Can you guarantee that the completed building will match the performance predicted by the analysis in its day-to-day operations?

• Why or why not?

When choosing settings for each of the building performance factors, should you always choose the setting that gives the absolute lowest predicted energy use?

How can you use Insight feedback to make design choices regarding materials, lighting, PV, etc.?

4D simulations are often used to show the construction sequence for an entire project, but shorter simulations that focus on a specific period of time are also useful.

• Can you provide examples of how a simulation that focuses on a 1 or 2 week period could be useful for planning?

In the event that certain higher-level simulations show crunch points or bottlenecks at certain periods during construction, shorter-period simulations would be useful in order to hone in on the causes of the bottlenecks and identify ways to circumvent them. Shorter simulations might also be useful for tasks that take a set amount of time but that need to be repeated over the course of many weeks for larger projects. Thus the logistics of construction would remain relatively similar and so would not require simulations for the full construction period.

What level of detail should be included in a 4D simulation?

• Should you include all of the elements in the building model?

The level of detail would depend on the purpose of the simulation. If scheduling and site logistics are the key factor, and task duration is determined outside of the simulation itself, then smaller elements such as small fixtures or connections would not need to be included in the 4D simulation. This is dependent on whether or not the simulation software and the associated task duration can still capture the intended time and complexity of the connection or attachment processes within the larger task (e.g. time taken to weld a connection plate should be considered when setting up the task for "beams construction" but the plate itself would not need to be included as an element in the 4D simulation at a higher level.

How can the feedback shown in a 4D simulation help you to optimize the project schedule?

• What are the main benefits of linking model elements to the project schedule?

How can model-based quantity takeoff improve the design process?

How can designers improve their designs using the information provided by preliminary estimates of the cost of building their design ideas?

Excessively high or low costs should give designers pause and encourage them to reexamine their designs as they may be overly conservative or lean. Cost estimates would also be good tools for communicating both with owners as well as other members of the design team if certain design choices might be prohibitively expensive. The earlier such estimates can be made in the process, the better the chances of the team applying effective target value design practices in their work.