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BIMKEEPER
INTRODUCTION AND MANUAL
Using Building Information Modeling to successfully manage
real-estate
INTRODUCTION TO BIM
Page 1
Contents
Introduction to BIM ___________________________________________________________________________ 2
BIM and IFC ___________________________________________________________________________________ 3
Account management ________________________________________________________________________ 4
Role Types ____________________________________________________________________________4
Creating a new user___________________________________________________________________4
Managing complexes _________________________________________________________________________ 6
Navigating to a complex ______________________________________________________________6
Creating a new complex ______________________________________________________________7
Complex detail page __________________________________________________________________8
Units __________________________________________________________________________________9
Uploading IFCs ______________________________________________________________________________ 10
Conversion__________________________________________________________________________ 12
Setting a model as default __________________________________________________________ 12
Multiple selection and element export______________________________________________ 19
Adding documentation _____________________________________________________________ 20
Management________________________________________________________________________________ 22
INTRODUCTION TO BIM
Page 2
Introduction to BIM
This document provides a brief description of the visualization and building
information module of BIMkeeper. BIMkeeper is a larger software suit containing a
fully web-based system for managing real-estate. BIMkeeper offers full integration
with Building Information Models (BIM), 3D digital information models representing
real estate or other physical infrastructure.
Using Building Information Modeling offers many business benefits, including but not
limited to: improved collaboration, a more rapid and productive drafting process, error
and conflict reduction during development, and of course numerous visualization
capabilities. BIMkeeper emphasizes and adds to these benefits, providing powerful
tools for visualizing data, connecting, and sharing data relevant to the Building
Information Model. For example, linking condition reports, preparation and set-up of
long term maintenance plans, visualization of sensor readings, and linking and storage
of relevant documents.
BIMkeeper is a fully web-based platform, no client software is required, just a WebGL-
compatible browser and device. The platform provides easy search functions,
integration with maps or street view, and the ability to share data (with e.g. just a
hyperlink). This very much eases accessibility of the BIM models and the ability to share
information about them.
Screenshot of BIMkeeper
BIM AND IFC
Page 3
BIM and IFC
Building Information Models contain 3D geometry, measurements, physical properties,
materials, connections, and many other relevant building data. These models are often
created by professionals, like architects and specialized offices such as FIMBLE. This is
achieved with advanced computer-aided design (CAD) software such as Autodesk
Revit or Graphisoft ARCHICAD. The internal BIM file formats of these software
applications are often proprietary, but most offer the possibility to export the models
into the IFC format. IFC stands for Industry Foundation Classes, an open (ISO 16739)
exchange format for Building Information Models. BIMkeeper works with IFC files, so it
does not matter in which application the modeling is conducted.
Naturally, the level of information, detail, performance and quality of the model
provided in BIMkeeper entirely depends on the modeling process and/or IFC export
options in the used modeling software. For use with long term maintenance plants,
providing proper measurements (dimensions, areas) and classifications of elements is
absolutely required.
BIMkeeper has implemented many optimizations to be able quickly load and render
large models (including large complexes and IFCs of several hundred MBs). It is one of
the fastest web-based viewers available. Still, for smooth performance in WebGL and
not to exceed browser memory limits, care must be taken not to export too much
detailed geometry.
The terms IFC models and BIM models are used interchangeably in this document.
ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT
Page 4
Account management
ROLE TYPES
There are three user-roles relevant to BIMkeeper:
• Standard user – user with just the rights to read (viewing IFC models,
information of complexes and relevant data/files)
• Manager – user with rights to read, add, change or delete Complexes, IFC
models, and relevant data
• Administrator – user with all manager rights, plus the ability to create new
users, managers, or administrators
Additionally, for standard users it is possible to set whether they may view all files, or
only files in folders marked as public.
CREATING A NEW USER
To create a new user, first log in with an administrator account. Next:
- Go to the “Admin” menu item
- Click on “Users”
- Click on the “Create new user” button
Page for creating a new user
ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT
Page 5
Here you can enter the necessary data. A username, password, name, and role are
required. When finished, click “Save”. The user should then be able to log in with the
provided credentials.
MANAGING COMPLEXES
Page 6
Managing complexes
To use Building Information Models in BIMkeeper, it is first necessary to navigate to, or
create a complex. Although we use the word “complex”, “building”, “asset” or “project”
also fits the description.
