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August 24, 2009

Construction Strategy At Autodesk

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Susan Smith - Managing Editor

by Susan Smith - Managing Editor
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Industry News
Construction Strategy At Autodesk
By Susan Smith

Construction strategy at Autodesk encompasses a number of products: Constructware, Quantity Take Off (QTO) and most recently, a collaboration with Vela Systems, integrating its software with Autodesk NavisWorks.

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Autodesk recently announced its collaboration with Vela Systems, Inc., a provider of mobile field automation software for the AEC industry. The collaboration will integrate Vela Systems Field BIM Software Suite with Autodesk NavisWorks. According to Tim Douglas, Autodesk industry solutions manager, construction, NavisWorks is a software tool for combining project files into a single, coordinated 3D building information model. The collaboration with Vela Systems will extend the BIM process to the field, and add field data from Vela to NavisWorks 3D project models.

The Vela Systems Field BIM software suite includes bar-coding and radio-frequency identification (RFID) tracking technology which allows builders on-site to access a data-rich Autodesk NavisWorks project model during the construction phase. Vela has been an Autodesk partner for some time, and is now leveraging the NavisWorks API to deliver the capability of a joint solution in the marketplace. Autodesk will extend its core BIM for construction portfolio comprised of Revit , NavisWorks and Quality Take Off (QTO),

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“I think Vela is one great example of the type of partner we’re looking for, their innovating, they’re thinking of new ways to leverage the rich information available that is being used recently in construction,” said Douglas, “taking that information from the headquarters out to the field and into the construction supply chain.” Autodesk has a technology relationship with Vela in that they are leveraging the NavisWorks API and they are a strategic industry partner in construction.

Partners

Another Autodesk industry partner is Sage Timberline, providing support in the area of estimating. The Autodesk QTO product was released in mid-June as part of their BIM for Construction portfolio.

“Contractors are not modeling simply because building a model is interesting, they intend to leverage that model to drive a deeper level of understanding around the things they care about most: cost schedule and coordination,” explained Douglas. “When you look at our acquisition of NavisWorks over a year ago, and the introduction of QTO, you can see our focus in extending our portfolio in ways that are purpose built for construction.” The release of QTO enables contractors to generate a much more accurate count of elements in the building areas. QTO works with both 2D and 3D data, and will be useful as the marketplace transitions from 2D-based to a model-based approach to construction.

“2D isn’t going away any time soon. QTO can derive those quantities from both 2D and 3D data, and so with QTO you can extract those quantities in a pick and click way or in an automated way when you’re using more of a model based asset as a starting point,” Douglas pointed out. “Once you quantify the elements of a building, you can begin to apply costs and rules and connect that to your estimating solution system. We expect we’ll be looking for other partners within the estimating realm to carry that model based quantification and cost estimation – the design to cost workflow.”

Currently there is no integration component that bridges QTO and Sage Timberline.

NavisWorks can aggregate Autodesk or non-Autodesk models into a federated model where it can be integrated with Primavera scheduling, with its ability to drive 40 sequences through an integration between NavisWorks and Primavera. Autodesk can leverage integrations with other established scheduling solutions such as Microsoft Project and Primavera.

Vela’s role

“When it comes to moving information into the field, Vela is a leader in that space and it’s an opportunity for us to move information to the field,” Douglas said. “I think that’s one of the gaps that exist, providing that level of information through a NavisWorks/Vela solution that is mobile that provides a connection between the data and the state of building elements in the construction supply chain. You have the ability through NavisWorks and Vela to understand where precast panels are in the supply chain: are they still at the plant, are they in transit are they at the site? Are they installed? Have they been inspected – you can’t do that just by tracking it in the spreadsheet, but to connect that data to objects which are easily referenced within the NavisWorks model, is helpful for guys in field.”

Douglas pointed out that the last major advancement in construction site technology was the cell phone. “I think by connecting a model based approach to construction in a very visual way helps these guys drive understanding on the job site to make better decisions more quickly, rather than relying on stacks of drawings that might not be up to date.”

Vela runs on a handheld device or a tablet PC. It tracks types of materials throughout the supply chain via RFID tag or barcode. “RFID is likely used when you’re tagging precast panels at great distances and moving them around. Barcode is used as it was on the Autodesk Trapelo Road project more for interiors and installations, like for workstation installation there.”

You tag the elements that you’re interested in tracking and you read it with the Vela mobile device. It takes in data about that item. There are forms by which you can change the state of the item, make notes about it, and there is direct integration between Vela and those items in the NavisWorks model. When you open up a NavisWorks model with Vela/NavisWorks integration, you can be looking at a floor plan in 3D, and see different workstations in various colors. The colors represent the various states. By clicking on the 3D element in the model, you get information about that workstation: such as whether it has been installed, inspected, damaged, etc. In tracking precast panels, you can find out where the precast panels are within the job site and in what state of implementation they are.

