Advanced Import Options
This section explains the optional features available for importing your CAD and BIM files to the HEGIAS platform.
The unit size "meter" is assumed during import. There are CAD and BIM software that use "milimeters " as the unit size. This would make a scene 1000 times larger when imported to the HEGIAS platform. This can be prevented with the "Scale Option".
With the Scale functions you can scale the scene to be imported. Numbers smaller than 1 scale down the scene. Numbers greater than 1 scale the scene up.
Often objects are uploaded that have a very high density of vertices. This causes very long import times and performance drops. Simplifying the geometry reduces the number of vertices of an object without noticeably changing its appearance. This avoids the negative effects of a too high density of vertices.
When importing a CAD or BIM file, if it is detected that it contains objects that are already present in the public HEGIAS library, then the objects in the scene created on the HEGIAS platform are replaced by the objects from the HEGIAS library. This has the advantage that they can also be moved and duplicated in the scene.
When importing a CAD or BIM file, if it is detected that contains materials that are already present in the public HEGIAS library, then the materials in the scene created on the HEGIAS platform will be replaced by materials from the HEGIAS library. This has the advantage that they can be variably applied in the scene and displayed with a realistic texture.
Centering the model geometry moves models in the scene created on the HEGIAS platform to the coordinate origin. This ensures, especially for large areas, that models are not too far away in the scene or cannot be found at all.
Automatic recognition and marking of floors, walls, ceilings, stairs and windows/glass objects. It ensures that models in the scene created on the HEGIAS platform can be walked on completely and that floors and walls can be equipped with furnishing objects. The support article Detect features in the model deals with this topic in depth.
As in source model: The specified areas are not subdivided further, i.e.: It is taken over as specified in the imported file. This import option automatically recognises the materials assigned in the uploaded file and the individual elements are only grouped by material if this is specified in the uploaded file.
By single elements (Impairs the performance): This option allows all building elements to be materialised individually. This means that regardless of whether a building element has been assigned the same material as another, it can still be materialised individually. It is important to note that individual building elements cannot be split. So if all four walls in a house are a single building element, then it will not be split and accordingly cannot be materialised individually.
By element categories only (Enhances the performance): If this import option is selected, the materialisation can only be done by building element groups. The building element groups are divided and summarised into six categories, which are explained in more detail in the support article Detect features in the model. If there is a floor on the ground floor and a floor on the first floor, then these two elements cannot be materialised differently, as both are assigned to the building element group "Floor".
If a surface can be viewed from both sides, textures and light reflections must be calculated for both sides. You can turn this feature off if you are not satisfied with the system performance or the fluidity of the movements.
UV mapping refers to the projection of a two-dimensional texture model onto a three-dimensional surface model. The letters "U" and "V" denote the axes of the two-dimensional texture model, whereas "X", "Y", and "Z" are used to denote the axes of the three-dimensional surface model.
On the HEGIAS platform, the UV mapping is recalculated for each object in order to display surface textures realistically.
This option smooths sharp edges of objects at small angles depending on the model. By doing this the look of simplified, round geometry can be increased without changes in performance.
Enable the use of Alpha Textures when uploading your scene. These textures are used to change the opacity of objects inside your model.
However, there is one exception to note: If there are problems with the display of the scene when importing an FBX file, individual materials may be shown incorrectly. In this case, try the upload without this import option.
Scaling
The unit size "meter" is assumed during import. There are CAD and BIM software that use "milimeters " as the unit size. This would make a scene 1000 times larger when imported to the HEGIAS platform. This can be prevented with the "Scale Option".
With the Scale functions you can scale the scene to be imported. Numbers smaller than 1 scale down the scene. Numbers greater than 1 scale the scene up.
Simplify geometry
Often objects are uploaded that have a very high density of vertices. This causes very long import times and performance drops. Simplifying the geometry reduces the number of vertices of an object without noticeably changing its appearance. This avoids the negative effects of a too high density of vertices.
Detect objects from the library
When importing a CAD or BIM file, if it is detected that it contains objects that are already present in the public HEGIAS library, then the objects in the scene created on the HEGIAS platform are replaced by the objects from the HEGIAS library. This has the advantage that they can also be moved and duplicated in the scene.
Detect materials
When importing a CAD or BIM file, if it is detected that contains materials that are already present in the public HEGIAS library, then the materials in the scene created on the HEGIAS platform will be replaced by materials from the HEGIAS library. This has the advantage that they can be variably applied in the scene and displayed with a realistic texture.
Center geometry
Centering the model geometry moves models in the scene created on the HEGIAS platform to the coordinate origin. This ensures, especially for large areas, that models are not too far away in the scene or cannot be found at all.
Detect features in the model
Automatic recognition and marking of floors, walls, ceilings, stairs and windows/glass objects. It ensures that models in the scene created on the HEGIAS platform can be walked on completely and that floors and walls can be equipped with furnishing objects. The support article Detect features in the model deals with this topic in depth.
Materialization
As in source model: The specified areas are not subdivided further, i.e.: It is taken over as specified in the imported file. This import option automatically recognises the materials assigned in the uploaded file and the individual elements are only grouped by material if this is specified in the uploaded file.
By single elements (Impairs the performance): This option allows all building elements to be materialised individually. This means that regardless of whether a building element has been assigned the same material as another, it can still be materialised individually. It is important to note that individual building elements cannot be split. So if all four walls in a house are a single building element, then it will not be split and accordingly cannot be materialised individually.
By element categories only (Enhances the performance): If this import option is selected, the materialisation can only be done by building element groups. The building element groups are divided and summarised into six categories, which are explained in more detail in the support article Detect features in the model. If there is a floor on the ground floor and a floor on the first floor, then these two elements cannot be materialised differently, as both are assigned to the building element group "Floor".
Double-sided rendering
If a surface can be viewed from both sides, textures and light reflections must be calculated for both sides. You can turn this feature off if you are not satisfied with the system performance or the fluidity of the movements.
UV mapping
UV mapping refers to the projection of a two-dimensional texture model onto a three-dimensional surface model. The letters "U" and "V" denote the axes of the two-dimensional texture model, whereas "X", "Y", and "Z" are used to denote the axes of the three-dimensional surface model.
On the HEGIAS platform, the UV mapping is recalculated for each object in order to display surface textures realistically.
Round-Off Geometry
This option smooths sharp edges of objects at small angles depending on the model. By doing this the look of simplified, round geometry can be increased without changes in performance.
Enable Alpha Textures
Enable the use of Alpha Textures when uploading your scene. These textures are used to change the opacity of objects inside your model.
However, there is one exception to note: If there are problems with the display of the scene when importing an FBX file, individual materials may be shown incorrectly. In this case, try the upload without this import option.
Updated on: 10/02/2023
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