Technology Product Highlights from AIA 2009 Convention

The AIA 2009 National Convention and Expo wrapped up in San Francisco earlier this month, and it was hardly surprising that attendance seemed noticeably down this year, given the current economic climate, both in the US and world-wide. The week of the convention also unfortunately coincided with the peak of the swine flu scare, which may have contributed to keeping some of the registered attendees away. The theme of the main convention was diversity and global practice, and while these are significant issues from a general architectural standpoint, those whose interest lies primarily in technology implementation would probably have spent more time in the Software and High-Tech Pavilion on the Expo Floor than in sessions. With less than normal crowds in the booths of the exhibitors, it was possible to get a more in-depth understanding of the technology updates and new solutions that were on display. The highlights of these are captured in this issue of the AECbytes newsletter.

The area of sustainable design tools showed a lot of momentum at the AIA Expo with the introduction of several new products, and this was also true of financial and business management applications. Both these categories will be covered in separate articles later this month.

BIM Applications and Supporting Technologies

All the three leading BIM vendors, Autodesk, Bentley, and Graphisoft, used the AIA show to exhibit not just the new and current releases of their BIM applications—Revit Architecture 2010, Bentley Architecture V8i, and ArchiCAD 12 respectively—but to also highlight their expanding set of tools and technologies supporting BIM and IPD. The area of energy analysis tools tops this list, with Autodesk showing its rebranded Autodesk Ecotect Analysis 2010 application built off its Ecotect acquisition from last year, and Bentley demonstrating its Hevacomp and Tas applications, which have also come from recent acquisitions. In contrast, Graphisoft has built its own brand-new energy evaluation tool, EcoDesigner, to work with ArchiCAD 12 in a fully integrated manner. We will look at all of these energy-related offerings in more detail in the subsequent sustainable design tools article, and explore the new versions of Revit Architecture and Bentley Architecture in upcoming reviews.

In addition to Revit Architecture and Ecotect, and the ubiquitous 3ds Max Design for visualization, the other main focus for Autodesk at the AIA show was to highlight the growing momentum and reach of its Seek product content search web service, which can be used to search and select building product design information directly from Autodesk design applications such as AutoCAD and Revit. Autodesk announced a new partnership with CADdetails.com, a leading developer of details, 3D models and online building product information, which will allow BIM content and other product information from over 400 manufacturers to become available through Autodesk Seek (see Figure 1). Autodesk is not planning to get into the business of content development itself, so partnerships with established content developers such as CADdetails.com will be critical to expand the scope and usefulness of its Seek service.

On the BIM content front, another established building product content provider that has recently entered the BIM space is Arcat. At the AIA show, the company focused on showing its growing library of BIM objects that is available to users for free. Unlike CADdetails.com, which provides models primarily for Revit and SketchUp, Arcat has BIM models in a wider range of formats, including Revit’s RVT, Bentley’s DGN, DWG, DXF, and DWF, for use in a variety of BIM and CAD applications, as shown in Figure 2. Arcat’s models are currently not available on content portals such as Autodesk Seek and have to be accessed directly from Arcat’s website.

Another application in the BIM content space is e-SPECS, and its developer, InterSpec, used the AIA show to demonstrate the new release of the application, version 4.2. e-SPECS is designed to automate the preparation of project specifications from all the three Revit BIM applications as well as AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture and AutoCAD MEP. The new version continues to build upon the enhancements in version 4.1 that were briefly described in my article on Autodesk University 2008 held towards the end of last year. The highlight of the new release is the introduction of the e-SPECS BPM (building product manufacturer) program, which includes distribution of BPM Revit families and specifications directly to e-SPECS customers at no additional cost. A new e-SPECS Binding Manager includes integration with additional family parametric values, enabling more automation in developing the coordinated construction specifications with the specific BPM product used in the model. This not only ensures users of accurate and coordinated construction specifications and keynotes, but also assures BPMs that their Revit content will not be used in a building model without getting specified into the construction specification manual.  Additionally, e-SPECS 4.2 includes over 200 more integrated assemblies, decreasing a customer’s out-of-the-box integration time.

