Synchro PRO Basic Training: Auto-Matching with User Fields

21. Your Task List should now look like this:

In the next section, we will use these assigned  values to  3D Resources to these eight tasks.

We will now create an rule to assign multiple 3D Resources to the appropriate Tasks by matching their
 values.

1. Select all Resources shown in the 3D View: and

2. Left click on Task  hold down Shift and select

 Please ensure you do not de-select the 854 Resources and 4 Tasks selected.

3. Select ... ( ) to display the Auto Matching Dialog.

 Please see Appendix D: Auto-Matching for

more information pertaining to this function and
not explicitly described in this tutorial.

4. Select  to add a new  rule in the  dialog (shown below).

 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Auto-Matching with User Fields

5. : “StructuralFraming&Columns
6. Since we have purposely selected the 3D Resources
and Tasks we want to link, e nable
and  under

  Selecting will
limit the search criteria. If these options are not
selected, all 3D Resources and Tasks in the project will
be searched for a match.

7. Under , select  since we want to

match and assign more than 800 3D R esources to four
Tasks.
8. Select .

You can now define the matching criteria of your

 Rule in the  dialog. For the
purposes of this tutorial, please set the following values:

9. Under
i. First Drop-Down=
ii. User Field Drop-Down =
10. Under
i. First Drop-Down=
ii. User Field Drop-Down =
11. Please set  since we want an exact
match between Task and 3D Resource User Fields.
12.
13. Press “ ”
14. You will now see your rule in the “Expression” Window:

15. Select  at the bottom of the … Dialog.

 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Auto-Matching with User Fields

We will now run our  rule “ ” in the  window.

16. Select “ ” from the Rules Drop-Down.

17. Make sure  is set to

18. Select to display the results

19. Select an item from both and  columns
to populate the dialog windows beneath the search
results.
20. To confirm your  results, ensure the
following values are equal :
i.
ii.

21. Select  to receive this window. Press OK.

22. In the  the  column should be

populated for the tasks

23. Select the tasks and repeat steps 16-21 using the  Resource Appearance Profile
in Step 17.

24. The columns for tasks and will have the same
number of assigned Resources, respectively. (i.e.  and will have
121 assigned ).
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Adding Equipment

One of the many benefits of 4D scheduling is the ability to visualize space allocation over ti me. In addition to construction
models (buildings, sites, etc.), Synchro gives you the ability to import equipment models such as concrete trucks, cr anes, and
excavators, and simulate their motion through and around the site.

Before starting section 13, please save and cl ose your projects and open The steps to do this
are located in section 8.1.

Synchro has a library of equipment model files that you can download for fr ee from synchroltd.com or by clicking the
 icon on the  screen. The equipment models available in Synchro’s Equipment Library have
been optimized for use in Synchro, but you are welcome to import your own models if desired.

1. Select
2. Select Browse to locate the training models. By holding down the  key you can select multiple files for
import. Select the following files:
• Detailed Crawler Crane.dwf
• Excavator.dwf
3. Select  then
4. Activate , then
5. Change the name to
6. Set the Resource Type to then
7. Activate  and select
The equipment models will be imported to (0,0,0) and will need to be moved to the correct locations

You can use any  when assigning equipment models to tasks, but creating a few especially
for equipment may improve the appearance of the 4D sequence.

1. In , create a new user defined profile by right

clicking in the window then selecting
2. Rename the profile and ensure it is highlighted
3. In the  tab, ensure the  is set to
4. In  enable  by checking the box next to it (or change the colour if desired)
5. Create 2 more new  with these settings

Equipment Remove Remove Original Colour

Equipment Temporary Temporary Original Colour

These Resource Appearance Profiles may be used as f ollows:

• : for the first task a piece of equipment is assigned to, plus any tasks where the equipment
should remain on the site after the end of the task
•  for tasks when the equipment should be removed from the site at the end of the task
&  are typically used in conjunction with each other
• when the equipment is only on the site during the assigned to task – it will not be
visible before the task starts or after the task ends
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Editing 3D Objects

Synchro provides control over geometry by allowing you to move, rotate, and scale 3D objects using graphic manipulators.

We need to move the Crawler Crane to the location where it will be used. To do this, we will use the ,
which gives us the ability to laterally, horizontally, and vertically move the object. We can also rotate the object around
an axis (X,Y, or Z) using the

1. Select the task and select

2. Select the  in the 3D view so that it is highlighted.
3. Right click in the 3D view and choose The simple manipulator appears on the selected
item

 If the manipulator arrows are difficult to see or too close together, you can change the manipulator size in

4. To use the manipulator, hover over the required arrow until it grows. Left click and drag to move the object along
that axis. A semi-transparent preview of where the object will move to is shown. Release the mouse to place the
object.
5. Move the Crawler Crane to the new location as shown:

6. Use the  to rotate the crane 180 degrees

around the Z axis so that it is facing the b uilding.

 Alternatively, the  tab can be used to

rotate a selected object. For the crane, choose for the
and  for the , then select the
 button

7. Press  on the keyboard to exit the manipulator and deselect

the object
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Editing 3D Objects

In addition to the , there is also the option within  to use the . This has all
the features of the Simple Manipulator but has the additional options to

• use plane axis movement, or

• scale the selected object in a particular axis or overall.

To use the , select the required icon with left mouse button, then hold and move mouse to
either translate or scale

We will use the  to move the  to the correct location
1. Select the  task. From the  ribbon, select to move the Focus Time to the
beginning of the excavation task
2. Select the in the 3D View.
3. Right click in the 3D view and select

4. Use the Z axis translation icon (“A” in the image above) to move the excavator so it is sitting on top of the
excavation surface.
5. Use the Z axis rotation icon (“B” in the image above) or the  tab to rotate the excavator
90° clockwise.
6. Use the XY plane manipulator (“C” in the image above) to move the excavator to the edge of the excavation.
The excavator should be located as shown below:
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Editing 3D Objects

The manipulators must be applied to an object before it has been assigned to any tasks. After an object has been
assigned to a task, it can be moved using the manipulators. The manipulators also
allows you to vary the location, rotation, or scale of an object separately for each of the tasks it is assigned to.

The same Crawler Crane is to be used on all four  tasks. It will need to be located in a
different location for each of these tasks, so we will use the  command.

1. Select the  and assign it to and

using the  Resource Appearance Profile
2. Select the  and assign it to using the  Resource
Appearance Profile
3. Select the  and right click in the 3D window and hover over You will see the tasks the
selected 3D Resource is assigned to

4. The Crawler Crane is already in the correct location for so select

5. The  will snap to the

centre of the task and the
 will appear
on the 3D resource. Use the XY
plane manipulator and the Z axis
rotation icon to move the crane
to the centre of the active (green)
section of framing and rotate it so
it is facing the building as shown
to the right.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Editing 3D Objects

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for

(shown
right):

7. Again, repeat steps for 4 and 5

for
(shown right):

8. Beginning before the start of  drag the  through all four Structural Framing
tasks to see how the crane appears on site at the beginning of the first task, moves to a new location for each task,
and then disappears from the site at the end of the last task.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: 3D Paths

 can be created to show the planned movement of a piece of equipment or other object. We will create a 3D Path to
show the  moving during the  task.

