VIDEO: Trimble Connect Planner e-learning. Watch this video to get all the details on how to use Planner for building erection planning as well as cast-in-place concrete projects, and infrastructure projects. 

Construction planning often happens outside the model environment. Teams may have a well-structured 3D model in Trimble Connect, while the actual sequencing is managed separately in Excel or MS Project. That creates a gap between the schedule and the physical scope of work.

Trimble Connect Planner addresses this by adding the time dimension directly to the model, making it easier to define sequences, review construction stages visually, and communicate the plan across the project team.

In this 30-minute e-learning, we introduce the core workflow in Planner, show how it can be used for both building and infrastructure projects, and explain the key setup options that help teams get started.

The challenge with construction planning

What Trimble Connect Planner does

Trimble Connect Planner is an extension to Trimble Connect that enables 4D construction planning directly in the model environment.

Instead of creating a schedule separately and then trying to relate it back to the model, users can define the sequence visually, assign dates and durations, and review the construction process over time.

Because Planner is built into Trimble Connect, it fits naturally into workflows that many teams already use. It extends the platform from coordination and model sharing into construction planning, without requiring users to move between disconnected tools.

The solution has developed around actual project needs. It has been used in projects involving prefabricated concrete and steel, and is also being introduced in infrastructure workflows where temporary works, logistics, and sequencing are central to execution.

What the e-learning covers

The e-learning in the video above is designed as a practical introduction to working with Planner. It has chapters and the captions are searchable to allow you to easily find topics later.

• It starts with Example 1 where we focus on a basic workflow for building projects, showing how to create a 4D erection plan by defining sequence, assigning dates, and reviewing the result in the timeline.
• It then moves to Example 2 which covers methods and functions important for cast-in-place and infrastructure projects, where the workflow includes grouped tasks, temporary structures, deconstruction activities, and staged operations such as cast-in-place concrete work, mass handling, and crane or equipment placement.
• The final part of the training focuses on setup and administration, including permissions, calendars, label templates, export settings, and other project-level configurations.

Functions and topics are introduced along the way and users should watch the whole e-learning, not just Example 1 or 2.

Example 1: Basic planning

General workflow, starting with sequence before dates

Creating plans and selecting objects

Users should first create a main plan and a sub plan, then work at sub plan level while selecting objects directly in the model. Each selected object becomes a task in the Planner window.

If a mistake is made, tasks can be deleted, moved, or reordered by drag and drop. This makes it possible to build the sequence iteratively without starting over.

Assigning dates manually or automatically

After the sequence is in place, dates can be assigned in different ways. They can be added one task at a time, or applied to multiple tasks at once by selecting several activities together.

Planning can be automated using rules such as a fixed number of tasks per day, while skipping non-working days. This is useful for repetitive installation work, where dates can be distributed systematically across similar tasks.

Publishing, revising, and exporting

Once dates have been added, a view can be attached to the plan so others see the correct perspective when reviewing the published version. The plan is then published and shared with the project team.

After receiving feedback, the user updates the task order, checks the revised sequence, and publishes a new version. Finally, the plan can be exported to TXT or CSV for use in downstream systems.

The steps described above cover the basic workflow in Planner. Continue reading to learn about more useful features and alternative methods.

Example 2: Planning construction in the “correct” order, infrastructure cast-in-place project

The second example presents a planning method that is better suited to infrastructure projects. Instead of reverse planning, the sequence is created in the same order the work will be carried out on site.

Users working on large infrastructure operations, road projects, have found this approach practical.

Group tasks

Several model objects can be combined into a single activity, which is useful when one site operation includes multiple modeled elements but should be handled as one task in the plan.

This helps simplify the schedule while still keeping the visual connection to the model.