A model browser may list a multi-storey element beneath one level even though the element spans several floors. If a film explains that information structure, do not make the browser placement look like a physical limit. Show the difference between the element's spatial assignment and its represented extent.
buildingSMART's spatial-containment documentation distinguishes hierarchical containment from references to other spatial levels. The client's model owner should confirm how that relationship is used in the particular project.
Start with the element in the building
A whole-element view gives the audience a physical reference before the hierarchy appears. Then show the relevant browser branch or an approved simplified tree. The sequence should explain how the record is organised without cropping away the part that extends elsewhere.
Keep the same selected element highlighted across both views. If several similar shafts or walls exist, a location marker may be necessary to prevent the hierarchy panel from appearing to describe a different item.
Do not move the element in the animation merely to match its position in the tree. A data hierarchy is not a set of physical boxes into which the geometry must fit. Preserve that distinction in any diagram legend.
Use labels that name the relationship
Words such as “belongs to” can be ambiguous. They may imply ownership, location, discipline or a construction package. Ask the specialist for a plain-language explanation that identifies the intended spatial assignment.
If additional levels reference the element, show those references with a different line treatment from the primary containment branch. One undifferentiated tree may imply multiple copies of the physical object rather than multiple references to it.
The film does not need to teach IFC rules. It needs to make the selected project's information relationship understandable and avoid suggesting that browser order proves physical extent or responsibility.
A hypothetical model walkthrough
Suppose a digital-engineering team presents a shaft that spans several levels. Its information record appears under a lower storey, and the first film crop shows only that storey while the speaker discusses the whole shaft.
The buyer restores a complete locator view and adds a concise explanation of the model assignment. The film now preserves both the physical span and the information organisation. This is an invented commissioning example.
At review, ask where viewers believe the element begins and ends, then ask where its primary record is organised. The answers need not be the same kind of statement, and the film should not force them into one.
The acceptance record should identify the selected object, the represented hierarchy and the approved explanation of any additional references. Model management, spatial classification and design verification remain outside the production task; the film is communicating the supplied structure, not certifying its correctness.
Discuss the film
Contact Live Images to discuss whether this approach suits your brief and what production scope would be appropriate.
Prepared with AI assistance for Live Images. Planning guidance is general; suitability and production scope must be agreed for your project.