The 4D Ribbon tab

The Ribbon in Asta Powerproject 4D includes an additional tab that is not present in standard Asta Powerproject - the 4D tab. This tab provides access to much of Asta Powerproject's 4D-related functionality.

The 4D tab comprises the following controls, split into a number of different groups, as described below.

Controls in the IFC group

Configuration

Click this control to display the 4D tab of the Backstage view, which you can use to:

Associate 3D models with projects.
Create new IFC group models, which you can use to link related 3D models and to add site objects, such as cranes, portacabins, security fences, scaffolding, parked cars, etc, to 3D models to give a better visual representation of how a site will appear at various stages of a project.
Open 3D models to display them in the IFC Model pane.
Specify which revision of a 3D model should be opened by default.

Controls in the Model group

Select IFC Model	Click this dropdown control to open a 3D model, or to open an IFC group model. Opening a 3D model
Model Properties	Click this control to edit the properties of the 3D model that is currently open in Asta Powerproject 4D. Editing the properties of an IFC model Library Explorer object
Assign IFC Products	Click this control to associate products in the 3D model that is currently open with tasks automatically, according to name, code library or WBS code. Associating products in a 3D model with tasks according to name, code library or WBS code
Custom Properties	Click this control to define one or more user-defined fields for the 3D model that is currently open, against which you can then record information for each 3D object in the 3D model. Annotating 3D objects in a 3D model with custom properties

Controls in the 3D Viewer group

IFC Model Pane	Click this dropdown control to access controls that you can use to toggle the following user interface elements on and off: The IFC Model pane, which shows a 3D depiction of the 3D model that is currently open. The IFC Properties pane, which enables you to view and maintain details of the 3D object that is currently selected in the IFC Model pane. The IFC Categories pane, which enables you to specify which 3D objects are displayed according to their IFC category. The IFC Cutting Planes pane, which enables you to define 'cutting planes' to split a 3D model into two sections, with one section visible and the other hidden, allowing you to view the interior of the model. The IFC Comparison Model pane, which shows a second, alternative view of the 3D model that is currently open. The Timeline Controls pane, which you can use to run timeline simulations.
Hide/Show Items	Click this dropdown control to hide or display certain 3D objects only in the 3D model that is currently open; this may be useful in order to focus on the particular objects in which you are interested at a certain time. Hiding and displaying 3D objects in a 3D model
Snapshots	Click this dropdown control to take snapshots of the 3D model that is currently open, recording the current camera position as displayed in the IFC Model pane. You can also use this control to switch the display of a 3D model to that of a previously-taken snapshot. Taking snapshots of 3D models
Reset Camera	Click this control to return the 3D model that is currently open in the IFC Model pane to its initial position, in which the complete model is visible in the centre of the pane. You may find this button useful if you "get lost" while manipulating or "walking through" a model.
Perspective Mode	Click this control to toggle the IFC Model pane between the following modes of display: Orthogonal mode, in which the model is drawn with parallel lines (ie lines that do not converge at a distant vanishing point), meaning that products remain the same size regardless of their distance. Perspective mode, in which the model is drawn as it is seen by the eye, with products appearing smaller as their distance from the observer increases and with the size of the products' dimensions along the line of sight being relatively shorter than dimensions across the line of sight. The actions of the mouse differ depending on the current display mode; you must turn on perspective mode if you want to be able to "walk through" a building. Switching between orthogonal and perspective modes
Selection Mode	Click this control to toggle between the following modes: Non-selection mode, in which you must hold down CTRL on the keyboard while clicking 3D objects one after another in order to select multiple objects in a 3D model. Selection mode, in which you can select multiple 3D objects by clicking them one after another without having to hold down CTRL. Selecting 3D objects in a 3D model
Save Image	Click this control to save a copy of the 3D model that is currently open as it currently appears in the IFC Model pane as a graphics file - possibly for subsequent insertion into a document or email. Saving a 3D model as an image
Save As O2C	Click this control to save a copy of the 3D model that is currently open in the IFC Model pane in o2c format. The resulting file can be distributed to other stakeholders who can then view the 3D model in 3D using a freely-downloadable o2c plugin or o2c player. Note that this control is available only if you have an o2c plugin or player installed on your computer. Saving a 3D model as an o2c file

Controls in the Tracking group

Track Selection

Click this control to specify that when one or more 3D objects in a 3D model are selected, the corresponding tasks in the bar chart should be selected automatically and that when one or more tasks in the bar chart are selected, the corresponding 3D objects in the 3D model should be selected. If the control is currently selected, click it again to turn off this automatic selection.

This control does not work if the current view is a calendar view rather than a bar chart view.