1. Select the task. From the  ribbon, select  to move the Focus Time to the
middle of the excavation task
2. In order to create a more accurate path, we can turn
on . Right click in the blank space below the
Ribbon and enable the  toolbar

 The Snapping toolbar can also be opened by

selecting the  command in the 3D
Ribbon

3. Ensure that  and  are the only options turned on

 Before creating a 3D Path, click in the 3D window and press  on the keyboard to deselect al l 3D objects.
If an object is selected when a 3D Path is created, the first point on t he path will be the center of the objects’
bounding box.

4. Right click in the 3D view and select  from the context menu
5. As you move the cursor, object faces will be outlined in green and a green dot will pr eview where you can start
the path. Move the cursor so that it is over the orange Excavation surface. Double left click to place the first
point in front of the Excavator.
6. Double left click at the opposite end of the Excavtation on the br own ground surface to place the second point.
A blue line will indicate the path.

 To continue adding points to a path, continue double cli cking where each vertex should be
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: 3D Paths

7. Right click to finish the path.

8. Enter  for the Path , then select
9. The path will be listed in  and will be displayed in red in the 3D window.

After a  is created, it must be associated with a particular  that is assigned to a particular task. When
that association is made, the resource will move along the path over the duration of the assigned to task.

1. Select the in the 3D view and assign to the  task using the
  custom  since this is the only task the excavator will be used for
2. Select the  task, and expand . You will see a list of the
Resources assigned to the selected task.
3. Expand  and select  at the bottom level of the Resource tree so that it is
hightlighted in the list and in t he 3D window
4. Scroll down in the tab to see the  panel.
5. From the drop-down list which is currently set to , choose the  path
6. Change the  to  so that the Excavator travels on top of the path.

7. Click in the 3D window and press  on the keyboard to deselect the Excavator.
8. Drag the Focus Time through the task to see the Excavator move along the path
9. We can also apply a growth simulation to the Excavation so that the earth appears to be r emoved as the
Excavator moves.
10. In , right click the  System Profile and select which will
create a new  with the same settings in the General tab (ie. Action=Remove and Active Appearance
Colour=orange). Name the new profile
11. In the  tab, set the  to
12. Select the Excavation 3D object and with the  task selected, in
 change the  to
13. Click in the 3D window and press  on the keyboard to deselect
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: 3D Paths

14. Now as you drag the Focus Time through the task you will see the earth being excavated
as the excavator moves

Start Center End

When you create a , each point along your path is stored as a “Keyframe”. You can edit the values of these
Keyframe coordinates to modify your path.

1. Open the  Window

2. In , highlight “Foundation Excavation”
3. In the , make sure it says “Foundation
Excavation”

4. Under , Keyframe 1 displays the starting point of the 3D Path and Keyframe 2 displays the
ending point.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: 3D Paths

For this tutorial, we want the excavator to travel along a straight path to foll ow the R-L growth for the task

5. Make sure your Axis Indicator is on: Right click in the 3D View and
select . In the 3D Ribbon,
uncheck the box next to View Cube to ensure you are looking at
the axes.
6. As you can see, we want the excavator to travel along the Y-Axis.

7. Below you can see the original 3D Path(left) vs. the desired 3D Path (right).

We need to change the X and Z values of Keyframe 2 to equal the values in Keyframe 1 for our 3D Path to travel along a
straight line in the Y-Axis; only the Y value should vary.

8. Copy the X and Z values from Keyframe 1 and paste th em over the
X and Z values in Keyframe 2.
9. Keyframe 2 should now have the same X and Z coordinates as
Keyframe 1, but a different Y Coordinate.
10. Move the Focus Time through the task to see the excavator move
along the edited path.
11. To hide the 3D Path indicators in the 3D window, right click in the

3D window and select

 You can also edit 3D Paths using the . In

, right click on  and select . You will see a
Manipulator that you can drag, which will a utomatically update the coordinates of each
Keyframe. Press the esc key in the 3D View to get rid of the 3D Path Manipulator
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Copy and Create 3D Objects

Synchro gives you the ability to copy and paste any object regardless of whether it was created in S ynchro or imported.
This can be useful if you decide to add duplic ate objects such as site offices or equipment after the model has been
imported.

As an example, suppose it is decided that an extra site office is needed to accommodate the BIM team, but this office
was not included in the original geometry file. We can simply copy one of the existing offices and move it to the new
location.

1. In , select  to hide all objects, then show the  file

2. Select the & objects as shown:

3. Right click in the 3D view and select  from the context menu
4. Right click again and select
The copied site office & temporary hard standing will be created in the same location as the original site office
and we will need to assign it a resource.
5. The  is displayed. Select , then
6. Rename  change the  to , then select
7. Select , , then
The copied site office will appear in the same position as the original one and we will need to move it to a new
location
8. With the still selected, right click in the 3D view and choose
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Copy and Create 3D Objects

9. Move the new office to a new location as shown:

10. Press  on the keyboard to exit the manipulator and deselect the object
11. Use the  Resource Appearance Profile to assign the to the  task.

Synchro is not a CAD authoring tool, but it does provide the ability to model a few simple objects (sphere, cylinder, box,
and irregularly shaped extrusion). This can be useful to qu ickly model temporary site logistics such as material laydown
areas.

There is no 3D object for the  task so we will create one in Synchro. This will sit over the top of
the opening on the high roof.

1. In , select  to hide all objects, then show  in the  file
2. Move the  to the end of the project so all the objects are shown
3. We will ensure the correct snapping options are enabled. Snapping all ows for precise input of object geometry.
Disable all functions except for  &

To see the uses of other ,

please visit the Synchro  file. This can be found
in the Synchro PRO Home window under the
Support tab or in .

4. Right click in  and select

5. In the 3D window move the cursor to the corner until the red marker appears (as shown below) and left click to
define the first corner
6. Then move the cursor to the opposite corner until the red marker appears and left cli ck again to define
width/length, then move the cursor up the define a height.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Copy and Create 3D Objects

7.  appears - change  to

8. At the  screen select , then
9. At the screen, select
10. At the screen, select , then
11. Select the in the 3D View, right click and select .
a. On the  tab, you can simply change the colour or use  to pick a colour from an object in
the 3D window
b. On the  tab, you can change the colour and transparency by using the scroll bars to the right or
the numeric entry

12. Change the colour to a light blue and set the transparency t o approximately 50% as shown above right. Then
select
13. Click in the 3D View then press  on the keyboard to deselect the box and see the colour
14. Select the object and assign to the  task using the Resource
Appearance Profile

Even though the roof is temporary, we are using the profile because the task is for the
installation of the Temporary Roof. The Temporary Roof will be assigned using a  profile to remove
the Temporary Roof when the Skylight is installed. The  profile should be used only when an object
is used exclusively for the duration of the task it is assigned to.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Synchronising 3D Models

When a design revision is made outside of Synchro, it is possible to modify the 3D Models and still re tain the assigned links
between the tasks of the schedule and the objects of the model. This is called Synchronising.

In order to retain the previously established links between the current model and the pr oject schedule inside of Synchro
upon synchronizing the updated model file with the c urrent Synchro project, the updated model needs to be prepared
to accommodate the design revisions. For optimal r esults, follow these four guidelines.

1. Export – All the objects that were originally imported into Synchro will need to be exported from the CAD system
again. Any objects that are deleted in the updated CAD file will be deleted in Synchro upon Synchronisation.
2. Import – All new objects will import into Synchro when you Synchr onise, but they will need to be assigned to tasks.
3. GUIDs – All modified 3D data needs to have the same name and Global Unique ID (GUID) number so Synchro
recognizes it as the same item and will retain its assignment. GUIDs are created automatically by the CAD authoring
system (or Synchro plugins).

