Computer System and Method for Navigating Building Information Model Views

Abstract

Disclosed herein is software technology that facilitates improved navigation of a three-dimensional view of a construction project. In one aspect, disclosed herein is a Building Information Model (BIM) viewer software tool that may facilitate navigation of the view by adjusting the perspective along either or both of the lateral axes. In another aspect, the disclosed software tool may facilitate navigation of the view by adjusting the perspective directly along the vertical axis. And in yet another aspect, the disclosed software tool may facilitate navigation of the view by adjusting the orientation of the perspective along the two lateral axes and the vertical axis. To facilitate this, the software tool may generate a GUI that presents the view and one or more navigational controls. The software tool may receive a user input via the navigational controls and change the position of the perspective from which the software tool renders the view.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A computing system comprising:
 at least one processor;   a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and   program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor to cause the computing system to:
 render via a graphical user interface (GUI) a three-dimensional view of a construction project using a three-dimensional model file that defines a set of meshes, wherein the GUI includes first, second, and third navigational controls and the three-dimensional view of the construction project has a perspective from which the view is presented; 
 based on respective user inputs received via the first, second, and third navigational controls, receive respective indications, each including at least a respective direction component; and 
 responsive to receiving a given respective indication, reposition the perspective from which the three-dimensional view of the construction project is generated based on the respective direction component included in the given respective indication. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the perspective is repositioned in at least one of the following ways: (a) along two lateral axes simultaneously based on the respective direction component, (b) along a vertical axis based on the respective direction component, and (c) such that an orientation of the perspective is repositioned based on the respective direction component. 
     
     
         3 . The computing device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein one of the first, second, and third navigational controls is a two-dimensional inset, and   wherein the computing system further comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor to cause the computing system to:   based on a particular user input received via the two-dimensional inset, receive a particular indication that includes (i) a location component, and (ii) a direction component; and   responsive to receiving the particular indication, reposition the perspective from which the three-dimensional view of the construction project is generated based on the location component and the direction component.   
     
     
         4 . The computing device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the GUI includes a fourth navigational control comprising indications of levels of the construction project, and   wherein the computing system further comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor to cause the computing system to:   based on a particular user input received via the fourth navigational control, receive a particular indication that comprises a selection of a particular level of the construction project, and   responsive to receiving the particular indication, reposition the perspective from which the three-dimensional view of the construction project is generated such that an orientation of the perspective is repositioned along a vertical axis so as to provide a three-dimensional view of the construction project at the particular level.   
     
     
         5 . The computing device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein each respective indication further includes a respective magnitude component, and   wherein the computing system further comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor to cause the computing system to:   determine a speed at which to reposition the perspective based on the respective magnitude component by applying at least one of a linear scale factor and a non-linear scale factor to the respective magnitude component; and   reposition the perspective in accordance with the determined speed.   
     
     
         6 . The computing device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the perspective from which the three-dimensional view of the construction project is generated is repositioned responsive to receiving first and second respective indications based on respective user inputs received via two navigational controls, the perspective being repositioned in at least two of the following ways: (a) along two lateral axes simultaneously based on a respective direction component of either the first or second respective indication, (b) along the vertical axis based on based on a respective direction component of either the first or second respective indication, and (c) such that an orientation of the perspective is repositioned based on a respective direction component of either the first or second respective indication.   
     
