DfMA Technical Library Help Documentation Page 1 of 43
Contents Contents... 2 Overview... 3 Users... 41 Tracking... 43 Process... 3 Roles within the system... 5 System Security... 6 Entering the System... 7 My Account... 9 Searching for objects... 10 Requesting a new Object... 15 Approving an Object Request... 17 Authoring Content... 19 Updating an existing object... 22 Retiring an object... 23 Other functions... 24 Forgotten Password... 24 New User Request... 24 Basket... 25 Administrative Functions... 26 Object Types... 26 Categories... 29 Category Parameters... 30 Companies... 32 File Types... 33 Manufacturers... 34 New User Requests... 35 Sectors... 37 Standard Parameters... 38 Statement of Purpose... 40 Page 2 of 43
Overview This system aims to establish a central location where all BIM/CAD components (initially Revit families) can be stored. Currently users create Revit families on an as needed basis and may store them on their local server share, or their own hard disk. This means that some families are potentially created time and time again; by the introduction of this central library we can increase the re-use of existing families as the users can easily make use of other peoples work. This central store is searchable and supports drag and drop from the library into the RevIT application (using Autodesk s i-drop technology) The functionality is similar to Autodesk s existing Seek website, but also includes a number of Laing O Rourke specific approvals Process The system supports the following process Page 3 of 43
This can be broken down into the following steps (the lower three rows of the above diagram depict where the system interacts with the business process) Content Creation A Content Owner creates a new request for an object; they complete an online form supplying required information. When the online form is submitted the system supplies them with a unique identifier, this value must be authored into the actual Revit content. The new request is passed to a user with the Approver role; they reject or accept the request, the originating content owner is informed of their decision via email. The Content Owner gets the content authored (including the unique identifier) The Content Owner reviews the content checking for accuracy and decides what the object could be used for (a statement of purpose), if the authored content is not up to scratch the owner must get the content updated until it is fit for the desired purpose. The Content Owner then uploads the content to the system, completing any parameters that haven t yet been entered. The Content Owner then enters the Statement of Purpose for the object and approves the object. At this point the new object is available for all users to download and use. Content Download Any user can search for objects using the associated attributes of the objects, results are returned with each object displaying a thumbnail image and some of the object parameters. Having run a search and say 20 results having been returned, the user can select a result, whereby more detail of the object will be displayed. This single result view will include the ability to download the associated files (this will be via normal hyperlinks and where possible via Autodesk s i-drop technology) Content Maintenance A content owner can use the normal search to find existing objects they own; a Edit link is provided by selecting this Edit link, the content owner will have the ability to Edit any of the associated attributes Upload a new version of the content Update the thumbnail image Flag the content as inactive (meaning that it no longer is visible within anyone s search results) Page 4 of 43
Roles within the system The system supports the following roles: System Administrator Approver Content Owner Normal User System Administrator Role This role can perform any action within the system; however their main function is to manage the various lookup lists within the system Approver Role This role allows a user to approve or reject the requests created by Content Owners Content Owner Role This is the key content role; it allows a user to request new objects, and once approved to author them, upload associated files and to activate them. Once an object has been activated/published the object is still owned by the original content owner, as such they can update or retire these objects at any time. Normal User Role This role permits a user to browse the library and download it s content; they cannot contribute files to the library. Page 5 of 43
System Security Access to the system is granted or denied based upon a recognised user name and password combination; If the user name/password is recognised by the system access is granted, otherwise it is denied. If access is granted, the options available to the user vary depending upon the role associated to the user name within the project. The following matrix describes the relationships between roles and functionality. Functionality area Role My Account Object Types Request My Objects Approvals Admin Basket Logout All roles All roles (access granted via specific user setting) All roles, except Normal User All roles, except Normal User Approver and System Administrator System Administrator All roles All roles Page 6 of 43
Entering the System To access the system simply navigate to the system s URL (http://dfma.laingorourke.com); as previously described the system requires a user name and password, therefore the initial page displayed is the login screen Obviously to access the system you must have a valid user name and password combination, if you cannot remember your password, click on the Forgotten password? link (see Forgotten Password) If you don t have a user name and password for this system, and would like access to it, click the New User Request link (see New User Request) Once you have a valid user name and password, enter both and click the Logon button. You will then be shown the legal disclaimer thus You must agree with the disclaimer to continue into the system, clicking disagree will simply take you back to the login screen. Further information concerning the Acceptable Usage Policy can be viewed by following the hyperlink Page 7 of 43
