OpenSite Designer - Landscaping Features?

This month's SIG was very interesting.

Echoing this post, I wonder OpenSite Designer might not pave the way for a landscape architecture BIM app. A lot of the elements are there for a unique offering, especially as Vue Render is being integrated into Mstn which should allow PlantFactory to be leveraged. ContextCapture should be a huge selling point for landscape architects, where capturing context has always been difficult due to the 'non-geometrical' nature of planting and landscaping.

1. OSD has some good tools for vehicular paths via OpenRoads. It would be good to leverage these tools (based on Civil Cells and Templates) to provide tools for pedestrian footpaths. None of the available landscaping apps on the market does this very well. This feature would need to cater to stepped segments along the footpath.

2. Can the Linear Templates (which are based on roadway alignments) be re-purposed to define falls in the landscape? The designer would define ridge and 'gutter' lines and the LT would treat the ridge line as a zero width roadway? Designing the landscaping to have the appropriate falls is always a pain and frankly almost always badly done. Mstn has already got a very useful and unique slope Display Style. The section profile would need to accommodate curved or irregular lines to provide the option soften the slopes. Roadway cambers are curved.

Not sure how all those cambers and car park drainage channels layouts are managed in OSD or SUDA?

3. Can retaining walls be added to the OSD Feature set? Terracing and berms will be standard landscaping tasks.

4. Features like lighting columns, seating, planting would need to follow the terrain elevations automatically. I see that the latest version of SUDA can slave manhole inverts to the a pre-set cover.

Linear features like fences, walls and barriers would need a smoothing tool.

5. OSD also has features for pads and ponds. Great for water features etc. Good combo with SUDA and OpenFlows?

6. ???

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  • Breaking news - Apple Ipad Pro to feature LIDAR sensor!

    The 2d photo-based workflow above does seem a bit gimmicky and outdated but working-in-context will be more mainstream and very attractive for landscape designers and architects.

    Working-in-context is something that Bentley is well positioned to support.

  • Looking back, I've discovered that there has been several landscaping addons for Mstn: Triforma for Landscape Architecture (MS95), Landscape DesignWare (was apparently an Intergraph product), even Geopak has a landscaping addon (V8). Most recently, there was AEC CADCON's LandscapeDesign 1(V8i).

    For starters, it would be great to look at incorporating the Geopak tools (and maybe the AEC CADCON stuff. Hopefully, they have a planting / paving database that can be re-used without too much trouble- they don't seem to be trading anymore?).

    Business case: I think that there is a hidden demand that is pretty intriguing, but I guess we should start small. Ideally, a large Bentley user would step up and commit to a number of seats. Hint hint! Apparently, this was the way Bentley Substation started life.

    There is an acknowledged disconnect in the market at the moment where BIM is concerned where building BIM apps are trying to fill the gap; resulting in some convoluted and expensive 'scripted' workflows between Rhino and R*vit. Great for BIM gurus self promoting at trade shows, not so great for anyone else. Bleeding edge is great but not for too long, right?

    This disconnect is also belatedly playing itself out in the infrastructure sector as IFC5 develops and more governments start asking for BIM deliverables for road and rail projects. Transit streets / tram systems are also getting popular.

    Looking at Keyscape, there has always been a lot of 'BIM' going on in the road sector. Large and steady scope, lots of compulsory standards etc has spawn quite a bit of automation. Looking at Keysoft Solutions, I like the way they have provided automation for all those ancillary areas associated with roadway design, including signage, linemarking, lighting and yes hard and soft landscaping design. They have even tackled pedestrain crossings. I look at OpenSite Designer and think how incomplete it is from a project delivery standpoint. Worth noting that these ancillary areas entail quite a bit of cost and are also important for getting stakeholder consent.

    PDF

  • What can OSD and Mstn CE offer?

    1. A Common Modeling Environment that leverages some powerfull terrain modeling tools coming from mature apps like Geopak, OpenRoads. None of the other apps on the market has this kind of depth on offer. VectorWorks Landmark has only recently enhancing its solid modeling. Civils 3D is too complicated for landscaping designers. The other ACAD-based addons do not have very good terrain modeling tools.
    2. ContextCapture: Bentley has a big lead here and RealityMeshes is ideal for capturing landscaping context. Faster/more picturesque than point clouds.
    3. LumenRT/ Vue / Plantfactory:  Rendering platform that is very much aimed at landscaping environments. Mstn U14 is due to see some Vue-related functionality incorporated into Mstn's display system.
    4. Geolocation: a lot of the low-level transform stuff required for large scale projects already in place. Bing Maps integration. It would be good to add access to OpenStreetMap or other sources for quick and easy 3d terrain and buildings data, not just 2d maps.
    5. Reference files: still best in class and key for handling large projects and surprisingly relevant for BIM-centric workflows!
    6. Hypermodeling: integrating 2d CAD drawing info with 3d models is even more relevant in landscape design. Unified CAD+BIM platform. No need for two or more licensing, training and maintenance overheads. While still not without its problems, Dynamic Views / CVEs etc are still a little better than the ACAD-based / VectorWorks equivalents. Especially in combo with Reality / Scalable Terrain Meshes .
    7. Cesium: early start in this important GIS-level platform. See also Bentley OpenCities Planner offering. Capture daylighting impacts?
    8. Photogrammetry: Decartes / CC has some powerful photo navigation overlay tools. Orthophoto tools in the horizontal and vertical. Mstn has come basic photo matching tools. Even better if ths could be enhanced by long-serving Phidias.
    9. SiteOps cut & fill optimisation: still the only one on the market?
    10. OSD's built-in three-phase level of detail display. Based on Mstn CE's Display Handlers?
    11. ComponentCenter: could be used to manage the quite interesting requirements for plant databases, planting lists.
    12. Mstn CE's new Item Types / Display Styles model-driven annotation and reporting tools.
    13. Mstn's Element Templates - mapping-style, feature-based display functionality.
    14. Allied civils modeling tools: SUE/SUDA for drainage / irrigation(?), Geo5 for retaining wall design. OpenUtilities
    15. Allied analysis tools: Plaxis / Solivision for geostructural, slope stability checks, OpenFlow for flooding. OpenFlows for retention pond / SUDS.
    16. Gradient fills, transparency, display priority-savvy mapping quality pdf output via Bentley Map / CADScript heritage.
    17. CAD heritage, DWG referencing ensures good integration with civils surveying and GIS context.
    18. Hard landscaping: Mstn / OpenBuilding Designer constraints / solid modeling tools still much better than what is available in the landscape market currently. OBD's new Railings tool could be tweaked to do fencing on terrain.
    19. GenerativeComponents: much more mature than VectorWorks Marionette. Dynamo available for ACAD but not currently in Land F/X or Keyscape. Lands Design does leverage Grasshopper but not very mature.
    20. Mstn's Thematic Slope Display Style is still a killer feedback tool, especially for paving design.
    21. ??

    As mentioned, I think that Bentley is well positioned to step in with a compelling offer.