NAVIGATING TO A COMPLEX
When you log in to BIMkeeper, the first thing you will see is an overview of complexes,
and a search box. You can search for complexes by their name, address, city, or the
name of an IFC model (if available). The result page will show you some basic
information about the complex (thumbnail, name, address, whether it’s a HOA, if there
is a BIM model available). By clicking on a row, you can navigate to the complex.
There are two other ways to browse complexes in BIMkeeper:
- The “My Complexes” tabs shows an overview of complexes (tiles) that are
specifically linked to your BIMkeeper account. This can be used to easily access
complexes you often work with.
- “Search on the map” offers an advanced search and filter functionality. It
presents all assets on the map matching specific criteria (energy labels,
construction years, square meters, any many more) visually on the map.
Searching for complexes
MANAGING COMPLEXES
Page 7
CREATING A NEW COMPLEX
To create a complex, click on the “Create complex/building” button on the first search
screen:
Next, you will need to enter the required information about the complex (name and
address):
Click on “Save” to finalize the creation of a complex.
MANAGING COMPLEXES
Page 8
COMPLEX DETAIL PAGE
The detail page of the complex provides, at a glance, a visual overview of its location,
appearance and relevant information.
- On the top left, the location and outline of the complex is shown on a map
(OpenStreetMap). In this example, we use information from the Dutch cadaster
(BAG) to draw the building outlines. But we can also link with other sources.
- On the top right, you can use an interactive Google Street View pane.
- On the left side, you can view and/or upload a photo for the complex.
- Below the photo, there is a button to directly open the IFC model. It will be
shown if there is a single IFC model in the complex, or in case of multiple, the
one specifically set as the default.
The Complex detail page
MANAGING COMPLEXES
Page 9
- Tabs provide different functions and information about the complex:
o The BIM tab allows you to view and manage the IFCs for the complex
o The 3D-related tab shows information linked to specific building
elements
o The files tab lets you download and manage all files/documents relevant
to the complex
o The “Units” tab is shown if there are units in the complex. You can
manage them here and view their location on street view and the map.
UNITS
A complex may contain zero, one, or multiple units. Units can be thought of
apartments, houses or rentable spaces. Or if the complex is not subdivisible (for
example, a church), you can define a single unit for the complex itself.
In BIMkeeper, lots of information can be connected to a unit, including:
- The type of unit (apartment, house, garage)
- The address
- Information about the occupant (including renting contracts or HOA
membership info)
- Many relating properties such as energy label, construction year, value, number
of rooms, etc.
It is not necessary to define units to upload an IFC model. However, they are very
essential objects in BIMkeeper in order to connect building information to. This
information, can among other things, be used to show information in the viewer. Like
whether a space is rented or not, and if yes, by whom. It also allows you to filter assets
on a map based on select criteria. For example, to visually present all assets with a low
(D-) energy label built after 1990.
UPLOADING IFCS
Page 10
Uploading IFCs
To upload an IFC, a BIM project has to be created first. A BIM project can consist of
multiple BIM models (IFCs). It is possible to combine multiple IFC files in the view.
To start, first go to the BIM tab. Next, click on “Add new BIM project”:
If there already is a BIM project, click on the “Edit” icon:
Next, you will see the create/edit page for the BIM project:
UPLOADING IFCS
Page 11
First, enter the name of the BIM project if not already present. Below, you can drop one
or additional IFC files. After adding the IFC file, click on “OK” to assign it as a new
model.
It is also possible to assign an IFC file as a new version of an existing one.
We strongly recommend uploading the accompanying Revit file (if available) alongside
the IFC model. You can do this by dropping the file as well, add adding it as a “source
file”.
When done, click on the “OK” button below. The model will automatically start
conversion.
UPLOADING IFCS
Page 12
SETTING A BIM PROJECT AS DEFAULT
If you uploaded more than one project, it is a good idea to set one as default. To do
this, click on the “Edit” (pencil) icon next to the project. Then, click on the “Set as
default project” checkbox, and press “OK”:
CONVERSION
Before the IFC model is accessible in the viewer, it will have to be converted to a
format suitable for WebGL. This process can take a while. Models that have not yet
been converted will be shown with an hourglass icon, and will show the progress.
Models of which the conversion is finished will have a check mark and a “3D” button to
access the viewer.
UPLOADING IFCS
Page 13
After loading a model in the viewer, you will be presented with a 3D view of the model
(1), and a left (2) and right (3) pane.
