I’ve just read yet another article pushing BIM, immersive environments, multimedia and 3D printing in the AEC industries. What’s with this continuous obsession with complex and expensive technology? We’re in the grip of a massive worldwide recession, but we’re constantly hearing solutions reasoned like this:
- Spend more money on complex technology
- You’ll work faster and more efficiently
- So you’ll make more money
Am I born yesterday, or is this type of marketing actually based on a falacy? In business, increasing efficiency only ever helps when we’ve got a full order book. When we’re already working at full capacity we can free up resources to do even more work, and bring in even more money. If, however, our workforce are already standing around, how will it help to increase efficiency?
Entries (RSS)
I think biggest fallacy is with misunderstanding the idea of BIM technology. Any 3D application that has extendable system can be turned effectively into BIM application. At the high end Catia is one example; Rhino 3D is also an example. Each of these application use C, or C++ to extend capabilities based on the main program libraries. The libraries can even be added if necessary such as in Rhino 3D. As you can see any favorite application can become the BIM solution. There is nothing inherent technologically speaking in this acronym. It simply implies an intelligent construct. In reality this means if you move door, or window, an opening in the wall also moves. Everything is instantly updated. Likewise, if you are inserting window or door of any kind, the system knows that it also has to alter the wall itself. The main part of the BIM is in its dependency on the modular instance system built on the object libraries. The first thing is an intelligent component system as this is the term used in the Sketch Up (BIM right?) or object libraries which contain intelligent elements. Some of the characteristics of the intelligent object/components is that they can be made into a complex elements that contains many presets, parameters, and behaviors. This way you are designing on the file since the whole library of elements is based on the real products – real windows, storeframes, doors, manufactured modular systems etc. Further, these objects can be expanded to contain information about each element such as price, product index, material type etc., which, again, through specialized functions inside the extended module of the preferred 3D application this information can be reused for calculation of cost, accounting and logistics. SketchUp is BIM ready but not fully accomplished application through the native functions/tools or the third party plugin.
Hi Nenad and thanks for your illuminating comment. Where SketchUp differs, and will triumph, compared to Catia/Rhino or others is that it can be adopted by all parties in the design process because it’s free, easy to learn, and widely adopted by architects (who tend to be the driving force on construction projects, at least in the UK). I agree also on what BIM is: If you were to create a scale model in paper and card, colour coded to a paper index system, and controlled using set rules for model changes, then you have an example of BIM!
It’s great to hear these comments. I am of the same opinion and just published a comparison between Sketchup and Revit. I am writing this on my phone so don’t have the link but hope to get back later with it. I have bee carrying out full architectural projects with SketchUp since 2006 and have written a course to show how to use SU Pro to produce outstanding construction documents.
Thanks for your comments Paul. If you get in touch I’d really like to take a look at that course. SketchUp Pro is immerging as a contender for a lean BIM solution, especially for small projects (say < £5m) which are the majority of building projects in the UK.
I’ve used Revit for the past six years and i would say that it does improve speed and quality, over 2d design. I would love to see another competitor, the size of google, compete with autodesk. Revit could use more competition.