1st parametric AEC CAD

[Rob]

I just would like to know (curiosity) why Revit claims to be the 1st parametric AEC CAD on the market since 1997. Is that true? or it's just another misleading marketing slogan? What about GDL then, wasn't it parametric before AC 6 got released?

[Ralph Wessel]

Scott wrote:
Thanks for the link to the older post of mine regarding plotmaker. I read through it again, and still don't see where it answered some of my other more recent questions.

OK - lets leave it at that then. I share your interest in other packages and the future of the industry as a whole, but I think it's better for all concerned if we take comparisons to other forums.

Perhaps there should be a special category for it in ArchiCAD-Talk...

[Scott Davis]

We had been discussing this in the "Other Products" forum here, but somehow this one ended up in the ArchiCAD topic area.

[Ralph Wessel]

Scott wrote:
We had been discussing this in the "Other Products" forum here, but somehow this one ended up in the ArchiCAD topic area.

In answer to your question regarding PlotMaker, the flow of information is only in one direction. PlotMaker is primarily designed for arranging images on sheets, not managing the building model. It can automatically detect changes in the source material in layouts and redraw them accordingly, so moving between ArchiCAD (or other apps) and PlotMaker is quite fluid. You normally have them running at the same time, so there is no delay.

This means you can make a change in ArchiCAD, save, and switch back to PlotMaker to see your changes in whatever layout(s) changed.

Ultimately, ArchiCAD is looking ahead to a time when the building database is the sole source of information for construction instead of sheets of drawings and other documents. The building industry seems a long way off making that leap, but the need for Plotmaker will fade away when it does.

[Scott Davis]

I can appreciate that forward-thinking concept. I've often thought that we are not far off from contractors having computers in the field, on which they flip through views of the model to build the project.

Callouts are linked, so the contractor can click on a section head, and it will take him to the appropriate section. Then, in the section, he clicks on a detail callout, and the detail appears. Then in the detail, he clicks on the drywall, and the drywall specification is displayed. We are part way there now, because we can create PDF's or DWF files with the hyperlinks automatically embedded. Not sure about AC, but Revit's callouts are already linked in the program, so writing them out as hyperlinks is automatic.

I believe this is the direction we are heading, as we have talked about a more 'paperless' industry for how many years now?? As the younger 'computer generation' contractors become the main stream, I see this technology being more readily embraced. (along with the 'military grade' construction-proof laptops!)

[Ralph Wessel]

Scott wrote:
I can appreciate that forward-thinking concept. I've often thought that we are not far off from contractors having computers in the field, on which they flip through views of the model to build the project.

Field-use is one part of the problem, but we also grapple with the legal implications of electronic documents. It's a real minefield. Electronic data may not be accepted as evidence in the same way as paper and ink, nor is the trail from sender to recipient as tangible.

Then there's the issue of distinguishing between information which has been explicitly detailed versus information which is simply implicit in the model. For example, on a paper drawing you might state that only labelled dimensions should be used (to prevent a contractor from scaling or measuring dimensions that have not been fully resolved or drawn). This isn't so easy to accomplish with a full building model because the data that can be extracted from it is so extensive. The risk of an undetected error is also much greater.

There are further issues ensuring that data is appropriately locked or concealed depending on the status of the viewer. It is all too easy to send more than you intended in an electronic document.

[Djordje]

Scott wrote:
We had been discussing this in the "Other Products" forum here, but somehow this one ended up in the ArchiCAD topic area.

Considering that the discussion is not so much about ArchiCAD and Revit (the one in Other products is much more so), but does touch and explore the future of the industry, I decided to keep it here.

It can be re-arranged at any time ... 😉

[Karl Ottenstein]

Scott wrote:
Not sure about AC, but Revit's callouts are already linked in the program, so writing them out as hyperlinks is automatic.

Yes, AC has done this when printing to PDF since 8.0.

Karl

[Scott Davis]

Hyperlinked PDF's are really cool! I'm glad AC has the abilty. It's so nice to send a client a single file, and everything is included, and linked.

Some controversy on the Revit side of things around 4.5 on this subject.....this was the first release after the aquisition by Autodesk. Well, the Revit team (as far as I understand it) had planned single-file hyperlinked PDF's (we had multi-sheet up until this point, one PDF per sheet) for the release. At the same time, Autodesk is ramping up its push to DWF format, touting it as the replacement to PDF in the CAD/BIM/whatever world. So the Revit team finishes the software release, and posts it publically for download. A few people are able to download it. Almost immediately, someone at Autodesk pulled the plug, and the developement team had to scramble to re-write the code to take the single-file PDF element out of the release, and go back to the multi-file PDF system. Needless to say, this caused quite the controversy, and a release that had a new 'build' released soon after to fix the code.

DWF is a nice tool to have, but in my opinion, PDF is the standard and Autodesk is going to struggle to try and reverse that. Better off allowing both, and let the users decide what to use.

[Eduardo Rolon]

The problem with dwf most of my clients when they need a drawing I just send a pdf if they don't already have Acrobat Reader they know enough to download it, but in most cases they already know since they are used to receiving/downloading documents in that format. DWF came late to the party, only people that use Autodesk products know that it exist and they may already have a PDF utility if not Acrobat as part of their workflow.
This is a battle that the big A will lose as happened to the first version of "Buzzsaw"(too complicated) and the "Sketching" program they put out (SketchUp is still the champ).
At least they are still keeping the Revit team apart.

[Anonymous]

Abut that article at http://www.aecbytes.com/viewpoint/issue_2.htm

Going Further: Process Evolution in the Building Industry

Phillip G. Bernstein, FAIA
Vice President, Building Solutions Division,
Autodesk, Inc.

This guy is a senseless *.* and I am bewildered of his position. He has never took a CAN risk seminar otherwise he would know that what he blurbs is nothing less then a request of giving up the base of the profession, that is the License.

Phillip G. Bernstein, FAIA Vice President, Building Solutions Division, Autodesk, Inc. has no clue of what a license is in legal sense: A LICENSE IS A MONOPOLY given by the power of the State to Safeguard the Public Good.

He wants to spread around this Monopoly we worked so hard for , I quote:

“The resulting boundaries in the building process, memorialized by current contractual agreements and the standard of care, limit collaboration and reinforce a closed, risk-adverse culture that inhibits the complete sharing of design and construction information across disciplines. New contractual arrangements that mitigate risk and share liability among all of the participants will encourage trust and make it easier for cultural change to occur. As a member of the AIA Documents Committee, I can report that progress is being made on this front, as we develop contractual standards for new delivery approaches and information sharing.”

I suspect that he has no idea of what –Archi- means in the word Architect