Color Schemes in 4D Construction Management Tools

Four dimensional (4D) construction management systems combine 3D models and their corresponding construction schedules to facilitate project management. Typical 4D models use a series of colors to present the statuses of construction progress. Having surveyed various existing 4D tools, it is evident that developers consider little about the selection of color schemes. These color schemes, however, may or may not be appropriate for visualizing 4D models. In this research, we consider the nature of scheduling information and the categories of colors to select color schemes for 4D models. After selecting eight color schemes, we performed an experiment to test these color schemes displayed on different media, including on desktop computer monitors, by projection and on paper. After testing ten users each with a different combination of 4D models and color schemes, we determined that one of the color schemes is most suitable for 4D models in terms of effectiveness, readability, and user satisfaction.