Model Compare - Not working / buttons greyed out

[david.emm]

Hi, I've been using model compare on a project for 6/7 weeks to compare incoming design models from consultants. The last couple of weeks, even though I can select two models to compare they load with no information and the selection/overlay buttons are greyed out. I can also no longer compare file versions that were previously compared correctly also.

My files are in document management, and I copy/paste the same file name over a previous file to increment versioning. Does anyone have any advice ?

Images attached

[bartek.kulig]

Hi @david.emm,

Thanks for posting this on Forums.

Can you please confirm that with the latest version updated, the file has not changed to raster?

Please note that you cannot compare a raster file with a vector file, or vice versa. If you select different files, the compare feature will appear grayed out and not enabled.

Many thanks.

[david.emm]

Morning Bartek, thanks for the response to my post.

The comparison is being done with .rvt files, I didn't think it was possible to export these as vector/rastor. I have also been using the same method that I've used previously to complete the model export/upload to BIM360 so I don't think there is any change in file type or method.

Talking to colleagues in my office, they are also having the same issue using model/sheet compare in the past 2-3 weeks on different BIM360 projects.

I have also tried uploading new models in a separate folder location to perform a 'fresh' compare but the button is still greyed out

[david.emm]

Before this thread dies. I'd like to say that the support provided by Autodesk is woeful. There are very few responses to ANY threads in this forum, and at the moment we have major feature of BIM360 not working within our team.

[martyn_messerli]

@david.emm I appologize for your bad experience with the help from our side.

Looking at the screenshot, this is an intermediat state of the application when changes are computed. During this time this buttons are grayed out. You mention that compare is not working at all.

To further investigate on this, we need more information, e.g. can you share the last two versions of a document which doesn't work (you mention multiple)  or if possible give us access to the/a project to speed up the investigation? Unforuntatelly, the computation of changes happens in the Browser which makes it harder for us to find the problem. You may also want to try a different browser (not that I expect a different result!).

Thanks

- Martyn

[david.emm]

@martyn_messerli 

Thank you for the response. Yes, the model compare feature does not work regardless of how long the model is left to compute. It will show a green loading bar at the start like it is attempting to perform the compare, then it will stop and the buttons will remain greyed out.

For completeness I tested the compare in google chrome and microsoft edge with the same results.

As I mentioned in my original post, I have been performing the compare using the same method / models successfully 7 or 8 times in the previous months. It is only recently (2-3 weeks) ago that the process has stopped working. A colleague of mine also reported this happening on his separate BIM360 project around the same time. 

I have also attempted to compare models that I previously did successfully but these no longer work.

My assumption is the backend/server is where the compare is failing. 

How would I go about providing you access to my project to perform an investigation ? 

[martyn_messerli]

@david.emm Easiest would be to add me to a team who has problems. I assume you have to ask the project manager to add me to such a team ([email protected]). You can send me the link to the failing model in a direct message or I just have a look.

Regarding backend and front end. Currently the backend only provides the derivatives (views for the browser viewer, pdf's, ...). The frontend uses this data to compare the geometries. Either the backend has problems to provide those views properly or the frontend has problems with the data received by the backend. Lets find out what has changed and causes the problem..

- Martyn

PS: thanks for also checking the other browsers!

Edit: By team I ment Design Collaboration Teams. Since you're problem is in Document Management, you should just be sure I can access those documents.

[david.emm]

@martyn_messerli  

I have private messaged you with project details and contact information.

I will update this thread if we find a solution !

[martyn_messerli]

After some investigation and help from @david.emm we where able to narrow down the problem to the local network and security settings of the customer. We still don't know all the details but accessing the model and comparing it from outside of the customers company network works fine.

- Martyn

[dplumb_BWBR]

We're seeing the same problem.

Has there been any resolution on this issue?

Or at least a list of which security settings to examine?

[martyn_messerli]

@dplumb_BWBR Only thing I've heared was that our Cloud API was blocked by the netwrok settings from the customers IT. The development console of the browser shows which modules or backend calls are failing/blocked. Please contact your IT department and check with them on what requests are blocked and they have to make sure, that this restriction is removed.

-Martyn

[dplumb_BWBR]

My IT guy says we're only block DNS entries, and we're not blocking any that he can see.
However, I found that the page DOES work in Edge, but not in Chrome (Version 94.0.4606.81 )

[dplumb_BWBR]

Chrome Security is set to Standard.

No Extensions Enabled (several are installed, but all are Disabled)

[martyn_messerli]

@dplumb_BWBR if this is the case then we seem to have a different problem here. I assume you have verified the console output of the browser with the IT guy and haven't found any errors/problems.

Can you send me a screenshot of the error output of the Development Tools (for Chrome: F12 -> [Console] Tab) after opening the diff panel as a direct message. Maybe I can find the source of the problem from this output.

Thanks

Martyn