Solibri Australia Business Update

As posted on 22 February 2013 (http://blog.solibri.com.au/solibri-business-update)

From October last year Cadimage contracted Matt Rumbelow through his BIM consultancy REVITALL to provide Solibri Business Development Services in Australia.

Matt has worked closely with our partners Solibri, Inc, Graphisoft NZ and BuildingSMART Australasia to promote the role of IFC in an OpenBIM workflow.

Many of you may have attended our National series of IFC Information evenings run by Matt, culminating with the recent presentation from Dr Thomas Liebich, Leader of the Development Team for the new IFC4.

Matt will be returning to his REVITALL consultancy full-time from March, and will be continuing his work and support of Open BIM initiatives worldwide. Matt will also be helping to run the inaugural BIMDayOut, to be held in Perth in July. www.theBIMdayout.com

Matt has a wealth of knowledge and experience across a range of BIM products including Solibri. Should you require consultancy support with BIM in your organisation we would encourage you to utilise his skills and experience which are complimentary to the Cadimage team.

Please feel free to keep in touch with Matt and REVITALL via the website www.revitall.net or follow him on twitter @revitall

5D BIM (in Australia) – What it Means to Quantity Surveying & Estimating

From IFC Australasia Linked Group

“The reality is that BIM is going to be applied differently for different projects and particularly in Australia where there is no standard or mandate to use BIM in comparison to the UK.”

David Mitchell is Director and 5D Quantity Surveyor for Mitchell Brandtman. He is a passionate ambassador for open leadership, collaboration and technological advancements that support positive industry change. David speaks regularly on BIM and 5D quantity surveying in Australia and internationally.

This article is based upon a presentation from 2012 outlining his experiences with 5D cost planning. Written from the unique perspective of the QS, it forms the basis to the discussion about what 5D BIM and how it can be included within a BIM execution plan for a project.

 

Access the entire article here (February 2013 Edition, page 4)

RMIT SIAL to host OpenBIM event : Monday, 18th February 2013

SIAL is pleased to host an OpenBIM event on the evening of Monday, 18th February 2013.

Jonathan Mirtschin will present on OpenBIM workflows and the research/development that he has done in the past 3 years. This will include insights to project application of generative BIM workflows form Grasshopper to Revit and Tekla.

Jon will be joined by Dr Thomas Liebich, team leader of of the IFC Development for Building Smart International and also a director of AEC3 based in Germany.

Jon Mirtschin
Jon Mirtschin a structural engineer who completed a double degree in Structural Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Melbourne. He worked as a graduate at Aurecon on projects such as Eureka Tower, Melbourne Cricket Ground Redevelopment before moving to London. There he was introduced to Rhino3D which was successfully used on projects including the Infinity Bridge and Olympics Velodrome.

This work formed the basis of his company Geometry Gym specializing in Computational Geometry and BIM Software tools including Rhino to Revit IFC connector, Rhino3D Structural Analysis Plugin to convert structural models to Rhino.

Dr Thomas Liebich
Leader, IFC Development Team
Director, AEC3 GmbH
Dr Thomas Liebich graduated from Architecture from the Bauhaus, Weimar in 1994. Since 1999 he has lead the IFC development team (Model Support Group) of buildingSMART International. In 2001 he was instrumental in the development of ePlanCheck in Singapore, the world’s first automatic test system of the building permit. In 2006, Thomas formed AEC3 GmbH, completing several major projects including the first German BIM policy, and the first BIM report for the public sector in Germany.

Please rsvp to attend or for more details on the event to jonm@geometrygym.com
Registrations commence at 5:30 pm with presentations from 6pm.
Venue: Design Hub (Building 100, Level 1 Multipurpose Room). The Design Hub is at the corner of Swanston & Victoria Street.

Another Evening with IFC: The Shape of Things to Come

Geometry, Collaboration, & OpenBIM Model Exchange

With the success of our first IFC Evening Event, Cadimage is holding a follow-up presentation featuring a “sneak peak” of IFC4 and its extended geometrical capabilities. Special guest speaker Jon Mirtschin, blogger, engineer and software developer will present his observations, research and tools which utilise the IFC standard for BIM and geometry exchange.

Jon will also demonstrate some of the improvements in the new revision IFC4 (pre-ratification) and will open up discussion on is can be done to motivate software vendors to embrace and utilize this technology, opening up more collaborative and powerful workflows. The presentation will also demonstrate some exchange improvements Jon has developed with BIM software including Revit, Archicad, Tekla and Solibri and some of the projects that have benefited from it.

IFC Melbourne Event: Wednesday February 20^th, 2013
05:30 PM – 06:00 PM  Arrival and Registration
06:00 PM – 06:15 PM  Welcome and introduction: Matt Rumbelow, Cadimage
06:15 PM – 06:30 PM  Guest presentation: Recent Arup BIM Projects
06:30 PM – 07:30 PM  Guest presentation: Jon Mirtschin, Geometry Gym
07:30 PM – 08:00 PM  Guest presentation: Matt Rumbelow, Cadimage

CPD Points: Registered attendees will receive 2 CPD points as accredited by the Australian Institute of Architects Continuing Professional Development Program.