NavisWorks

NavisWorks can bring in Revit files, or 3D AutoCAD files, model based files from other applications. It recognizes 40 different file types.

“You can bring in the entire model, you don’t see NavisWorks on the handheld but you see it in the trailer,” Douglas said. “You can review the whole model on the jobsite in NavisWorks because of the file compression between Revit or other software you’re aggregating, you have access to entire model and can then review the states of the various pieces, parts and systems.”

The compression rate in NavisWorks allows you to bring in a large BIM model with several components: MEP, structural, and/or architectural. According to Autodesk,
“A typical compression rate from .rvt to .nwc format would be 90% i.e. a 10MB Revit model would be 1MB when saved to NavisWorks format. The compression rate is often much higher than this, depending on the data held within the Revit model.”

NavisWorks’ geometry is simplified (tesselated) and has simpler structures to store the model as it is not editable. Geometry specific compression techniques are used coordinates/normals don’t need to be stored with full double precision coordinates. This can optionally be done in a lossy way (if turned on by the user) for even greater compression. In addition, the entire file is Zlib compressed (like a Zip file). The rate of compression is the same for all formats. This makes it possible for NavisWorks to deliver lightweight but rich geometry and data to field workers and those in the jobsite trailer who are not going to use Revit but need to be able to access the model.

Constructware

Constructware, a web based project management tool purchased by Autodesk some years ago, fills the need for data management and process in the construction supply chain. To tease out the differences between products Autodesk integrates with, Douglas defines Constructware as strong on data management and process, where as Oracle Primavera, although overlapping in some areas, is more focused on the scheduling side. With some customers, Autodesk has connected Constructware to the BIM process. They are exporting a baseline estimate out of QTO into Constructware where it can be used for the baseline budget in the cost module.

Also, NavisWorks has clash detection capabilities, so that if you run a clash on a building, the software aggregates all the different models which show hundreds of clashes between various building components. By exporting the clash report from NavisWorks and importing it into Constructware, you can then parse out each of the clashes and go through a workflow to resolve the various conflicts. The result is a report, visualization, location and the model, so that the appropriate parties can make the changes they need to within the structured workflow process.

Trends

During a press conference at Autodesk University in 2008, Carl Bass said that Autodesk produces 150 products, most of which generate almost no revenue. Selling them standalone is not a good idea, and the company was interested in bundling some of them.

With these new partnerships for construction, it would seem that Autodesk is moving toward developing a partner ecosystem. Whether or not this ecosystem will replace the need for acquisitions which require product development, remains to be seen.

Top News of the Week

Autodesk reported financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2010. Revenue was $415 million, a decrease of three percent sequentially and 33 percent compared to the second quarter of fiscal 2009. See press release

Acquisitions, Alliances, Agreements

Informative Graphics Corporation (IGC) announced a major reseller partnership agreement with Hershey Technologies, an end-to-end technology solutions provider focused on automating document-based communications. Hershey Technologies, a certified Kofax Platinum Partner, offers expertise in content capture, workflow processing, and related electronic document management solutions and will offer IGC's entire Redact-It® family of products -- Redact-It Desktop, Redact-It Enterprise, and Redact-It for Kofax -- to its customers.

Newforma, a software company addressing the project information management (PIM) needs of architecture, engineering and construction firms, and Verge Associates, an information technology consultancy to the AEC industry, announced that Verge Associates has joined the Newforma Authorized Partner(SM) program. In addition to its expertise in Newforma Project Center software for project information management, Verge specializes in Deltek Vision for business information management and Autodesk Revit® for building information modeling. Backed by its extensive knowledge of AEC software and processes, Verge consults on best practices in project processes, implements technology to support those processes and trains project teams in the use and integration of those technologies.

Announcements

Autodesk University 2009 Registration now open

RenderStream, manufacturer of high performance workstations, render servers and personal super computers, is proud to announce their emergence on the 3D market. Founded by industry leading experts in scientific supercomputing and 3D animation software, RenderStream offers their customers a unique option when choosing a workstation supplier.

People

GRAITEC announces the hiring of Dan Monette effective since July 1st, former channel development manager at SolidWorks, as vice president of North American sales. With more than 25 years of sales and marketing experience in the CAD software industry, he will oversee GRAITEC’s North American Sales organization, responsible for overall sales execution and customer satisfaction. In this role, he will lead GRAITEC’s effort to establish a channel of value-added resellers, grow its revenues, customer base, and sales organization. Dan Monette will report to Chief Operating Officer, Alexandre Tartas.

