18 – BIM, VDC and Viz – The Big 3 of 3D
I should probably talk about BIM more. Not only is it a buzzword in the industry that would likely get this site more traffic, it is an important movement in the design and construction of projects in the years ahead. While I am much more passionate about 3D visualization than BIM or VDC, join me in this episode as I talk about what these new industry terms are and why we all need to pay attention to them.
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Civil FX Studio update – I now have an office at the local middle school! It is the same school I went to elementary school in and I walk to work now just like I walked to school twenty years ago. Also, I pass a Llama on my way.
Will soon be testing out the interview format occasionally for episodes of the podcast. Please give your feedback on which types of content you prefer the most.
What is BIM?
- Building Information Modeling
- A ‘smart’ model
- Often has a database linked to 3D elements
- Can be thought of as ‘building the project (virtually) before you build the project (physically)’.
- Commonly created with software such as Revit Architecture, Navisworks, Civil 3D and similar
- Is most often used in architectural or ‘vertical’ projects
- Civil Information Modeling (CIM) is a newer buzz word and is the horizontal version of BIM
- CIM is gaining some traction with software such as InfraWorks, but still lacking cohesion and years behind BIM
What is VDC?
- Virtual Design and Construction
- There is some ambiguity on the difference between BIM and VDC
- To me, VDC usually adds additional dimensions to BIM that include time and money (think, construction phasing and budget)
- Can be thought of as ‘building the project in the same way as it will be built before you build the project’
How 3D Visualization Relates to BIM and VDC
- 3D visualization for projects makes up for the lack of BIM and VDC
- 3D visualization in architecture is a much more straight forward process because the strucutres are typically already modeled in 3D
- The problem with CAD