Model Viewer II (BETA) - User Guide

IES Virtual Environment 2012

VE 2012 Model Viewer II 1

Contents

1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 2

1.1 Overview .............................................................................................................................2

1.2 Toolbars ..............................................................................................................................2

1.2.1 General Toolbar ........................................................................................................................................... 2

1.2.2 Graphics Toolbar .......................................................................................................................................... 2

1.2.3 Movie Toolbar .............................................................................................................................................. 3

1.2.4 Camera Toolbar ........................................................................................................................................... 3

1.2.5 Sky / Background Toolbar ............................................................................................................................ 4

1.2.6 Solar Toolbar ................................................................................................................................................ 4

1.2.7 Simulex Toolbar ........................................................................................................................................... 5

1.3 Controls ...............................................................................................................................6

1.4 Movie Creation ....................................................................................................................7

1.4.1 Setup ............................................................................................................................................................ 7

1.4.2 Recording ..................................................................................................................................................... 7

1.5 Camera Path Usage ..............................................................................................................8

1.5.1 General ........................................................................................................................................................ 8

1.5.2 Selected Camera .......................................................................................................................................... 8

1.5.3 Options ........................................................................................................................................................ 9

1.5.4 Animation .................................................................................................................................................... 9

1.5.5 Controls........................................................................................................................................................ 9

1.6 Simulex ............................................................................................................................. 10

1.6.1 Overview .................................................................................................................................................... 10

1.6.2 Controls...................................................................................................................................................... 11

1.7 Display Settings ................................................................................................................. 11

1.7.1 Controls...................................................................................................................................................... 11

1.7.2 Options ...................................................................................................................................................... 12

1.7.3 Display ....................................................................................................................................................... 12

2 Known Issues ............................................................................................................................ 13

VE 2012 Model Viewer II 2

1 Introduction

1.1 Overview

The Model Viewer II is the second generation viewer for the Virtual Environment. As with the old model viewer it can be used to view models in 3D using a variety of different display modes. Components, surface colours (by layer, object, or room group) and assigned textures are all visible in the new model viewer.

Over time the old model viewer will be phased out with the new one.

Please Note: The new model viewer is currently a Beta version and as such not all features from the old viewer will be available or identical. The model viewer is provided on an “as is” basis. IES will not be liable for any loss, whether such loss is direct, indirect, special or consequential, suffered by any party as a result of their use of the new model viewer.

Should you encounter any bugs, glitches, lack of functionality, or otherwise, please contact IES Beta support. For a list of known issues please click here.

1.2 Toolbars

1.2.1 General Toolbar

Save Saves an image of the current view to file.

A variety of image formats are supported.

Print Prints an image of the current view.

Copy to Clipboard Copies an image of the current view to the clipboard.

1.2.2 Graphics Toolbar

Open Display Settings

Opens the display settings window. Click here for more information on the settings available.

Toggle Ground Plane

Turns the display of the ground plane on and off. Ground plane is on by default.

Toggle Grid Lines

Turns the display of the grid lines on and off. The grid is displayed in metric, minor lines representing 10cm, major lines representing 1m. Grid lines are off by default.

Toggle Display Options

Clicking the button brings up various display options which can be toggled. These include turning the display of: components, model edges, component edges and room names on or off.

X-Ray View Mode

View the model in X-Ray Mode. This shows the model as semi-transparent white on a black background.

VE 2012 Model Viewer II 3

Hidden Line View Mode

View the model in Hidden Line Mode. This shows the model in an edges only mode. There are two modes: removal - which eliminates hidden edges, and obscured - which shows hidden edges greyed out. In both modes windows can be made opaque if desired. Removal mode and transparent windows are default.

Shaded View Mode

View the model in Shaded Mode. This shows the model in a simple flat colour mode. The colours are determined by the currently selected ‘View > Colour > By …’ option in the VE.

Textured View Mode

View the model in Textured Mode. This shows the model with textures applied. The textures are determined by the user (via the Assign Textures button in ModelIT) or by the surface type defaults.

Component View Mode

View the model in Component Mode. This shows the model as wireframe and all components as shaded. Note: Only available if components have been placed in the model.

1.2.3 Movie Toolbar

Record Video

Opens the Create Video window. Allows the user to record a video of the scene. Click here for more information.

