When you read the articles and look at the Autodesk information, it leads you to the conclusion that BIM will be a centralized model where all of your information will flow from. Build the model and create your shop drawings. Build the model and get your takeoffs. Build the model and get your CNC information.Our testing with V6 on our first few projects has lead me to a different conclusion. If we were providing standard systems, or electrical systems, or HVAC systems, where the components are predesigned and you are building a model from these components, then the BIM model probably works. Since on most jobs, and especially on the projects that are asking for BIM models, we are providing custom systems, this model doesn’t really work.
We need to be able to create drawings quickly for review. We need to be able to draw out our concepts and get buy-in. If you try to build all of the custom assemblies, build the elevations, then create some drawings to show your customer and then they want to change it or don’t like it, you are wasting a huge amount of time.
Our new paradigm is an Autocad to SoftTech approach. We draw out our profile drawings in Autocad. 2d is much faster to create concepts than 3d. Draw some typical elevations, key in some 2d details and create your profile drawings. Meet with the customer and massage the design until you have exactly what they are looking for. Now build the model.
Most of our customers are expecting that our shop drawings will be a direct result of the model. Instead, we will use the wireframes from the shop drawings to create the model. Shop drawings first, then V6 model, then BIM model in Navisworks. It’s a different direction than they are expecting but it really makes more sense for the type of work we do. We killed ourselves trying to create the models before the shop drawings or at the same time as the shop drawings. It takes time to update the whole model because they want the horizontal body to look different. Oh, and when you submit the changes, they decide they want it different again. Better to work out your ideas in Autocad and then build your V6 model after.
Heading to AU this year. Anyone else going? It would be interesting to meet up and talk about V6. Drop me a line at swatts at waltersandwolf dot com if you’ll be there.
October 10, 2010