Tracking 3D objects that are selected in the IFC Model pane

Move Camera

Click this control to specify that when one or more 3D objects in a 3D model are selected - for example, by selecting the corresponding tasks in the bar chart when the Track Selection control is selected - the view of the 3D model in the IFC Model pane should be updated automatically in an attempt to display as many of the 3D objects as clearly as possible. If the control is currently selected, click it again to turn off this automatic camera movement.

This control does not work if the current view is a calendar view rather than a bar chart view.

Tracking 3D objects that are selected in the IFC Model pane

Move Bar Chart

Click this control to specify that when one or more 3D objects in a 3D model are selected, the view of the bar chart should be updated automatically to display the first of the corresponding tasks. If the control is currently selected, click it again to specify that the view of the bar chart should remain static regardless of the current selection in the IFC Model pane.

This control does not work if the current view is a calendar view rather than a bar chart view.

Tracking 3D objects that are selected in the IFC Model pane

Controls in the Timeline group

Date	Select a date in this control to go immediately to a particular date in a timeline simulation of the 3D model that is currently open. Running a timeline simulation of a 3D model
	When a timeline simulation is running, click this control to halve the speed of the simulation; each time you click the control, the simulation speed halves. When a timeline simulation is running in reverse, click this control to double the speed of the simulation; each time you click the control, the simulation speed doubles. Running a timeline simulation of a 3D model
	Click this control to run through a timeline simulation of the 3D model that is currently open in reverse. If a timeline simulation is currently running in reverse and you have altered its speed by clicking or , click this control to reset the simulation to the default speed. Running a timeline simulation of a 3D model
	Click this control to stop a timeline simulation that is currently running. Running a timeline simulation of a 3D model
	Click this control to pause a timeline simulation that is currently running. Running a timeline simulation of a 3D model
	Click this control to play a timeline simulation of the 3D model that is currently open. If a timeline simulation is currently running and you have altered its speed by clicking or , click this control to reset the simulation to the default speed. Running a timeline simulation of a 3D model
	When a timeline simulation is running, click this control to double the speed of the simulation; each time you click the control, the simulation speed doubles. When a timeline simulation is running in reverse, click this control to halve the speed of the simulation; each time you click the control, the simulation speed halves. Running a timeline simulation of a 3D model
	Use this control to run through a timeline simulation of the 3D model that is currently open manually, either by clicking the and buttons or by dragging the slider control. Note that the timeline slider control always runs from the start date of the programme of projects to the finish date of the programme of projects, regardless of the specified timeline simulation scope. Running a timeline simulation of a 3D model
Track in Bar Chart	Click this control to specify that as a timeline simulation is run, the tasks in the bar chart that correspond to the 3D objects that appear at each stage should be displayed automatically; if the control is currently selected, click it again to specify that tasks in the bar chart should not be selected automatically when a timeline simulation is run. This control does not work if the current view is a calendar view rather than a bar chart view. Running a timeline simulation of a 3D model
Settings	Click this control to access the Timeline Settings dialog, which you can use to configure the way in which timeline simulations run. Running a timeline simulation of a 3D model
Dropline	Click this control and select Barchart Dropline to specify that as a timeline simulation is run, a dropline - a vertical line that runs from the date zone down to the bottom of the current view - should be displayed to indicate the current date and time of the timeline simulation. Displaying a dropline helps you to see which tasks are involved in a timeline simulation at any one time. If the control is currently selected, click it again to specify that a dropline should not be displayed during timeline simulations. Click this control and select Project Timeline Dropline to display a similar dropline in the timeline pane, if a project timeline is currently displayed. If you display both droplines - one in the bar chart and one in the timeline pane - it is a good idea to apply the same calendar to the project timeline as you have selected in the Simulation group of fields on the Timeline Settings dialog, to ensure that the project timeline dropline does not appear to 'jump' across non-working time. To do this, click in the timeline pane; on the Format tab, in the Style group, click Timeline Appearance; select the calendar to apply to the project timeline in the Folding calendar field. This control does not work if the current view is a calendar view rather than a bar chart view. Running a timeline simulation of a 3D model

Controls in the Timeline Export group

Fly Past

Click this dropdown control to create fly pasts of the 3D model that is currently open, for use in timeline simulations. You can also use this control to select or edit previously-created fly pasts.

Creating fly pasts for use in timeline simulations

Create Video

Click this control to access the Create Timeline Video dialog, which you can use to record videos of timeline simulations and fly pasts.

Creating videos of timeline simulations and fly pasts

Create Flipbook

Click this control to access the Create Flipbook dialog, which you can use to create flipbooks of timeline simulations and fly pasts.

Creating flipbooks of timeline simulations and fly pasts

Controls in the Help group

Help

Click this control to display this Help.