- You can navigate and zoom in the 3D view (1) with a mouse or touch controls.
o To center the camera on an object, click on it with the mouse
o To rotate the view, hold and move the left mouse button
o To pan the view, hold and move the right mouse button
o To zoom in, you can use the scroll wheel, or hold and move the middle
mouse button
- The left pane (2) represents the selection of visible elements in the building.
Here you can select and navigate to elements, or turn them on or off. You can
do this in four different ways:
o The first tab (“Structure”) lists all floors of a building and allows you to
turn them on or off. For example, when you only want to view a specific
floor of a building.
UPLOADING IFCS
Page 14
o The second tab (“Elements”)
shows a list of elements
categorized by their element
type. There can be multiple
levels of element types, and
you can turn them on or off
by level. To hide all elements
except a specific category,
right click and select “Hide
others”. You can do this for a
main category (“Glass”), or a
subcategory (all glass with a
specific brand or dimension).
o The third tab (“Classification”) is similar to the previous tab, but instead
categorizes elements by their classification. For example, the NL/SfB
standard.
o The third tab (“Zones”) shows elements grouped by Zones and Groups, if
this data is defined in the IFC. These represent collections of elements
and/or spaces. For example, all spaces belonging to a specific apartment
can be grouped to a zone.
- The right pane (3) shows information specific to the currently selected
element(s). This consists of the name, its type/IFC class, classification and
measurements. The number of elements with the same type, IFC class, or
classification is visible on the right. By clicking “Show more”, you can even view
additional information, such as the unique id and all properties defined in the
IFC. When having multiple elements selected, only information common to the
selection is shown.
- At the bottom of the right pane (4) is the documentation panel. This shows
additional information (text, hyperlinks, files) connected to the specific element.
For example, an operating manual for a boiler. This additional information
Building with only two floors enabled
Building with only elements of type doors and
glass enabled
UPLOADING IFCS
Page 15
comes from the BIMkeeper database, not the IFC. You can add documentation
using the “Add…” button. We will explain this feature in the next section.
- The toolbar (5) contains some useful tools and advanced functionality:
The “Separate floors” slider pulls floors
apart, so that it becomes easy to look
into the building. This is similar to
getting a view into the floors by
turning them on or off.
The “Spaces” icon toggles spaces on
or off. This allows you to view, select
and link information to spaces.
UPLOADING IFCS
Page 16
The “eye” icon is used for showing and
hiding elements, and making them
transparent. This menu can also be
accessed by right clicking an
element (in the viewer or left
sidebar.)
“Show all” resets the visibility of all
elements.
“Hide” just hides this element.
“Hide others” hides all elements except
this element.
Next, it is possible to show only
elements with the same IFC class, main
type, or sub type as the selected
element.
Similar to hiding elements, it is also
possible to make an element (or other
elements) transparent.
The “Look at” button centers the
camera to the specific element (this is
useful when working from the left
sidebar).
The crosshair icon switches to first
person camera mode. This allows you
to linearly move (fly) through a
building. You can look by moving the
mouse, and move by pressing the
WASD or arrow keys. You can exit first
person mode by pressing Esc.
UPLOADING IFCS
Page 17
The viewpoint menu is used to switch
to and manage viewpoints. A
viewpoint stores your current view
(position, rotation) and element
selection.
“Create hyperlink” creates a sharable
link with your current viewpoint. This
can be for example given to an
installer or contractor, so he can see
what element needs to be repaired,
with all relevant information at hand.
“Save viewpoint” opens a dialog to
save the viewpoint in the database,
together with a screenshot. It is
possible to mark a viewpoint as
default, so it will be opened when the
model is loaded.
Next, a list of viewpoints for the
current model is shown. Switch to the
viewpoint by clicking it. You can also
edit or remove them using the two
icons on the right.
The sectioning tool can make a cross
section of a building, to view the
insides at a specific position and
angle.
To use the tool, first select a side of an
element to start sectioning (for
example, a side of a wall or a side of a
roof). This decide the initial position
and axis of the sectioning plane.
You can move the sectioning plane by
dragging the on-screen arrows (red,
green, blue).
By clicking “Rotation”, you can rotate
the sectioning plane to another angle.
UPLOADING IFCS
Page 18
Click on “Translate” to be able to move
the sectioning plane again.
You can lock the sectioning in-place
by clicking the sectioning lock icon.
To stop sectioning, press the
sectioning button again.
The view settings menu allows you to
tweak some display options in the
viewer, such as lighting, background
color and wireframes.
UPLOADING IFCS
Page 19
The “Add objects…” button allows to
dynamically add additional objects
(furniture) to the current model. To use
it, first select a surface to add an
object to.
