Getting Started

VIM Enterprise streamlines the generation of Power BI reports by automating the creation of VIM files, the integration with Microsoft Power BI, and scheduled data updates from the source project or file.

A VIM Enterprise project first defines the source from which the VIM file will be created. The source can be an Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) project, a local Revit project, or an IFC file. A VIM file is created from the source and stored in a local folder defined in the project settings.

The BIM data from the locally stored VIM file is automatically extracted and pushed to an SQL database, where it can be accessed by Power BI and used to generate reports. The database can be an Azure SQL database or a local SQL Server database, and is defined in the VIM Enterprise project settings using a database string.

Because Power BI requires a URL address to display the 3D mesh data in the embedded WebGL Viewer, a copy of the locally stored VIM file is uploaded to an Azure Storage Account.

A sample Power BI template is provided with the VIM Enterprise installation package to get you started generating reports. The template contains several pre-configured Power BI report pages, including various level, mesh, material, and parameter audits. You can modify the provided template as required or create your own templates. For information on using the provided template, see Working with Power BI.

To ensure your Power BI reports have the latest data, you can run VIM Enterprise projects manually to update from the project source, or you can schedule your projects to run at a specific time and day. After a VIM Enterprise project has been updated, the data source must be refreshed in Power BI.

Installing VIM Enterprise

The VIM Enterprise installation package includes VIM Desktop, which includes the VIM for Revit plugin and the IFC to VIM converter used to create VIM files.

If you have previous versions of VIM Desktop or VIM Enterprise installed, they will be updated to the current version when you run the latest installers.

Before you can create a project, you must configure VIM Enterprise. The configuration procedures are typically performed by your IT department.

The following files are included with the VIM Enterprise installer package:

• VIM Enterprise.pdf — information and video links to get you started with VIM Enterprise
• VIM-Enterprise-Setup-vx.x.xx.exe — installer for VIM Enterprise
• VIM-Setup-vx.x.xx.exe — installer for VIM Desktop
• BimAudit-RVT-SQLx.x.x-Ux.x.x.x-DMx.x.x.pbix — sample Power BI template used to configure VIM Enterprise projects

You will also require the VIM Enterprise license string provided with the installer package.

Step 1: Install VIM Desktop

• Double-click on the VIM-Setup-vx.x.xx.exe installer file.

For more information, see the VIM Desktop Getting Started guide.

Step 2: Install VIM Enterprise

• Double-click on the VIM-Enterprise-Setup-vx.x.xx.exe installer file.

Step 3: Configure the VIM Enterprise License

Your VIM license string will have been emailed to you by a customer service representative.

1. Open VIM Enterprise. The VIM License dialog is automatically displayed the first time you open VIM Enterprise.
2. Paste your license string into the licence field and click Save.
   

Global Settings

Global Settings for VIM Enterprise are located on the Settings panel.

• VIM License — To update an expired license, click Update, paste the new license string, and then click Save. The license expiry date and number of projects are updated on the Settings page.
• Close Minimizes to Tray — Enable this setting if you have scheduled project runs. When you close VIM Enterprise it is minimized to the Windows System Tray and remains running in the background. NOTE: If this option is enabled, before uninstalling VIM Enterprise you will need to right-click on the VIM Enterprise icon minimized on the Windows Taskbar and choose Exit.
• Concurrent Project Runs — Limits the number of concurrent project runs to avoid potential resource issues.

Configuring VIM Ultra

The VIM Ultra Renderer offers significant improvements in image quality and performance compared to the standard WebGL Viewer.

Improved ambient lighting provides a more natural appearance through the use of screen space ambient occlusion (SSAO). With SSAO, exposure to ambient light is calculated with respect to the immediate surroundings rather than a defined light source, enhancing shadows and textures. The VIM Ultra Renderer also supports much larger models with improved frame rates through the use of occlusion culling and screen space culling, where only unobscured objects within the field of view are rendered. Loading times between Power BI report pages is also greatly improved by VIM file disk caching.

To view the VIM Ultra Renderer in Power BI, you must first configure the provided sample template to work with your VIM Enterprise project data. For more information, see Working with Power BI.

VIM Ultra Renderer (left) and WebGL Renderer (right) in Power BI

NOTE: To get the best possible results with the VIM Ultra Renderer you should have a recent 3D video card (NVIDIA 1080 series or better is recommended) with the latest drivers installed.

1. In VIM Enterprise, on the VIM Ultra panel, choose one of the following encoding options:

   • NVIDIA — enable if your computer uses an NVIDIA display adapter.
   • Vulkan — enable if your computer uses an AMD or other equivalent display adapter.

2. Click Start. The Status of the rendering server will change to Running. The VIM Ultra Renderer must be running to use the VIM Ultra visual in Power BI. If the VIM Ultra Renderer is not running, a connection error message will be displayed in Power BI.

3. Open the latest version of the sample template in Power BI and connect to your VIM Enterprise project data source. The VIM Ultra visual can be viewed on the report page named "Explorer - ULTRA". You can choose between the Ultra viewer and the WebGL viewer on the Visualizations > Format Visual panel.

   

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Related Topics

Configuring VIM Enterprise
Creating a Project using ACC
Creating a Project using Revit
Creating a Project using IFC Creating a VIM Merge Project

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