Where: Where: Arup Melbourne (street access closed after 6pm) Level 5, 215 Spring Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
RSVP:  Friday, November 15th, 2013
Register : Click here to register online
Ph: 1800 172 893  
Web:  www.cadimagegroup.com

XML Marks the Spot! Cadimage announces BCF (BIM Collaboration Format) plugins for Solibri users

ArchiCAD and Revit BCF tools coming soon!

Cadimage will be supplying our Solibri Maintenance customers with Beta versions of their BCF plugins for both ArchiCAD & Revit during February. The official release is planned for March and we’ll keep you informed of progress in regards to both these milestones.

The BCF schema, originally developed by Solibri, Tekla and DDS, allows for an intelligent communication workflow between BIM authoring tools and the Solibri Model Checker. Currently it is transitioning as an industry standard to be managed by buildingSMART as a key part of the OpenBIM initiative. Watch this space…

Are you keeping up? Autodesk releases Revit IFC exporter v2.7.0

Hot on the heals of their December update, Autodesk’s IFC Guardian Angel has released v2.7.0 of the Revit IFC exporter. Improvements include localisation options (language) and a “FM Handover” option in the enhanced UI version.

Thanks again to Angel Velez Senior Principal Engineer Autodesk, Inc.

Download IFC Exporter for Revit 2013 v2.7.0.msi
Download IFC Export UI for Autodesk Revit 2013 v1.7.0.msi

(2.7.0) IFC Exporter for Revit 2013 v2.7.0.msi, IFC Exporter for Revit 2013 Source v2.7.0.zip

New Functionality:

• Consistent support across elements of Name, Description, and ObjectType overrides.  Added a Tag override and some entity specific parameter support (e.g. CapacityByWeight, CapacityByNumber, LandTitleNumber, SpaceElevationWithFlooring).
• Consistent usage across element types of ApplicableOccurence and ElementType overrides.
• IFC property names can now be localized, based on the language of the Revit project file.  See PSet_WallCommon as an example.
• Support better interface for inputing IFC File Header and Postal Address data.  This is in conjunction with v1.7.0 of the UI.
• Added new “FMHandOver” view configuration. (UI Exporter)
• Added UI for specifying FILE_HEADER and IfcPostalAddress information. (UI Exporter)

Bug Fixes:

• Fix issue for some slabs that had their inner and outer boundaries reversed.
• Include IfcSite boundary information when there is only one Revit Site element.

Collaborating and sharing data (with Autodesk) in the AEC Industry [via BIM Toolbox]

This article was written by Autodesk’s Sander Lijbers, and first appeared in a Dutch CAD Magazine in October 2012. As it provides a useful viewpoint on interoperability across Autodesk AEC technologies, it has been re-published (in English) for a wider audience.

“Autodesk understands that sharing data among project team members is of critical importance for quality execution on projects. Government agencies around the world are increasingly mandating the IFC (Industry Foundation Class) standard file format. At the same time, Autodesk continues to work on the quality of IFC data exchange. Examples of our support for the Industry Foundation Class (IFC) include 2×3 coordination model view, the U.S General Services Administration (GSA) IFC model view, The Building Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA) IFC model view, as well as work on IFC 2×4 certification and by releasing IFC Export for Revit (currently available for Autodesk® Revit® 2012 and 2013 products) as an Autodesk-sponsored open source project.”

For the entire blog article, you can follow the link below:

http://autodesk.typepad.com/bimtoolbox/2013/01/collaborating-and-sharing-data-in-the-aec-industry.html

For those that are interested in further reading, the article also makes mention of a research paper titled “Collaborative engineering with IFC: new insights and technology”. I have tracked that down and also made this available below:

  ECPPM2012-Collaborative-engineering-with-IFC-new-insights-and-technology.doc_

IFC – What It Is and Why You Should Care: Chris Zoog’s NYC RUG Presentation

Chris Zoog’s recent IFC presentation to the NYC Revit User Group has hit the blog and twitterspheres! With excellent reviews I may add. A full recording has now been posted to YouTube, and some links to reviews below.

Luke Johnson posted an article on his blog which I have featured below.

More recently (ie. this week), Chris delivered a webcast on the usefulness of IFC for NYC-RUG and gave his permission that it be uploaded to the web.  See the whole webcast embedded below:

 

 

In the webcast, Chris talks about (among other things):

• history of IFC
• using Grasshopper and Geometry Gym plugins with Revit (see my previous posts)
• drofus
• Generic Model Adaptive Components used in simulation
• clash detection / code compliance
• Tekla Bimsight
• Solibri Model Checker ( 35:48 )
  “Navisworks is ubiquitous but this (Solibri) is the better tool”
• BCF – BIM Collaboration format ( 41:20 )
• the IFCExportAs parameter for non-system families in Revit
• arr-chee-cad ( 57:15 )

It is recommended viewing if you are interested in the current uses of IFC and he also hints at what the future may hold…

Jeffrey Ouellette wrote a summary of the webcast and posted this on Linkedin:

1. Design & Documentation – A set of formal parametric design constraints were developed in Rhino using Grasshopper, tagged with IFC data and then exported as IFC files and imported into Revit. The objects were translated into Revit-native data structures (some better than others). The design work would be VERY difficult, if at all possible, in Revit, so he showed that using a design tool built for such purposes could still exchange the model data with the preferred documentation platform, totally different technologies, using IFC. Granted the connection was based on IFC4….