Getting back to BIM applications, I also saw the latest release of VectorWorks Architect from Nemetschek North America, which seems to have made some significant strides since the last version, 2008, that was demonstrated at AIA 2008. VectorWorks Architect 2009 incorporates the Parasolid modeling engine, a proven technology developed by Siemens that has been well established in the manufacturing industry. This has greatly improved the 3D modeling capabilities—both traditional and free-form—of the application (see Figure 3), and also speeded up the modeling operations by 4 to 5 times. Another noteworthy improvement is a pre-selection indication feature, which, when used in conjunction with the drawing tools, allows users to draw with more precision. Other enhancements include the ability to cut holes of any shape in 3D walls, reliable and accurate cut and fill calculations in site models, the ability to snap to imported PDF files and use them more effectively as a basis for designs, creating customizable roof geometry for massing models, more flexibility in creating structural components such as columns of custom shapes, a significant range of new content that can be used in models, and texturing improvements that allow individual texturing of multiple parts of objects. In addition to its low cost relative to other BIM applications, the other main selling point of VectorWorks Architect is that it provides a flexible and hybrid 2D/3D design environment designed to allow an easier and less intimidating transition to BIM.

Trelligence was also at hand to demonstrate the newest release of its Affinity product for space programming and schematic design. Recall that one of the key strengths of Affinity from a BIM standpoint is that it includes bi-directional integration with Revit and ArchiCAD, allowing the programmatic requirements defined in Affinity to continue to be tracked in those applications and guide the development of the design. Affinity 5.6 now supports the latest versions of these applications, Revit Architecture 2010 and ArchiCAD 12, and also integrates with SketchUp 7. Other enhancements include a bubble diagramming interface that allows relationship and adjacency requirements between spaces to be visually defined; the ability to define more detailed definitions of spatial requirements, including finishes and furniture (see Figure 4); the use of style sheets for customized label displays and report styles that allow users to tailor the look and feel to match their firm’s brand style; a new report writer that allows greater customization of reports, along with the capability to include 3D views; the ability to create color-coded layout views to show different properties of the spaces; and support for the latest version of the IFC file format.

Conceptual Design and Civil Engineering Solutions

In the conceptual design space, while Google was there to demonstrate version 7 of SketchUp, it seemed to be over-shadowed by the new bonzai3d from AutoDesSys Inc., developers of form•Z. While a preview of this application was exhibited at last year’s AIA Convention, the application is now almost ready for release, providing attendees with the opportunity to see how it actually works. Developed for quick, easy, yet geometrically robust 3D modeling, bonzai3d is targeted towards the conceptual and sketching stages of design, allowing designers to not only freely visualize forms but also create accurate models of those forms that can subsequently be used for construction drawings, renderings, animations, fabrication models, 3D printing, and so on. I saw a demonstration of the application and found it very compelling. It seems to have taken the best features of form•Z and combined them with a fresh approach to conceptual modeling. The interface is powerful yet fluid, with automatic guides and intelligent snapping that speed up the modeling process. Forms can be quickly sculpted with real-time Boolean operations that allow you to draw and insert on faces, reshape faces, and offset faces or segments. All the classic form•Z modeling tools are available, along with advanced tools such as terrain modeling, deformations, and NURBS modeling for easily creating organic forms (see Figure 5). Roofs and stairs can be quickly generated by specifying basic parameters. Other highlights of the application are interactive sectioning, live interactive texture mapping, the availability of smart content such as doors and windows that automatically insert openings in walls, the ability to directly bring in content from Google’s 3D Warehouse, the ability to import sites from Google Earth, and the ability to import and export a wide variety of file formats.    

As with the last AIA show, it was good to see Transoft Solutions back to exhibit their suite of products for site design and civil engineering, including AutoTURN for assessing vehicle maneuvers for roadway design and site development projects, ParkCAD for the automated design of parking lots, and AeroTURN Pro for airport gate design, aircraft stands, and other airside facilities. All these products work within AutoCAD, Autodesk Civil 3D, as well as Bentley’s MicroStation platform. Transoft also showcased their brand new product, TORUS, that was just launched a couple of months ago. It is an application specifically focused on fast and efficient roundabout planning and designing. It can be used to create single as well as multilane roundabouts, which are optimally designed to meet traffic operations and safety objectives, including speed, vehicle, and sight distance checks. Based on Transoft’s flagship AutoTURN engine, TORUS uses vehicle movements and clearance offsets to generate the roundabout geometry, incorporating real-time, interactive designing that instantly updates changes to the entire roundabout (see Figure 6). Vehicle maneuvering and speeds can be incorporated as design criteria, rather than just as a checking method. Multiple roundabout iterations can be saved, recalled, and displayed for design review and comparison.