You can change the geometry of an object as long as you don’t delete it and then recreate it, which would
assign a new unique ID, making it impossible to Synchronise with the original object. Splitti ng an object into parts in
the CAD system creates separate objects with new ID numbers, which will need to be assigned after
Synchronisation.

4. File Name – You can export the updated files from the CAD program with any file name, the original and revised
models do not need to have t he same file names for Synchronisation.

 If an object has been subdivided in Synchro, those subdivisions will remain as long as the object ID i n the CAD
file is unchanged.

1. To begin , select

 In the general panel, details about the original and last updated fi les can be checked.

2. Right click on and select

3. to , select and then
4. When Synchronising a 3D Model, you will be presented with the same import settings that were set when you first
imported the file. These settings should match the initial import settings in Section 5.1.
5. Select the button.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Synchronising 3D Models

After Synchronization, a report will appear summarizing the

changes made (shown right). From this ,
we can see:
a. 3D Objects have been deleted, (Notice: there are more
11 more old 3D Objects than new)

 When a 3D Object is deleted upon

Synchronisation, the Object is removed from any Tasks
it was assigned to.

b. 65 Resources have lost their (3D) representations

 This does not necessarily mean the associated

3D Objects were deleted; they may have been merged
with other 3D Objects in the CAD file.

c. No 3D Object Subdivisions were lost

d. Which 3D Objects were deleted or merged in the CAD
file under

6. Check to
to automatically create Resources for new 3D Objects
and put those resources in the existing resource tree. (Located at the bottom of the dialog). S elect
7. In select to only show .
8. Drag the  back to the beginning of the project.
9. Right click in the 3D Window and select
10. You should see three 3D Objects fl oating in mid-air. These 3D Objects were added  during  and have
not yet been assigned to tasks.

 Any 3D Objects that have been added during  will not

automatically be assigned to tasks. The easiest way t o locate these Objects is to go
to the beginning of the project before anything has been installed.

For the purposes of this tutorial, please assign the exterior walls to the task
 and the exterior doors to the task

11. Select the 3D Objects and assign them to the task

 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Synchronising 3D Models

12. Select the task and select You should see the following:

The new 3D Objects created during  have

been correctly assigned, however this does not account for
all 3D Object modifications that resulted from
. Remember, only 11 Objects were deleted,
but 65 Objects lost their Resource assignments.

Let’s compare the same section of the model b efore and after . (For the purposes of this tutorial,
please use the images below for this comparison). Notice below:

Original Model Updated Model

i. In the  (above left) there are 4 window pane sections (top & bottom)
ii. In the  (above right), there are only 3 of these window pane sections (top & bottom).

The merging of the 2&3 Window Pane sections accounts for the 3D Objects the recorded as deleted in the
. If you select the individual Window Panes, as well as the metal borders, you will see that one
window pane section is comprised of multiple 3D Objects. Ultimately, if the records deleted 3D
Objects, this does not necessarily mean the Objects no longer exist.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Baselines & Synchronising Schedules

One of the benefits of Synchro is the ability to quickly and easily bring in updates from an external scheduling program and
see those changes reflected in the 4D model. If changes or progress updates have been made to the original source schedule;
e.g. in P6 or Microsoft Project, the updates can be brought into Synchro using the  command in
. This process is similar to synchronising an updated 3D model file.

Before synchronising from the updated schedule, a  (or copy) of the current schedule can be made in Synchro. A
baseline can be used to compare planned against actual in S ynchro. The Baseline saves the dates and durations for all
selected tasks. After creating a Baseline, it can be displayed in the Gantt Chart in a separate colour. Additionally, the Baseline
Start and Baseline Finish dates can be viewed in the Task List.

1. To create a baseline, you must first select the tasks to be baselined – this allows you to create a baseline of only part
of a schedule if desired. To baseline the entire schedule, right click in the Task List and choose from the
context menu, or press on the keyboard.
2. The following dialog will appear. Choose .

The second option would result in a selection that excludes tasks hidden by a filter or a collapsed summary
task.

3. Right click again in the task list and ch oose

4. You will be prompted to name the baseline. Change the name to
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Baselines & Synchronising Schedules

5. When the following message appears, select to calculate the Critical Path

6. In the current schedule, the criti cal path tasks are white outlined in red, whereas tasks not on the crit ical path are
solid green as shown below. The Baseline is directly over the current schedule, with critical tasks in solid blue, and
non-critical tasks outlined in blue but hollow.

7. To turn off the  display in the Gantt Chart go to  and deselect

:

8. To turn off the Critical Path display, toggle off  in the  ribbon.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Baselines & Synchronising Schedules

1. To begin synchronisation, select the  tab.

 All files imported or exported will be listed here. If you’ve imported multiple schedules, make sure you
select the correct one.

2. Right click on and select

3.  to , select  then
4. When synchronising a schedule, you will be asked to choose , or for each
of the different schedule attributes.

Schedule attributes are located in the

column (shown left) and include: Tasks,
Links,Taskconstraints,Costs,Calendars,
Resources,ResourceAssignments,Codes
assignments,UserFields,andUserFieldvalues.

The Synchronisation options (  or ) are explained in the chart below.

 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Baselines & Synchronising Schedules

If you choose to  the existing schedule in Synchro will be c ompletely replaced with the updated external schedule.

Outcome: External schedule takes precedence over Synchro schedule when Synchronising according to t he following rules:
• Attributes  externally   in Synchro
• Attributes  externally   in Synchro
• Attributes  externally   in Synchro
• Attributes  or  in Synchro 

In the current version of Synchro Pro 5.1, the option to  is not available for P6 global objects (such as
Calendars, Resources, Risks and Activity Codes) since these cannot be deleted.  is the default choice for Primavera
P3.

If you choose to , any schedule changes made externally or in Synchro will still exist, .

Outcome: Merges the External and Synchro Schedules when Synchronising

• Attributes  externally   in Synchro
• Attributes  externally   in Synchro
• Attributes  or  in Synchro 

If you choose to , any modifications made to the external schedule in Synchro will be overridden. However, any
additions to the schedule in Synchro will be maintained.

Outcome: External schedule takes precedence over Synchro schedule for all Attributes not originally created in the external
schedule.
• Attributes  externally   in Synchro
• Attributes  externally   in Synchro
• Attributes  externally   in Synchro
• Attributes  in Synchro 
• Attributes  in Synchro 

 only affects schedule attributes associated with the selected schedule being Synchronised. Thus the option to
 is most commonly used when multiple schedules have been imported into Synchro so no project data is lost upon
Synchronisation.  is the default choice for Resources and Resource Assignments. The option to  is unavailable
for Microsoft Project XML.

If you choose to , the associated attribute will not be modified or updated.

 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Baselines & Synchronising Schedules

Use the following flowchart to determine whether to Skip, Synchronise, Consolidate, or Integrate each attribute. For each
attribute (eg. Links, Calendars, etc) substitute the attribute n ame wherever “[tasks]” appears in the flow chart.

Start

Do you wish for changes to

[tasks] in the source No
Skip
program to override the
corresponding values in
the Synchro file?