2. Planning & Design. dRofus is a very powerful web-based, database-centric, planning and facility data management tool. Via IFC exchanges, he showed how owner program requirements, developed most efficiently in dRofus, could be transferred to Revit via IFC2x3. Also designs in Revit could be re-imported into dRofus to compare and verify the model design against the requirements, AUTOMATICALLY!

3. Clash Detection/Coordination. Yes, Revit and Navisworks can talk to each other with a high degree of ease and fidelity now, but he showed how Solibri Model Checker (SMC), an IFC model based BIM tool, can find, report, and share this information in a variety of ways, including sharing model comments between platforms via BCF.

4. Code checking. Using Solibri Model Checker (SMC), a Revit design model is exported via IFC and examined for exiting, occupancy, and critical clearances using logical rules based on code requirements, such as IBC.
5. QA/QC. Beyond just using SMC for code compliance and clash detection, SMC can be used to determine the quality and validity of a BIM, both geometry and data, with rules based on a particular domain or even between domains.
What was most impressive was that it was working, given the reputation for Autodesk’s previous interoperability efforts, but noted recent improvements in support.

“He was able to demonstrate that there was no excuse for being able to use IFC-based workflows TODAY, even with Revit. You just have to learn and do.” Jeffrey Ouellette

CollectiveBIM: A new BIM blog reviews Solibri Model Checker

It’s always great to see a new BIM blog, and even better when the first article is a review of Solibri Model Checker!

“CollectiveBIM” (which commenced January 1st) is written by Michael McCune, a Senior Design Technology Specialist at CASE, Inc and the Community Director of CASE’s online community DesignByMany. Michael provides expertise in the implementation of Revit, Navisworks, Glue, Solibri, VEO, and Tekla, and has an interest in Virtual Design and Construction methods.

The CollectiveBIM blog aims to be a resource on technologies, tips & tricks, and topics around virtual design and construction that demonstrates how to take advantage of the information within BIMs.

And what does Michael think of Solibri? Quote; “unlike Navisworks, (Solibri) takes advantage of the information embedded within the building information models for more than just clash detection. As an architect and now a BIM specialist, there are things that Solibri Model checker can check for, if set up properly, that is invaluable for a firm that participates in BIM.”

Keep up the great work Michael and CASE, Inc!

To read Michael’s excellent review on Solibri, you can follow the direct link below;

http://collectivebim.com/solibri-model-checker-at-a-high-level/

Flashback 2005: IFC Becomes a “Newforma” Interoperability Standard Across in the Building Industry

Flashback 2005.  Jim Forester, as President of Marinsoft, is one of the six members of the then IAI  (later to become buildingSMART) that is developing the initial framework of the IFC model. Assisting in the effort is Ian Howell, the then V.P. of Business Development at Citadon and one of the original founders of the global consortium of commercial companies and research organizations that became the IAI in 1995, whilst Ian was a Director of Autodesk.

In 2005, as directors of a new startup called Newforma, Jim and Ian wrote an article that was published by AECBytes outlining the opportunity that IFC presented to “revolutionise” the building industry. The scene was set to image a Utopic era of 3D vendor neutral collaboration, and Jim and Ian where leading the charge with a “new form of” interoperability standard across the building industry.  That article can be found at this link.

Why the history lesson?

In 2011, I had the opportunity to work directly with Jim and Ian whilst I was account director for Newforma in ANZ. After several meetings with them in Australia and America, I can attest to their drive, enthusiasm and obvious technical insight and vision for the entire AEC industry.

Now, as I  work with Solibri utilising IFC across all sectors of the building industry, its a great thing to see that their initial idea has now developed into a truly international open BIM standard featuring a rich set of  definitions designed specifically to enable unambiguous exchange of data between approximately 150 registered software applications.

With the upcoming release of IFC4, which will see new features including NURBS geometry, constraints, libraries and mvdXML, the IFC project commenced some 20 years ago by Jim and Ian will continue to facilitate interoperability across the building industry and beyond.

Acknowledgements

Newforma is a venture-funded software development company serving architecture, engineering, construction, and owner-operator (AECO) companies. Newforma aims to dramatically increase the effectiveness and productivity of the AECO industry by developing software that enables the seamless flow of information between every building project team member, in support of both project and business processes.

Jim Forester is Chief Data Architect of Newforma.  Jim is a registered mechanical engineer and his professional background includes software development, design content, and consulting services to the AECO industry.

Ian Howell is Chief Executive Officer of Newforma. Ian is an Australian architect, a co-founder of the International Alliance for Interoperability (now buildingSMART), and has extensive experience in applied technology in the building industry, both as a director at Autodesk and as vice president of Citadon.