Camera Path

Enters Camera Path mode. Allows the user to create, animate and record camera paths around the model. Click here for more information.

1.2.4 Camera Toolbar

Arcball Camera

Enters Arcball Camera mode. Allows the user to rotate the camera around the model.

Flythrough Camera

Enters Flythrough Camera mode. Allows the user to freely navigate through the scene.

Walkthrough Camera

Enters Walkthrough Camera mode. Allows the user to freely navigate through the scene at the current height.

Camera Position

Clicking the button will reset the camera to its initial position for the current mode. While in Arcball mode, the user can set the camera’s current position using various presets from the dropdown menu.

Goto Room Feature not currently available.

Clicking on the button will move the camera to the room currently selected in the VE.

VE 2012 Model Viewer II 4

1.2.5 Sky / Background Toolbar

Toggle Skybox

Turns the display of the skybox on and off. When enabled the specified sky (from the dropdown) will be displayed in the background. When disabled the specified background colour will be display. Skybox is on by default.

Background Colour

Allows the user to specify the background colour used when the skybox is disabled. White by default.

1.2.6 Solar Toolbar

Toggle Shadows

Turns the real-time shadow display on and off. In this mode the model will be shown with shadows applied. Component shadows can also be toggled on and off independently via the dropdown menu. The sun’s position (and so the shadows) can be modified using the date and time controls. The shadows can also be animated using various options. See below.

Animate Shadows

Turns the animation of shadows/solar arc on and off. There are various animations which can be used via the dropdown menu. These include: Time (daylight hours) - animates through the hours the sun is up for the specified day. Time (24 hours) - animates through all hours for the specified day. Days - animates through all days in the specified month at the specified time. Months - animates through all months in the year using the specified day and time. Days of Year - animates through all days in the year at the time specified.

Toggle Solar Arc

Turns the display of the Solar Arc on and off. The solar arc displays several pieces of information, including: site orientation (by the use of the compass), sun position (azimuth, altitude, and time), solar path (the arc) and sun rise/set times. The summer/winter solstices and autumn equinox can also be displayed via the dropdown menu. The solar arc can also be animated. See above.

VE 2012 Model Viewer II 5

Date & Time Selection

The date and time controls allow the user to modify the sun position for shadow and solar arc display. The date/time can be modified using the popup calendar, sliders and spin boxes.

1.2.7 Simulex Toolbar

Simulex Clicking the icon brings up 3 options:

Open Project - allows the user to load a Simulex Project file (.spj) into the viewer. Load Simulation - allows the user to open a Simulex Results file (.slx) into the viewer. Close Project - closes the currently opened project (and simulation file).

Playback Controls

Allows the user to Play, Pause and Stop simulation playback. While playing, you can also fast-forward / rewind the playback at various speeds, i.e. x1, x2, x5, x10, x20. You can also seek to a specific position using the slider.

Floor Split Controls

When in ‘Floors’ display mode the user can separate the floors in various ways using the controls above. The user can adjust the vertical (Z plane) and horizontal (XY plane) separation of the floors using the first two sets of arrows respectively. The positions can also be reset using the last button. When the floors are fully expanded in any horizontal direction, they can then be flattened to lie on the same vertical plane providing a Plan view of the floors. The Plan view can also be quickly accessed by pressing the reset button when the floors are in their initial positions.

Display Mode Allows the user to select 3 different display modes:

Model - shows your VE model without any Simulex geometry overlaid.

Floors + Wire - shows your VE model in wireframe mode with the Simulex geometry overlaid.

Floors - hides your VE model and displays just the Simulex geometry.

Transparency Options

When displaying the Simulex geometry you can toggle the transparency of the floors and walls.

VE 2012 Model Viewer II 6

1.3 Controls

Below is the list of mouse and keyboard controls used in the new viewer.

