Mobile & Touch Controls

Touch gestures and mobile optimizations for smartphones and tablets.

Overview

BIM AVA is fully optimized for mobile devices. This page describes touch-specific gestures and mobile features.

Touch Gestures for 3D Navigation

Basic Gestures

Gesture	Function
1 finger swipe	Orbit - Rotate camera around model
2 fingers swipe together	Pan - Move camera
Pinch (move together)	Zoom out
Spread (move apart)	Zoom in
Double-tap on object	Fly to object
Double-tap on empty area	Clear selection

Precise Navigation

For precise navigation, you can also double-tap on empty areas to clear the selection and stabilize the view.

Touch Selection

Single Objects

Single tap on object - Select object and show properties

Multiple Objects

Method 1: Sequential

1. Hold 2 fingers on empty area for multi-select mode
2. Tap on objects one by one

Method 2: Rectangle Selection

1. Activate Select Tool in the toolbar
2. Draw a rectangle with 1 finger

Tool Operation via Touch

Measurement Tool

1. Activate the measurement tool
2. Tap on start point
3. Tap on end point
4. Distance is displayed

→ See Measurement Tool for details

Measure Coordinates

1. Open Toolbox → Measure Coordinates
2. Tap on surface
3. Move overlay: Hold title bar and drag

→ See Coordinate Tool for details

Section Planes

1. Activate Section Planes
2. Tap in model to place plane
3. Drag arrows to move
4. Drag rotation handle to rotate

Touch Precision

Section plane handles can be hard to hit on small screens. Zoom in closer.

→ See Section Planes for details

Create Annotations

1. Activate Annotation in the toolbar
2. Tap on position
3. Enter text via mobile keyboard
4. Optional: Attach photo with device camera

→ See Annotations for details

Cost Estimation (Touch-optimized)

Drag & Drop Linking

1. Hold position in the GAEB table
2. Drag to center of screen
3. Release over object in 3D viewer

Precise Drag & Drop

Use zoom for precise object selection during drag & drop.

→ See Data Linking for details

Performance Tips for Mobile

Large Models

For models with >100,000 objects:

1. Load only needed models
2. Use Advanced Filters to hide object types
3. Disable Ambient Occlusion in settings

Save Battery

• Close unnecessary browser tabs
• Reduce screen brightness
• Use WiFi instead of mobile data for large models

Offline Capability (PWA)

After installation as PWA:

• Already loaded projects work offline
• Changes are synchronized when back online

Touch Limitations

Small Screens (<6")

• Section plane handles hard to hit → zoom in closer
• GAEB table takes up space → use in fullscreen

Touch Precision

• For precise object selection: zoom in closer
• For drag & drop: use larger objects as targets

Safari-Specific (iOS)

• WebGL performance may be limited on very large models
• Initial load time may be longer

Device Compatibility

Tested on

Smartphones:

• iPhone 12 and newer (Safari)
• Samsung Galaxy S20+ (Chrome)
• Google Pixel 5+ (Chrome)

Tablets:

• iPad Pro (Safari) - ⭐ Recommended
• iPad Air (Safari)
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ (Chrome)

Minimum Requirements:

• iOS 14+ or Android 10+
• 4 GB RAM (8 GB+ for large models)
• WebGL 2.0 Support

iPad Pro Recommendation

For professional construction site use, we recommend iPad Pro 11" or larger with Apple Pencil.

Troubleshooting

Touch Gestures Not Working

1. Update your browser
2. Clear browser cache
3. Check other touch gestures in the browser

Model Not Loading

1. Check internet connection
2. Wait longer (large models take time)
3. Try a smaller model first

Viewer Freezes

1. Reduce number of loaded models
2. Close other browser tabs
3. Restart browser

See Also

• 3D Viewer - Complete viewer documentation
• Keyboard Shortcuts - Keyboard shortcuts for desktop
• Measurement Tool - Measure distances
• Section Planes - Cut through the model