Import Project

Firstly, we will need elements to work with. To do that then you will need to import this project: training_project.zip

Download the file to your computer, save it in an accessible location, and then follow the next steps in the Project Manager.

Start view in PM --- Import --- Project --- Source File --- Name the Project --- Mark the box (Open the project after it's been imported) --- Import

Note: Write the same project number as the previous one, and then the empty project will be overwritten.

Press YES on the following warning

It will take a minute or 2. Wait until the following window pops up and Press NO.

Note: Remember to select the box for opening the project after import, so you do not have to find it yourselves

Important Information about IMPACT

Now that elements are shown in our Model View, it is important to mention the difference between the Element Mark and the Element Id.

Element Mark 

The name that we give to every element. Can be the same for elements that have the same shop drawing.

Element ID

A unique number, given automatically from the IMPACT software (usually starting from 1), that separates every element from each other. All planning is done through Element ID, due to its uniqueness in the system. In a new project, the element Id is starting from 1 again. There is no way to manipulate/edit this number in the system. Every time you delete an element and create a new one, the Element ID will automatically continue to be assigned as the next available number in the project.

In the Model View try and select elements and try and see the different properties in the property window. It should look something like below.

Building and Floors

Now that we have the project created we can see in the project browser that it consists of 1 building and 3 floors. Every floor has its own structure with element types underneath. Under every element type you will find the IMPACT Element Mark and next to it a number that is called the IMPACT Element Id.

If you want to create a new floor and copy some elements then follow this exercise (this is not mandatory to do)

Right-click on building 1 and select floors.

Add a new floor and give it a name. the dimensions sof the floor do not play an important role in this training. Press OK.

A new floor is created.

Now right-click on floor 3 and select copy elements, then press Copy and wait. A new floor with elements is now created.

Quick tip for filtering elements: Double-click on Model, Building, or floors. Double-click on walls and only solid walls will be shown. If you want to bring elements back then you can use the top section on the Home tab or right-clicking on the building/model and press unhide all!

Note: It is very easy to use a mouse and a keyboard in order to move the model around in the model viewer. Use “shift” and press the “wheel” of the mouse inside to rotate. Move the wheel in and out for zooming and press the “wheel” inside while moving the mouse, to move the building in every direction. Those shortcuts are replaced by the following options in the model view.

Regarding the element colour, this is something that we will go through in the training, but it is nice to note that on the home page on the top, the element/text colour can be manipulated concerning the different information you want to get out of the model. For the time being, we can select the one called "None".

Element Ids tab

Now that the model View is explained, let us move to the next most important tab which is the Element Ids tab.

When opening the element Ids tab, you will get a list of all the elements that are inside the project and a lot of the information in a column/raw format just like in a spreadsheet. It is important to note that an element that is selected in the Model View is also selected in the Element Ids tab.

Mark an element in the element Ids tab and then go back to the model view and see that it is selected. In order to mark the element, you will need to select it from the left side as shown below.

Note: You can use all the normal Windows shortcuts such as shift-select and ctrl-select, for selecting multiple at once. Dragging the mouse by left-clicking will also work smoothly!

Tab Configurations

The Element Ids tab is highly customizable. There are many information columns under the Element Ids tab (they are also draggable to move around in the header location). If you want to review all of the information then please right-click on the header line, select “column” and drag your mouse above to see all the available fields from the database.

For us, we will use a Grid Preset (to begin with) that is called rough planning. That will activate the fields that we need to do our rough planning training.

Small Exercise: Now that the rough planning grid preset is activated, please activate the columns for the length, the width and the height as well as the volume. Save your configuration as “rp_name”. In that way, you can create any filters possible while using the Element Ids tab.

Activate your new Layout by selecting "Shared Grid layouts" and your new configuration.

If you are under a trial period using the IMPACT trial database, then please move to the next chapter here.

If you are a new customer and you are your company’s production administrator, then follow the next step here.