Or is it a professional, individual endeavor? Or both? Five quick quotes from different parts of the latest JBIM: When practiced correctly, BIM is meant to support collaboration across the facilities life cycle. BIM is the flow of information through a project, from inception to completion and throughout the entire life cycle of a structure.
Unfortunately, the industry is still developing separate models that are not communicating.
… as projects become bigger and more distributed, some teams struggle with the collaborative aspects inherent to BIM. The utilization of BIM technology can result in improved occupational safety by connecting the safety issues more closely to construction planning. IFC4 introduces the concept of material profiles, where axis-based components, such as beams, pipes and ducts, can be described by paths and cross-sections of materials, along with offsets relative to the axis and end points.
The journal seems to contain quite a bit of info on NBIMS, NBIMS-US and even IFC4.
Apparently this is version 2.7. I may be wrong, but there doesn’t seem to be an easy way to check the ‘version’ on Autodesk Exchange Apps. If you download the MSI, you can check the properties of the file, where you will see that the digital signature is timestamped: Wednesday, 23 January 2013 10:39:38 AM
From the documentation: The source code for this application is available on open source, at the SourceForge project : http://sourceforge.net/p/ifcexporter/home/Home/ This application is a good complement to the IFC Exporter UI client app, also available on the Exchange store. However, it is not required to get the latest version of that application when installing this application. Nor is it required to use this alternate UI when getting the latest IFC Exporter UI.
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:
So here is the breadcrumb of credit– Created by Chris Zoog, uploaded to Dropbox by theoryshaw, put on Youtube by BenPMalone.
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
“Navisworks is ubiquitous but this (Solibri) is the better tool”
BCF – BIM Collaboration format
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…
A summary of the webcast from LinkedIn: Jeffrey Ouellette • Well, he showed several: 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. My old Kendo sensei would always say, “Don’t TRY, just DO”. He wanted us to understand the importance of removing the abstract from the shinai (bamboo sword) being an analogy of a metal blade to moving, behaving, reacting to it BEING a real blade. If you merely try, then you fail and give up because you feel there is no consequence. But, if you act as if your life is on the line, then you will only stumble for a while as you get better. via Which file formats? Struggling to decide… | LinkedIn
Hi @zoog, @nycrug great presentation on #IFC/OpenBIM, ended up recording it 4 U guys. bit.ly/VKplNF Video’s huge though…2gigs. 😐 — Ryan Schultz (@theoryshaw) January 16, 2013
Adopting BIM is a difficult and often unrewarding task.
“Open BIM” is what people on the leading edge are aspiring to and solves all your problems.
You’ll be expected to do extra work at a much earlier stage than you would have traditionally at a much lower fee.
BIM is based on a 3D model and therefore requires everything to be modelled as an exact copy of the final manufactured building component.
the quicker your architects can become qualified in structural engineering, the more benefit you’ll gain from BIM.
Mention that your closest competitors have all migrated to Revit and within a short space of time you’ll be promoted and your bosses will be able to smile smugly over their 5-iron and confidently state “We do BIM. What do you think about them apples?”
You cannot do BIM if you are a civil engineer, as civil engineers don’t build buildings.
To be safe, always leave an empty space at least 300mm clear of another discipline’s object.
A recent and very informative post from LMNts describes their experience in moving data from Grasshopper to Revit. Here is just one paragraph: Chameleon appeared a few months ago and has proven to be an effective tool for adaptive components. The interface is intuitive on both the GH and Revit sides and we are yet to find any serious bugs with it. Another recent plugin is named Hummingbird (keep track of all these animals), a similar program which accesses the WhiteFeet Modeler to import adaptive components as well as Revit primitives (this has a lot of potential and will be discussed more in a future post). Take your pick, these are both great plugins.
64 Bit Vasari, Revit 2012 and Revit 2013 Addon to import IFC files. Addon undergoing rapid development. Please use with care and send suggestions and observations.
Free Add-In developed for use by Autodesk Revit programs in the Structure and MEP disciplines. This application is recommended for use with IFC-based model exchange between GRAPHISOFT ArchiCAD and Revit applications. The Add-In for Revit applications variously enables direct import of ArchiCAD IFC models and IFC model export to ArchiCAD, or serves to optimize Revit’s standard IFC import and export functions used to exchange data with ArchiCAD.
It’s important when you export a Revit model to IFC that the following conditions are met:
Export with “Current View Only” option
Parts must be visible in the view
If the “Split Walls and Columns By Level” option is chosen, then wall parts will be assigned to the appropriate level as determined by their spatial position
Be aware:
Parts import / export done for all categories except Roofs
Parts import from IFC : only geometry is imported not the parts information
Quite simple really. These steps were tested using Revit 2013.
Select all masses, Group, and then Save as Library – Group
Open the RVT from step 1
R button – Export – Export Options – IFC Options
Set Mass and sublevel Form to IfcBuildingElementProxy (copy-paste from another field)
Ok
R button – Export – IFC
R button – Open – IFC
Your new file has all the same Forms, but instead of being Masses, they are now of Generic Model category. You can copy-paste them back into the original file, and either delete or hide the original Masses.
You could vary some of these steps to change the target category. But once you have the in-place Generic Models, you can switch them to basically any Category you like.
