Automation in Digital Engineering Using Data Science

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Features
• Prerequisites
• Installation
  • Plugin Installation
  • CLI Application Installation
• Usage
  • Using the Navisworks Manage Plugin
  • Using the Python CLI Application
• Documentation
• Contributors
• Acknowledgements
• Contact
• License

Overview

Automation in Digital Engineering Using Data Science is a collaborative project developed by a team of four Master’s students from the University of South Australia, class of 2024, for the John Holland Group. This project serves as a demonstration of our innovative solution aimed at automating the Level of Development (LoD) verification process for Building Information Modeling (BIM) project management within the John Holland Group.

Our solution integrates a user-friendly Navisworks Manage 2025 plugin with a robust Python-based CLI application that implements advanced LoD verification algorithms. This combination streamlines workflows, enhances accuracy, and significantly reduces manual effort in BIM project management.

Features

• Navisworks Manage Plugin:

  • Seamless integration with Navisworks Manage 2025.
  • User-friendly interface for initiating LoD verification.
  • Display the verification result into Navisworks.

• Python CLI Application:

  • Implements sophisticated LoD verification algorithms.
  • Command-line interface for advanced users and automation scripts.

Prerequisites

To build, develop, or extend this project, ensure the following prerequisites are satisfied:

General Requirements

Navisworks Manage: Version 2024 or compatible

Development Requirements

1. Visual Studio: Required for building the Navisworks plugin (with VB support)
   • .Net Framework 4.8 or compatible
   • Navisworks SDK v22.0
2. Python Packages:
   • pandas v2.2.3

Optional: for building the Python app

- pyinstaller 6.10.0

Installation

Plugin Installation

1. Download the Installer:

   • Navigate to the Releases page of this repository.
   • Download the latest mysetup.exe file.

2. Run the Installer:

   • Double-click the downloaded mysetup.exe.
   • Follow the on-screen instructions to install the plugin.
   • Important: Ensure you select the Plugins subfolder of your Navisworks Manage 2025 installation directory during the installation process.

3. Verify Installation:

   • Open Navisworks Manage 2025.
   • Navigate to the Tool Add-ins tab to confirm that the plugin is active.

Usage

Using the Navisworks Manage Plugin

1. Launch Navisworks Manage 2025.

2. Access and Configure the Plugin:

   • Click on the Tool Add-ins tab in the toolbar.
   • Select the Unisa LoD Plugin from the list of available plugins.
   • On Setting tab, select Set AppData Folder to select the folder for output. Ideally in your Document folder.

3. Initiate LoD Verification:

   • Select the model you wish to have verified.
   • Click on the Setting tab then Run Verifyer to start the process.
   • Upon finishing, click on the Load Output to select the newest output to display in Navisworks.

Using the LoDVerifyer

LoDVerifyer.exe is a command-line tool that verifies the Level of Development (LoD) of BIM elements extracted from Navisworks models. The application accepts two mandatory arguments:

1. Input Path (input):
   • Type: Path to a folder containing emails or unzipped subfolders.
   • Description: Specifies the location of the input data to be processed for LoD verification.
2. Output Path (output):
   • Type: Filepath for the output result.
   • Description: Defines where the verification results will be saved.

Contributors

Thank you to all the contributors who have helped make this project a success!

Core Team

• Yongzhen Guan – Project Manager
• Grahi Nileshkumar Brahmbhatt – Research & Design Verification Algorithm
• Mahfuzul Islam Hemel – Algorithm Design & Python Implementation
• Nhat Minh Ngo – Plugin Development & Integration

Special thanks to:

• Yan Zepf – Project Supervisor
• Masud Karim – Mentor