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Monday, June 04, 2007

Information Modelling In Action

The Freedom Tower: Information Modelling In Action - CBRonline.com Computer Business Review online writes about BIM! Quote from Paul Seletsky of SOM: "...Autodesk Revit Building 3D modelling gives the architects the ability not only to visualise their models in 3D, but have those models tied to 2D plans too: if a value is changed in the model, it is reflected in the plans and vice versa. It also enables simulations such as likely building temperatures, pedestrian flow (including in a potential emergency), the lighting as the sun moves across the sky, and so on." I guess this is BIM in action ...

But it all seems a little too pat. The details are sketchy in a general business magazine like this of course. But the details are where the problems arise. Did the HVAC consultants and the fire engineers really use the 3D model? Did they make modifications and send them back to the central model? What were the SOM resources required to make this all happen?

My experience so far is that using the collaboration features of the software (ArchiCAD/Revit?ADT/Microstation) requires a major support effort from technicians running the network and servers to the users rejigging their manner of working to recognise who has control of what parts of the 'model' they are working on. And that's just with the 3D model in-house... well in my class. What about adding in several other software users, their ways of working and their program interfaces...

What is the reality?

2 comments:

Puerhan said...

Hey Mike,
I used Revit in my last two practices and I introduced it to my current practice earlier this year. (www.architype.co.uk) On the collaboration side, the closest we have got so far is giving the Revit model over to our M&E engineer for them to do their analysis with. They export it from Revit to IES though and don't actually do anything within Revit or make any changes to the model. It looks as though once IES is better integrated with Revit there might be a better chance of this... However, so far I don't know of any Structural or M&E engineers over here that are fully into using Revit or anything similar... they all seem to be still stuck in *.dwg format! A few are getting into it though and hopefully we might see some changes soon... (Funnily it is another Kiwi getting into it at one of the engineers I think..!) And another potential barrier is that there are a few people in my office using Revit (we are only trialling it on a single project currently) who feel that their creativity (and productivity while still learning it) is being sorely challenged by using something intelligent like Revit rather than more straight forward draughting / modelling tools such as VW and SketchUp. I personally think Revit is great and would hope not to have to go back to straight draughting ever again, however, it does require some intelligent thinking to use it sometimes also!
Cheers, Elrond

Puerhan said...

PS meant to add that I have in the past and current do make extensive use of the collaborative functions of Revit for in-house collaboration - we have 5 people working on the same model simultaneously currently.

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