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?

Postopolis - blogs about architecture collide in NYC

Check this event Postopolis. out. (May 29 - June 2, 2007) The home blog pages of the organisers are (almost) all in the useful links in the sidebar at the right. After today I will be adding Inhabitat. At this early stage, the following links are really interesting:

• City of Sound review of Postopolis presentation by Paul Seletsky of SOM
• City of Sound review of Postopolis presentation by Matt Clark of Arup
• Inhabit's Jill Fehrenbacher's presentation in Pecha Kucha style
• I could not bring myself to listen to Lebbeus Woods yet again after wondering at the level of pretension in hearing him live in San Francisco some years ago... but if you have not encountered him, this could be of curiosity value - if only a la Derrida to hear the background to the person in order to (perhaps) understand his work?
  

I fully expect these links to grow and become more interesting as the diarists who are not as fast as City of Sound reflect on the event.

Cool idea? Or another hyped toy?

There is a cool video referenced by Autodesk's '"It's alive in the lab!" blog and available on youtube:



They note that the technology idea was used in the Minority Report movie.

There is also this REALLY cool video about the same technology toy at Fastcompany.com


Looking at it, I can't help wondering what it really shows.

• Of course, I'd love a screen that big! And I'd discover many uses for it.
  
• And one with that many video feeds that work simultaneously...
• It has been clear to me for a long time that the mouse is only a poor substitute for the hand in interactivity terms. But do I want to have to wear white gloves or spend ages with some cleaning fluid each week keeping the screen-as-mouse operaional?
• An interaction work space the size of two offices - that's great for spreading out the work so one can walk up and down and survey more of a whole set of data
• And wouldn't the wii be a better interface (see Google Reader via wii below)?

What I am not sure about is whether this particular interactive screen technology from this bloke 'solves' the problem.

As yet there seem only to be positive reviews:

• "It's alive in the labs"
• "RobiNZ"

I am not convinced. Given the choice, and the budget to play with such toys, I'd like an immersive wrap around wall first. Then this technology for working with it.