Electronic Publishing, Collaboration, and Project Management Solutions

While Adobe was again conspicuous by its absence at this year’s AIA show, I had the opportunity to see the new release of Bluebeam PDF Revu, version 7, which features an extensive range of new features and improvements for PDF editing, markup and creation. PDF creation options have been expanded with the ability to quickly create PDFs from Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, a Scan to PDF option which reduces the number of steps needed to convert paper documents or camera images to PDF for electronic markup and sharing, and automatic conversion of image file types to PDF with an internal image converter. Spell checking is now available to avoid spelling mistakes when commenting on PDF files; dictionaries can be imported for spell check in other languages. A very handy new feature is the ability to place PDF flags as visual markers on pages to designate important content, which can greatly help to speed up the document review process (see Figure 7). Other new features include the ability to use hatch patterns to fill in markups or takeoffs, coupled with a hatch pattern editor; redlining with arcs and curves, as well as being able to take measurements off curved drawings with accuracy; more control when reducing the PDF file size, with options to adjust resolution, embedded fonts and other file data; an improved Stamp Editor for editing the included stamps or creating custom ones; and the ability to organize multiple files and file types into one PDF package that can be emailed to a client or project manager. Overall, the application looks powerful, yet continues to have a pleasing and intuitive interface. It doesn’t support 3D PDF, however, which Acrobat provides in its Extended version. Bluebeam disclosed that most of its customers are standardizing on 2D PDF, so it doesn’t plan to work on 3D PDF just yet.

There were several collaboration and project management solutions being exhibited at the AIA show this year. Newforma, which has firmly established itself as the leading project information management (PIM) solution provider in AEC with deployment in over 60 of the top 300 AEC firms, was at hand to demonstrate the Sixth Edition of Newforma Project Center, which was described in my recent article, Collaboration, Project Management, and Project Information Management Solutions in AEC. The company also highlighted the growing adoption of Newforma Project Center by architectural firms to help offset the pressures of a challenging economy. Several new firms have started using the application to raise responsiveness to clients and project team members, improve the efficiency of project execution, and mitigate risks that would otherwise be caused by missing or incomplete information.

Another AIA exhibitor in this category of solutions that was discussed in my recent article was Attolist, which it has added some new capabilities since I wrote about it in February. It now includes include built-in DWF viewing, without the need for plugins or any other software, making it very convenient to share drawings and models with owners, clients, and other third parties. Several LEED tracking items have been added to the existing modules, including categories for LEED documentation, action items, submittals and RFIs. A new messaging center allows users to create a message with attachments and send a blast notification to predefined email lists. The message is archived with the project and users can add comments to that message (see Figure 8). The attachments become links and so the data is not actually included with the email—the recipient of the email simply clicks the link and the file starts downloading, helping to bypass email file size limitations. The updated version of Attolist also integrates web-based markup tools into the application, so that anyone can participate in a review through their browser without needing any additional software. Attolist is continuing to focus on supporting IPD, which requires the software to remain neutral to the architect, contractor and owner, and it is planning on new functionality and upgrades accordingly.

I also had the opportunity to learn about a project management solution that I hadn’t come across before, ProjectCenter by Bricsnet. This is a web-based project management and collaboration application, with workflows that can be configured for engineers, architects, contractors, and building owners. It allows companies the ability to organize documents, folders and information as required, without having to adhere to fixed templates. Its key features include a single, consolidated project dashboard view, tying in all the information related to a project; the ability to define standard project templates including folder structures, team members, security and workflow; project directory, project calendar, and meeting minutes capabilities; the ability to create custom reports that gather information from multiple projects; configurable forms for meeting specific business requirements; the ability to view over 200 commonly used document formats in a standard Web browser without having to buy applications or install plug-ins; viewing, printing, and redlining AutoCAD and MicroStation drawings and their associated reference files without the native applications; document management and history; and cross-project document search. ProjectCenter is available in several other languages, allowing local project team members to work with the system in their native language.

Conclusion

You could tell that this year’s AIA Convention was being held during a recession year, given the reduced crowds and the relatively low energy levels, in contrast to the tremendous amount of vibrancy and activity that typically characterizes the AIA shows. Yet, the technology vendors serving the architectural community continue to innovate, developing new products and adding enhanced functionality to existing products, as evidenced by the technologies that were exhibited at this year’s show. Larger vendors such as Autodesk and Bentley are continuing in their quest to provide end-to-end integrated solutions serving as many aspects of building design and construction as possible, while smaller vendors are continuing to build and expand upon their offerings. It is good to see the entrepreneurial spirit still alive and well in the AEC technology community, which should hopefully see it through these tough economic times.

Stay tuned for the dedicated articles on sustainable design tools and financial and business management applications coming up later this month.

About the Author

Lachmi Khemlani is founder and editor of AECbytes. She has a Ph.D. in Architecture from UC Berkeley, specializing in intelligent building modeling, and consults and writes on AEC technology. She can be reached at lachmi@aecbytes.com.

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