Computer system and methods for optimizing distance calculation

A non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing system to:

• render, via a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed by a client station, a three-dimensional view of a construction project using a three-dimensional model file that defines a set of meshes representing physical objects of the construction project, wherein each mesh comprises a respective set of triangular faces, and wherein the GUI includes an indication of a measurement tool for obtaining a shortest distance between a first mesh and a second mesh;
• based on user input selections received via the measurement tool, receive a request to obtain the shortest distance between the first mesh and the second mesh, wherein the request includes respective indications of the first mesh and the second mesh;
• based on the received request, identify a set of distances that are to be calculated for determining the shortest distance between the first mesh and the second mesh by first reducing one or both of:
• (i) a number of faces from each respective set of triangular faces between which distances are to be calculated, wherein the number of faces is reduced based on at least one of visibility information or directional information of the faces in each respective set, or (ii) a number of distances that are to be calculated;
• and
• calculate the identified set of distances and thereby determine the shortest distance between the first mesh and the second mesh.

A method carried out by a computing system, the method comprising:

• rendering, via a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed by a client station, a three-dimensional view of a construction project using a three-dimensional model file that defines a set of meshes representing physical objects of the construction project, wherein each mesh comprises a respective set of triangular faces, and wherein the GUI includes an indication of a measurement tool for obtaining a shortest distance between a first mesh and a second mesh;
• based on user input selections received via the measurement tool, receiving a request to obtain the shortest distance between the first mesh and the second mesh, wherein the request includes respective indications of the first mesh and the second mesh;
• based on the received request, identifying a set of distances that are to be calculated for determining the shortest distance between the first mesh and the second mesh by first reducing one or both of:
• (i) a number of faces from each respective set of triangular faces between which distances are to be calculated, wherein the number of faces is reduced based on at least one of visibility information or directional information of the faces in each respective set, or (ii) a number of distances that are to be calculated;
• and
• calculating the identified set of distances and thereby determining the shortest distance between the first mesh and the second mesh.