BIM Viewer

Overview

Use the BIM Viewer in PlanRadar when working with BIM models. The viewer allows you to show or hide model elements, view IFC properties, measure distances, angles and areas, creating sections and more.

PlanRadar also supports working with federated IFC models which means viewing multiple IFC models at the same time. For easier navigation within the BIM model, you can switch between free camera and walking modes. Additionally, a 2D overview map allows you to quickly adjust your position and camera orientation.

Read more about BIM Support in PlanRadar.

How to access the BIM viewer

1. Click Tickets
2. Open the Project drop-down
3. Select the project and layer
   
4. Click BIM model in the View drop-down
   

Model Tree & Floors

The right sidebar in the BIM model view has two tabs: Model tree lists the components of the model as a tree and Floors lists all levels of the model with a plan preview.

Model Tree

The model tree shows the model components as a tree according to the IFC standard.

To view the model tree:

1. Click Model tree
2. Click the side arrow next to the component to expand it and reveal the related elements.
   

Show Element Properties

To show an element's IFC properties:

1. Click on the element either in the model tree or in the 3D view
2. The IFC properties will appear in the sidebar under the model tree
   
3. Optional: drag the top of the properties panel to resize it
   

Search an Element

You can find an element by searching for it in the model tree. To search for an element:

1. Type the element's name in the search bar
2. The elements matching the search phrase will appear in the model tree
   

Floors

The floors section lists all floors of the model with a plan preview. To show a floor in an orthographic plan view:

1. Click Floors
2. Click the model name to expand it and show the different floors
3. Click the floor you want to view in an orthographic plan view
   
4. To go back to showing the 3D model, click the back button
   

Camera Navigation

The 3D model is initially displayed from the front. There are three other predefined views to quickly view the whole model from the left, right or top.

Initially you are in free camera mode, which allows you to fly around the model and through elements. You can switch to walking mode at any time to activate gravity and wall collision, which allows for better indoor navigation, as you may be familiar with from PC games.

Select a Predefined View Orientation

To view the whole model from front, left, right or top:

1. Click the camera icon
2. Click Front, Left, Right, or Top
   

Free Camera Mode

The free camera mode allows you to fly around the model and through elements. Navigating in the free camera mode, you can use the arrow and the WASD keys on the keyboard as well as the mouse/touchpad or a touch screen.

It is best to use a combination of mouse and keyboard controls, if available.

You need to click into the BIM viewer at least once before to activate keyboard controls for the viewer.

To set the mode to Free camera:

1. Click the camera icon
2. Click Free camera
   
3. You can Rotate the Camera around a Point, Move the Camera Forwards/Backwards, Move the Camera Sidewards and Up/Down, and Center the Camera on a Selected Element as explained below.

Rotate the Camera around a Point

Use the mouse, touchpad or touch screen to rotate and tilt the model:

1. Click (tap) anywhere on the model to set the pivot point
2. Drag the mouse cursor (your finger) to tilt and rotate the model accordingly

If you have not set a pivot point, the center of the model is used.

You can also use the arrow keys of your keyboard as well.

1. Press right to rotate the 3D model counterclockwise
2. Press left to rotate the 3D model clockwise
3. Press up to tilt the model backward, showing more of its bottom side
4. Press down to tilt the model forward, revealing more of its top side

Move the Camera Forwards/Backwards

You can move the camera position forwards or backwards along its axis. Use one of the following methods:

1. Use the mouse wheel if you have one
2. If you are using a device with a touch pad, place two fingers on the touchpad and pinch in or stretch out.
3. If you are on a device with a touch screen, place two fingers on the touch screen and pinch in or stretch out.

Move the Camera sidewards and up/down

Right-click and drag your mouse or touchpad to move the camera position to the left, right, up and down.

Alternatively, use the WASD keys:

1. Press W to move the camera up
2. Press A to move the camera to the left
3. Press S to move the camera down
4. Press D to move the camera to the right

Center the Camera on a Selected Element

1. Click on the element on which you want to center the camera
2. OR select the element from the model tree
3. Click the Center icon
   

Walking Mode

The walking mode is recommended for indoor navigation and has wall collision (you cannot fly through walls) and gravity to keep you on the floor and make it easier to look around as you walk. Staircases are recognised and you can climb them just by walking on them.

You can navigate using both the arrow keys and the WASD keys or the BIM viewer's joystick controllers that appear in walking mode. On a computer we recommend to use a combination of mouse and keyboard controls.

To activate the Walking Mode:

1. Click the camera icon
2. Click Walk
   

Walk and Look Around with Mouse & Keyboard

To walk around use the following keys:

1. Press W to move forward
2. Press S to move backward
3. Press A to move sideways to the left
4. Press D to move sideways to the right

To turn and look up and down use the mouse:

1. Hold down the left mouse button
2. Move the mouse in the direction where you want to turn or look

Alternatively, you can use the arrow keys on your keyboard to turn and look around:

1. Press right to turn to the right
2. Press left to turn to the left
3. Press up to look upwards
4. Press down to look downwards

Use BIM Viewer Joysticks

If you have a touchscreen or if you cannot use keyboard and mouse, there are also on-screen joysticks for walking and looking around.