The system will enable and disable options based on your current role within the system, so for instance when entering the system as a System Administrator the following home screen might be displayed Whereas if you only have Normal User access you might see Notice that as a normal user numerous functions are disabled from the top menu area Page 8 of 43
My Account All users have access to the My Account area of the system; within it you can update various attributes of your account You can change the following Your first name Your last name Your email address Your password Note you can update your name and email address without entering a new password; when the password fields are left blank your existing password will not be changed. Page 9 of 43
Searching for objects The system supports different types of object (initially the system has been configured with 4:- BIM Objects, Protocols, Design Guides and Engineering Guides), access to each object type is controlled on a per user basis, so you may not have access to all the configured object types. The objects types you do have access to are listed within the menu bar to the right of My Account To search for a specific object type simply click the name of the object type within the menu bar, by doing so the system will either Display some search criteria List all objects within this object type As an example we will search for some BIM Objects; having clicked BIM Objects within the menu the following is displayed By clicking the Search button all BIM Objects are displayed thus The system paginates the results; use the Prev and Next buttons to move through the results Page 10 of 43
Each result displays the following An image/thumbnail of the object The manufacturer of the object The category the objects resides within The description of the object The types of file associated with the object To add the object into you basket tick the object s selection box thus Notice that within the menu bar the Basket displays the number of objects currently within the basket To access the contents of the basket, simply click Basket within the menu bar (see Basket) To view more details about the objects either click the View hyperlink or click the thumbnail image, having clicked either of them the following will be displayed Page 11 of 43
The screen displayed all the information about the object (use the right hand scroll base to see more information) The following actions can be performed from the screen Basket Places the item into your basket and closes this dialogue Error Initiates an email to the owner of this object; this functionality should be used when you believe there is an error with the content (the files) of this object Audit Displays the history of this object Cancel Closes this dialogue File download By scrolling down, individual files associated with the object can be accessed; simply click on the hyperlink to download the file to your computer. Page 12 of 43
idrop If you are using Internet Explorer as your browser and the object contains Autodesk format files (currently DWG and RFA) files, the image can be dragged and dropped into a suitable Autodesk CAD product (Revit or AutoCAD) In order for idrop to function correctly you must have installed the idrop functionality within your computer. This must be downloaded from the Autodesk website, either Google Autodesk idrop Download then follow the link to Autodesk or click the Eye Dropper to go directly to the Autodesk download page. To use idrop you need to have an Autodesk product running alongside your browser, in the above example we have a Revit door so we would require a wall in which to place the door thus Now left click on the image of the door and move your cursor to Revit (your cursor will change to an eye dropper when you are over a window that accepts a drop). Revit will automatically download the RFA file and start the insert door command thus Page 13 of 43
You can then place the door as if you had manually loaded the family. Page 14 of 43
Requesting a new Object The functionality is only available to Content Owners, Approvers and System Administrators; it permits the user to request the creation of a new object within the library; simply click Request, the following screen is displayed The following should be entered Object Type The type of object you wish to create (e.g. BIM Object, Protocol etc) Aligns with Procurement Strategy Owner Does this new object align with the Laing O Rourke procurement strategy? The owner of this new object; defaults to the current user and cannot be changed at this point Contractual Agreement Laing O Rourke have a strategic contractual procurement agreement with the content owner / supplier which complies with the DfMA Technical Library Disclaimer and By clicking "Agree", you acknowledge that the information displayed, created, introduced, saved, uploaded, used or otherwise made available on the website linked to this page constitutes the intellectual property of Laing O Rourke PLC, or that where it is not capable of vesting in Laing O Rourke PLC that Laing O Rourke PLC have an irrevocable royalty free non exclusive licence, capable of granting sub-licences to use such information for any purposes related to the use of building information modelling and design for manufacture and assembly on construction and engineering projects and that no rights therein shall vest in you. Further, you agree to fully comply with (and if you are not an employee of Laing O Rourke, Page 15 of 43
