In BIMcollab, you can add entities to a map, and view them in a spatial context. This article will guide you through the steps of adding and viewing entities on a map.
Adding a structure to a map
There are two ways to add an entity to a map. Both can be added from the Edit Building page, which can be accessed from the administrator page.
A. Entering the building address
If an entity has an existing physical address, you can use this to add it to the map. When adding a new entity (building or asset), or by editing an existing one, the first step is to enter its physical address on the Details page. Once an address has been added, an entity will automatically be placed on the map at the appropriate location.
B. Entering a geoposition
If an entity does not have a conventional address (e.g., in remote or unaddressed areas), you can use geocoordinates to place it on the map. When adding a new entity, or editing an existing one, you can enter the latitude and longitude coordinates for the entity in the Details page. This step is useful for entities such as utility buildings, construction sites, or new developments without a postal address.
Viewing entities on a map
For the entities to appear on a map, the following conditions must be met.
1. The intended entity must be a building, and not a Location, Part or Story. You can read more about BIMcollab's spatial structure here.
2. When adding an entity, a physical address or geolocation must be added as explained in the previous paragraph.
3. The entity must have projects with at least one active phase. The project is considered to have an active phase if a current phase is selected, and the end date is in the future. If there is no active phase, the project is not considered active, and will not be displayed on the map.
4. The entity must belong to a location that is also a part of a location group. To add an existing location to a location group, do to the administrator page, and select the required location. Click on the Location group tab, and select the "Add location group button".
Once you have added entities with either an address or geocoordinates, and ensured that any other conditions listed are met, you can view them on a map. To get to the map view, start from your dashboard page(1). From the My Projects tab (2), select the required location group (3). Here all entities are represented in spatial context, making it easy to visualize their layout and relationship within the project environment.