Another BIM software

[Steve Jepson]

VisionREZ.

I wonder if it can generate a good materials list?

Has anyone tried it out yet?

http://www.visionrez.com/gallery.php


Shot at 2009-07-23


Shot at 2009-07-23




http://www.visionrez.com/Animation/Builder%20Animation%20by%20Ameri-CAD,%20Inc..html

[Chazz]

VisionREZ is a 3rd party enhancement program specifically designed for the residential and light commercial construction industries. It is based on the industry leading Autodesk® AutoCAD Architecture (DWG File) based platform. VisionREZ + AutoCAD Architecture brings you a complete building design and construction documentation system customized for the residential industry.

[Steve Jepson]

so what do you think about it?

[Chazz]

I think anything that is slanted specifically to the residential market and is built on the Autocad engine is not of any interest to me. I don't do residential (and don't like the limitations it implies) and I don't use AutoDesk products. But that's just me.

Pretty pictures though.

[Steve Jepson]

You reflect a common misconception about residential work.

I think the software needs to be just as sophisticated for residential work as for any commercial work.

The same goes for the level of expertise required to use the software.

Residential work is quite often more complex in every way.

An office building, warehouse, clinic, church, retail shop, school... I have worked on all of these kind of commercial projects and they are all very simple compared with some of the hi-end residential projects.

Many residential architects are in this end of the business because they find commercial work to be so boring, and not very challenging.

It just depends on the kind of work you do, and how you do it.

The software does not need to be any less capable for residential work than for commercial work.

[Chazz]

Agreed mostly. I've done miles of residential work and at the high end (10,000 square foot, $6M SFRs) it has been the most complex, coordinated work I've attempted.

Still, commercial work seems to push other aspects of the software and require more refined workflows (in certain areas) and templateure. High end residential is so individual and unique that it becomes this battle focused on managing the complexity of the model and all the pieces required to document it. For the work I do (global retail) I find I care more about things like templates, good module workflow, better element ID management, external 3D import, and , better interactive schedule creation and schedule workflow. All of these things are important in residential but they take on a primacy with repetitive commercial that I never felt with my residential projects.

[Steve Jepson]

Yes. It depends on the kind of work you do, and how you do it.

Generally speaking, I think residential working drawings are more cookie-cutter in format/layout, and can benefit just as much from templates as commercial work. I think the case could be made that templates are even more compatible with residential work than commercial work. My point is that the "work" is all the same. It doesn't mater if you do it on a commercial project or a single family home.

The commercial work I have done for other firms does not even come close to requiring the ArchiCAD skills I regularly use for residential work.

[Rob]

I agree with Chazz, commercial work has different aspects that need to be addressed:
1. much larger coordination work is required in terms of revision administering and consultant drawings
2. templates are absolutely essential in terms of hotlinks (or repetitive elements so to speak), titleblocks coordination and cross/back-referencing due to a large number of issued drawings (I work on the job that has approx. 5000 layouts so far)
3. depending on your role but coordination and knowledge of AC structure is crucial to a proper organisation of a project... if you neglect it you are bound to be doomed within days, literally.

Residential projects are usually affected by predominantly emotional client's requirements and decisions therefore they usually end up to be an one-off hit thing.

[Steve Jepson]

All true Rob.

But I am talking about the skills and tasks, not how many times you do it.

It can be the same set of ArchiCAD functions used to produce a 50 sheet set as a 5000 sheet set.

It is exactly the same program.

Commercial white shirts using ArchiCAD to pump out concrete tilt-up CD's and the like, may use very little of the program, and develope very little skill with ArchiCAD, even if they works on 5000 sheet projects.

Whereas a person producing CD's for very complex hi-end residential projects may use more of the ArchiCAD progam, and require much more skill using it to make a 50 sheet set of CD's.

My experience is that residential work requires much more skill with ArchiCAD and uses much more of the program than any of the "white shirt" type of commercial work I have done.

Commercial work is for the most part team work. The work is sub devided to the point where team members may not have the opportunity to develope the broader range of skills required when you do every aspect of the job. White shirts don't need to make new model parts very often, they probalby never render anything, they don't make a bill of materials,....their daily tasks with ArchiCAD may be very limited, their skill with ArchiCAD very limited.

[Anonymous]

Hi Steve
I looked at your posted examples and the referenced sites other renderings and I must say, I'm impressed with the true world (photo realistic) aspect.
And I have looked around at other awesome renderings to drool over, but nothing that looked this real.
Maybe someday I'll get there.
ps
Having worked as a G.C. for over thirty years both Commercial and Residential:
The creative side of Hi end Residential is king and Queen!
The rest is borrrinnng.

Bummer it's AutoC driven.