Manufacturer Cost Code not permit any breach of) Laing O Rourke s policies on intellectual property and acceptable IT usage Specifies who manufactures this new object; if the drop-down list doesn t include the manufacturer please contact the system administrator who will be able to amend the list of manufacturers. The cost code that the creation of this object will be charged against Proposed Publish Date Category Purpose Family Description Sectors Attach PDF The date that you propose to publish this new object on The category of object; if the drop-down list doesn t include a suitable category please contact the system administrator who will be able to amend the list of categories. The purpose that the proposed object can be used for (e.g. Construction, Design Intent etc); if the drop-down list doesn t include a suitable purpose please contact the system administrator who will be able to amend the list of purposes. A unique name for the object A description of the object A list of the various sectors (e.g. Education, Healthcare Housing etc) that this new object could be used within In addition to the various fields described above, you can also upload a PDF file to support your request. Once all fields have been completed (and optionally a PDF file uploaded), click the Submit button. At this point your request will be stored and the system will respond with a GUID. This GUID is a unique code generated by the system that should be authored into the actual CAD files; this could be used in the future to analyse models built from the library to easily perform a simple take off and potentially costing. Having requested a new object the request is passed to an Approver (the approver will have been emailed to inform them that you have just submitted a request). You can also view our requests via the My Objects area of the system Page 16 of 43
Approving an Object Request The functionality is only available to Approvers and System Administrators; it permits the user to accept or reject an object request; simply click Approvals, the following screen is displayed To approve or reject a request click on the request, the following dialogue is displayed To approve the request, click the Approve button, to reject a request enter a rejection reason and click Reject. Upon rejection or approval the owner of the object will be informed via email of the decision. If a request is rejected and the owner of the object contacts the approver and convinces them that the object should be created, the approver can once again enter the approvals area and change the status of object displayed in the grid thus: Page 17 of 43
By clicking on the rejected object, it s details are displayed along with a button allowing the approver to change the status of the request back to Pending; this in turn will allow the approver once again decide if the object should be approved or rejected. Page 18 of 43
Authoring Content Once an object request has been approved, the content owner should initiate the creation of one or more CAD files (and possibly associated documentation). Once the CAD (and other) files have been created, the content owner should review them and ensure that they are suitable for purpose. Once this step has been completed, the content owner is in a position whereby they can add the files to the requested object. To initiate this first select My Objects ; the following is displayed Change the status dropdown to Approved, the screen will refresh and list the object that have been approved but not yet activated, thus Now click on the desired object; the following dialogue will appear Page 19 of 43
To Author the object, click the Author button, after confirming that you wish to author the object the following is displayed At this point you can alter (or complete) any of the properties associated with the object, in addition you can add files to the object. To add file to the object Click the Add File button, the following dialogue is displayed Page 20 of 43
Use the browse button to locate the file you wish to add (note only configured file extensions are permitted) and click Upload. The selected file is uploaded to the server and associated with the object. If the file has an RFA extension, the system will extract the preview image from the file and store it as the object s thumbnail image. Thus Only the first RFA uploaded will have its preview image extracted and used as the objects thumbnail, if you wish you can manually upload a thumbnail. Manually uploaded thumbnail images should be 128 pixels by 128 pixels, the system will accept other sizes, but the thumbnail is always displayed in a 128x128 square area, uploading larger files will slow down the user s access to the various pages in the system. Once all associated files have been uploaded, click the activate button; this will make the new object searchable by normal users Page 21 of 43
Updating an existing object Through the life time of an object, the content stored within the library may need to be updated, as a content owner this is very easy to do; first you must select your object (either by finding it using the main search area, or by locating it within the My Objects area). Having found the object, view it, if you own the object and additional button will be available Edit, simply click this button and you will be taken to the object edit screen thus: Here you can: Add additional files Delete existing files Change the various attributes of the object Change the thumbnail image Once you have made any changes, click the Save button Page 22 of 43
Retiring an object In a similar manner to updating an existing object, you can retire an object; first you must select your object (either by finding it using the main search area, or by locating it within the My Objects area). Having found the object, view it, if you own the object and additional button will be available Edit, simply click this button and you will be taken to the object edit screen thus: To retire the object, select the Retire button. Once an object retired it will not be available within the search area. Page 23 of 43
Other functions Forgotten Password If you have forgotten your password, you should access this function from the main login page Simply enter your email address and the system will send you an email that contains your password. New User Request If you do not have access to this system and would like access, use the New User Request hyperlink found on the main login page, complete the following details And click the submit button, your request will be forwarded to the system administrator who will consider your request for access. Page 24 of 43
Basket The system supports a basket; this allows you to place objects into the basket and download them. Having searched for an object you can add it to your basket via the tick box Or by viewing the object and clicking the Basket button The number of objects within your basket is updated within the main menu bar Page 25 of 43
