BIMx Navigation Tools and Shortcuts

Note: The BIMx Quick Reference Card gives you a quick overview of the application’s keyboard shortcuts. Please download the desired language version of the PDF file from this web page: https://graphisoft.com/downloads/bimx/bimx_desktop

Fly Mode vs. Walk Mode

The F key toggles between Fly Mode and Walk Mode. The Walk Mode provides you with a more realistic viewing experience including the following features:

Opening recognition to distinguish the solid building structures such as walls, columns and roofs from doors and windows during navigation.

Gravity to keep the camera height stable over slabs, ramps or stairs.

•Holding down SHIFT and CONTROL at the same time will activate the light speed navigation, which is ten times faster than running.

•Holding down the right mouse button while flying will make you stay on a fixed altitude. This is useful when recording a fly-over above a building, for example.

•Holding down the right mouse button while walking will lock the view horizontally for a perfectly straight perspective.

Info Tool (Legacy)

Note: Info Tool is available for BIMx Desktop Viewer only if you are exploring a BIMx model published from ARCHICAD versions 16-21, using the “Legacy” Info Set option at Publishing Properties. This option is not available with ARCHICAD 22 and later.

Pressing I during navigation activates the Info Tool. In this mode, the cursor’s shape changes to a cross and the bounding box of the currently selected model element is highlighted. One click with the mouse opens the Info palette, which shows basic information about the selected model element. The following information is displayed in the Info Tool:

Type – Element Type (e.g. Wall, Slab)

•ID

Layer – Layer of the element in the ARCHICAD model

Element parameters, as applicable – e.g. height, width, thickness, volume, structure (if composite), slant, area, pitch. These values are taken from the ARCHICAD model element parameters.

•Library Part Name (as applicable)

Tags (inasmuch as the element has values filled out for these tags) - e.g. Position, Structural Function

Map Mode

This useful feature helps you to find your current position in the building during navigation. Press BACKSPACE during navigation to project the corresponding section of the floor plan over the current 3D view. Your current position and viewing direction is marked with an arrow. Use the mouse wheel to zoom the map.

Measure Tool

Press M to enable the measure tool. The three-dimensional distance from the camera to the world point at the center is computed and displayed as View Distance. To measure the distance between two three-dimensional points, click the left mouse button and pick two points. The resulting distance is computed and displayed as Measured Distance.

Screenshot

Press F5 to print the current view to a .png file. The image will have the same resolution as your current BIMx screenshot. The .png file will be saved with a unique name into the BIMx\Screenshots\ folder, located in your Users\User Name\ Documents folder.

Parallel View

Press F8 to enable the parallel view. Use the mouse to rotate the model and the mouse wheel to zoom in/out. Hold down the right mouse button and move the mouse to pan over the model.

Note: Stereo View options (Settings menu) are not supported in Parallel view.

Quit

Hold down Z, then press ESC to quit.

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