New Products

Acme CAD Converter announced DWG Converter - Batch converter that allows you to convert DWG DXF DWF to PDF, WMF, JPEG, TIFF, EPS, SVG, CGM...,Free DWG Viewer. Supports command line parameters.

SI Tools for Revit Structure is a Revit Structure add-in that provides advanced selection capabilities for structural members. Use the ribbon panel buttons to quickly select all beams, columns, or walls on a single level or in the entire model, regardless of type or material. Or use the Advanced Selection options to select a custom combination of beams, columns and walls.

PanelingTools plugin for Rhino 4 from Robert McNeel & Associates helps generate 2D and 3D cellular patterns and populate them over rectangular grids. The plug-in supports intuitive design of paneling concepts as well as rationalize complex geometry into a format that is suitable for analysis and fabrication. The plug-in is closely integrated with Rhino 4.0 and is widely used for architectural and other building designers.

Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) announced the release of VE-Pro v6.0. This intelligent software allows engineers to analyze designs in great detail with interconnected performance assessment modules and advanced visual, graphical, and numerical outputs. An enhanced user interface, new Navigator functionality and HVAC developments provide a more intuitive experience and detailed level of analysis.

Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) announced the addition of climate exploration, water reviews, low zero carbon technology consideration, and analysis for certain LEED credits to its VE-Toolkits.

Sivan Design announced the latest release of its construction and design software for civil engineers, CivilCAD 2010. CivilCAD 2010 Solution Suite offers wide-ranging solutions for civil engineers including roads construction and design, layout planning of infrastructure pipelines, earthwork volumes calculation, advanced surveying capabilities, and fully rendered hyper realistic 3D simulations of designed projects.

Around the Web

Texas Adopts BIM for State Design and Construction Projects  August 18, 2009, USGNN

LEGO Bricks Inspire New Type of Architectural Model , by Rita Catanella Orrell, August 17, 2009, Architectural Record

Events

 
Success Estimator Training
Date: August 27 - 28, 2009
Place: Atlanta, Georgia

There are a few seats still available in our upcoming Success Estimator class. Sign-up now because seating is limited!
LEAF International 2009
Date: September 2 - 4, 2009
Place: InterContinental Berlin
Budapester Strasse 2, Berlin , Germany

The Leading European Architects Forum, or LEAF, brings together leading international architectural practices and designers operating in Europe and beyond to share knowledge, to network and to develop new partnerships.
PLASA09
Date: September 13 - 16, 2009
Place: Earls Court Exhibition Centre
London, United Kingdom

The No.1 show for the entertainment technology industry takes palce in London at Earls Court Exhibition Center on 13-16 September 2009. PLASA09 is the place to see the technology behind the world's most original shows, venues, events and installations.
54th Annual Central Reprographic Association (CRA) Convention and Trade Show
Date: September 16 - 18, 2009
Place: The Sandia Resort and Casino
30 Rainbow Road NE, Albuquerque, NM USA

The Central Reprographic Association is a non-profit association comprised of businesses providing digital and analog printing services, equipment sales and services, and allied products. Services include both color and monochrome printing in both large and small format configurations.
2009 ASLA Annual Meeting & Expo
Date: September 18 - 21, 2009
Place: McCormick Place Lakeside Center
Chicago, IL USA

Participate in the largest gathering of landscape architecture professionals in the world and reach more than 7,000 attendees by exhibiting at the ASLA 2009 Annual Meeting and EXPO on September 18-21 in Chicago.  This is a unique opportunity to connect with the top decision makers in the industry—influential specifiers you won’t meet anywhere else.
The Business Value of BIM: “Getting BIM to the Bottom Line”
Date: September 21 - 22, 2009
Place: Mission Bay Conference Center at UCSF
1675 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94107 USA

You will learn how BIM and IPD are delivering real business value for owners, design professionals and contractors on a variety of project types and delivery methods. Come see the future of our industry.
PLM Road Map™ 2009
Date: September 22 - 23, 2009
Place: The Inn at St. John's
Detroit, MI USA

At PLM Road Map™ 2009 join leading industry analysts from CPDA, key industry players, and front-line implementation experts as they discuss their experiences in addressing strategic PLM topics. Find out about their successes in making technology work by linking it across the whole product lifecycle, the obstacles they encountered on the way, and how they developed strategies to overcome them. PLM Road Map™ is a strategic conference focused on the critical trade-offs that shape product development. At PLM Road Map™ 2009, find out first hand which issues are confronting end users.


You can find the full AECCafe event calendar here.

To read more news, click here.


-- Susan Smith, AECCafe.com Managing Editor.