SELECTION AND EVALUATION OF COLOR SCHEME FOR 4D CONSTRUCTION MODELS

Four-dimensional models have proven to be an effective tool in construction management. The 3D models within these change color according to changes in the corresponding construction schedule. Color schemes play a crucial role in the design and representation of a 4D model. Good color schemes enhance an engineer's understanding of the situation at hand. Therefore, this research aims to develop effective and affordable tools for selecting and evaluating color schemes in 4D models. We proposed a two-step method of color selection. The first step is to determine the number of construction statuses and their relationships with each other. The second step is to select the colors to fit these statuses. In this research, we also developed three types of simulators to facilitate color evaluation. The display simulator is the first type of simulator developed and includes a LED monitor simulator, a projector simulator, and a printout simulator. The second type of simulator is the viewer simulator, which simulates protanopic blindness and tritanope blindness. The third type of simulator is the rendering simulator. This simulates the rendering results from the two major 3D viewers: NavisWorks and SmartPlant Review. Using the two-step selection method and the three types of simulators, we identified 21 color schemes (3 for 3 statuses, 12 for 5 statuses, and 6 for 6 statuses) ideal for presenting 4D models. We summarized our experiences by providing six guidelines for color selections. The color schemes and simulators were also implemented as a reference tool on a website (http://4Dcolor.caece.net). Future 4D model builders can refer to this website to select the color scheme that is most appropriate for their projects.