Hi everyone!
I'm new to AECOsim Building Designer -actually to all Bentley products- and in need of a few answers.
Our company makes 3D models of laserscanned buildings and is planning on using AECOsim for this. Is the program appropriate for this purpose? I mean does it provide any plus or easy way to model heritage buildings -a castle for example-, which have walls with changing cross-sections, bending floor slabs because of sinking, vaulted ceilings, etc? So far I have been trying out the tools and don't know if I can place a wall for example with not parallel faces.
The method I can think of now is to place a regular wall and cut it with solids, but it would be twice the work and the wall would lose the "separatet" area data (meaning right side area, left side area, etc).
The same problem with vaulted floors. Is it possible to make an arched vault with the floor slab tool? Like drawing a space or a shape then place the floor slab with flood.
So our main goal with ABD is to develop a fast modeling method that handles unique building elements and structure irregularities. As I see it's the opposite direction it was made for...
Csaba
If you are running, I guess you realise that it effectively has Microsation running 'inside it'
You could set up an AECOSim Workspace just for the heritage buildings, then selectively remove some of the tools that you feel are excessive/might get in the way.
It is my understanding that you can use the 'regular' MS solids and surface tools and 'attach' a family part to them and at least start getting some BIM functionality from that.
I would have though that even for heritage builings, some of the features you get with AECOSim would be very valid: FloorManager, some of the features for setting up Views and Drawings, ...
Good luck with it!
Regards
Danny Cooley
Freelance AEC CAD/BIM Technician Architecture, MEP & Structural ..... (& ex Low Carbon Consultant, ..... because they weren't that bothered!)
OBD Update 10, Windows 10 Pro, HP Z4-G4, 64Gb, Xeon 3.6GHz, Quadro M4000
When ABD is started from the MicroStation shortcut the Building disciplines are not available. It must be restarted using the Building Desgner or discipline shortcuts.
Architectural, Structural and Mechanical modes can be unloaded or loaded from the Building Designer menu but at least one of them must remain loaded.
Once loaded Space Planner and Electrical cannot be unloaded.
Marc
Hi Mark!
Yes, we mainly use MicroStation. Right now we're experimenting with ABD, trying to figure out if it provides some methods to ease and quicken our workflow.
Our decision now is to use ABD to model modern era buildings and MS solid modeling to heritage structures.
The ABD's built in MS mode is new to me. Is there a way to change these modes inside the running program or do I have to close the running one and start with the other?
Best regards,
Unknown said: ABD doesn't provide much benefit over MicroStation
ABD doesn't provide much benefit over MicroStation
Hi Csaba,
Note that there is a MicroStation mode in the current ABD releases so you can start it up with a less busy interface without the BIM tools. Use the MicroStation Building Designer shortcut. ABD running in MicroStation mode still uses an ABD licence.
Are you also using MicroStation?
Answer Verified By: Csaba Szabo
Not sure if the IFC format is capable of holding this information. An ifcslab assumes an area which is extruded for example.