around questions than a simple how to.

If I create a sheet with 2 plan views; existing and proposed, side by side, when you flip into 3D the proposed 3D grows out of the as existing plan, not the proposed.

So I am trying to find a way of telling the BIMX software to grow the proposed 3D out of the proposed 2D.

Again, here's probably where someone who's more familiar with the workings of BIMx DOCS would be useful but I would ask if you are displaying those two plans from 2 separate 3D models or from 1 3D model (split into existing and proposed by Layer combinations).

If it's the latter (and that's what it sounds like from your description), then I imagine the BIMx is publishing the 3D model from from whatever model you have open or displayed in the 3D window with those specific layer combinations turned on (in this case displaying the Proposed and not the Existing).

In other words, I don't think (from everything I'm hearing you say and from what I understand of how BIMx works) that the BIMx DOCS publisher publishes the complete 3D information (even with all the hidden layers) any more than it would have the ability to turn layers on or off automatically, as per Layer combinations in ArchiCAD to allow you to display the models in different states or to display different versions of the model and/or design scheme as you can do in the 3D Window in ArchiCAD.

The Publisher is essentially a WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get....or publish) and will only export information that is visible and turned on.
Which makes sense; otherwise there's no sense in having layer controls to hide or display objects.*


In which case your solution would probably lie in having two complete separate models in the 3D window (one existing and one proposed) with all the Layer combinations allowing you to see both.
And then in the drawing sheet, extract the respective plan view from the respective models, both of which will be exported and published as BIMx Docs 3d Models (Which means your file will also probably be larger).
In this scenario, there's no way of getting around having 2 separate models displayed of the existing and proposed, in 3D in the BIMx environment, but at least you'll be able to control what you display through the sheet views which should link correctly to the correct model.
Plus, you have a bonus of being able to see both existing and proposed side-to-side, if that works for your presentation.

On the flip side, if you were already working from 2 separate models as per the former possibility I cited and it's still giving you this error of linking the existing to the Proposed model, then that sounds more to me potentially like a bug in the program, or it's possible that it might have something to do with the drawing order of how the plans are set up in the drawing sheet or layout that's also exported (highly unlikely, IMO).

I'm not sure if this is clear nor can I even be sure if it's helping since I can't test it myself, but hopefully something in there clicks.

(* in the current vanilla BIMx (not DOCS) one can turn layers on or off after export (in the desktop viewer) but only those layers which were actually turned on as the model was being exported from ArchiCAD's 3D window. So while BIMx doesn't automatically turn layers on or off per Layer combinations, you still have some level of control via layers after you export it, but only for those layers that are actually exported (which were turned on))

[Tim Ball]

I have taken a screenshot of what BIMX Docs does - the plan on the left is the "as existing" and the proposed 3D grows out of that; instead of the right hand plan which is proposed.

[Bricklyne Clarence]

Did you try switching the drawing order on the sheet so that the proposed scheme is first instead of the existing scheme?

Maybe BIMx grows the model out of whichever drawing comes first on the sheet.

And perhaps the drawing order logic it uses to decide which drawing to grow the model out of can't be circumvented at this stage without some change on GS's part.

Just stabbing in the dark here.

[Gyuri Nyitrai]

Tim wrote:
I have taken a screenshot of what BIMX Docs does - the plan on the left is the "as existing" and the proposed 3D grows out of that; instead of the right hand plan which is proposed.

Tim,

There is a built-in logic to decide which drawing will be used for the 2D-3D transition. But in your case there are three easy options to control:
1., Zoom in a little to the proposed drawing in BIMx and 3D will grow out of that.
2., Make proposed drawing bigger a little in ArchiCAD and BIMx will prefer that.
3., Reverse the order of the drawings on the layout because if all the relevant paramaters (relevance, size, zoom) are identical then the left one will be choosen by BIMx.

Regards,
Gyuri

[Jochen Suehlo]

I have a similar problem like Tim Ball and I did not find an aswer that solves the problem:

I have a BIMx Docs file with 2D drawings of an existing building and 2D drawings of the building after renovation.
Also I have a 3D model view each of the existing building and the renovated building.

When I am now in a 2D floor plan of the existing building and click on 3D in the lower left corner, the 3D model of the ronovation status grows out of the existing plan.

So the question is: How to link a special 2D drawing to a special 3D model within the same BIMx Docs file. (zooming and maker one view bigger, order of the views etc. does not work)

Even nicer it would be, if I could place a camera in the floor plan and clicking on that camera the 3D view seen from that camera viewpoint would popup in 3D instead of always the same default view. Any chance to get this in the next update?

[Steve Jepson]

Tim wrote:
I have taken a screenshot of what BIMX Docs does - the plan on the left is the "as existing" and the proposed 3D grows out of that; instead of the right hand plan which is proposed.

Speaking of screen shots...While viewing a project in BIMx you an press the on-off key at the same time as the round button on the front of the iPad to make a screen shot. I am probably the last person to know that but I thought I would pass it along anyway.