What Control Action

Launch Help F1 Press

Arcball Camera

Orbit Left Mouse Button Click + Drag

Pan Middle Mouse Button

-or- Right Mouse Button

Click + Drag

Zoom* Mouse Wheel Scroll

View - -

Reset Keypad 0 (Ins) Press

From SW Keypad 1 (End) Press

From S Keypad 2 (↓) Press

From SE Keypad 3 (PgDn) Press

From W Keypad 4 (←) Press

From Above Keypad 5 Press

From E Keypad 6 (→) Press

From NW Keypad 7 (Home) Press

From N Keypad 8 (↑) Press

From NE Keypad 9 (PgUp) Press

Flythrough/Walkthrough Camera

Look Around Left Mouse Button Click + Drag

Zoom* Mouse Wheel Scroll

Move Forward* W Press/Hold

Strafe Left* A Press/Hold

Move Backward* S Press/Hold

Strafe Right* D Press/Hold

Move Up* E Press/Hold

Move Down* C Press/Hold

Reset View Keypad 0 (Ins) Press

* - Movement speed can be temporarily increased/decreased using the Ctrl and Shift buttons respectively.

VE 2012 Model Viewer II 7

For Camera Path controls click here.

1.4 Movie Creation

The new video recording functionality allows video to be recorded in real-time. This means the user can move about freely while the video capture is going on in the background. Various output formats are supported. Below is a brief guide to using the video recording functionality.

1.4.1 Setup

Upon clicking the ‘Record Video’ button in the Movie toolbar the user will be presented with the Setup window (see above). This allows the user to set the output destination and format. The supported formats are as follows: avi, mpg, mp4 and wmv. The user can then select the video’s output quality by using one of two options: Constant Quality (VBR) or Average Bitrate (CBR). After that the user can select the rate at which the video is recorded and played back. Using the default quality and frame rate settings is recommended.

Note: Changing the video codec used is currently unsupported.

1.4.2 Recording

Once the user clicks OK in the Setup window they will be presented with the Recorder dialog.

This allows the user to start, pause and stop recording video. Once a video has been recorded the user can playback the video and/or delete the video. If the user deletes the video they can start a new recording using the previously specified settings. The record a new video with different settings the user should close the Recorder window and go through the previously mentioned steps.

VE 2012 Model Viewer II 8

1.5 Camera Path Usage

As with the old viewer, the new viewer allows the user to create camera paths to produce animations and video recordings. The new camera path interface has been simplified to allow the user to create paths easier and faster.

1.5.1 General

When the user clicks on the ‘Camera path’ button in the Movie toolbar they will be presented with the window above. From there, they can either load a previously designed camera path or create a new one from scratch. Unlike the old camera path feature the new one allows the user to place cameras using a ‘point and click’ method. From there the user can manipulate the camera’s position, orientation, and animation settings while using the ‘preview’ window to view the scene as the camera does. When happy with the camera path the user can preview the animation using a variety of methods and finally, if desired, record a video of the animation. For a list of keyboard and mouse controls on manipulating the camera path click here.

1.5.2 Selected Camera

To select a camera the user should Ctrl + Left Click on the desired camera. The camera will be highlighted and the ‘preview’ window will appear in the top right of the view. The ‘preview’ window shows the scene exactly how the camera will at that point. In the camera path dialog the user is able to modify the number of seconds the animation will pause at the current position and how long it will take the camera to move to the next position if applicable. The user can also remove the camera or select the previous/next camera in the path. Using the keyboard/mouse controls the user can also modify the camera’s position/orientation as well as clone/remove the camera.

VE 2012 Model Viewer II 9

1.5.3 Options

From the camera path dialog the user can also choose to close the path using the ‘Close Path?’ option to create a loop. This will insert a segment between the last and first cameras in the path. It will also allow the user to specify a movement time between the two cameras.

The user can also clear the camera path using the ‘Clear path’ button and start again if they wish.

Note: Path type is not currently changeable.

1.5.4 Animation

The user can preview an animation of the path using one of two options.

The first option ‘Play’ will show the animation ‘full screen’ as it will be recorded.

The second option ‘Preview’ will show the animation in the ‘preview’ window and display a dummy camera in the main view showing the camera’s current position and orientation.

The user can then record the animation using the ‘Record’ button. This will present the user with the usual video setup dialog, then upon clicking OK will play and record the animation automatically. The user can then playback or delete the video as normal. When the Recorder window is closed the user will be returned to the camera path window. From there the user can create and record a new path if they wish or exit camera path mode.

Please note closed camera paths will only loop once when recording the animation.

1.5.5 Controls

Below is the list of controls mouse and keyboard controls used to create a camera path.

