The section named Lidar elements contains all detected or modelized elements in VisionLidar which will be used to generate the IFC file. There are four different element categories:
- Clusters reads the list of detected clusters in the project (see Menu: Analyze / Clusters). All clusters will appear as a list in the table. By selecting a cluster, it's name and dimensions appear in the right par of the window. It's possible to filter the list of clusters by inscribing a part of the name in the filter text box and by clicking on the filter icon. This way, only the clusters containing this string of text in their name will be shown in the list. When an element is created by a cluster, it will be the cluster's bounding box which will be exported as geometry. If multiple clusters are selected for addition, each cluster will have it's own dimensions and not those displayed in the properties section of the window, which only displays the properties of a single cluster at a time.
- Polylines loads a PLN file created using VisionLidar's polyline creation tool (see Menu: Survey / Polylines). The name associated to the object in the list is the number of the polyline. This polyline represents the base of the element; it will therefore be necessary to specify the height for certain elements to be correctly inserted in the IFC file, such as for walls and windows. If many polylines are selected, they will all have the same height but will conserve their respective positions.
- Sections loads a CSV file created using VisionLidar's surface by section tool which is a tool that can create building outlines and surfaces (see Menu: Analyze / Surface by Sections). Each section will be named by it's height, and each section represents a closed polyline that can be used as a base polygon for different types of elements.
- Surfaces reads the list of surfaces in the project (see Explorer / Objects tab / Surfaces). Surfaces allow the user to generate a digital terrain model (DTM) for a site or to create elements by facade by inscribing a thickness instead of a height.
The different categories of elements allow the user to create elements in the IFC file by using the + button. The elements will be added according to the type selected in the properties section of the window and will be added to the selected element in the file tree at the top of the window. It's possible to undo and/or redo the last performed action if any correction is needed; however, only one undo is currently supported.
Here are the different types of elements that can be created:
Menu: BIM / Building modeling
This tool creates Industry Foundation Classes files (IFC) that will be able to be imported to Building Information Modeling (BIM) software such as Revit, CYPECAD and ARCHICAD. An IFC file is created or an existing file is opened and elements from the point cloud can be integrated into the file. Types of elements currently available are clusters, sections, polylines and surfaces.
The interface is separated in two distinct sections; the top section concerns the IFC file and elements being added to the file whereas the bottom section represents elements extracted from the point cloud which can be added to the file.
To create a new file, select a folder and enter in the file name - this will create a new IFC file. It's also possible to open an existing IFC file, as long as the elements contained in the file are supported by VisionLidar. Once the file is loaded, these elements appear in the folder tree under IFC element. If it's a new file, the project will automatically be named "New project" and a site named "Site" containing the project coordinates will be created. If the file contains more than one project, only the first project will be read by the interface.
To add new elements in the IFC file, it's necessary to first select an IFC element where all lidar elements will be inserted. A project can only contain sites, but a site can contain most of the elements that are supported. For the IFC file to work well in other software, we suggest to place the building on the site, the storeys on the building, the floors/ceilings/walls on a storey and the windows on the floors/ceilings/walls. This is not an official format, however this is the format most often used in the majority of BIM software. It is possible to create a wall on a site without a building or a storey, for example, and the majority of software capable of visualizing IFC files will load it correctly.
- Name: Shows the name of the selected element. It is possible to modify and save the name in the IFC file using the save button.
- Type: Indicates the type for the selected element.
- ID: Displays the unique ID number for the selected element.
- #: Displays the line number in the IFC file. To open the IFC file with a text editor and go to the specified line would display the definition of the selected element.
Modeling
This module is the new way to modelize your building. Following the hierarchical structure of an IFC, you will be able to generate a 3D model that can be exported to "ReCap" or "IFC".
To modelize your building you need first to set the "Bounding box":
- Modify: You let you move (by clicking the axis bars) and change the size (by clicking on the arrow of the axis bars) of the bounding box.
- Position: Let you choose between "Pick center", "Pick 2 points" or "Pick 3 points" to place the bounding box in your point cloud.
- Show: To display the bounding box on screen.
- Hide out: Allows you to hide or not, the points of the point cloud outside the bounding box.
Then you will click on 
to set the parameters by default. This will determine the value by default when creating the corresponding object.
"Force opening wall" will create by default an opening in a wall when you are inserting an object (Windows or doors) of the same dimension as the object inserted.
"Height of level" will be determined automatically by the module when you create your levels, therefore there is no need to preset
"Draw solid objects" works the same as the "wireframe model" option in "View" and let you choose to see either the outlines of the objects only or to draw all the surfaces of the objects
"Sections Opacity" & "Opacity for solid" let you adjust the transparency level of those elements
To modelize your building you have access, by righ clicking, to:
- Sections vertical: Create vertical section. Can help you see better each level of your building.
- Levels: Add level to your 3d model.
- Level: Gives you the possibility to copy a level in top of having access to the options to add objects in your BIM
- Walls: Create multiple walls or join two walls together or delete them.
- Wall: Gives you access to the contextual menu to insert objects within the selected wall or change/invert the direction of the wall.
- Door/Window: Let you change/invert the direction of the selected object. Note that "Doors/Windows" let you delete by batch only.
- Slabs: Let you create floor or ceiling for each level. Note that by creating your floor first, the software will ask you if you want to automatically draw the walls from it.
- Columns: Create colomn object in your project.
- Opening Groups: Let you preset objects dimensions (Door, Window & Opening) to automatically insert them with the proper dimension and position instead of manually.
- Pick inside or outside: To let know the software which way to draw the thickness of the object.
- Object properties: List of the differents informations about a selected object.
- Load: Load your BIM (.JSON) previously saved.
- Save: Save your BIM as a .JSON file in the directory of the project.
- Export to ReCap: Allows youy to share your cut in ReCap format.
- Export to IFC: Save your BIM in .IFC format
- From IFC: Allows you to import an .IFC to VisionLidar. It can be use to automatically populate your "Opening Groups" so you don't have to recreate them for each project you do.
- Close: Close the BIM module
| Deleted all objects (including level) in your BIM |
|---|---|
| To identify within the list the selected object in the point cloud |
| Turn on/off the display of the points within the walls (max. 8 walls) |
