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...
Unknown said:The BIM tools will unlikely apply since they are more applicable to standard design conditions.
Not if you are required to provide 'BIM-ready' deliverables.... which is increasingly common these days. I suppose you need to check what your deliverables are.
The mesh geometry may be all you need initially, but there will be a need to 'rationalise' a lot of these elements into 'parametric' elements so that they can fully participate in the BIM model. Example would be pipes.
And at some point you will need to tag the 'meshes' or whatever is generated from the point clouds with IFC / COBie data... to be BIM.
Also, most BIM authoring tools will not resymbolise meshes properly.... a mesh wall will not display as a wall when cut in plan. You would need to convert the mesh wall to a solid or TF wall to get it to clean up and display properly.
Not sure if the IFC format is capable of holding this information. An ifcslab assumes an area which is extruded for example.
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?
Marc
Answer Verified By: Csaba Szabo
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,
Csaba
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.