User interface overview
The user interface consists of a workspace and ribbon (minimized in the picture). In addition to the main work area (canvas) workspaces can any number of supporting palettes. The palettes can be freely re-arranged around the canvas, palettes can be resized, closed and new palettes added.
Ribbon
The ribbon has a standard application menu (round green button) for open, save, import, export etc. functionality. The Home -tab allows you to choose a model view and workspace, and modify the workspace. The model view, canvas and palettes can add their own context tabs to the ribbon.
3D palette
The 3D palette has all standard navigation features (pan, zoom, rotate). Objects can be highlighted, selected and their visibility controlled. The Context Menu (shown in picture) and the Drop Zone give you easy access to the functions. Objects can be dragged into 3D and dragged out from 3D.
Table palette
The Table palette shows a 'flat' view of the model data. You can re-arrange and hide columns, filter rows based on values (shown in picture), sort, merge, compact etc. to drill down to the information you need. The data can also be copied to the clipboard and pasted into other applications (e.g. Excel). Objects (=rows) can be dragged from the table e.g. to 3D and dropped from other palettes into the table.
3D Focus palette
Using the 3D Focus palette you can trim the objects in the model, i.e. decide which objects to include and exclude. This is done by dragging and dropping objects between the '3D buckets'. With Quick Select this is very fast and reliable.
3D Peeling workspace
The 3D Peeling workspace is a great way to get to know the model. You 'peel' objects from the 3D view on the left into the 3D buckets on the right. You can use Quick Select to easily select buildign storeys, objects of the same type, walls of the same type etc.
Property Editor palette
In the Property Editor palette you can easily edit property data. There are easy functions for validating actual values against allowed values, moving data from non-standard to standard places, converting numeric values to measure values etc.
Containment palette
The Containment palette show in the cintainment structure of the model. Items can be dragged from the palette to visualize e.g. building storeys. Objects can be dragged into the palette for showing their containers.
Properties palette
The Properties palette shows the properties of one or several objects. When several objects are shown, the palette displays information about the distribution of values (single, multiple, unique, empty) and you can expand the property to see the different values for that property. Indivual values can be dragged from the palette to e.g. visualize all objects that have the same property value.
Tree palette
The Tree palette shows all properties and relationships of objects. This palette is most useful in the Debug model view, when used for examining the raw IFC data structutes.
