Excavation

Create beautiful excavation animations without the need for modeling work.

Use case: Prepare site for building

Either use Site Context app or bring in your own model for site context
- It can be found in Coordination or Construction tabs
Excavation can be found in the Element Properties window after selecting the site you wish to excavate

Optional: Bring in a PDF of your excavation/model blueprint
1. Select your site, an option for PDF overlay will be in Element Properties
  1. Click Create PDF Overlay
2. Using measurements in your PDF, click in the scene and then hold ALT and drag to see a box appear
  1. Alternatively you can type measurements into the width/height boxes that appear
3. Click Generate to select a PDF to load in
4. Select your PDF (it accepts the first page only, so if your blueprint is on page 2, make a new PDF with the page you need as page 1)
5. Select the 2D media in scene
6. If you want to adjust the transparency - click the Color Override button in the top right of element properties
7. Adjust the transparency so you can see through the PDF but still use it to draw your excavation

Optional: Site Preparation
1. Site preparation will help level a site and clearly define its boundaries before excavating
2. It is only available on site context models generated by Site Context app currently
3. The site preparation boundary is snappable while making excavations, so it can be used in lieu of the grid if desired
4. Helps the rest of the team know the boundaries of the site
  1. Where to place fences
  2. Visualize boundaries
5. Also functions to level the site using a slider bar once the site boundaries have been defined
6. Use smooth brush after site preparation to level out any areas of uneven terrain

Select the context model you wish to excavate on
In Element Properties - Click the option that says “Create Excavation Zone”
A grid appears and you can control the size of the grid cells with the UI that also appears
Click at least 3 points to form your excavation
Hit ESC to finalize
You can adjust the pit depth from here (it’s advised to get your elevation settled first before doing work with ramps)

Adjusting Angle and Depth

Once your excavation is made you have an opportunity to adjust the angle and depth of your pit
You have slider and manual entry for both depth and angle
You use the keyframe system the same way you use it for Fuzor vehicles
- Add a keyframe, then change elevation, for example, will allow you to dig in multiple phases
- You can further separate your animations into MTA’s, which allows for multiple excavations, or multi-phase excavations, and greater control over the micro schedule surrounding excavation

Optional: Ramps (no curving/spiral ramps currently)
W = Width | L = Length | A = Side wall angle
1. NOTE: UI will appear at the top of the screen to give you instructions based on what step you’re on
2. Select your excavation pit
3. In the element properties click “Create Ramp”
4. Mouse over the part of the wall you want your ramp to be on
5. Click once
6. Now adjust ramp width to your desired specs
7. Click once
8. Now adjust your ramp slope (1/8 is OSHA compliant in most cases, but if you have a blueprint you may already have exact specs, which we support as well)
9. Click once
10. Now adjust your ramp length to specs
11. Click again
  1. If your ramp was touching the floor when you clicked, the ramp is finalized
  2. If your ramp was in the air when you clicked, a platform is made and then you can repeat steps c-j until your ramp is touching the floor
NOTE: You can manually input numbers instead of using mouse to adjust ramp width/length/slope/side angle

Misc. Information

You can save your animation and convert it to MTA, which allows you to split your excavation into different tasks if desired, giving you direct control over when your ramp forms or when the pit gets dug out.
Your MTA or default excavation animations can be applied to a sequence animation task in the schedule, allowing the excavation to become part of the 4D simulation.
Excavation supports physics meaning you can drive vehicles into the pit, use egress routes, paths, or any other system that uses physics.
You can smooth using the Smooth brush inside the pit, allowing for more control over the look and accessibility of the pit
Measurements appear along the lines you draw and the angles you’re making
Site Define and Terrain Smooth brushes will disappear from Site Context model after making an excavation on it
Extremely large excavations will be slower to load physics, so you may see things like cars stop moving on paths if the path goes over a large excavation, the problem is fixed once physics loads, and we’ve included a progress bar to indicate loading when opening a file with one of these larger excavations

Usage:

Excavations are normally done with models that are not particularly accurate simulations of what will happen on a real excavation (most excavation models we see are hollow boxes with no ramps, no sloping walls, no ability to adjust elevation). You don’t have to wait for a modeler anymore either. You will be able to identify problems with your excavation dimensions vs. real world locations using site context in combination with this (is the ramp too steep, not long enough, will the dimensions given fit into the real world location, etc.).