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Susan Smith
Susan Smith
Susan Smith has worked as an editor and writer in the technology industry for over 16 years. As an editor she has been responsible for the launch of a number of technology trade publications, both in print and online. Currently, Susan is the Editor of GISCafe and AECCafe, as well as those sites’ … More »

Tekla acquires SVS Innovations Construction software and Field3D mobile technology

 
May 2nd, 2014 by Susan Smith

Tekla has acquired SVS Innovations’ (SVSi) construction software business and its advanced Field3D mobile technology. The acquisition further strengthens Tekla’s position in

Field3D in use in Puuvilla Shopping Center siteField3D in use in Puuvilla Shopping Center site

mobile applications development

Field3D is an easy-to-use 3D collaboration software solution for BIM that works on mobile devices, enabling stakeholders in a construction workflow to access complete 3D model information for an entire building on smartphones and tablets.

1) How can Field3D manage 3D models in the field on mobile devices “regardless of their size”? Can you describe the technology that is allowing this to happen?

Field3D is optimized to work with realistic constructible models. It uses an on-line backend (“cloud”) to convert and optimize IFC models so that the light weight client app can handle the details like rebar, bolts and nuts in the models.

2) What does Field3D bring to the table that is not available in current mobile solutions from Tekla?

Tekla mobile portfolio currently consists of Tekla BIMsight Note for both iOS and Android platforms and it is now extended with Field3D. The Note products are 2D collaboration tools that extend the communication from the desktop client to mobile by use of BCF (BIM Collaboration Format) files. The Field3D however is independent tool that reads and visualizes the models directly. With Field3D Tekla can offer model visualization and collaboration tool on iOS in a way that has not been possible before.

3) Is the battery life of today’s mobile devices up to the the challenge of transmitting and accessing such large 3D models and are any changes being made on Tekla’s end or on the end of providers such as Apple and Microsoft to accommodate this need?

The battery life and CPU of most modern tablets are very sufficient as they are. The heavy computing should not be done on the device anyhow, but rather in cloud or offer the light weight devices pre-processed data. For site usage iPads offer almost 10hours of working time which should be quite OK. Field3D is optimized in a way that you can also use your iPhone for viewing the models which goes to show how little CPU is required when data is pre-processed.

4) Are only Tekla models available on the mobile devices or are models from other vendors’ softwares available and recognized with the Tekla software?

Tekla is promoting IFC as the file format for published data, thus Field3D can visualize IFC models from any software capable to output to this standard.

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Categories: AEC, BIM, building information modeling, Cloud, construction, engineering, field, infrastructure, mobile




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