Yes

Has more than one No No

Have you added any new Synchronise
schedule been imported to
[tasks] in the Synchro file?
the Synchro file?

Yes Yes

Integrate
Were [tasks] deleted in the No
Consolidate
source program?

Yes

Do you want the [tasks]

that were deleted in the
No
source program to be
deleted in the Synchro file
as well?

Yes

Any attribute that you have added or modified in Synchro since importing will need to be considered. For
example, if you have not created any tasks, calendars etc. in Synchro but have just created Resources and Resource
Assignments, those are the only two options that you will be required to Consolidate or Integrate instead of Synchronise
to ensure that Synchronisation works correctly and that all assignments are retained.

See “"Appendix F: Synchronisation Scenarios" for further information and to test your knowledge of these options.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Baselines & Synchronising Schedules

5. Since we have added new tasks and links, created

resources from 3D objects, and assigned resources to
tasks, we should not use Synchr onise for these options
or else the changes made in Synchro will be overridden
with the changes in the
We can attributes that are not
contained in the schedule. Select Skip All, and then set
your synchronisation options as below.  will
merge updates from the XML with n ew tasks created in
Synchro.

6. Select the  button

7. The  indicates what has been
updated. You can save this report for future reference
if desired by selecting  followed by

8. Select  to exit the report

9. The  has been updated (as indicated in the Gantt Chart by the blue dotted line). Before rescheduling, in
, ensure that  is set to . In  you can also view
the new
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Baselines & Synchronising Schedules

10. Select  on the keyboard to manually reschedule the tasks that were created in Synchro.
11. In , select the  to display it in the Gantt Chart and see
how the schedule has changed. You can see that the  has been delayed about a month, lag
has been added between  and the  tasks and tasks have been
updated for actual progress.

In addition to seeing the changes to the baseline in the Gantt Chart, it is possible to visually compare the baseline against
the updated schedule in side-by-side 3D windows. Each open 3D Window can independently be set to use either Best,
Actual, Planned, Proposed, Baseline or Original dates. This allows for the comparison of different baselines, baseline vs.
planned, baseline vs. actual, actual vs. planned, etc.

1. From the  select to create another 3D View (which is typically positioned above the
first 3D View)
2. Left click in the title bar of the new 3D window and drag the new 3D window over the first 3D window,
and release the mouse button over the right side of the smart window placement .

A preview of where the window will be placed will be shown before you drop it in place.

3. Modify one of the 3D views so that you can see the whole building.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Baselines & Synchronising Schedules

4. Right click in the modified 3D view and select so that the camera
angle in both windows is the same.
5. In , ensure that the  is selected. Right-click in the first 3D
View and select  from the context menu. This will display the geometry in the window
according to the baseline dates. The other window should be set to  by default which will
show the current schedule.
6. Move the Focus Time through the project to review how the new schedule (below right) compares to the baseline
(below left).

7. Click the  in the top of the 3D window using Baseline dates to close it
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Cutting Planes

Cutting planes may be used for example, to view inside of a building or underground when working in Synchro, when playing
the Focus Time, or when exporting an animation.

1. Ensure that the  is at the end of the project and all objects are shown
2. Right click in the 3D Window and select
3. Left click to place the cutting plane on the r oof which will appear as shown below.

 To set a , you must click on an object, not in empty space

4. A simple manipulator appears. Move the cursor over the manipulator until the vertical icon ‘grows’ then hold
down the left button and drag the cutting pl ane up and down in the Z d irection, so that you can see into the
Level 1 space.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Cutting Planes

5. Open the  tab and you will

see the  listed.
6. Left click on  and rename as

7. The plane can be turned on/off by enabling/disabling

the check box
8. The  and  check boxes
allow you to hide these visual indicators in the 3D view,
while still applying the cutting plane. This may be useful
when exporting an animation, for example. After
changing the preferences, press
9. Right click on and you will see the following
options

10. Select  to change the direction of the cutting plane-

11.  once again to revert back

X and Y cutting planes can also be created, cuttin g planes can be rotated off-axis, and multiple cutting planes
can be applied simultaneously.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Viewpoints

Viewpoints can store , , applied , and . A saved can be reactivated at

any point in one or all 3D windows. This can be useful for returning to a particular time or view after u pdating a schedule or
model to see what has changed, or to quickly jump to points of interest when presenting to stakeholders.

1. Adjust the Camera Angle to a desired view and move the

Focus Time to a particular moment in time

2. Select

3. Right click in the top white window in  and select

4. This will create a new viewpoint. Change the name to

something descriptive

5. In the  panel, you will see that any currently

activated  and  are saved with the
Viewpoint

6. Change the Focus Time in the Gantt Chart, and then edit
Camera Angle and turn off the Cutting Plane in the 3D
window.

7. To return to the saved Viewpoint right click on the

Viewpoint name and select

If you update the Camera Angle and/or Focus Time and wish
to resave with the new values, select the
You can also enable/disable Cutting Planes and 3D Sets to be
saved with the  using the checkboxes.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Animations

Having created your 4D schedule within Synchro it also possible to create a scheduling ani mation that can be communicated
to third parties or exported as a video and used as presentation material (without the need to install Synchro). Animations
can show an overview of the whole project, or you may prefer to create an animation that focuses on a few tasks or a few
days of construction (e.g. a particularly complicated sequence).

For practice, we will create a basic overview animation that spans the entire duration of the project with a camera that
slowly spins around the outside of the building.

1. In order to avoid clipping the sides of the view when exporting the animation, set the 3D wind ow to roughly the
same aspect ratio as the desired output before creating the animation. To do this, undock the 3D window by double
clicking in the header bar or left cli cking and dragging.
2. You will notice that the size of this 3D window is stated in th e top left hand corner so you can alter the size to
the required aspect ratio size that you want. Resize the 3D window to (or approximately
16:9 ratio to suit the size of your screen)
3. In , right click and select to create a new animation.
4. Select the , rename it and ensure that it is highlighted
5. From the ribbon, open the
6. Move the cursor into the Animation Editor (do not left click!) and roll the mouse wheel to rescale to the
required timescale, in this case 30 seconds

Animations are made of a series of which define the viewpoint (camera-angle, position and zoom) and
contents (Focus Time) of the 3D Windows at a given point in time within the Animation.

A  is added by left-clicking in either the or  channels of the  Window.

The added Keyframe records the cur rent settings of the camera or the Focus Time. Camera Keyframes are marked
by a grey diamond in the Camera animation channel. Focus Time Keyframes are marked by a yellow diamond.

7. To define the start of the animation; move the  in the  to just before the start of the project.
8. in the focus time channel of the animation editor at 0sec. A yellow Keyframe marker will appear.
9. To define the end of the animation move the focus time in the Gantt chart t o just after the end of the project.
10. in the focus time channel in the animation editor at 30sec. Another yellow Keyframe marker will
appear.
11. Select and drag the red in the animation editor to review the stored timeline. This can also be
done with the options in the  by selecting Then click followed by
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Animations

12. Modify the 3D window to show the entire site as shown

13. To create a Camera viewpoint in the camera channel of the animation editor at 0sec. This defines
the view at a particular point i n time.

