0.7 Viewing Site Plans as a Reviewer

Justin Khabra

Updated May 05, 2026 20:50

Available with the Following Subscriptions: All Subscriptions
Available for the Following Roles: All Roles

Know before reading:
Site plans are also known as Scenarios in cmBuilder, the two terms are used interchangeably.

💡Note: This article is for users with a cmBuilder account reviewing a Scenario in their own company space, who need to view and comment on but not otherwise modify Scenarios. If you haven't already, before attempting to access a Scenario you will need to:

🔗Setup your user account
🔗Edit Browser GPU Settings for the best possible experience using cmBuilder.

This article is not intended for users accessing a Scenario via a Share-link, it is intended for reviewers with a cmBuilder account reviewing a Scenario in their own company space.

cmBuilder was designed with reviewers in mind. Within a Scenario reviewers can view the Project Schedule, Scenario Tree, Presentation & Slides, they may also take Measurements, create Comments, and Export: images, slides, videos as well as generate view-only links for sharing.

This article contains the following sections:.

1. Learn the Scenario User Interface

The Scenario workspace is where all the magic happens; it is where authors will edit and reviewers can view. The image below is in Viewing mode where only the tools and features that reviewers will find relevant are available.

To switch from Edit to View mode, click the dropdown button (1) next to your initials and choose "Viewing".
Users are also able to view the Scenario from the perspective of another user live, via Multiplayer mode.
Scenarios open in Navigation Mode. Presentation Mode is covered below in part 7: Watch Presentation.
To learn more about the Scenario user interface, read the 🔗Scenario user guide section.

2. 3D Navigation Controls

To navigate through 3D space it is recommended to use a mouse. The navigation controls are available to view from within the "?" button in the upper right corner of the screen.

Here is a summary of the controls to navigate the 3D space:

3. Milestones and Project Schedule

cmBuilder uses a series of Milestones (snapshots in time) to build a project timeline/schedule. BIM Elements, Resources, Annotations and other types of object are assigned to appear and disappear based on Milestones.

The current Milestone (1) is indicated by border/highlight in the Timeline at the bottom of the screen.
Use the arrow buttons (2) in the Timeline section to view the previous or next Milestone.
The Project Schedule (3) lists all Milestones. Click the Go to Milestone button (4), to jump to a specific Milestone

4. Model Browser Tree

Every object in the Scenario is listed in the Scenario Tree (AKA the Tree).

Click on the Tree Icon (1) in the top left-hand corner to hide or show the Tree.
Interactions with objects in the tree (2) like selecting, hiding/showing, will be observable in the 3D site plan.
Learn more about the Tree, from the 🔗Model Browser Tree user guide section.

5. Measurements

There are a variety of measurement tools available to viewers.

Click on Measure (1) from the left side and choose a type of measurement from the available options
Options include Measure Distance (2), Minimum Distance (3), Sea Level Elevation (4) and Section.
Learn more about the individual types of measurement available from their respective user guide pages: 🔗Minimum Distance, 🔗Measure Distance, 🔗Sea Level Elevation and 🔗Custom Section.

6. Comments

The Comments feature allows project teams to communicate within a Scenario.

To view a list of existing comments, or to create a new comment click Comments (1) from the left side.
Each Comment (2), is tied to a 3D location at a specific point in time.
Comments (3) allow for @mentions to tag other users, hyperlinks, 3D viewpoints and the ability for users to leave responses -enabling discourse directly in the Scenario.
Learn more about Comments, from the 🔗Comments user guide section.

7. Watch Presentation

💡Note: Editors should set Capture Angles to presentation Slides prior to any viewers viewing the presentation.

cmBuilder simulations are created via the presentation tool. Presentations are made up of Milestones which are made of Slides, which play sequentially. Slides should contain a viewpoint and can include overlaid markups. Users may pause and adjust the 3D view by rotating, zooming etc. as normal while in Presentation Mode.

To play the presentation: click the Presentation Mode button (1) on the Timeline, then click either play (2) to watch edit mode or Play Presentation (3) for the full screen Presentation Mode (click the play button).
The Scenario will change to Presentation mode, click the big blue play button.
At the bottom of the screen there are buttons to: exit the presentation (4), and step backwards or forwards by one Milestone (5).

8. Export and Share

After reviewing a Scenario you may want to share all or some part of it in a visual way. There are a number of options to output content authored in cmBuilder, available to reviewers and editors alike.

Click the Export/Share button (1) to view the export options.
Choose an option: view-only live links, images, presentation slides or a video of the Scenario presentation.
To learn more about cmBuilder exports, visit the 🔗Share and Export user guide section.