These objects can then be moved,
resized and rotated. It is intended to
allow you to “furnish” your own home.
For this function to work, the objects
(in fact, IFCs) must be uploaded to
BIMkeeper, and marked as
dynamically placeable.
This functionality is currently
experimental, furnishing
configurations cannot be saved yet.
MULTIPLE SELECTION AND ELEMENT EXPORT
It is possible to select multiple objects in the viewer, and to export the information of
the selection to a CSV spreadsheet.
To select multiple elements, hold the Ctrl key while selecting elements with the left
mouse button in the 3D view. Keep holding the Ctrl key to add to the selection. It is
also possible to select multiple elements by clicking a floor, element type, classification
or zone in the left panel. In that case, all elements with the same floor, type,
classification or zone will be selected.
To export the selection, click “Export selection (x elements) to CSV” in the right sidebar.
UPLOADING IFCS
Page 20
Element export
ADDING 3D-RELATED DATA
By clicking “Add..” (4), you can add documentation related to a BIM model. Next, a
dialog will be presented:
First, enter a short title for the added information. For example, “Technical manuals”.
UPLOADING IFCS
Page 21
Next, you will need to decide on which level the element connects to:
The possible ways to connect an element are:
- Only this specific element
- To the specific main- or subtype indicated by the architect
- The IFC class of the element
- If available, the classification code. For example, NL-SfB (Dutch), but others are
supported as well
- The floor of the element
- Or, the entire complex
Next, you can either add free text (including an URL/link), or upload file(s).
Finally, you can decide under which tab to put the added information, or create a new
tab. This tab will be a subtab under “3D-related” on the complex detail page. You can
add as many as you want.
Added information can be accessed in two ways. Firstly, clicking an element in the
viewer will show the information that is connected to it, in the bottom right toolbar (4).
Added installation manuals to an element
MANAGEMENT
Page 22
It is also possible to view all added 3D-related information on the complex details
page, under the “3D-related” tab.
Management
The management part of BIMkeeper possesses a huge amount of functions to manage
buildings, houses and homeownership associations. This allows the whole
administration-cycle to be managed. Imagine, all the documents about buildings,
condition measurements, multi-year maintenance plans, quotation projects, work in
progress, invoices, etcetera. Below, you will find an explanation about them in a
nutshell.
All stakeholders have a role in the system (chain-immigration). For example, renters,
members of a homeowners’ association, administrators, notaries, contractors, debt
collectors etc. Transparency, digitization and full process-control are core concepts of
the system.
To illustrate an example:
● According to the multi-year maintenance plan, it seems that in 2018, the
roofing felt must be replaced.
● The roof will first be inspected, while the costs will be discussed in a later
meeting. Maintenance activities will automatically be added to the agenda one
year in advance (at a HOA, the general members meeting).
● If the owners decide to replace the roof felt, the concerning finances will
be discussed with them.
● An administrator gets an assignment to request a quotation (digitally,
from BIMkeeper), as a result of a decision in a meeting.
● Quotations will be digitally requested from the roofers.
MANAGEMENT
Page 23
● In consultation with the owner(s), the work will be awarded and the
work-assignment provided.
● The roofer will receive mail, declaring the “contract” and can immediately
request an online invoice. Of course, there is a counter which limits the amount
of invoices that can be declared.
● Communication between the executor and the client is provided
throughout the process.
● There is no need for bookkeeping, because the proper ledger number is
chosen when creating a work assignment.
● Warranty periods are also set, so that the reparation requests can be
checked whether the warranty is still applicable or not.
● The controller who is responsible for the payment, gets insight into all
previous events. That ranges from the meeting, decision-making, and the
quotation until the conclusion.
Also, for other stakeholders, such as owners, directors, audit-committee and
administrators, the data is always accessible to them, and is always up to date.
(Invoices that you shouldn’t have gotten are a thing of the past, because a work
assignment is mandatory, as well as the increasing backlogs, because the dashboards
are always in real-time and provide insight into the processes.) These dashboards are
adaptable and extendable. Dashboards are used for the following sections:
● Financial (debtor, creditor, exceedance, contracts, etc.);
● Technical (open reparation-requests, work in progress, assurance-
matters, etc.);
● Communication (upcoming meetings, state of preparation);
● Administrative (still to be filled information, transfers, etc.).
Interested? Do not hesitate to contact IRP at contact@irp.nl
MANAGEMENT
Page 24
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