14. Move the in the  (not the Gantt Chart) forward to about 5 seconds.
15. Modify the 3D view by zooming into the work area as shown

16. in the camera channel of the animation editor at 5 seconds to set this view at this time.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Animations

17. Move the in the animation editor forward to 10 seconds

18. Modify the 3D view by orbiting around to the side of the building as shown

19. in the camera channel of the animation editor at 10 seconds to set a view at this time.
20. Repeat steps 17 – 19 four times in order to orbit around the entire buil ding setting camera points every 5
seconds.
21. Review the animation by dragging the  in the animation editor or click  followed
by  in the .

Pressing the space bar on the keyboard (while an animation is selected in ) will play
and stop the Animation.

After reviewing the animation you may find that you need to edit some of the camera angles.

1. on the grey marker in the camera channel and select

2. Modify the 3D window to get the desired camera angle.
3. on the grey marker in the camera channel and select

 and  work similarly.

You can also edit the animation by adding more points.

4. Drag the in the Animation Editor to a point in

time in the middle of two of the camera nodes
5. Modify the 3D window accordingly
6. in the camera channel of the Animation Editor where
the intersects the camera channel.

Sometimes long tasks or gaps in the work may want to be condensed to speed them up and short tasks expanded to
slow them down. If this is the case then this can be done in the Focus Time channel.

7. Add additional  Keyframes at the beginning and end of a sequence you want to speed up or slow
down. (i.e. add Keyframe 1 at the beginning of a task and Keyframe 2 at the end of a Task)
8. To move a Keyframe, hover over it until a double arrow appears. Left click and hold while dragging to move.
Move  Keyframes closer together to speed up the activities in between. Move them farther apart to
slow down time in the animati on.

 If you move a Keyframe and want following Keyframes to move with it, hold down when you are
moving the Keyframe.

If many Keyframes appear to be overlaid, scroll the mouse wheel forward to zoom in on the timeline.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Animations

At the end of the animation you may want to rotate the project for a final overview (or you can use this feature at
any time in your animation). This is achieved using a  camera interpolation

 defines how the Animation transiti ons

between Keyframes. The term interpolation is used to
describe the transition from one state to another,
which for a  is from one position and angle to
another, or for  is one point in time to
another. The  dictates how the
transition is achieved and includes
, and  options. By default,
 is set to

The different  are explained in this

chart:

Linear interpolation along a calculated curve N/A

between the 2 points

Linear interpolation along a calculated Linear interpolation

straight line between the 2 points between 2 focus time
positions
st nd
No interpolation; Jump from 1  to 2 position No interpolation; Jump
st nd
from 1  to 2  focus time
position

Camera rotation around the currently N/A

selected 3D object. When chosen, the
Turntable Options dialog is displayed to
configure the rotation

Camera follows the selected 3D Path using the

N/A
camera angle of the first Keyfr ame relative to the
path. When this Interpolation type is chosen a
dialog is displayed to choose the path to follow

 Interpolations are always between two neighbouring Keyframes. The interpolation type assigned to the
first (left) Keyframe defines the transition to the next(right) Keyframe
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Animations

1. To set up a interpolation, select an object in the 3D View that you want to rotate about. The camera will
rotate about the centre of the selected object’s bounding box.

If you want to spin around the entire

model, select an object that is central to
the model or spans the whole model
(e.g. the Glass Skylight).

2. Find the  task in the , right click to

3. Right click on the  node at 30 seconds and select
4. You will be presented with the  where you can decide on ,
and move the  bar to review. Keep the settings as default then select

5. Decide how long you want the rotation to last for- we will have this for 10 seconds so create another camera point
at  seconds in the

6. Press  to cancel the 3D selection

7. Move the  to 30 seconds in the  window and press in the Play ribbon to see the
effect of the Turntable.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Animations

Once an animation has been created, it can be exported as an AVI file which can be shared and played by a video player
on any computer.

 Before the animation is exported it is recommended that a small duration of a few seconds is added to the end.
Otherwise it will snap back to the beginning once it’s been exported.

1. Drag the  to the end of the animation and  in the focus time or camera channel of the
animation editor at about  (This will add 5 seconds to the end of the animation).
2. At this point it’s typical that th e , and  are switched off.  in the 3D
Window, select  and click on each one to deselect to make sure they are all turned off.
3. Select right click on the animation and select
4. Select  and create a new folder named the folder and press

5. You will be presented with the “Export AVI” window with  options shown:
6. For the purposes of this tutorial, please use:
i.  – (1280 x 720)
ii.  – 15 [the number of JPEG images per
second]

: The higher the frame rate, the better the

quality of the video, but it does take longer to
export. A good maximum frame rate is 24.

iii.  – Split every 10 Seconds

The maximum AVI export size is 2 GB,
splitting the video ensures that the files will not
exceed this. This will also a llow you to re-export
sections of the AVI if you have changed your
project.
iv.  – Codec: Microsoft Video 1 (If it is
not already set to this please select )
v.  – 100

You also have the option to export the AVI in a JPEG format. Frame rate will determine how many JPEG files
are created per second. You can combine the images in an Animation software package if required. If you want to
export to a series of JPEGs, enable the checkbox and choose what image quality you wish to use.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Animations

In the tab, you can choose what to display in the animation.

7. Select the  tab.

 You can resize the size of the Export AVI

window by moving the cursor to the edges,
holding down the left mouse button, and
dragging to suit. A lar ger window may make it
easier to edit the window contents.

8. Select and
, then resize and move them in the preview
window.

 At the top of the screen is a

which you can move to check your animation
before export.

9. Select  from the

 The Drive options in th e drop-down menu

depend on which drive you have installed on
your computer. Software will use the Synchro driver to export the AVI. Choose Direct X 11 if you plan to use effects
like shadows or textures.

10. Set  to .

: Anti-aliasing increases the quality of the output, but gr eatly increases the time it takes to export.

11. Other Content options:

i. this enables you to modify the size of the windows without it trying to
render every time. Unlock this to see the true view after movement, resizing etc.
ii.  - enables same aspect ratio as the main 3D windows you created earl ier. (16:9
aspect ratio in this case)
12. Select in the  window.
13. After each AVI has completed exporting, double click the file (or files, you should have 4 ten second AVI files) to pl ay
the videos (for example, in Windows Media Player).

 You can combine the ten second clips in movie editing software, eg. Windows Movie Maker to show the whole
animation.

14. Close the Animation Editor window by clicking the  in the upper right window corner.
15. Double click on the yellow area above the 3D Window to re-dock the 3D Window.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Output

You can easily save an image of the 3D window to share with others. There are 2 ways to save an image.

1. If you have a saved  that you would like to export as an image, in , select the
Viewpoint name, right click and choose
2. Name the file and choose the file type (PNG, BMP, or JPEG) from the drop-down list.
3. The  dialog will appear. There are options to change the image size (or keep it the same as the 3D
window), set the graphics driver , (higher values improve quality), and apply  including

The driver does not support

4. Set the options as desired, and press  to save the image.
5. You can also save an image of the current 3D window without first creating a Viewpoint, by r ight clicking in the 3D
window and choosing from the context menu.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Output

The Gantt Chart can be printed from Synchro to share with others without the need to share the SP file.