     
         7 . The computing device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the perspective from which the three-dimensional view of the construction project is generated is repositioned responsive to receiving first, second, and third respective indications based on respective user inputs received via three navigational controls, the perspective being repositioned in the following ways: (a) along two lateral axes simultaneously based on a respective direction component of either the first, second, or third respective indication, (b) along the vertical axis based on based on a respective direction component of either the first, second, or third respective indication, and (c) such that an orientation of the perspective is repositioned based on a respective direction component of either the first, second, or third respective indication.   
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 rendering via a graphical user interface (GUI) a three-dimensional view of a construction project using a three-dimensional model file that defines a set of meshes, wherein the GUI includes first, second, and third navigational controls and the three-dimensional view of the construction project has a perspective from which the view is presented;   based on respective user inputs received via the first, second, and third navigational controls, receiving respective indications, each including at least a respective direction component; and   responsive to receiving a given respective indication, repositioning the perspective from which the three-dimensional view of the construction project is generated based on the respective direction component included in the given respective indication.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the perspective is repositioned in at least one of the following ways: (a) along two lateral axes simultaneously based on the respective direction component, (b) along a vertical axis based on the respective direction component, and (c) such that an orientation of the perspective is repositioned based on the respective direction component. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 ,
 wherein one of the first, second, and third navigational controls is a two-dimensional inset, and   wherein the method further comprises:   based on a particular user input received via the two-dimensional inset, receiving a particular indication that includes (i) a location component, and (ii) a direction component; and   responsive to receiving the particular indication, repositioning the perspective from which the three-dimensional view of the construction project is generated based on the location component and the direction component.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 ,
 wherein each respective indication further includes a respective magnitude component, and   wherein the method further comprises:   determining a speed at which to reposition the perspective based on the respective magnitude component by applying at least one of a linear scale factor and a non-linear scale factor to the respective magnitude component; and   repositioning the perspective in accordance with the determined speed.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the perspective from which the three-dimensional view of the construction project is generated is repositioned responsive to receiving first and second respective indications based on respective user inputs received via two navigational controls, the perspective being repositioned in at least two of the following ways: (a) along two lateral axes simultaneously based on a respective direction component of either the first or second respective indication, (b) along the vertical axis based on based on a respective direction component of either the first or second respective indication, and (c) such that an orientation of the perspective is repositioned based on a respective direction component of either the first or second respective indication.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the perspective from which the three-dimensional view of the construction project is generated is repositioned responsive to receiving first, second, and third respective indications based on respective user inputs received via three navigational controls, the perspective being repositioned in the following ways: (a) along two lateral axes simultaneously based on a respective direction component of either the first, second, or third respective indication, (b) along the vertical axis based on based on a respective direction component of either the first, second, or third respective indication, and (c) such that an orientation of the perspective is repositioned based on a respective direction component of either the first, second, or third respective indication.   
     
     
         14 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having program instructions stored thereon that are executable to cause a computing system to:
 render via a graphical user interface (GUI) a three-dimensional view of a construction project using a three-dimensional model file that defines a set of meshes, wherein the GUI includes first, second, and third navigational controls and the three-dimensional view of the construction project has a perspective from which the view is presented;   based on respective user inputs received via the first, second, and third navigational controls, receive respective indications, each including at least a respective direction component; and   responsive to receiving a given respective indication, reposition the perspective from which the three-dimensional view of the construction project is generated based on the respective direction component included in the given respective indication.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 14 , wherein the perspective is repositioned in at least one of the following ways: (a) along two lateral axes simultaneously based on the respective direction component, (b) along a vertical axis based on the respective direction component, and (c) such that an orientation of the perspective is repositioned based on the respective direction component. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 14 ,
 wherein one of the first, second, and third navigational controls is a two-dimensional inset, and   wherein the program instructions are further executable to:   based on a particular user input received via the two-dimensional inset, receive a particular indication that includes (i) a location component, and (ii) a direction component; and   responsive to receiving the particular indication, reposition the perspective from which the three-dimensional view of the construction project is generated based on the location component and the direction component.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the GUI includes a fourth navigational control comprising indications of levels of the construction project, and   wherein the program instructions are further executable to:   based on a particular user input received via the fourth navigational control, receive a particular indication that comprises a selection of a particular level of the construction project, and   responsive to receiving the particular indication, reposition the perspective from which the three-dimensional view of the construction project is generated such that an orientation of the perspective is repositioned along a vertical axis so as to provide a three-dimensional view of the construction project at the particular level.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 14 ,
 wherein each respective indication further includes a respective magnitude component, and   wherein the program instructions are further executable to:   determine a speed at which to reposition the perspective based on the respective magnitude component by applying at least one of a linear scale factor and a non-linear scale factor to the respective magnitude component; and   reposition the perspective in accordance with the determined speed.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the perspective from which the three-dimensional view of the construction project is generated is repositioned responsive to receiving first and second respective indications based on respective user inputs received via two navigational controls, the perspective being repositioned in at least two of the following ways: (a) along two lateral axes simultaneously based on a respective direction component of either the first or second respective indication, (b) along the vertical axis based on based on a respective direction component of either the first or second respective indication, and (c) such that an orientation of the perspective is repositioned based on a respective direction component of either the first or second respective indication.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the perspective from which the three-dimensional view of the construction project is generated is repositioned responsive to receiving first, second, and third respective indications based on respective user inputs received via three navigational controls, the perspective being repositioned in the following ways: (a) along two lateral axes simultaneously based on a respective direction component of either the first, second, or third respective indication, (b) along the vertical axis based on based on a respective direction component of either the first, second, or third respective indication, and (c) such that an orientation of the perspective is repositioned based on a respective direction component of either the first, second, or third respective indication.