Showing the Project navigation palette

The Project navigation palette gives you an overview of the data structure of the current project and its specialist models. By using the MODELS and BUILDING STRUCTURE areas in this palette, you control which objects are visible in full view. As the settings in these two areas overlap, BIM Explorer displays only objects that are visible in both areas.

In addition, you can use the MODELS area to make models or their subordinate object types transparent.

To show or hide the Project navigation palette

• Go to the left sidebar and click Show project details.

  You can see the Project navigation palette on the left side.

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Defining visibility and transparency across specialist models and object classes

You can use the MODELS area of the Project navigation palette to make the specialist models and the object classes in these models visible, invisible or transparent. You can define this setting for an entire specialist model or for each individual object class in this model.

To define visibility and transparency at model level

• Go to the required specialist model in the MODELS area and click Toggle visibility or Toggle opacity.
  
  Or:
  
  
• Go to the MODELS area and open the tree structure for the required specialist model so that you can see the object classes. Go to the required object class and click Toggle visibility or Toggle opacity.

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Defining visibility settings by means of the structural levels of the building structure

The BUILDING STRUCTURE area shows the hierarchical structure of each specialist model in accordance with the Allplan building structure or the specifications for the IFC format with the following levels: site (IFCSite), building (IFCBuilding) and story (IFCBuildingStory).

The Allplan drawing file structure is only available in Allplan. As this structure is defined neither in IFC nor in BIM, you cannot find it in Bimplus either. The same applies to the Allplan layer structure, which has a completely different meaning in BIM and IFC.

To define visibility based on the building structure

1. Go to the BUILDING STRUCTURE area and open the tree structure for the model as far as the required structural level.
   
   

2. Click Toggle visibility to change the objects in the structural levels from visible to invisible or from invisible to visible.

   Note: The visibility settings in the MODELS area override the settings in the BUILDING STRUCTURE area. Consequently, only the objects of the models selected in the “MODELS” area are visible in full view.

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Defining visibility and transparency at object level

To see all components of the building model, you can hide objects that cover these components.

As an alternative, you can isolate objects. This option is particularly useful for complex building models, as you can focus on particular components.

Hiding objects

To hide objects

1. Go to the toolbar under the full view and click Hide objects to select this tool.
   
   
2. Click the objects you want to hide. You can click as many objects as you like.
   
   

3. Click Hide objects again to close this tool.

   The objects you clicked are still hidden.

   Note: To make all objects visible again, click Reset viewport.

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Isolating objects

To isolate objects

1. Click to select the object you want to isolate. To select several objects, select and hold the Ctrl key while clicking the objects.
   
   

2. Go to the toolbar under the full view and click Isolate working objects.

   This makes all other objects transparent so that you can clearly see the selected objects.

   Note: To make all objects visible again, click Isolate working objects again to close this tool.

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Creating horizontal sections and vertical sections through the building model

You can create sections through the building model. These sections are parallel to the x, y or z-plane. If you want, you can move the cutting plane so that it is perpendicular to the x, y or z-plane.

 To create a section through the building model

1. Go to the toolbar under the full view and click Section of model. Select the cutting plane you want to use. You can choose between X, Y and Z.

   Note: To turn off the section, click Section of model again.

2. If you want to move the cutting plane:
   Click to select the cutting plane and move it by dragging or by using the wheel button.

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