1. When printing the Gantt Chart, what you see is what you get,
so use  in the Task List to choose which
columns to include in the printout
2. Before printing, set up the printer and page layout by

selecting
3. For printing the Gantt Chart, set the  to
4. A good  for printing the Gantt chart is  (11” x
17”)
5. Press  to finish setup
6. Select
7. In the Print dialog, choose the tab
8. Ensure that  is set to

 From the  drop-down you

can also select other open windows to print
including 3D

9. When printing the Gantt Chart,

 is a good choice for the
and  for

10. A  can be applied to the schedule

if desired (eg. to export a 3 week look
ahead). To print the whole schedule, leave
this option disabled.
11. Select to save changes to this dialog
before previewing or printing
12. If desired, a  can be added to the
printout in the Legend tab
13. Select  to view the Gantt Chart
before printing
14. From the preview window, select  to return to the Print dialog
15. Select
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Output

16. The printout will look as below

Synchro gives you the ability to export a 3D View of the project as a 3D PDF, which can be manipulated in any PDF
compatible programs, such as Adobe Reader. This can be used to share the 3D Model with others electronically without
having to share the Synchro Project file.

1. Move the Focus Time in the Gantt Chart to show any view you would like to export.

2. In the Home Menu Select 

3. In the Export 3D Window, Select  to choose where you would like to save your 3D PDF
i. Choose a file name
ii. Set “Save as Type” to 3D PDF(*.pdf).
iii. Select “Save”
4. Select the following Options
i. Export Mode: Export in accordance with the c urrent Focus Time
ii. Dates to use: Using Dates [Best]
iii. Check: Take into account global 3D Filter

By enabling Global 3D Filter, you will only export 3D Objects that

are loaded in the project in the  window.

5. Select Export

 You cannot export an animation in 3D PDF format.

6. When the 3D PDF has finished exporting, open your file inside of a PDF
compatible program to view the 3D Model.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training:

Synchro can import the following file formats into version 5.0:

*.dxf
*.dwf; *.dwfx
*.fbx
*.dgn
*.spx (via Bentley Plug-in)
*.dae
*.hsf
*.spx (via Revit Plug-in)
*spx (via Navisworks Plug-in)
*.skp
*.prc; *.pdf
*.sat; *.sab
*.ipt; *.iam
*.model; *.session; *.exp; *.dlv
*.catpart; *.catproduct; *.catdrawing; *.catshape; *.cgr
*.3dxml
*.mf1; *.arc; *.unv; *.pkg
*.igs; *.iges
*.xml
*.x_t; *.x_b; *.xmt_txt; *.xmt_bin
*.prt; *.prt.*; *.asm; *.asm.*; *.neu; *.xas; *.xpr
*.3dm
*.prt
*.asm; *.par; *.pwd; *.psm
*.sldprt; *.sldasm
*.stp; *.step
*.stl
*.jt
*.u3d
*.vda
*.wrl; *.vrml
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Appendix B: Bentley 3D Workflow

The  allows DGN files to be exported out of Microstation as Synchro (.spx) files. Once exported this
.spx file can be imported into an existing Synchro Project (.sp) file.

1. There are currently two versions of the Synchro plugin:

2. You can determine your installed version of Microstation from the Help About dialog.
i. If you have a SELECTseries 2 product, please install that version of the plugin
ii. If you have SELECTseries 3 or higher (SS4,SS5) product (including Micr ostation and AECOSim), please install
the SS3 plugin.
3. Run and install the setupMicrostationSynchroPlugin.exe (double click on th e set up file and follow the on screen
instructions)
4. Once the Plugin has been installed, open up the DGN i n Microstation.

5. Set Utilities from the Menu Bar  Select MDL Applications.

 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Appendix B: Bentley 3D Workflow

6. Highlight SYN_PLUGIN within Available Applications  Select Load

7. Highlight SYN_PLUGIN within Loaded Applications  Select Key-ins

 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Appendix B: Bentley 3D Workflow

8. You will now see the Synchro Plugin Window. There are a number of export options available to you:

•  – Can be used to export in world

coordinate system or in local “Global Origin” coordinates
system. The “global origin” can be queried by typing “go=”
command in Microstation.  Microstation exports files in
local “global origin” coordinate system (export to FBX, JT,
etc.), but when you x-ref the file into another DGN – it appears
in global “world” coordinate system.
•  – Can be used to skip the import
of polylines, lines, circular arcs, circles, elliptical arcs, ellipses,
nurbs curves objects
•  – When disabled, causes Synchro to also
read and store any text attributes that may be defined against
the geometry when it is imported. These attributes may be
converted into User Fields if required.
•  – When enabled, skips geometry
elements with type of dimension – usually represented as
lines, arrows, labels, etc.
•  – When enabled, elements hidden
by their level’s global visibility and element visibility attributes
are skipped.
• - Skip levels that are not added to “Level
Display” in selected 3D View.
•  – Skip objects that are not added to
“Displayset” in selected 3D View
•  – When enabled converts Bentley
“Named Group” to Synchro 3D Sets
• - When enabled, converts Bentley “Tagsets” and
“Tags” to Synchro “User Fields” and “User Field Values”
•  – When enabled, converts element
properties to Synchro User Fields. Each element is analyzed to
see if it is an instance of an “Engineering Component Class” –
if it is an EC instance, properties are converted to Synchro
User Fields. A 3D Set is created for each EC Class.
•  – When enabled, creates separate nodes for each
3D element under leaf cell
•  – This option determins the
depth of the 3D file.  This featue is especially suitable for
models containing multiple hierarchies, all of which are not
required in order to map the 3D geometry to 3D resources.
•  – When enabled, will attempt to further optimize the imported model data
•  – This option controls the precision of triangulation during conversion of geometry elements with solid
representation.
•  – When enabled, creates resources by 3D entity tree on export.

9. Select the options you wish to export in Synchro Plugin Window(shown above)  Select Save As Icon
10. In the Save As Window, Select the location of where you wish to save, name the file and select Save.
11. Select Export on the Synchro Plugin window and the progress bar will appear to give you the status of the export.

12. When the export is complete, you will receive a message indicating the export finished successfully. Select OK.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Appendix B: Bentley 3D Workflow

1. Open up Synchro PRO, Select File  Import  Synchro Project

2. In the Import Synchro Project Window, select “Add Files.” Locate and Open the .spx File. Select Next (Below Left)
3. Select “Import” to import all available attributes. (If required, attri butes can also be skipped). (Below Right)

4. The progress bar will appear to display the status of the import. Upon completion, select Finish.

In this Basic Training, new resources are automatically created to correspond with the imported 3D Models.
The Synchro file that is created using the Microstation plugi n will NOT have these associated resources, so they will
need to be added.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Appendix B: Bentley 3D Workflow

5. In the 3D Objects window, right click on the .sp model name and select “Resources Wizard”

6. In the Resource Wizard Window, select “Assign to a new Resource” and Select Next.(Below Left)
7. Rename the Resource and Select Next. (Below Right)

8. Select “Add Resources Underneath, Build Tree,” Select Next.

9. Select Finish to complete the process

 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Appendix C: Revit 3D Workflow

Synchro imports DWF, DWFx, and IFC files, all of which can be exported from Revit. Additionally, you can download the
, which exports the model as an .spx file.

Whatever is visible in your  3D view is what will be exported.

The Revit Plugin enables native RVT files to be exported out of Revit as Synchro Project files (.spx) that can be imported
into an existing Synchro Project (.sp) file.

The Synchro Revit Plugin only works with Revit 2014 and 2015.

