Enhanced integration between Affinity 8.1 and Revit and Autodesk 360

In an interview with president of Trelligence, Larry Ciscon, Ph. D., he talked about Affinity 8.1, their Autodesk partnership and Revit integration, the available modules, and more.

Affinity Program and Room Dragged and Dropped into Revit Architecture
Room (with furnishings) dragged/dropped from Affinity Program Toolbar into Revit floorplan view.

AECCafe Voice: Is this a desktop offering?

Yes, Affinity is delivered as a desktop application, and includes web-based access to project information via the Affinity Cloud Bridge.  In addition, the Affinity Team Projects option allows project teams to collaborate online in real-time to access and manipulate project data stored in the Affinity Repository, or in offline mode using the project check-out / check-in function.

AECCafe Voice: At what point in the design/concept process would one use this tool?

Affinity is a tool for the entire BIM process, starting with the collection of client requirements and data in the programming phase, through to the conceptual design, schematic design, and into the detailed design in BIM tools.  Affinity also imports/exports COBie format files and we are working with FM companies, including ARCHIBUS, to enhance the BIM to FM process.  While we recommend a process that starts with programming in Affinity, the software is very flexible allowing project teams to easily fit Affinity into their existing workflow and current projects.  Many new customers find us mid-way through a project when they realize they need a more robust tool to help compare the existing Revit Model to the Owner’s requirements in the program.  Affinity’s bi-directional integration with Revit (and other BIM tools) has enabled new Trelligence Affinity users to synchronize existing Revit models and program data with Affinity, run design validation analyses and reports mid-project, and quickly identify and fix discrepancies before completing the detailed design.

  AECCafe Voice: What kinds of integration was needed between Affinity Cloud and Autodesk 360?  Do you think clouds in general need to have some kind of integration with each other?

The integration of Affinity Cloud with Autodesk 360 was facilitated by the open APIs provided by both platforms.  As long as the Cloud platforms provide some kind of open interface, it becomes relatively easy to integrate data between these kinds of systems.  Generally speaking, integration is increasingly essential in the AEC industry as more software tools are introduced and with the increase of multi-organization collaborations on projects.  Integration between software tools – whether desktop- or cloud-based – provides project teams with the necessary flexibility to choose their preferred tools, while also maintaining streamlined workflows.

  AECCafe Voice: What level of technology expertise do users of this tool need in order to use it?

The Affinity Cloud interface does not require a technical background to use it.  In fact, it is designed to be accessed by a wide range of people involved in the design process to quickly and easily manage and maintain the project without having to learn a heavy CAD-centric tool.

AECCafe Voice: Can the results be shared over mobile devices?

Affinity Cloud Bridge can be accessed by any web device including phones, tablets, and laptops.

Tags: AEC, Affinity, Affinity 8, ARCHIBUS, Autodesk, Autodesk 360, BIM, Cloud, infrastructure, integrated project delivery, Trelligence

Categories: AEC, architecture, AutoCAD, Autodesk, BIM, building information modeling, Cloud, construction, engineering, infrastructure, integrated project delivery, LEED Gold

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 17th, 2013 at 9:57 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.