My BIM model is slow to load

When would I use this?

Your BIM model is large and takes a noticeable amount of time to load when you open BIM Comparison or Overlay mode.
You are working on a multi-storey building, or a large footprint building with smaller enclosed spaces.
You have a poor internet connection, but still need access to BIM features.

Overview

Spatial Loading controls how much of a BIM model is loaded when you view a scene in BIM Comparison or BIM Overlay mode. By default, the entire model loads at once. For large models this can be slow, and much of what loads may not be relevant to the area you are currently inspecting. Spatial Loading lets you restrict the model to only the parts that are near your current position, so the view loads faster and you can navigate more efficiently.

Spatial Loading must be enabled for a site by the Oculo support team before the controls become available. Once enabled, a button appears in the BIM viewer that lets you choose between three loading modes.

The three modes

Mode	What loads	Best for
Scene	Elements within a radius of your current scene position.	Large, complex sites where you want the fastest possible load per scene.
Floor	The floor you are currently standing on, plus the floors immediately above and below.	Multi-storey buildings where you inspect one level at a time.
Site	The entire model - same as default behaviour before Spatial Loading was introduced.	Small models, or when you need to see the full site at once.
Scene	Elements within a radius of your current scene position.	Large, complex sites where you want the fastest possible load per scene.

Floor mode

In Floor mode, Oculo determines which level you are standing on and loads all elements that are present on or pass through that level, plus the floors immediately adjacent to it. If you navigate to a different floor, the model reloads to reflect the new level. Elements on floors that are not near you are not loaded.

For example, if you are standing on Level 2, the model will load Levels 1, 2, and 3. Ground floor and basement will not load until you navigate to a scene on one of those levels.

Note: Because Floor mode reloads the model when you change floor, you may see a brief reload when navigating between levels. Within a single floor, navigation is fast.

Scene mode

In Scene mode, Oculo loads only the elements of the model that fall within a radius of your current scene position. This can dramatically reduce load times for large models, particularly when you are working in one area of a site. Elements that are further away do not load — they only appear when you navigate to a scene close enough for them to fall within the radius.

The model reloads each time you move to a new scene. This means elements that were visible at your previous position may not be visible at the next one, and elements that were out of range may appear as you move closer to them. The trade-off is that each individual scene loads very quickly.

Note: Large structural elements such as floor slabs and ceiling slabs are single model objects. If any part of them falls within the load radius, the entire element will load - which may mean some large elements appear even when they extend well beyond your immediate area.

How to use it

Spatial Loading must be enabled on your site by Oculo Support before the controls appear. Contact support or your Customer Success Manager to request this.

Once enabled:

Open any scene on the site in BIM Comparison or BIM Overlay mode.
Click the Spatial Loading button in the top left of the BIM view. Hovering over it shows a tooltip describing what it controls.
Select All, Floor, or Scene.
Refresh the page for the new setting to take effect. The selected mode is applied when the model loads.

Tip: If you switch modes and nothing appears to change, refresh the page. The mode is applied at load time - it will not re-filter a model that has already fully loaded.

Things to bear in mind

Requires setup by Oculo Support. Spatial Loading is not enabled by default. It must be configured per site by the Oculo support team.
Model visibility is not retained at reload. When navigating outside of a scene in scene mode, or outside of a floor in floor mode, the whole model will reload meaning any hidden elements or hierarchy will be reloaded.
Scene mode reloads on every scene change. If you are navigating quickly across many scenes, the frequent reloads may be noticeable. Floor mode or All may be more appropriate for that workflow.
Large elements load in full. Elements like full-floor slabs are single model objects. If any part of them falls within the load radius, the whole element loads. This is expected behaviour.
Spatial Loading can work alongside Visibility Groups. If you also have Visibility Groups setup on your site, then they can work alongside Spatial Loading - just use them in the same way. In some cases, Spatial Loading may negate the need for Visibility Groups if they are purely being used to manage model loading speed.

Need help?

Contact help@oculo.ai if you have questions about Spatial Loading or BIM models.

My BIM model is slow to load - what can I do?

BIM model Spatial Loading can help