1. Download the appropriate Revit Plugin from www.synchroltd.com/downloads

2. Run and Install the setupRevit2015SynchroPlugin(x64)
3. Once the Plugin has been installed, open the RVT file in Revit.
4. Select

5. The Synchro Export Settings dialog will appear. There are a number of options available to you:

•  – If checked, exported tries to export all

linked documents in addition to master file; Otherwise, only master
file will be exported
•  – If checked, all linked 3D Data will be
exported using their Revit Shared Coordinates (similar to
“Positioning: By Shared Coordinates”) option in Revit “Import/Link
RVT” dialogue). Otherwise, their origins will be used (similar to
“Positioning Origin to origin” option in Revit “Import/Link RVT”
dialogue)
•  – If checked, creates Viewpoints in
Synchro for each Level in Revit. Each Viewpoint is defined by a
cutting plane above and below that level.
•  – If Checked, Revit Rooms are exported as
Synchro Workspaces; Otherwise no Workspaces will be exported.
•  – If checked, all User Field (Revit
Parameter) names will be checked against strings presented in a list
box (below this option): If the User Field name contains any of the
strings from the list, that User Field will be exported; otherwise, it
will be ignored. If unchecked, all User Fields will be exported.
•  – Only available when “Export Matching Using
Fields” is enabled. To enter a new String, Type it in the Text Box and
select the  button to the right of the Text Box. Conversely, to
Remove a String, highlight the String and select the button at the top right of the List Box.

The values in the List Box are CASE-SENSITIVE. Additionally, any strings added to the List Box will remain there
until you manually remove them.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Appendix C: Revit 3D Workflow

6. Once you have selected your desired Export Settings, Select “

7. These Export Settings will be saved for future use.
8. Please set up the 3D View in Revit according to how you wish to export your model – as you would with the
DWF/DWFx export.
9. When you are ready to export your model, Select

If you attempt to export fr om a 2D View you will

receive the following message (right). Please make sure
you are exporting from an active 3D View.

10. The “  window will appear.

11. In the File Name, type the required name and select .

When the export is complete, you will have an .SPX file containing the 3D Geometry from Revit.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Appendix D: Auto-Matching

The Auto Matching feature in Synchro provides a facility to automatically assign Resources to Tasks using custom filters and
search rules. The match is based on the Resource Names, Task Names, Task ID, or Task Comment.

Using the Auto Matching function greatly simplifies the task of linking resources to tasks to create a Synchro Project suitable
for scheduling and 4D Simulation

To match resources to task using the auto matching feature:

Select ... ( ) to display the Auto Matching Dialog

 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Appendix D: Auto-Matching

The dialog contains a number of control sections:

1.  – defines a rule to match Resources and Tasks

•  – Can be used to read a previously Exported

Auto-Match rules File, via the “Import Rules from File”
Window.
i. Press the  button to select an XML file
containing Auto Match Rules.
ii. Press the  button to read the file and list
its content.
iii. Select the desired rules to import, and press the
 button.
iv. Press  to close the dialog.

• can be used to save a Rule-Set to an XML File,

via the Export Rules dialog
i. Press the button to select an XML file to
the Auto Match Rules
ii. Select the desired rules to export, and press the
 button
iii. Press  to close the dialog.

• The  button is used to define a new rule – this will open the window described below.
•  can be used to modify an existing rule – this will open t he  window which is identical to the
 window (described below) except that it contains the saved rule.
• The button will delete the currently selected rule
• The will delete all currently defined rules
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Appendix D: Auto-Matching

2.  – applies the selected matching rule

•  – the default Appearance

Profile that will be applied to any
matches
•  – search the Synchro project
using the currently defined rules.
After running Search, if there are
matches, the Group panel will be
populated (outlined right)
•  – clear any previous search
results
•  – to assign all the
identified resources to tasks
•  – exits the Auto Matching
window without making any
assignments.

3.  – Review matching search

results. Selecting a Resource (or Task)
from the Groups panel will populate
the Resource (or Task) Tree and
Attributes panels. If more than one
Resource matches a Task, the Task
will be listed only once at the top of
the group of the Resources. All
Resources in the same group must be
assigned using the same Use Profile.
4.  – Displays the
selected Resource or Task’s location
in the Resource Tree or WBS,
respectively.
5.  – Displays the key attribut es of matched Resources including Company Name, User Fields,
Matched Resources and Assigned Resources.
6.  – Displays the key attribu tes of matched Tasks including Name, Activity Codes, User Fields, Matched
Resources and Assigned Resources.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Appendix D: Auto-Matching

To define a new rule:

1. Press the  button in the Auto Matching window to bring up the  window:
2. Enter a Rule
3. The , when applied can be used to set the
range of your search.
• (and/or) - applies the
search rule only to Resources/Tasks that were selected in
Synchro before opening the Auto Matching window. Leave
the options unchecked to search all Resources and Tasks
in the project.
•  – excludes Resources that have
already been assigned to at least one task from search
•  – excludes Tasks that have
at least one Resource assigned to t hem from search
•  – when enabled, groups all
Resources that contain a common characteristic used for
matching and assigns them to the same group of Tasks.
Resources in the group don’t match all grouped
Tasks.
•  – when enabled, excludes WBS
level summary tasks from the search. No new Resource
assignments will be made to those tasks.
4. The  radio buttons can be used to set the default
linkage when the search is applied a match is found.
• - a linkage is not applied between matched
Resources and Tasks
• -  – Matches are linked on a one-to-one basis.
One Resource can be assigned to one Task.
•  – Matches are linked on a many-to-many basis. Multiple Resources can b e matched to each Task
and will be grouped together in the search results in the A uto Matching window. A Resource can also be matched
to multiple Tasks.
5. The  section allows you to define complex search criteria for the rule.

: At least one search expression must be defined before you can close the dialog, or press  to stop the
Auto Matching rule creation.

6. Select  to define a new Expression. This will enable the and panels below.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Appendix D: Auto-Matching

1. The  section allows you to specify the Resource and Task attributs to use in the search, as well as the
comparison operators to use:

• The  section defines which Resource attribute

will be searched or
i. - select desired User Field from the drop-down list
ii.  – allows the search to apply to the parent element
if the attribute does not exist in the current Resource (when
the search is applied)
iii.  – allows you to select sp ecific Resource Types to be
included in the Auto-Matching operation: quipment,
uman, aterial, or ocation
• The  section defines the which Task Attribute (
will be matched against
the defined Resource Attribute
i. - Select the required value from the drop-down list
ii.  – select the required code from the drop-down
list.
iii.  – allows the search to apply to the parent element
if the attribute does not exist in the current Task

2. The  section defines how the Resource and Task attribues

should be matched
•  – matches attributes exactly
•  – returns a match if the Resource attribute occur s within
the Task attribute (i.e. “ana” is a substring of “banana” in two
different places)
•  – Matches the Longest Common Substring between the
Resource and Task attributes. The minimum length of this substring
is defined by the  option

3. The  section of the dialog defines additional search criteria:

•  – determines the minimum string length when the LCS matching is performed
•  – defines the minimum number of matching characters for a match
•  – If an attribute or field consists of multiple words or phrases, then the  option may be used to
define the delimiters used between each word or phrase. During searches, the Auto-Matching function will test
each word or phrase of the attribute, rather than the complete text defined for the attribute.

