Overview
The benefits of using 3D models in construction are multitude; they allow for better visualization, early identification of potential problems, improved communication between teams, and more accurate cost estimations, ultimately leading to a more efficient and streamlined building process.
Fieldwire's 3D models tab includes several ways to interact with your 3D models, such as filtering for specific types of items to display when you're viewing the model, combining all of the models in your project into one view, or interacting with each 3D model separately. We continue to evolve this feature, so your feedback is appreciated!
Table of Contents
- Object Tree (Eyeball Icon)
- Home Button
- Orbit and Walk Tools
- The Navigation Cube
- The Sides of the Navigation Cube
- Help Icon
The Federated and Tiled Views
By default, your 3D models will appear as one single model for you to view and interact with. This is called the "federated view", and you can toggle between this and the tiled view via the cube icon in the upper right corner of your screen.
When you first select the federated view, it may take a few moments for the system to collate the models. Here's an example of how it looks:
The tiled view provides a way to see and interact with each 3D model you've uploaded, independent from each other. Click on a specific 3D model to open it and utilize the tools detailed below, or organize the 3D models into separate folders as needed with the "New folder" option in the top left. You can upload new 3D models in both views.
Object Tree (Eyeball Icon)
The object tree is an interactive hierarchy that comes from the IFC file itself. It is a hierarchal list of all of the objects contained in the model organized in two ways: by 'Story' or by 'Class'. You can easily toggle objects to show or hide ones in certain areas (stories) or of certain types (classes). This will help you to find the objects and information about them more quickly. For example, if you have a 20 story building and only need to see the doors on the 5th floor, or only all of the pipes and fittings, you can easily hide the rest of the model to locate these objects.
Home Button
The 'Home' option will return you to the 'Default View'. This will expose any objects that were previously hidden, and unselect anything you had previously selected.
Choosing the 'Home' option is the best way to return to where you started:
Orbit and Walk Tools
The Orbit tool is the default, but you can click on the button to change it to the Walk (looks like two footprints) tool.
Note: Only 1 tool can be selected at a time.
The Orbit Tool
Selecting the Orbit Tool allows a user to click anywhere on the model and drag to rotate the model.
To Rotate:
|
Mouse |
Trackpad |
|
Left Click + Drag (Up/Down/Left/Right) |
Press + Drag w/ 1 finger (Up/Down/Left/Right) |
To Pan:
|
Mouse |
Trackpad |
|
r Or Shift Key + Left Click & Drag (Up/Down/Left/Right) |
Right Click & Drag Or Shift Key + Drag w/ 1 finger (Up/Down/Left/Right) |
To Zoom In/Out:
|
Mouse |
Trackpad |
|
Scroll Mouse Wheel Up/Down |
Swipe w/ 2 Fingers Up/Down |
The camera will zoom to wherever your cursor is located, and you can also use the "+" and "-" options to zoom in and out of models incrementally.
The Walk Tool
Selecting the Walk tool lets you navigate through the model through a point-of-view mode by clicking and dragging towards the direction of your choice.
To Look around:
| Mouse | Trackpad | Keyboard |
| Left Click + Drag (Up, Down, Left, Right) | Press + Drag w/ 1 finger (Up, Down, Left, Right) | Use the arrow keys (Up, Down, Left, Right) |
To Pan:
| Mouse | Trackpad | Keyboard |
| Right Click & Drag (Up/Down/Left/Right) | Right Click + Drag w/ 1 finger (Up,Down, Left, Right) | Select 'A' or 'D' to move left or right. |
To Walk In/Out or Left/Right of the model:
| Mouse | Trackpad | Keyboard |
|
Scroll Wheel Click + Drag: Up/Down to go In/Out Left/Right to go Left/Right |
Swipe w/ 2 Fingers Up/Down: Up/Down to go In/Out |
Use the 'W and 'S' keys to go In/Out. |
To Zoom In/Out:
| Mouse | Trackpad |
| Scroll Mouse Wheel Up/Down | Swipe w/ 2 Fingers Up/Down |
The camera will zoom to wherever your cursor is located:
The Navigation Cube
The navigation cube in the bottom-right corner is another way to view different areas of your model.
The cube will function differently depending on the tool (orbit or walk) you have selected.
The Navigation Cube and the Orbit Tool
The model will rotate whenever you use the navigation cube while the 'Orbit' tool is selected.
|
Mouse |
Trackpad |
|
Left Click + Drag (Up/Down/Left/Right) |
Press + Drag w/ 1 finger (Up/Down/Left/Right) |
The Navigation Cube and the Walk Tool
Whenever you use the navigation cube while the 'Walk' tool is selected, you can shift perspectives within the model.
|
Mouse |
Trackpad |
|
Left Click + Drag (Up/Down/Left/Right) |
Press + Drag w/ 1 finger (Up/Down/Left/Right) |
The Sides of the Navigation Cube
If you click on a side of the navigation cube, the model will always reorient to display the selected side, regardless of whether you have the 'Orbit' or 'Walk' tool selected:
You can also select the top and bottom, as well as the corners of the cube to re-orient the view:
The Federated View
By default, your 3D models will appear in separate and distinct tiles in the 3D models tab. However, clicking the cube in the upper right corner of the screen will combine all of the 3D models on your project into one single model for you to view.
When you first select the federated view, it may take a few moments for the system to collate the models. Here's an example of how it looks:
Help Icon
If you need to review the navigation controls for the BIM Viewer, choose the Help icon at the bottom of the navigation tools.
To return to the BIM Viewer, click the 'Esc' key, choose the 'x' in the top-right corner of the pop-up, or click the blue "Close" button: