BIM

Bentley Systems, Incorporated today introduced the shared OpenRoads information modeling functionality in its InRoads, GEOPAK, and MXROAD V8i(SELECTseries 3) products for roadway design. …

Users of any or all of these products can now benefit from shared innovations that increase the potential of information modeling in road design, construction, and operations. The new functionality advances what’s possible in civil design through immersive modeling, design-time visualization, design intent capture and persistence, hypermodeling, information mobility, and construction-driven engineering.

Read more…

I recently attended my seventh BIMForum event held at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio, Texas. The theme for this event was “VDC (virtual design & construction) Deliverables.” I’ll comment more on the theme later. First, allow me to describe this conference. The BIMForum is a group that is organized by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and whose mission is to “facilitate and accelerate the adoption of building information modeling in the AEC industry”…to “lead by example and synchronize with counterparts in all sectors of the industry to jointly develop best practice for virtual design and construction.” Recently, the AIA (American Institute of Architects) signed on to be an integral contributor to the BIMForum as well (talk about reaching across the aisle!!). You can learn all about the group and sign-up at bimforum.org. As a paid member, you can access recordings of past events.

Over the past few years, the AGC originally hosted 4 BIMForum events per year, but they reduced that to 3 in 2011 and now are hosting 2 annual conferences. Each event consists of a day and a half of presentations around a common theme. Presenters must be experienced in using and/or delivering BIM-based services and the longest presentations are 1 hour. Attendance has been quite solid at around 400 which makes for a lively audience, but not overwhelming for good networking. There are no concurrent sessions, which makes every BIMForum conference one of the more easy-to-attend events in my experience.

Each conference is established around a specific theme that seems to always be timely and relevant. The Fall 2011 event theme was “Return on Innovation Investment (ROI2)” which prompted the presenters to focus on the costs and benefits of using BIM-based processes. There were quite a few extremely valuable sessions describing compelling cost to benefit ratios, including a presentation from Dan Russell of Sundt Construction who illustrated that the cost to ‘do BIM’ was equivalent to the cost required to keep a building site broom-swept during construction!

Who should attend a BIMForum event? These events are more inspirational and informational in nature than events such as Autodesk University or Revit Technology Conference. If you are already knee deep in BIM implementation and consider yourself an expert user, these events may not be for you. If you are a decision-maker for your firm and you want to keep up with the competition or get started with realistic BIM implementation, the BIMForum offers the perfect event to showcase real people and real projects getting real results.

The Spring 2012 BIMForum theme was “VDC Deliverables” in which the presentations were to focus on “VDC deliverables that are specific results of digital processes that improved results…ways that the deliverables were used to solve specific problems.” I admit that I may have slightly misinterpreted the theme as one that would focus on using VDC processes to improve deliverables; instead of the deliverables of the VDC process. As such, I was somewhat disappointed that more presentations didn’t specifically address the transition of design modeling to construction modeling. That said, it was still an inspiring event and I look forward to attending more BIMForums in the future.

Look for me at two upcoming industry events. At the AIA National Convention in Washington, DC, I will be presenting as part of an expert panel on the topic of “Information and Energy Modeling for Code Compliance: A Guide to Methods and Means.” That presentation starts at 4:00 pm on Friday. I am also presenting a topic I called “Building Smarter Models” at the Revit Technology Conference in Stone Mountain, Georgia. That class is also a Friday-at-4 fire-the-crowd-up-before-cocktails time slot.

Hope to see you at these and future events! I will vow to protect as many fluffy kittens as possible. Thanks to Amy for the cute stationery pictured above. Speaking of which…those in attendance might have noticed my fluffy kitten meme shirt (“Revenge of the Fluffy Kitten: The Sequel”). If you’re interested in buying fluffy kitten merchandise, let me know and I’ll consider setting up an online shop! Thanks Liz for the gift shop find (below)!

Becoming a new CAD Manager can be a joyous time in your career path.  You have finally achieved something that you have sought after for years.  You have been recognized by the firm for all of the contributions you have made.  You have gotten a title that you were seeking and know that you can serve the firm with success.

But once the title is bestowed, the troubles may begin.  Hopefully you may not see some of the trial that await you in your new position.  Hopefully smooth waters are ahead of you.  Hopefully your experiences will not mirror what I am about to discuss.

CAD Managers have trials.  Seasoned CAD Managers know how to navigate the choppy water that comes their way.  Early career CAD Managers who have to work through them as they come up without the depth of experiences can have troubles.  Trials come in the form of technology, timing, people, resistance to change and so much more.

Trial One: The Authority Challenge

When stepping into a new CAD Manager role you can expect challenge to your authority.  Sure, there might be some authority invested in the position, but it may not carry much weight.  If the position is new to the firm and no one has held the title before, it may have little or no authority.

Symptoms of this Trial:  Troubles in this area may display themselves in the following scenarios.

You are in a meeting with management and discussions of CAD process troubles and methods come up.  Everyone tosses out ideas as to how to fix the troubles.  When all the ideas are out there (including yours) you are told what to do by your boss or a project manager.  Even if you do not think the idea will work, even if you have a better idea, you have to do it their way.

You are talking with the front line employees and design team and they stumble over some early project setup methods.  They want to create some new ways of getting a project going.  They want to just jump in without planning or forethought.  You mention that you have been there before and can assist them, but they do not want to allow you that option and continue to move forward willy-nilly even when you state the flaws in their plans.

Your CAD Standard is solid and working yet you still see teams that avoid using it, set it aside and ignore the guidelines.  You go to their manager and outline your concerns, but the manager sides with his team and suggests that you find something else to worry about.

When this Trial comes your way:

Don’t lose heart.  Continue to provide input and advice.  Wait for opportunities to assist when your ideas are not followed.  When the team encounters troubles that you knew may come along, just give them assistance without rubbing their noses in it.

Look for understanding of their perspectives and ideas and see if they have merit.  When your ideas are not followed keep tabs on the team and see what they do that works.  Maybe your ideas were not the best.

Do not sulk and write off those that do not give you the authority to impact the flow of work.  Stay engaged.  Keep offering help.

Look for teams that do appreciate your help and build into them.  Those teams will interact with others and start promoting you and you CAD wisdom to others.  Soon the word will spread that you are a good person to have around.

In a reply to a RFO question I added the following that I think can be helpful to many folks...Until Revit Server & other remote solutions are "Lights-On" bullet-proof at least :-) (Yes the image above IS a link as always ;-)
(Paraphrased) Q: I want to work at home with a Work-sharing file.
The first reply was by Aaron Maller
Not practically.

You can each check out work-sets "at risk," and then edit them as local files while separated, but it has a high volatility and a low success rate amongst anything but the best users: And even then, it fails often.
Then came my reply...
What you may be able to try is this, if the office model is set enough and the work needed is more internal or completely new portions of the model are needed, or for interior component work, etc.

This doesn't work for all situations but it will for some...consider your options carefully :-)

TO WORK AT HOME ON 'SOME' WORKSHARING FILES IN REVIT

1) Detach the Central Model
1a) Save to media or location such as Drop-Box, etc.
1b) Purge Unused (keeps the file as small as possible) *Unless you will need objects from this model that are yet unused*

2) Save that copy AS A NEW CENTRAL Model on the remote (home, etc.) computer
2a) Be sure to Synchronize To Central after Save
2b) Relinquish everything
2c) Compact the file
2d) Close it

3) Start a New Project
3a) Save this as a Central Model
3b) Create a Workset using your name (for example)
2b) Do all of your work in that Workset *Annotations and some objects won't respect that Workset, so be sure to catalog all of the work you do that falls outside of pure modeling, so those things can be copied in when this goes back to the office*

4) Link (Origin to Origin) the Central Model from steps 1 & 2

5) Recreate any Levels in this new project in the same places as the "office" model
5a) Change the Level Names in the new project (perhaps adding your initials as a prefix) *this will keep issues away later*

6) Work in the new model, placing objects as needed
6a) Synchronize To Central
6b) Relinquish everything
6c) Compact the file
6d) Close it
6e) Get this file back to the 'office'

BACK AT THE OFFICE

7) Link (Origin to Origin) the Remote Model from steps 3 to 6

8) Bind the link (Bringing in Levels 'should' not be necessary, unless you made new ones, in that case let them come in and delete the unused ones) *This is why using different Level Names was important in the Remote file*

9) Ungroup the bound file *Binding creates a group FYI*

Every model object should be in the proper spot, a little clean up may be in order and any anno, sheets, etc. may need to be copy/pasted in too... I think that covers the process enough to get going, if this seems a valid workflow for your specific needs.

Charles Duhigg’s February article How Companies Learn Your Secrets includes a number of fascinating (I think) threads:

• Consumer “predictive analytics”
• Habit loop
• Behavioral changes and marketing

I am completely stuck on the concept of the “habit loop”. Duhigg blogs frequently on the habit loop, describing it as a cue àroutine àreward. In this article, Duhigg discusses how it impacted Febreze’s marketing strategy, which tried to create a new habit of daily Febreze use:

Initial Failure Cue Bad odor (i.e. cigarette smoke) Routine Spray Febreze Reward Odor eliminated The campaign failed. Harvard Business School researchers worked with the Febreze team to identify and correct the problem. In short, they initially missed a key logical progression:

1.  People become immune to “their” bad odors
2. The reward doesn’t matter if they can’t smell the initial bad odor

Observations uncovered an existing cleaning routine that Febreze could connect to.

Cleaning Routine Second Campaign Cue Notice mess See cleanliness Routine Straighten mess Spray Febreze Reward Admire cleanliness Enjoy fresh scent
At first I wasn’t entirely clear why I was so stuck on this anecdote. Then, in a blinding flash of the obvious, it hit me. Process innovation, my role, my team’s role, centers on changing routines. We typically don’t use the term “routine”, but that’s exactly what it is. Now for the next step: better understanding the routines that we believe VDC can improve.

Coming to the end of this series with just a few more items to post.

7.  Procedures are a means to an end, not written in stone.

Average CAD Managers usually have good CAD Standards.  They know their stuff and they get the document created and distributed.  They also get people to follow the standards.  Where they may go wrong is becoming inflexible in the application of that standard and refusal to update it.

Extraordinary CAD Managers know that nothing it so perfect that it should never be changed.  They build flexibility into the CAD Standard or the process in such a way that the projects can get completed.  They also know that every so often they need to update the standard to reflect what has been learned and what people are actually doing.  They realize that the standard is just a standardization of the methods and products that CAD produces.  The standard is a means to an end.

8. Work is fun, not toil, but you have to work at making it fun.

Average CAD Managers buy into the notion that work is only a means to a paycheck. They may fully expect everyone to be serious, totally focused, and devoted 100 percent to working hard and never loosing focus.  They expect everyone to have the same work ethic as they do and to take things as seriously as they do.  The CAD Manager does have to take their work and product seriously because no one will care about it more than they do, bu the do have to lighten up at times.

Extraordinary CAD Managers see work as something that should be inherently enjoyable.  They believe that they can and should assist everyone in getting along and having a good time doing it.  Getting the job done can be fun.  Without acting like Mary Poppins or necessarily whistling while they work, they do need to blow off the steam of project deadlines and hardware failures.  Sometimes laughing when things are getting tough is healthy.   Come on – crack a joke every now and then.  Make fun of yourself in front of others.  Help others get through a tough day with a smile and encouragement.  Make work Fun!!

 

 

A couple more ideas about working you Core areas of CAD Management.

5.  Change is to be embraced and managed, not avoided.

Average CAD Managers see change as annoying, a duty and demanded by others.  It appears to be complicated and threatening to some, something to be endured only when a firm is in desperate shape.  They may not even realize that they are dragging their feet and slowing down the firm.  Firms that are laggards get left behind.  It may not happen right away, but it happens.  Average CAD Managers become part of that slowdown or may even cause it.

Extraordinary CAD Managers see change as an inevitable and positive part of CAD. In an ever-changing technology based career, change not only means the tools you use, but also the methods you employ.  Changing tools but keeping old habits will undercut the value of any upgrades you make.  When change happens or is caused to happen by the CAD Manager, they also review their policy and procedures at the same time.

Embracing change means that you plan for it and make it happen.  CAD Managers are change agents and should be looking for ways to move their firms forward.  Small or large moves – it does not matter – they just keep things moving.

6. CAD Technology offers empowerment, and enables design.

Average CAD Managers run CAD like IT.  I have nothing against IT, it is just that CAD should not be run exactly like IT.  When IT provides services, the general bottom line is uptime, uniformity and managed services. While these are not bad, they may be inappropriate for CAD environments.   IT’s job is mostly done when the systems are up, stable and running. If the CAD Manager takes this perspective and does not provide services after the install, then CAD chaos soon arrives.  Users are left to themselves and struggle through troubles on their own.  Uptime and uniformity matter, but flexibility, innovation and training are crucial.

Extraordinary CAD Managers know that their job is to make others more productive and help get the software to do what the designer wants.  They see CAD technology as a way to free designers to be creative and work to get the software to be easier to use. While embracing the best of IT methods and practices, they move beyond to provide project level services to individuals, teams and the entire firm.

The last post introduced this topic and I continue with my outline of what might make an Extraordinary CAD Manager as they work on their Core.

3. CAD Managers serve others, not control them.

Average CAD Managers want users to do just what they are told and they squelch creativity.  I am not talking about individuals moving away from the company standard toward creative CAD Standards, I am speaking of creative new ways to approach a problem in CAD.  They take suggestions as challenges to their authority and end up creating an environment that has everyone worried about not doing it their way (as opposed to the best way).

Extraordinary CAD Managers provide a target and allow users to define how they get there.  They provide a CAD Standard that does not tie the hands of innovation, nor provide no guidance on what is to be achieved.  It is a balance of goals with specific methods only when needed.  It tells them what to do but not how to do it.  It is a destination to achieve, not a road map to drive.  Their perspective is that they provide the resources for the end users to get their job done, not constrict them with an overabundance of rules.

4.  People are Pivotal to Progress

Average CAD Managers use people to get things done.  They tell them exactly what must be done and how to do it, one step at a time.  They parse out information as if it should be horded like water in the desert.  They do not empower people and actually hamper CAD efforts by not investing in the most valuable commodity a company has – the people.

Extraordinary CAD Managers know that energized employees work harder and get more done.  They encourage learning and give workers that tools they need.  They create self-service environments where all resources are open to every CAD user.  They restrict access only after abuse and push as many decisions down to the workers as they can.  They don’t second guess a bad choice, but seek to debrief and advise on improvements for the future.

As those that workout know, the Core is the center of the body that drives every other area.  It is that band of muscles that encircles your mid section from just below your shoulder blades to your hips.  Many think that working the Core will deliver the best exercise routine as it is mixed with other workouts.  I am not a workout expert (other than knowing how to avoid doing them), but know that any time this core area is ignored, it affects every area of the body.

For a CAD Manager, the core is the central perspectives and beliefs that drive them to action.  The Core motivates, outlines, circumscribes, defines and restricts every decision, action and outcome that they are involved in.  Get the Core right and you get more done, motive more people (including yourself), inspire and encourage others.  Get it wrong and you may cripple your CAD efforts, derail you decision making and tangle your team into knots.

CAD Managers that have worked on the core know that it separates them from the crowd.  They have moved from Good to Better, then to Best and often to Extraordinary.  They seem to have the best perspectives on approaching problems, making things happen and getting things done.  This all starts from some deeply held stances that influence every day of their work life.

Here is the beginnings of a list of Core items that set a CAD Manager on a path to being Extraordinary.

1. The workplace should be a positive environment, not a battlefield.

Average CAD Managers see CAD Management as a collection of job functions that need to be completed on a daily basis.  They go through the paces and get things done, but there is no spark that ignites their fire for long periods of time.  They are meeting the job description, but not moving past it.  They have settled into a routine and they like it.  It works, it is easy and it meets the requirements.  When someone challenges their turf, they stall, argue, deflect or delay.

Extraordinary CAD Managers see CAD Management as a career to continually grow into.  Each day brings another opportunity to learn and expand their knowledge about CAD software, processes, enhancements and structures.  They go beyond the job description and actually expand it.  They do not settle for less that their best, at all times.  They work hard to make the workplace better.  They do not look to others to make it a better place, they do it themselves.  They avoid conflict and seek to make teams work better.

2.  Constant improvement is a way of life

Average CAD Managers survive on past innovation and occasional improvements.  They seem to settle into ruts of production processes that never change.  They cling to past ways of doing things even when software upgrades make them obsolete.  They are not looking for innovation and actually will struggle slightly against others who seem to want to innovate.

Extraordinary CAD Managers constantly look for ways to improve on all areas of CAD production.  They sift through ideas of others.  Gather input from just about anyone.  They keep their eyes open and think about what might not be working best.  When they spot a problem they do not complain – they fix.  When they hit a roadblock, they figure out a way around it.  When they are challenged by others that do not want to make things better but want to keep the status quo, they seek ways to convince them to move forward.  They do not settle for good enough.

I like the title of this post as a statement, not a question!!! Here you go, you know the drill hit the images and links and then read everything we have to say in the Revit Architecture article on pages 28 through 35.

OK, OK, you can read all the other great contributors too ;-) ...there, is that better (less egocentric) now?

Direct Download the April 2012 Issue Here
Or... for whatever time you see this go here for the...

Whilst David Light has cornered the market on ‘what’s new in Revit,’ I figured I’d take a moment to summarize some of the new features in Navisworks – one of my other favorite applications. There are quite a few enhancements for handling Revit models this year and I’m pretty excited about the changes.

Open RVT Files Directly

Yes, you heard that correctly. You can now merge RVT files directly from Navisworks without pre-exporting an NWC file from within Revit. This will probably be a true delight for builders who may no longer need an installation of Revit just to get the model data into Navisworks. Model components from a Revit model are now organized in the Selection Tree according to category, family, type, and instance.

CAVEAT: This functionality will open the RVT file and will look for a 3D view for which the name contains “Navis.” If one is found, it will load the data that is visible in that view.

Grid and Level Support

In the 3D coordination process, it’s usually quite difficult to determine your location when you are automatically zoomed to a clash condition. David Kingham first posted a workaround to create 3D grid objects, but now it has made its way into the core software. (As an aside, please visit David’s new professional photography website…very impressive work!)

Lee Mullin wrote a great summary of this new feature over on the Beyond Design blog, including a video.

Clash Detection Enhancements

One of the first things you’ll notice in Navisworks 2013 is that a new interface for Clash Detective has been created. This new UI makes it easier to discover and organize clashes. Because the grids and levels are now included from Revit, you can group and filter clashes according to grid and/or level location. You’ll need to right-click on the row headers and select Choose Columns as shown below. Note that these options won’t be available for older projects without the supporting information.

Timeliner Enhancements

Money…that’s what I want… You can now add cost data to your Timeliner simulation to better understand accumulated costs anywhere in the construction process. Objects and selection sets can be dragged and dropped into Timeliner to easily create associations between the model and schedule tasks. Timeliner simulations can be exported to ProjectXML to support interoperability with Primavera and Microsoft Project.

Improved File Interoperability

Navisworks 2013 now supports CATIA and Solidworks files from Dassault Sytemes, ArchiCAD 14 and 15 files, Siemens NX PLM software, and point clouds from Faro 4.8. Timeliner can also now connect to Oracle Primavera P6 v8, Asta Powerproject 12 and Microsoft Project 2010.

As a little bonus footage, check out this demo video from SMART Technologies about how you can now use a SMART board monitor overlay with Navisworks for team model review:

It’s a good thing that I read Continuum CEO Harry West’s Three Rules for Innovation Teams in our soft conference room, door closed; I couldn’t stop myself from saying “mmm hmmm” or “yes!” out loud as I read each sentence. Then I made a chart that mapped each of West’s points to analogous processes or protocols in our projects, company and industry.

1.   11. Manage Creative Friction Sounds a lot like one of the “why IPDworks” principles that Howard Ashcraft highlighted so long ago at the Autodesk Waltham kickoff. And then, he gets even more IPD:a.       Share the ExperienceInclude the entire team in the full ideation process. I experienced this firsthand on Autodesk Waltham and am seeing it again in Manchester. Interacting with users to understand their needs and aspirations is motivating and creates a strong sense of shared purpose.
b.       Remove Communication BarriersWe think we’re removing communication barriers when we exchange models or get people together in a room. At Continuum, they do “social styles analyses to help people understand how their teammates tend to communicate”. Yes, we learn how to maximize our effectiveness with individuals over time, but I’d much rather do it sooner.
c.        Have at ItEngaging multiple perspectives creates a better result. “Lock yourselves in the project room and engage in a passionate debate.” See colocation.
2.   22. Bring the Creativity to the CenterAccording to West, a project room (i.e. colo room) is:-          A dedicated space teams use from conception to execution-          Setup with natural light (check), plenty of space (oops), pinup space (got it!), AV access (check)He also indicates that “a successful project room should not isolate the team [from the company as a whole].” This is where we have some thinking to do.When we pull multiple people out of their different company offices into a single place, we leave out the “home office”. Furthermore, individuals who work nearthe colo room (rather than in it) sometimes lose track of the action. Pierce and I will touch on that more in tomorrow’s BIMForum presentation.
3.    33. Stand For Delivery“Innovation is the creation and the delivery of new value.” Yes! This is why we are using VDC –using innovation to deliver a better product. (This also speaks to the “we perform” in Tocci’s covenant.)West also refers to the handoffs from conception (design) to execution (construction). “Make sure there is an extended team of stakeholders who have responsibility for the entire innovation process.” I can see how that applies internally and on project teams:1.       Internally, our atomization plan intends to do exactly that. We are deploying the VDC team throughout the company, while maintaining their responsibility for innovation. 2.       On projects, we use BIM Execution Planning to build a multi-disciplinary team that shares the responsibility for innovation throughout the project.