Administrative Functions All the following functions are limited to users that have the System Administrator role; all these functions are accessible via the Admin button on the main menu bar. The administrative area allows the management of the various look-up lists used throughout the system, along with the setting up and management of users and some reporting of system use. Having selected the Admin button on the main menu bar the following is displayed You should use the Admin Mode dropdown list to select what you wish to administer; you may select one of the following Categories Category Parameters Companies File Types Manufacturers New User Requests Object Types Sectors Standard Parameters Statement Of Purpose Tracking Users Each of these are described in the following pages Object Types Object types as the name suggests describe the types of object the system understands; as previously stated 4 object types are pre-configured (BIM Object, Protocol, Design Guide and Engineering Guide). Using this area you can remove, rename or create types of object. Within the system the available types of objects are displayed in the main menu bar thus Page 26 of 43
They are also used extensively throughout the administrative screens. Having selected Object Types as the Admin Mode, the following screen is displayed To create a new object type, click Add, whereas to edit (or delete) an existing object type, click on the object type in question Each object type has the following properties Object Type Order Searchable The name of the object type (this must be unique), it must also be capable of being a plural (having an s added) since the main menu will automatically add an s to the defined object name; for example BIM Object is displayed as BIM Objects in the main menu. This defines the display order within the main menu, lower numbers appearing to the left, higher numbers to the right. Defines if this type of object should display a search criteria area or not, when ticked the search area is displayed thus Page 27 of 43
Whereas un-ticked, doesn t display any search criteria, but runs the search immediately, thus Active Once an object is referenced within the system; that s to say a request or object has been made/created that is associated with a particular object type, that object type cannot be deleted. However, to make an object type invisible within the system, you simply need to un-tick this flag. Page 28 of 43
Categories Categories represent a breakdown of object types, in the case of BIM Objects; these categories represent types of 3D object (Doors, Walls and Windows etc), the list of categories is specific to an object type Having selected Categories as the Admin Mode, the following screen is displayed Use the Object Type dropdown list to select the desired object type, the list will be refreshed to display the defined categories within the selected object type. To create a new category, click Add, whereas to edit (or delete) an existing category, click on the category in question Each category has the following properties Category The name of the category; this must be unique within the selected object type. Page 29 of 43
Category Parameters Each defined category, can have a number of category parameters, these are used to define parameters that are specific to a category, for instance for a category of Door, parameters could be defined for Width, Height, Number of Swings, Fire Rating, whereas for a category of Plants they might consist of Spread, Height and Genus. By careful use of these parameters, users can search for doors that have 2 swings or plants with a maximum height of 2m and a spread greater than 1.5m Having selected Category Parameters as the Admin Mode, the following screen is displayed You can use the object type and category dropdown lists to refine the parameters listed To create a new parameter, click Add, whereas to edit (or delete) an existing parameter, click on the parameter in question Each parameter has the following properties Object Type Parameter Category Type The type of object this parameter is associated with The name of the parameter The category (within the object type) that this parameter is associated with The type of parameter (Numeric or String) Page 30 of 43
Unit The unit that the value is measured in Active An active flag only active parameter are displayed within the search criteria Page 31 of 43
Companies Companies are associated with users; they allow an administrator to say what company a user of the system works for Having selected Companies as the Admin Mode, the following screen is displayed To create a new company, click Add, whereas to edit (or delete) an existing company, click on the company in question Each company has the following properties Company The name of the company, this must be unique Page 32 of 43
File Types This defines the types of file that can be uploaded into the system Having selected Companies as the Admin Mode, the following screen is displayed To create a new file type, click Add, whereas to edit (or delete) an existing file type, click on the file type in question Each file type has the following properties File type A descriptive name for the file type e.g. Acrobat (PDF) Require Thumbnail idropable Extension The inverse of Can the system understand this format of file and extract the thumbnail from the native file format currently only thumbnails can be extracted from RFA format files Does the normal CAD application that authors this file format support idrop (an Autodesk technology), for instance AutoCAD (the application that authors.dwg files) does understand idrop, therefore idropable should be ticked for DWG files, Whereas Microsoft Word doesn t understand idrop therefore.doc should be un-ticked The file extension (don t include the. ) Page 33 of 43
Manufacturers This defines the available manufacturers within the system; each object has an associated manufacturer. Having selected Manufacturers as the Admin Mode, the following screen is displayed To create a new manufacturer, click Add, whereas to edit (or delete) an existing manufacturer, click on the manufacturer in question Each manufacturer has the following properties Manufacturer Code URL Active The name of the manufacturer, this must be unique A 3 character code that is used by the system to generate a manufacturer specific code The URL of the manufacturer s website An active flag only active manufacturers are displayed throughout the system Page 34 of 43
