Autodesk.com
Refreshed version of the BIM for Construction Demand Gen Toolkit image. Rendering of the BIM City Westside Hospital data set, highlighting construction progression of structural, MEP, and building design elements. Autodesk(r) Revit(r) Architecture, Autodesk(r) Revit(r) MEP, Autodesk(r) Revit(r) Structure, and Autodesk(r) 3ds Max(r) Design software products were used in the design process.
No one is going to argue that the design and construction process isn’t complicated. Building Information Management (BIM) software developers recognize this, and the latest solutions on the market address the streamlining of workflows and a focus on providing better collaboration options among project stakeholders. Here are several platforms church designers and architects may want to explore.
Vectorworks
Vectorworks 2018 includes Vectorworks Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, Designer, Fundamentals, and Vision. For designers and riggers that are mounting temporary productions, the company offers Braceworks, which enables users to perform structural load analysis. Within this software package, notable features include multiple drawing views that let users consult multiple 3D views of a project simultaneously (one can also begin work in one pane and finish it in another); and direct section and elevation editing, which allows for model editing directly from viewports (including such modifications as the addition of openings, the alignment and distribution of windows, and the repositioning of doors and reshaping of walls). For architects, Vectorworks 2018 features improved graphic output functionality for more efficient BIM documentation, and better graphic controls enable users more flexibility in generating quality documentation from 3D models. AV designers may be interested in the zoom option that facilitates the planning and visualization of video screen placement; and an enhanced seating section targets designers that require flexibility in visualizing seating layouts.
Dr. Biplab Sarkar, CEO at Vectorworks, explains that the 2018 release concentrates on enhancing and streamlining user workflows. “In BIM, you can best see this in our direct section and elevation editing and multi-view capabilities, and more subtly in all the Wall tool enhancements that allow designers to correctly model wall constructions so walls appear accurately in plan, section, and elevation drawings. The direct site model contour editing and enhanced seating sections are other good examples of our usability improvements.”
Also out from Vectorworks is its cloud-based Photos to 3D Model feature, which enables the creation of 3D models without the need to measure or recreate existing 3D geometry. Instead, designers may take photos on their mobile devices and, using the Vectorworks Nomad App, send them to Vectorworks Cloud Services for 3D model processing. For those working in VR, the company’s update to its web view Virtual Reality supports HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Google Daydream.
Graphisoft
Graphisoft has released the latest version of its BIM software solution for architects and designers, ArchiCAD 22. A remastered Façade Design workflow enables users to create external or internal façades using modular structures and hierarchical, customizable patterns. The ArchiCAD Grasshopper Connection supports both traditional and algorithmic workflows. The Profile Editor feature has been upgraded to create intelligent profiles for columns, beams, and walls––and the control of the shapes and sizes of their cross sections via BIM parameters. A patent-pending Machine Learning (ML) algorithm will adjust 2D navigation to project content. Other features include Maxon’s R19 CineRender engine that offers stereoscopic or 360-degree spherical renderings; faster element reservation for an improved Teamwork experience; and, through the use of open BIM standards, better quality and precision in the export of building component information from composite skins and complex profiles.
“ArchiCAD 22’s revamped Curtain Wall tool makes designing façades a true graphical experience for architects with its modular pattern editor,” says Peter Temesvari, director of product management at Graphisoft. “The most powerful thing about our new Façade Design workflow is that it covers the entire design workflow from concept through design development to documentation supporting local standards––all 100 percent BIM.”
Autodesk
Built on the Autodesk Forge platform, Autodesk’s latest generation of its BIM 360 platform is a cloud-based service designed to connect the entire construction lifecycle. The platform centralizes data in a single location, allowing project stakeholders to streamline the design and construction process, and offers better transparency about changes that are made during the course of a project. “With the confusion of an ever-increasing number of construction apps across the industry, the option to manage all project data in a single cloud platform results in more predictable building project outcomes,” says Andrew Anagnost, president and CEO at Autodesk.
SketchUp (by Trimble)
SketchUp Pro 2018 includes a number of updates, among them several enhancements to the management of Section Planes. With this update, users can name each section plane in their designs; find Section Planes, in Outliner; create and edit section fills; and display multiple section cuts at once. When used together, the Advanced Attributes and Group By aggregation features in Generate Report enable users to create door and window schedules.
