Overview
You can now link your Visibuild locations to an IFC model and see the progress of your Visis on the model in 3D.
When a location is linked to a level or room in the model, Visibuild colours that part of the model by how complete its Visis are. The model appears beside your Visi list, on the location page, on the location Overview tab and on the project dashboard.
Linking does not change your location tree. Your locations keep their names, structure and Visis. Each linked location simply knows where it sits in the building.
Before you start
Requirement | Details |
File format |
|
File size | Up to 2GB per file. |
Model contents | The model needs levels (IfcBuildingStorey) and rooms (IfcSpace). Visibuild links locations to these. |
Access | You need admin access to the project to upload a model and link locations. Anyone who can see a location can view its model. |
Browser | A desktop computer with an up-to-date Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox. |
An architectural model is the best place to start. It usually holds clearly named rooms and levels, and it is smaller than a full federated model.
Upload a model
Go to Project settings and open Locations.
Choose the location the model represents, such as the building or tower. The model is linked to this location, and the file name appears in its Linked to column.
Upload your IFC file.
Wait while Visibuild prepares the model. Most models are ready in a few minutes. Large models can take 10 minutes or more.
When the model is ready, the model panel opens and Visibuild shows its suggested links. Continue to the next section to review them.
Upload one model per building. If your project has several buildings, link each model to its own building location.
Link locations to the model
Visibuild suggests a link for each location that matches a level or room in the model. Review the suggestions, change any that are wrong, then publish.
Check each suggested link in the location list. Keep it, or remove it if it is wrong.
To change a link, pick a different level or room from the dropdown on that location.
If the model has a room that is missing from your tree, create the location from the same screen.
Use Linked and Not linked to highlight the rooms in the model that still need a link. These only change what the model shows. The location list stays the same.
Select Publish to save your links.
You can come back to Project settings > Locations at any time to link or unlink a location.
Not every location needs a link. Locations such as programme stages, trades or a defects group do not exist in the model, so leave them unlinked.
Tips for better matches
Suggestions are based on names. They work best when room names in the model match your location names, for example "L02.173 Ward Bedroom" in both. If your model numbers rooms differently from your tree, expect to set more links by hand.
See progress on the model
Where | What you see |
Visi list and location page | Switch to split view to see the list and the model side by side. In table view, a small preview of the model sits in the bottom right corner. Select it to open split view. |
Location Overview tab | The model for that location, coloured by progress. |
Project dashboard | A model widget showing progress across the project. |
The model follows the location you are in. On a building you see the whole building. On a level you see that level and its rooms.
What the colours mean
Each linked level and room is coloured by the progress of its Visis. Progress is shown in six bands, from 0% (not started) through 1–19%, 20–39%, 40–59% and 60–79% to 80–100%. The legend in the viewer shows the colour for each band.
Spotted areas have no data. No Visis match that location or your current filters.
The model uses the same filters as your Visi list. Filter by template, company or due date and the colours update to match.
Move around the model
Hover over a level or room to see its progress.
Click a level or room to open its location card, then select Go to location.
Select Back in the top left of the viewer to return to the location you came from.
Click a location that is not linked to see more. Project admins see Link in project setup. Other users see Zoom to.
Simple and Detailed views
Switch between the two views with the toggle in the viewer.
Simple shows each level as a plate and each room as a block. It loads quickly on any model and makes progress easy to read across a whole building.
Detailed shows the full model geometry. Levels below the one you are on show in x-ray so you keep your bearings, and you can slice the model to look inside. Use it when you need to see the actual building.
Use filters with the model
Filters are the most useful way to work with the model. The model uses the same filters as your Visi list. When you filter the list, the model recolours to show progress for only the Visis that match, so you see exactly where a specific piece of work is up to across the building.
Open the Visi list in split view and set your filters. The model updates as you change them.
Questions you can answer with filters
Question | Filter by |
How far through is one subcontractor on each level? | Company |
Where is a particular inspection up to, such as a waterproofing ITP? | Template |
Which areas have work due this week, or overdue? | Due date |
Where are inspections up to, without defects mixed in? | Visi type |
Combine filters for a sharper answer. For example, filter by the waterproofing company and the waterproofing ITP template to see which wet areas are complete, which are part way and which have not started.
Spotted areas matter when you filter. They show where no matching Visis exist yet, which often means that work has not been raised in Visibuild.
Use a filtered model in site meetings and subcontractor walk-throughs to show what is left on each level.
Large models
Large models, especially federated models that combine every discipline, take longer to prepare and are heavy to open in a browser. Visibuild handles them in three ways.
Preparation runs in the background. After upload, Visibuild prepares the model. A large model can take 10 minutes or more. You can leave the page while this happens.
Simple view works on every model. Visibuild builds a Simple version of every model when you upload it. It loads quickly however large the original file is, so use Simple view to check progress on large models.
Detailed view of a large model loads on request. For models over 200 MB, Detailed view does not open by default. You see a warning that the model is large and may slow down your browser, and you choose whether to load it. A progress bar shows how much of the model has loaded.
Warnings and messages
Message | What it means | What to do |
This model is large | The file is over 200 MB. Detailed view may take a while to load and can slow down your browser. | Use Simple view, or load Detailed view on a desktop computer with other tabs closed. |
File is too large | The file is over the 2 GB upload limit. | Export a smaller model. See the tips below. |
The model could not be prepared | Visibuild could not read or process the file. | Check the file opens in an IFC viewer, re-export it, and upload again. If it still fails, contact support. |
No suggested links | Visibuild found no rooms or levels that match your location names. | Check the model contains rooms (IfcSpace) and that their names are close to your location names. Link locations by hand if needed. |
Tips for large models
Upload the architectural model rather than the full federated model. It holds the rooms and levels you need to link, at a fraction of the size.
Export only the building or zone you need. Split a large site into one model per building.
Leave out detail that does not help linking, such as furniture, fittings and site surrounds.
Open Detailed view on a desktop computer with a dedicated graphics card where possible.
FAQs
Does linking change my location tree? No. Your locations, their names and their Visis stay as they are. You can still add, rename and move locations as normal.
Which model formats are supported? IFC only. If you work in Revit, Tekla, ArchiCAD or Navisworks, export to IFC before you upload.
Why is part of the model spotted? No Visis match that level or room, either because none exist yet or because your current filters exclude them.
Why does a room have no colour? The room is not linked to a location. A project admin can link it in Project settings > Locations.
Who can see the model? Anyone who can see a location can see its model. Only project admins can upload models and change links.