New User Requests When a prospective user completes the New User Request form (available from the system login page), their pending request sits within this area. Having selected New User Requests as the Admin Mode, the following screen is displayed Select the user you are interested in and click the appropriate row, the following dialogue is displayed To reject their request, click Reject, to approve their request, click Approve Having clicked Approve, you are taken to the Add User dialogue with some of the information completed based on their request thus Page 35 of 43
For full details of the various properties associated with a user, please refer to Administrative Functions->Users Page 36 of 43
Sectors Each object within the library can be associated with zero, one or more sectors; a sector describes an area of work that this object could be used. Having selected Sectors as the Admin Mode, the following screen is displayed To create a new sector, click Add, whereas to edit (or delete) an existing sector, click on the sector in question Each sector has the following properties Sector The name of the sector, this must be unique Page 37 of 43
Standard Parameters An object within the library has a number of predetermined properties including Object Type, Aligns with Procurement Strategy, Owner, Contractual Agreement, Manufacturer, Cost Code etc. The system administrator using standard parameters can extend this list of properties. It should be noted that standard parameters are applied to all objects of a specific object type In a similar way to category parameters, users can search for explicit standard parameter values. Having selected Standard Parameters as the Admin Mode, the following screen is displayed Use the Object Type dropdown list to select the desired object type, the list will be refreshed to display the defined parameters within the selected object type. To create a new parameter, click Add, whereas to edit (or delete) an existing parameter, click on the parameter in question Each parameter has the following properties Object Type Parameter Type Unit The type of object this parameter is associated with The name of the parameter The type of parameter (Numeric or String) The unit that the value is measured in Page 38 of 43
Active An active flag only active parameter are displayed within the search criteria Page 39 of 43
Statement of Purpose Statements of Purpose represent a reason an object may be used, for instance Construction, Design Intent and Manufacture etc Having selected Statement of Purpose as the Admin Mode, the following screen is displayed Use the Object Type dropdown list to select the desired object type, the list will be refreshed to display the defined purposes within the selected object type. To create a new purpose, click Add, whereas to edit (or delete) an existing purpose, click on the purpose in question Each purpose has the following properties Object Type Purpose The type of object this purpose is associated with The name of the purpose (this must be unique) Page 40 of 43
Users All access to the system is via a username/password combination, use this area to define and manage users of the system. Having selected Users as the Admin Mode, the following screen is displayed By default it lists all users; however you can refine the users listed by applying search criteria based on Role, Object Type, User name and Company To create a new user, click Add User, whereas to edit (or delete) an existing user, click on the user in question. Having selected Add User, the following dialogue is displayed Page 41 of 43
This enables you to specify the following values Active Role Company Username First name Surname Email Address Password Expiry Date The active user flag, only active users can login into the system The role associated with the user (User, Content Owner, Approver or Administrator) The company that the user works for The unique user name The user s first name The user s last name The email address of the user The user s password (this must be at least 8 characters in length) The account can be set to expire (or not expire) based on the value of the Expiry Date Set tick box, when ticked you must also specify an Expiry Date. By setting an expiry date, the user may login to the system up to and including the specified date, however after that date they will not be able to enter the system. Permitted Object Types Each user can only access the object types ticked in this area, if they have a role of User and only Protocol is ticked, they will only be able to search and download Protocols they won t have access to other object types. In the event you wish to delete a user, first select the user then click the delete button. This may fail if they own content within the system, to overcome this return to the Users screen and select Reassign objects from one Owner to another this will allow you to change the ownership of existing objects. By reassigning objects from the user that s about to be deleted to another user, the next time you attempt to delete the user it will be successful. Page 42 of 43
Tracking Each time a user accesses one of the files associated with an object an audit record is created, in this area you can view which files have been downloaded, by whom and when. First define your search criteria, using the following attributes View This area offers two views, one By User the other By Object, both reports are based on the same information, but offer a different perspective By User reporting This style of reporting focuses on what a user has done, so it lists files/objects that have been downloaded by a user By Object reporting This style of reporting focuses on the objects/files, so it list the users that have downloaded a object/file Range Select the desired date range for the report Username Specify a username (or partial username) leave blank to include all users Object Type Specify an Object Type (or All) Object Name Specify an object name (or partial name) leave blank to include all object names File Type Specify a File Type (or All) Filename Specify a file name (or partial name) leave blank to include all file names Then click the Search button, the list will be refreshed; you then have two choices 1. Export the data to an Excel spreadsheet 2. Click on a specific user or file and see a graph of the downloads over time. Page 43 of 43