4D Simulation, which is the combination of 3D geometry with time to model construction sequencing, is a powerful way to visualize and analyze each key stage of a project. It enables the creation of a step-by-step illustration of the progress and allows all the stakeholders to have a detailed overview of the entire process. 4D simulations can drive significant value in the preconstruction process to model and identify project risk and assess inefficiencies during the construction phase of a project.

With the growing requirements from owners, increasing need for coordination on complicated projects, and fierce competition, many general contractors are choosing to use 4D simulations as a part of their project bids to help them answer challenging questions related to pre-construction planning and staging that arise during the critical phases. cmBuilder.io was made with the goal to democratize access to digital construction. A lot of features we build are to enable anyone in the construction industry to easily create 4D simulations to showcase their projects and ensure enhanced client and stakeholder communication. For pre-construction project planning on the go, cmBuilder.io provides mobility and access to help increase productivity.

Here are 4 features of cmBuilder that will set your 4D simulations apart and help you win more projects.

1. Extensive library of parametric resources

cmBuilder comes with an extensive catalog of 3D parametric resources that lets you simulate the resources of your construction site directly in your web browser with ease! Fixed or mobile cranes, fences, scaffolding, hoists, scaffolding, shoring and so much more. You can create your own company database and track costs for all your projects and use historical data to enhance future decision making.

2. 4D Construction Milestone Manager

Nearly every pre-construction planner is looking for easy ways to tell a dynamic story about their proposed construction plan, or the different scenarios for logistics and onsite execution. For years our customers have been seeking a way to perform 4D modeling in an easy and cost-effective way, but it has previously been a challenge to deliver this with existing tools in the market. Creating milestones of your construction project on cmBuilder.io will help visualize every step of your site logistics plan.

3. 3D Markups

Good communication among stakeholders is an essential part of any successful planning process. Using 3D Markups to highlight critical information of the project like dimensions, callouts, or focusing on challenging areas improves the understanding of your plan and provides better insight into the project. You can create camera angles, custom views, sections and annotations that you want to highlight and add them to the milestones while creating the 4D presentation. You will also be able to add, edit and share text callouts of elements on your markups to highlight work instructions, executed tasks or any other relevant information on the 3D site plan.

4. Interactive and Informational Presentation Links

The 4D Presentation Mode on cmBuilder lets you create an impressive, interactive presentation of your site logistics plan before you actually build. Use our in-built suite of parametric resources, add important construction milestones to mark the progress, use 3D markups to highlight and save camera angles that are vital to the project, and create a data-rich, 4D simulation of your project. You can then share this engaging simulation of the project schedule, site layout, and sequence as a single link that can be accessed, viewed, and edited on any smart device, instead of videos, images or files. Everything is 100% web-based and optimized for mobile. Too good to be true? Don't take our word for it!

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“cmBuilder is an interface that leads to better and more efficient construction planning. You can be more accurate with simulating real world conditions, and then you can share the result easily with a mobile web viewer that democratizes access to the model. People used to need an expensive computer and software, lots of time and knowledge to get access to project models – so really only consultants were using the models, the contractors were not. Now, the game has changed.”

Brent Olund VP, Sustainable Construction, Urban One Builders

As it becomes more and more clear that 4D Simulations are going to be a game-changer for the construction industry, it seems to be only a matter of time before it becomes the general practice. There is a clear indication that the ability to view the progress of a project in detail is vital, but in addition accessibility to this data on any mobile device even without credentials can save your clients valuable resources in terms of both time and budget.

Want to find out for yourself? You can directly start a free trial on cmBuilder.io today! You can also schedule some time and book a customized demo with a product expert!

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