A 4D BIM movie in Vico Office is a derivation of the model geometry, the quantities per location, tasks per location, and the crew productivity rates. A 4D BIM movie in Vico Office is not contrived to meet the Owner’s stated deadline. Use the Vico Office 4D Manager schedule to communicate your understanding of the project to the Owner, and then use it on-site to communicate with the Subs. Here are four best practices for using the 4D movie.
After reading through these questions, please navigate across the product line:
Vico Office FAQs
Vico Office Client FAQs
Vico Office Takeoff Manager FAQs
Vico Office Constructability Manager FAQs
Vico Office LBS Manager FAQs
Vico Office Schedule Planner FAQs
Vico Office Production Controller FAQs
Vico Office Cost Planner FAQs
Vico Office Cost Explorer FAQs
Also read through these questions:
Model Progression Specification FAQs
Location-Based Managememt System FAQs (the theory which powers Vico scheduling solutions)
5D Data Pack FAQs
We also have a Vico Office Video Training Series designed for Schedulers, Estimators, Supers, and PMs. The videos are only 2-5 minutes in length, but dive deep into each piece of functionality. You can follow along on the website with additional commentary and resources, or download the series to your desktop.
We also have two whitepapers that explain construction scheduling:
Whitepaper: A Comparison of Tradition CPM to Location-Based Scheduling
Whitepaper: The Combination of Last Planner System and Location-Based Management System
Q: Why can't I get a schedule simulation movie in Vico Office BEFORE we start work on the bid?
A: That's the difference between a movie that is contrived for the Owner presentation and a scheduling simulation that is derived from the model geometry, the quantities by location, and the crew productivity rates. It's important to note that even in a hard bid, GCs can use BIM to effectively bid the project and use the Vico 4D Manager to illustrate their project knowledge and expertise to the Owner.
In a traditional process, the "marketing schedule" would be thrown away after the bid was won. However, with Vico's 5D virtual construction workflow, the schedule is expanded upon as more and more details are known about the project. And the same schedule that was played for the Owner can be played for Subs to help them better understand the part they play on the site.
Q: How do we simulate a crane that’s moving on-site through the construction?
A: The way that you would handle it in the model is you would have to model the crane in all the locations that it is ever going to be in. So that one crane could become more than one crane if it’s going to be moved three times. But you would use the temporary function in the settings of the 4D groups. And you would make that crane appear in a certain location for a certain period of time (say 6 months) and it would disappear and then it would appear again in the next location and then again in the next location. So we have three behaviors. Build is the behavior for the simulation and once it’s there it would stay there. Once it’s demolished the simulation would start with that building there then it would disappear at the end of the task and if it’s temporary it would be shown just for the period of that task.
Q: Oftentimes, the Owner would like to see alternative schedules. For example, what would happen if we started on the eastern side of the project first and only close one road to traffic. How do we set up a what-if with the Vico scheduling solutions?
A: It is very easy to propose alternate construction sequencing based on material availability or site access when GCs are planning a project. Simply by changing the locations, we can see the schedule simulation build out the project and automatically update the project cash flow and resource histogram.
It's really as simple as this...
Q: What if I just want to check that my sequencing logic makes sense or that cranes aren't blocking entrances. How do I set up 4D Manager to do that?
A: A powerful use of the 4D Manager scheduling simulation is to identify flaws in scheduling assumptions. By quickly visualizing your schedule changes in a 4D movie, you can see where additional changes need to be made. Sometimes it’s a location issues, sometimes it’s a sequencing logic issue, but catching it in preconstruction is key. Here's a quick demonstration of how you can do this...
To help you and your team learn more about the use of schedule simulations in the Vico Office workflow, we've put together these resources:
Webinar: The 5D Virtual Construction Workflow in Vico Office
Webinar: Introduction to LBS Manager
Blog: Why a 4D Schedule MUST BE More than a Movie
Blog: 4 Best Practices for 4D BIM Sceduling Movies
Blog: 5D BIM on the Jobsite and throughout Your Firm
Webpage: What Is 4D BIM?
Video: 5D BIM for Dummies
Video: BIM-Based Estimating for Dummies
Training: Vico Office Video Training Series