Once you set the mode to Walking two controllers will appear at the bottom of the BIM Viewer:

1. Use the left controller to walk forwards and backward or move sideways to the left and right
2. Use the right controller to turn left or right
   

Orthographic Projection Mode (2D View)

In certain situations, it can be useful to use an orthographic projection instead of perspective. To switch to orthographic projection from above:

1. Click the camera icon
2. Click 2D View
   
3. The viewer switches to a view from above in orthographic projection
   

You can now Select a Predefined View Orientation to switch to front, left, right or back to top view while still using orthographic projection.

You can also view a certain floor in 2D view as explained in Floors above.

Overview map

The BIM Viewer features an overview map located in the top left corner, which indicates your current position within the model. Expand the overview map to navigate and change the position and direction of the camera.

Expand the Overview Map

To expand the overview map and allow 2D navigation:

1. Click on the mini map
   

To collapse the overview map and make it small again:

1. Click the collapse icon
   

Move the Overview Map

To move the visible area of the overview map

1. Click on the map and use drag & drop
   

Change Camera Direction

To change the camera direction in the overview map

1. Click and drag the ray around the point or right-click to adjust the camera direction
   

Change Camera Position

To change your camera's position in the 3D model:

1. Click the location you want to jump to
   

When walking mode is active and you click outside of the floor, you will fall down.

Hide Overview Map

To hide the overview map and have more space for the 3D content

1. Click the eye icon
2. Click Hide map
   

To show the overview map again:

1. Click the eye icon
2. Click Show map
   

Select Elements

Select a Single Element

To select an element:

1. Click the element in the 3D model OR click the element name in the model tree
   

Select Multiple Elements

To select multiple elements in the BIM model:

1. Click the more menu
2. Click Multi-select
   
3. Click on the elements you want to select in the model
   

Another way for selecting multiple elements is to:

1. Press and hold on an element in the BIM model until the selected elements bar appears on the screen
   
2. Click on the elements you want to select

When selecting elements a context menu will appears at the bottom of the viewer with options to show/hide or isolate the selected elements, center the camera on them or create a section box which is described in Work with Section Planes & Section Boxes.

Show/Hide IFC Elements

Show and hide IFC elements to focus on the parts of the BIM model that are relevant to you. You can do this with individually selected elements or based on the entity types of elements e.g. by showing or hiding all walls, windows or stairs and so on.

Another alternative to focus on parts of the model are section planes or boxes as explained in Work with Section Planes & Section Boxes.

Show/Hide Individual Element(s)

To hide element(s) from the 3D model:

1. Select Element(s) you want to hide 
2. Click the crossed eye icon
   

Isolate Elements

You can isolate elements in your 3D model by hiding all other elements except those you wish to focus on. To do so:

1. Select Element(s) you want to isolate
2. Click the focused eye icon
   
3. All elements in the model will be hidden except for the selected one(s)
   

Show/Hide Entity Types

To hide/show all elements of the same entity type:

1. Click the eye icon
2. Hover over Entity Types
3. Select/clear that checkboxes of the entity types in your model
   

Show/Hide Floors

To hide a floor of a model:

1. Go to Floors as explained above
2. Hover over the floor you want to hide
3. Click the eye icon
   

To show a hidden floor:

1. Go to Floors as explained above
2. Hover over the floor you want to show
3. Click the crossed eye icon
   

Show/Hide IFC Models

When using federated models where model data is split into several IFC files you can decide which models to show simultaneously.

To hide an IFC model:

1. Go to the Model Tree as explained above
2. Click the eye icon next to the model
   

To show the model again:

1. Click the crossed eye icon
   

Reset View to Show All Elements

You can reveal all elements that have been hidden, whether by entity types or individually as elements. To do so:

1. Click the eye icon
2. Click Reset hidden
   

Show/Hide Occluded Pins

Ticket pins that are covered by walls and other elements are of course not visible. However, you can still display all ticket pins, including those that are covered. See Tickets BIM View > Show/Hide Occluded Pins.

Measurement Tool

Use the measurement tool to measure distances, angles and areas. Read more in Work with the Measurements Tool.

Section Planes & Section Boxes

The section plane and section box tools allow you to cut through the model for a more detailed view. These features are essential for inspecting interior elements and facilitate measuring and ticket creation within models. Read more in Work with Section Planes & Section Boxes.

Tickets in BIM Models

Using the BIM viewer, you can create and view tickets within BIM models. Read more in Tickets BIM View.