Building model user interface and method of use

Abstract

A system for building information modeling comprising a plurality of 2D documentation sets associated with a building. A 3D model associated with the building, the 3D model including a plurality of user-selectable controls, wherein each user-selectable control comprises an icon and an associated balloon that is generated when the icon is selected. The balloon for each user-selectable control comprising a first selection control that causes one of the plurality of 2D documentation sets to be shown after an animation sequence. The balloon for each user-selectable control comprising a second selection control that causes a transition to a 3D model having an overlay of the 2D documentation sets.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for building information modeling comprising:
 a plurality of 2D documentation sets associated with a building:   a 3D model associated with the building, the 3D model including a plurality of user-selectable controls operating on a processor, wherein each user-selectable control comprises an icon and an associated balloon that is generated by the processor when the icon is selected;   the balloon for each user-selectable control comprising a first selection control that causes the processor to generate an animation sequence that ends with one of the plurality of 2D documentation sets; and   the balloon for each user-selectable control comprising a second selection control that causes the processor to generate an animation sequence that ends with a view of the 3D model having an overlay of one of the 2D documentation sets.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a 2D documentation set system operating on the processor that is configured to generate one or more user controls to allow a user to edit one of the plurality of 2D documentation sets while maintaining an associated user-selectable control for the edited 2D documentation set in the 3D model. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a 3D model system with embedded controls operating on the processor that is configured to generate one or more user controls to allow a user to edit the 3D model while maintaining the plurality of associated user-selectable controls in the 3D model. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a walking control that receives a user-entered location within the 3D model and that causes the processor to generate an animation sequence that simulates walking through the 3D model from a starting location to the user-entered location. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a touchscreen movement control that receives a user-entered input and that causes the processor to generate an animation sequence that simulates walking through the 3D model from a starting location as a function of the user-entered input. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the touchscreen movement control further comprises:
 a first circle icon associated with a rest state; and 
 a second circle icon encircling the first circle icon associated with a plurality of first movement states. 
 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the touchscreen movement control further comprises a third area outside of the second circle icon associated with a plurality of second movement states. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a transition animation sequence system operating on the processor and configured to generate one or more user controls to allow a user to generate an animation transition from one of the 2D documentation data sets to the 3D model. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a model license system operating on the processor and configured to transmit the plurality of 2D documentation sets and the 3D model in a format compatible with a viewer system to a predetermined licensed processor. 
     
     
         10 . A method for modeling building information comprising:
 generating a plurality of 2D documentation sets associated with a building using a processor:   generating a 3D model associated with the building using the processor, the 3D model including a plurality of user-selectable controls operating on the processor, wherein each user-selectable control comprises an icon and an associated balloon that is generated by the processor when the icon is selected;   generating a first selection control for the balloon for each user-selectable control that causes the processor to generate an animation sequence that ends with one of the plurality of 2D documentation sets; and   generating a second selection control for the balloon for each user-selectable control that causes the processor to generate an animation sequence that ends with a view of the 3D model having an overlay of one of the 2D documentation sets.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising generating one or more user controls to allow a user to edit one of the plurality of 2D documentation sets using the processor while maintaining an associated user-selectable control for the edited 2D documentation set in the 3D model. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising generating one or more user controls to allow a user to edit the 3D model while maintaining the plurality of associated user-selectable controls in the 3D model. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising receiving a user-entered location within the 3D model and generating an animation sequence that simulates walking through the 3D model from a starting location to the user-entered location. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising receiving a user-entered input and generating an animation sequence that simulates walking through the 3D model from a starting location as a function of the user-entered input. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising:
 generating a first circle icon associated with a rest state; and 
 generating a second circle icon encircling the first circle icon associated with a plurality of first movement states. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising designating a third area outside of the second circle icon associated with a plurality of second movement states. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising generating one or more user controls to allow a user to generate an animation transition from one of the 2D documentation data sets to the 3D model. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising transmitting the plurality of 2D documentation sets and the 3D model in a format compatible with a viewer system to a predetermined licensed processor. 
     
     
         19 . In a system for building information modeling having a plurality of 2D documentation sets associated with a building, a 3D model associated with the building, the 3D model including a plurality of user-selectable controls operating on a processor, wherein each user-selectable control comprises an icon and an associated balloon that is generated by the processor when the icon is selected, the balloon for each user-selectable control comprising a first selection control that causes the processor to generate an animation sequence that ends with one of the plurality of 2D documentation sets, the balloon for each user-selectable control comprising a second selection control that causes the processor to generate an animation sequence that ends with a view of the 3D model having an overlay of one of the 2D documentation sets, a 2D documentation set system operating on the processor that is configured to generate one or more user controls to allow a user to edit one of the plurality of 2D documentation sets while maintaining an associated user-selectable control for the edited 2D documentation set in the 3D model, a 3D model system with embedded controls operating on the processor that is configured to generate one or more user controls to allow the user to edit the 3D model while maintaining the plurality of associated user-selectable controls in the 3D model, a walking control that receives a user-entered location within the 3D model and that causes the processor to generate an animation sequence that simulates walking through the 3D model from a starting location to the user-entered location, a touchscreen movement control that receives a user-entered input and that causes the processor to generate an animation sequence that simulates walking through the 3D model from the starting location as a function of the user-entered input, wherein the touchscreen movement control includes a first circle icon associated with a rest state, a second circle icon encircling the first circle icon associated with a plurality of first movement states and a third area outside of the second circle icon associated with a plurality of second movement states, a transition animation sequence system operating on the processor and configured to generate one or more user controls to allow the user to generate an animation transition from one of the 2D documentation data sets to the 3D model, and a model license system operating on the processor and configured to transmit the plurality of 2D documentation sets and the 3D model in a format compatible with a viewer system to a predetermined licensed processor, a method comprising:
 generating the plurality of 2D documentation sets associated with the building using the processor:   generating the 3D model associated with the building using the processor, the 3D model including the plurality of user-selectable controls operating on the processor, wherein each user-selectable control comprises the icon and the associated balloon that is generated by the processor when the icon is selected;   generating the first selection control for the balloon for each user-selectable control that causes the processor to generate the animation sequence that ends with one of the plurality of 2D documentation sets;   generating the second selection control for the balloon for each user-selectable control that causes the processor to generate the animation sequence that ends with the view of the 3D model having the overlay of one of the 2D documentation sets;   generating the one or more user controls to allow the user to edit one of the plurality of 2D documentation sets using the processor while maintaining the associated user-selectable control for the edited 2D documentation set in the 3D model;   generating the one or more user controls to allow the user to edit the 3D model while maintaining the plurality of associated user-selectable controls in the 3D model;   generating the user-entered location within the 3D model and generating the animation sequence that simulates walking through the 3D model from the starting location to the user-entered location;   receiving the user-entered input and generating the animation sequence that simulates walking through the 3D model from a starting location as a function of the user-entered input;   generating the first circle icon associated with the rest state;   generating the second circle icon encircling the first circle icon associated with the plurality of first movement states;   designating the third area outside of the second circle icon associated with the plurality of second movement states;   generating the one or more user controls to allow the user to generate the animation transition from one of the 2D documentation data sets to the 3D model;   transmitting the plurality of 2D documentation sets and the 3D model in the format compatible with the viewer system to the predetermined licensed processor.