Greg Bentley has been talking about the concept of 'Analytical Modeling'. I think that he is refering to the increasing need to include simulation or analytical tools as part of any design app.
There are already a number of Bentley apps that do this:
Looking at Hevacomp, I wonder why Hevacomp hasn't been integrated into AES or ABD. Integration of Hevacomp Electrical and Mechnical Designer into ABD would be escpecially productive. There doesn't seem to be very good integration of any analytical tools in the ABD, which results in ABD being used as a 3d drafting tool which is used by the MEP modelers to whack in a design based on something handed to them on paper. No feedback, no quick 'simulations' to check the ineveitable changes are performing adequately and no automated reporting or re-use on the next job.
There is a lot of huff and puff about the BIM being where all the information and intelligence is. From what I have seen, if there is any intelligence at all, it is not really in the 'BIM' geometry model, but at best in a separate disconnected analytical model and at worst on scraps of paper.
Steve Brown | Bentley Systems