4. The  radio buttons are used to logically define how multiple search expressions will be combined to
determine whether or not a match exists. This allows complex search patterns to be defined for a single rule:
•  – this Expression must be true in order for a match to be found
•  – a match will be found if this Expression is true even if the other(s) are not
•  – this Expression must be false in order for a match to be found
•  - controls whether the term should be evaluated as true if the matched attri bute is undefined for a
particular attribute.
IftheTaskAttributeisActivityCode,when ischecked,theExpressionwillautomaticallybetruefor
anytasksthatdonothaveanassignedActivityCode)
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Appendix D: Auto-Matching

5. Press to save the current Expr essions

6. If you wish to continue adding more Expressions, press
7. The  button can be used to delete the currently selected Expression.  will delete all of the
Expressions associated with the current rule.
8. When the Rule is finished, press  to close the dialog and return to the Auto Matching window to run a search.

Once an Auto Matching rule is defined, you can

run the rule to search for matches in your Synchr o
Project.

1. Select the desired  from the drop down

2. Press the  button
3. The groups list will display the matched
Resources and Tasks.
4. Right click in the list to select t he proposed
linking Options:
•  – defines the proposed
linkage (
between the currently selected matched
Resources and Tasks.
•  – defines the proposed
linkage for all the matching resources and
tasks

5. The  displays a sub-tree

containing the matched resource starting
from the Resource Type
6. The  displays the matched Task and
its hierarchy.

7. You can change the assigned  for each matching group by clicking within the Use Profile
column (which will display a drop-down list of the available ).

8. Press the  button to apply your proposed Linkages (assigning all matched Resources to matched Tasks in
the list)
9. The  button will clear the list. You can then select an other  in the dialog and repeat the Auto Matching
operation again until you reach the desirable result.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Appendix E: Synchronisation -Basic Rules for Scheduling Software

GUID (Global Unique Identifier) is the primary information used to compare Tasks. If the Task is not found in the GUID map,
and the option to  is set in , the IDs are compared. If
not found, the Activity is considered a new one. If found; the Task and GUID map are updated.

Therefore:
• If the original schedule and P6 database are used to update, Synchro will l ook for GUID’s when synchronising.
• If the original schedule has been copied then updated, a diff erent P6 database has been used, or if the GUIDs are
not found, then Activity IDs will be compared, provided they have not been changed.
• It is possible to change the IDs in both P6 and Synchro, as long as GUIDs remain unchanged.
• The schedules can be synchronised using a different computer and can have a different fil e name

Comparison uses Activity IDs, therefore it is possible copy a schedule then update, provided the Activity ID’s are retained.
In P3 activity IDs are unchangeable
The schedules can be synchronised using a different computer and can have a different file name

When making copies of the original schedules that are created in other systems; the global unique I D of each task will be
changed in the process of copying.

Therefore when a copy is made and introduced into the synchronisation workflow the change will be made to the original
task’s own internal UID (unique identifier).

This will result in Synchro not r ecognising the task as the same, therefore all prior resource assignments will be lost. It is
essential that the original import/export schedule is used throughout the workflow. If copi es are introduced, it is important
that they are only for side reference or saved as an archive as required, but at all times updates and changes are
synchronised between Synchro and the original or original updated schedule.

In essence, the original and updated schedules throughout the workflow process should be fr om the same source schedule
and copied versions.

The programme can be synchronised using a different computer and can have a different file name

Synchro  supports XML exported from Microsoft Pr oject

 Synchro does not support importing/synchronising XML from P6!

MSP xml uses an attribute called Unique IDs (UID) that is used when synchronising.
You can copy and update a project provided it is the same MSP project resaved/exported in MSP then UIDs are retained.
The projects can be synchronised using a different computer and can h ave a different file name
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Appendix F: Synchronisation Scenario

This question looks at your knowledge of synchronisation options in an example scenario.

Consider the following scenario:

1. Company XYZ employs both a professional P6 scheduler and a Synchro specialist. The scheduler creates a schedule
in P6 named Schedule1.xer,
2. The Synchro specialist imports the P6 schedule into Synchro after opening a new .sp f ile which he saves as
Project1.sp.
3. The Synchro specialist then imports a 3D model into the same .sp file and begins linking the 3D resources to the
tasks. For the purpose of animation, he subdivides some of the tasks and creates entirely new tasks for equipment
traveling on 3D paths.
4. Meanwhile the scheduler has updated the durations of some of the tasks in P6, added a few more tasks, and
deleted a few tasks as well. The updated schedule file is resaved as Schedule1.xer.
5. When the Synchro specialist goes to synchronise Project1.sp with the updated schedule, he opens
. He right clicks on Date and selects .

This scenario is illustrated graphically below:

Below are simplified example schedules, with durations in parentheses after the tasks. The left one was created in P6 and
imported into Synchro to begin. The middle one is the result of modifications made to the schedule in Synchro by the
Synchro specialist, and the right one reflects the changes th e scheduler has made in P6.
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Appendix F: Synchronisation Scenario

Project1 Project1 Project1

Foundation (10d) Foundation (10d) Foundation (15d)
Walls (10d) Walls (10d) Walls (10d)
Landscaping (20d) Wall 1 (5d) Windows (5d)
Wall 2 (5d)
Landscaping (10d)
Truck Move (20d)

In which of the following windows has the Synchro specialist selected the correct options to synchronise without losing any
of the work that he and the scheduler have conducted since the first version of the schedule was originally imported into
Project1.sp?
 Synchro PRO Basic Training: Appendix F: Synchronisation Scenario

 b)

The attributes of concern in this scenario are , , , and . The original schedule has
been modified in Synchro, so choosing  for  and  will override and replace the modified schedule in
Synchro with the updated P6 schedule. All the subtasks and equipment movement tasks created by the Synchro specialist
will be lost. Therefore,  is not the correct answer.

The scheduler has deleted tasks. If the  and  are consolidated, the tasks that the scheduler has deleted will remain
in the consolidated schedule because  keeps the greatest number of tasks compared to the other options: any
tasks that are in either schedule (Synchro or P6) will be in the new schedule – no tasks will be deleted from either schedule.

You can think of it like a Venn diagram:

will keep all of the tasks in both ovals; would keep all of the tasks in the red oval (including the
overlap.) Note: if a task is in both schedules (the overlap in t he Venn diagram), the schedule that is being synchronized
will take precedence in determining the task duration and other attributes. Because we do not want the  task in
our final schedule,  is not the correct answer.

The same Venn diagram does not work to explain  because the action  takes depends on which program
originated the change relative to the original schedule. For example, even though just looking at the Venn diagram above,
you wouldn’t guess that  and would be treated differently when integrating, but the program
remembers that  was created in Synchro, whereas  was part of the original schedule that was then
deleted in P6. Tasks that were created in Synchro will be retained when is chosen, but tasks that were part of the
original schedule, then deleted in P6 (even though they are in the modified schedule in Synchro) will be deleted in the new
schedule as well after the is carried out. Therefore is the correct option for and .

If we now look at , we see that  has selected while  has . will work
the same way for Resource Assignments as for Tasks – any assignments made in either program will be retained, as long as a
deletion hasn’t been made in the source program (in this case, P6). will override all of the
assignments made in Synchro (the term “Resource” in P6 refers primarily to human resources). Therefore,  is not the
correct answer.

The correct answer is .

The final schedule in Synchro after  has been performed will be:

Project1
Foundation (15d)
Walls (10d)
Wall 1 (5d)
Wall 2 (5d)
Windows (5d)
Truck Move (20d)