Loading a Model

In SiteVision in the field, you can:

TIP – When working in SiteVision, various prompt messages appear across the screen. You can minimize these messages to give you a clearer view of the screen—tap .

Trimble Connect is a cloud-based data management and collaboration platform that allows you to view, share, and access project information over the internet from anywhere at any time. Trimble Connect stores the 2D and 3D models, prepared in your office software, that are to be viewed in SiteVision.

The subscription for Trimble Connect Business is included with your SiteVision subscription. If you have separate users who will only be doing data preparation you can purchase separate standalone subscriptions for just Trimble Connect for them.

To get started with Trimble Connect, go to the Trimble Connect website.

If you have data stored elsewhere that you want to visualize in SiteVision in the field, you must upload it to Trimble Connect:

  1. Go to connect.trimble.com

  2. Sign in using your Trimble ID.

  3. Confirm which server you want to store your data on.

  4. Create a new project for your Project Site, or select an existing project.

  5. Create a new folder to store your 2D and 3D models.

    6. NOTE – You cannot upload folders to Trimble Connect from within SiteVision; you will need to upload your data to Trimble Connect via the Trimble Connect web or desktop applications.

  6. Upload your models to Trimble Connect.

To load the data in SiteVision, do one of the following:

  • To select the model from Trimble Connect:

    1. Tap / Load Model / Trimble Connect and select the required project folder.

    2. Find the model you want to visualize, select it and tap .

      TIP – In Trimble Connect, your files can be on different regional servers. The North America server is the default. Tap the menu icon in the top left of the Project Menu window to select a different server.

      NOTE – Models in supported file formats are displayed. Any files associated with the selected model file (e.g. JXL, CAL) are not shown in the file listings but will be automatically downloaded as required.

      NOTE – A small badge icon will be displayed in the top right of the model tile. This indicates a model that has not yet been downloaded from Trimble Connect; or a downloaded copy exists, but is out of date.

  • If you have created Markers for a model (see Establishing a QR Marker Network) you can scan these Markers to load a model. This is particularly useful if it is not easy to locate where the model may be stored in the folder structure in Trimble Connect .

    1. Tap / Load Model / Marker.

    2. Scan the Marker. The Trimble Connect browser opens in the app and takes you to the location where the associated model is; it is selected by default.

      NOTE – If you are offline, and you had already downloaded the model in a previous session while online, SiteVision will instead take you to the model in Quick Access; it is selected by default.

    3. Click to download the model to SiteVision.

You can load a model that is stored on your device, or that is stored in a number of different file storage sources, such as iCloud Drive, Google Drive, DropBox, OneDrive etc. To use a file from a file storage source, you must, on your device, have added the required file storage source(s) to the device's File Management app so that SiteVision can access them.

This option requires the model to be stored in one of the following formats: 

TrimBIM (.trb) is a Trimble propietary file format for efficiently storing 3D BIM/Civil geometry and attributes with in-memory fast random access. It is not a replacement for IFC or any other formats, but a more intelligent way to access model data. TrimBIM speeds up BIM processes significantly.

There are several ways to convert your model to .trb format:

  • From Trimble Connect Desktop

  • From Trimble Business Center using the SiteVision AR Exporter

  • From Trimble Quadri

See below for details on each of these options.

NOTE – If you are using Automatic Placement, remember to also copy the appropriate Trimble Calibration File (JXL, CAL, DC) to your device along with the .trb model.

  1. Tap / Load Model / My Files.

  2.  Navigate to where the model is stored.

  3. Tap to select the model that you want to load then tap it.

  4. Tap to visualize it.

For data in Trimble Business Center a .trb can be quickly generated by using the SiteVision AR Exporter. For more detailed instructions on how to use the AR Exporter see Workflows for Civil Engineers and Contractors - Using Trimble Business Center.

  1. From the Export window in Trimble Business Center, use the SiteVision AR exporter to export your model data.

    This will export three files, including a .trb.

  2. Copy the .trb file to your device. You can then load it with the My Files workflow.

For data on Trimble Connect, the Trimble Connect Desktop application can be used to generate a .trb file.

TIP – By selecting and viewing multiple models, this workflow can also be used to combine these models into a single TRB file. Additionally, any filters you apply within Connect Desktop will be preserved during this export. This allows you to export a specific subset of model elements based on the embedded model attributes.

  1. Load your model in Trimble Connect Desktop.

  2. In the right hand MODELS pane, click the Export current 3D view as TrimBIM model button (highlighted below).

  3. Copy the .trb file to your device. You can then load it with the My Files workflow.

For data on Quadri, a .trb can be generated as an output from any 3D Presentation Task.

  1. Create a 3D Presentation Task containing the model data you require.

  2. Select the Output tab of the 3D Presentation task, then from the Publish ribbon select the TrimBIM option.

  3. Confirm the settings, select your preferred output location from the list of Connections in the External Delivery ribbon, then click Finish.

  4. Copy the .trb file to your device. You can then load it with the My Files workflow.

This option may be useful for visualization or simple data collection.

NOTE – You must have an internet connection to create a new model in the field in Trimble Connect.

  1. Tap / Load Model, then do one of the following:

    • select Trimble Connect then select a Trimble Connect project. Tap to create a new model under the selected project in Trimble Connect.

    • tap to create a new model locally.

  2. Enter a name for the model and tap New.

Models that you create in the field are automatically saved in a new folder, under the selected project; the folder name is the same as the model name that you entered when you created the model.

SiteVision creates a localized Transverse Mercator projection around you, with coordinates of 0,0,0.

You can sync data and measurements that you collect in the model to the project in Trimble Connect.

All models you load or create in SiteVision are available from Quick Access. You can see models that only you have previously loaded or created, and not models loaded or created by a different user.

Quick Access stores a local copy of model files sourced from Trimble Connect that enables you load and work with the model offline. If you are offline, you may not be loading the latest model if the data has been updated on Trimble Connect since you loaded it from Trimble Connect.

TIP – This option is useful if you do not have data connectivity out in the field, or if you want to save on cellular data usage. You can download the data in the office on Wi-Fi prior to heading out to site.

  1. Tap / Load Model.

  2. If you are online, for any model that you select to load that is sourced from Trimble Connect, the app checks with Trimble Connect for an updated version and downloads it. This ensures you are loading the latest version.

    NOTE – When online, a small badge icon will be displayed in the top right of the model tile if there is a newer version available on Trimble Connect for download.

  3.  While online, you can also sync all or selected models before you load a model.

    • To check all models for updated versions and download the latest versions from Trimble Connect, tap in the top right of the Quick Access screen.

    • To check selected models for updated versions and download the latest versions from Trimble Connect, tap-hold a model to select it, then tap any other models you want to sync, then tap in the top right of the Quick Access screen.

  4. Find the model you want to visualize, select it and tap .

NOTE – Under Quick Access, you can delete any models you no longer need to see listed here. To delete a model, tap to select it then tap . To delete multiple models, tap-hold a model to select it, then tap other models to select them and tap .

 

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