What Control Action

Select Camera -or-

Add New Camera Ctrl + LMB Click

Select Camera -or-

Clone Selected Camera Ctrl + Shift + LMB Click

Move Selected Camera on Plane Shift + LMB Click + Drag

Rotate Selected Camera Left/Right Alt + LMB Click + Drag

Deselect Camera RMB Click

Remove Selected Camera Ctrl + RMB Click

Adjust Selected Camera Height Shift + RMB Click + Drag

Rotate Selected Camera Up/Down Alt + RMB Click + Drag

Clear Camera Path Ctrl + Shift + Alt + RMB Click

VE 2012 Model Viewer II 10

1.6 Simulex

1.6.1 Overview

The viewer now allows you to look at your Simulex projects in 3D. This can be accessed by launching the viewer through the VE and opening a Simulex project via the Simulex Toolbar or by the ‘Play Back in 3D’ option in Simulex itself. The viewer enables you to animate occupant movement on each floor of your building while allowing you to: fly around the building; separate the floors; and change display mode for easier visual analysis. Some examples are below.

VE 2012 Model Viewer II 11

1.6.2 Controls

Below is a list of keyboard shortcuts that can be used to separate the Simulex geometry when in the ‘Floors’ display mode.

What Control Action

Vertical Separation

Move Up* Page Up Press

Move Down* Page Down Press

Horizontal Separation

Move Left* Left Arrow Press

Move Right* Right Arrow Press

Move Forward* Up Arrow Press

Move Backward* Down Arrow Press

Other

Reset Positions Home Press

Plan View Ctrl + Home Press

* - holding Ctrl while pressing the corresponding key will cause the floors to jump to the nearest major separation.

1.7 Display Settings

The display settings window allows the user to modify various overall settings in the model viewer.

Below is an outline of the various settings.

1.7.1 Controls

1.7.1.1 Sensitivity

The user can change the overall movement sensitivity and speed of the mouse, mouse wheel, and keyboard input.

VE 2012 Model Viewer II 12

1.7.1.2 Speed Modifier

The user can adjust the increase and decrease speed of the Shift and Ctrl keys when moving.

1.7.2 Options

1.7.2.1 Performance

There are a few performance related options which the user can toggle on and off.

The first one is the option to disable shadows when moving the camera for improved performance. Please note when animating this option will be ignored.

The second option (mainly for diagnostics) is to turn on performance information which will appear in the window’s title bar. Current framerate, average framerate, triangle count and batch count are all shown.

1.7.3 Display

1.7.3.1 Colours

The user can change the display colour of the Room Names using the colour picker.

VE 2012 Model Viewer II 13

2 Known Issues Below is a list of currently known issues with the new viewer.

Please take some time to read through them before contacting support.

As general advice, please make sure your graphics drivers are up-to-date, and where possible use dedicated graphics rather than integrated graphics.

Last Updated: 1st December 2012 (VE 2012 FP2)

Components

o Internal surfaces aren’t rendered causing visual artifacts on some components.

Grid Lines

o Grid appears behind the model when looking at it from below.

Textures

o On certain surfaces the texture isn’t aligned/rotated correctly.

- Texture alignment is done automatically and tries to find the ‘best fit’.

This may or may not be in line with the surface.

Shadows

o Shadows can appear corrupt or don’t appear at all on large/complex models.

o Streaks can appear on the ground plane when viewing shadows from certain angles.

o Performance is poor with shadows on.

- This is due to the CPU intensive nature of calculating the shadows.

Animations

o Solar Animation speed is not consistent when shadows are on.

- This is due to the CPU intensive nature of calculating the shadows.

o The various Solar Animations vary in speed.

- Currently all animations are set to run over a fixed time rather than speed.

Video

o Recorded video isn’t always smooth.

VE 2012 Model Viewer II 14

Performance

o Performance is poor.

- This could mean your computer doesn’t support the graphical features required. Please make sure your graphics drivers are up-to-date.

Miscellaneous

o Windows are opaque rather than transparent on certain machines.

- This could mean your computer doesn’t support the graphical features required. Please make sure your graphics drivers are up-to-date.

o Model edges are white rather than black.

- This could mean your computer doesn’t support the graphical features required. Please make sure your graphics drivers are up-to-date.