Ng Andrew – Assignment B2: Chapter 3 - Interoperability (Group B)

Delayed submittal due to being hospitalized and hand injury.

Chapter 3 – Interoperability

Interoperability depicts the need to pass data between applications, allowing multiple types of experts and applications to contribute to the work at hand. The data is passed between applications by the standardization of file formats. Same or similar file formats allow for programs to be compatible with each other. The data models developed would support product and object model exchanges within different industries by the ISO – STEP international standards effort. [1] Geometry, relations, processes and material, performance, fabrication, and other properties used for design and production can be transferred more fluidly from one application to another. With more fluidity between programs, efficiency in a project increases.

One example of a formalized file format or language is EXPRESS. EXPRESS enables applications that have multiple redundant types of attributes and geometry to export and import different information from each other to describe the same object [1]. Design and construction benefits from this as the design process requires people to work together. Each certain step passes on information from one phase to the next. For example, when a design of a building is drafted, it must be passed onto someone else such as the contractor who then works on shop drawings. The contractor may or may not use the same program to do so. Other examples include the analysis of some system in a building. Structural and energy analysis, cost estimation, scheduling, and other aspects are worked on in a project and are typically done by different parties involved. The data passed between the parties must somehow be accessible as the parties have different methods to accomplish their work. The huge benefit of interoperability is that it eliminates the need to replicate data that has already been generated. By using data already made and instead of remaking it, work flow is made more smoothly. Architecture and construction go hand in hand, and saving time in this industry can save a lot of money.

By bringing numerous companies together, Robert Fulton, a NASA representative, facilitated the creation of a public domain exchange format for CAD software. He demanded that information can be shared between applications. I found this action to be extremely forceful but needed. Fulton being in NASA has the position to make such demands made me chuckle a bit. His action, however, created data exchanges in four main ways. [1]

1.       Direct, proprietary links between BIM tools

2.       Proprietary file exchange formats, primarily dealing with geometry

3.       Public product data model exchange formations

4.       XML – based exchange formats

These four methods were how the companies exchanged data for their CAD software.

The AEC also made data exchanges more compatible. Common file formats are shown in the table below.

These formats designed to show some form of shape or geometry became compatible starting around the mid-1980s [1]. After many data exchanges of complex models between Europe and the US, the International Standards Organization (ISO) in Geneva, Switzerland, initiated TC184, a technical committee to develop STEP, Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data. This increased communication of what the parties involved want to accomplish in some project. The Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) also was developed to make consistent data representation of building information for exchanges between AEC software [1]. The library of objects and property definitions enabled the data to be generated properly when retrieved from one application and placed on another. A main benefit the IFC provided is building information analyzation. It covers the whole building lifecycle. In the design phase, structural and mechanical elements are simulated with the different extensions. The IFC addresses any limitations between the file extensions and with its next releases covers the issue. They respond to the users and get their input for the developers to come up with solutions. With BIM tools, IFC translators revert the shapes made into data to be exported and rebuilt in another interface. The data can be exchanged between programs such as Revit and Bentley Structures. This makes life easier for a structural engineer as he is given different options to approach his design or analysis.

Source:

[1] Eastman, C., Teicholz, P., Sacks, R. and Liston, K. (2008) Interoperability, in BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Contractors, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, USA. doi: 10.1002/9780470261309.ch3

Comments:

Taryn Francischetti – Reading your explanation of the concept of families on BIM software was very interesting. As users can draw shapes and lines, the shapes are predefined. I find this very efficient as there won’t be time used to go back and declare what lines are which feature. This would save time in the construction industry.

Paulina Gawor -  When you mention about poor interoperability costs, I started to think about all the dreadful expenses that can add up. Poor communication and applications that do not work together or can’t share information can lead to unnecessary wasted time. It also would most likely increase stress in the work place and many other negative effects would occur as a result.

Mengnan Yang – BIM models is great tool for contractors. Collaboration between the parties and between the steps you’ve mentioned increases the efficiency of workflow. With BIM estimation of costs and visualization to explain the design, a lot of benefits for the parties involved are created.

B2 -Interoperability- Paulina Gawor

Interoperability

Interoperability is the need to share data between multiple software types. In the building industry, this data include the geometry of a project, but also structural and energy calculations, fabrication information and more. Ensuring some standards of interoperability ensures that several different groups of specialists will be able to work on a project without having to recreate work that has already been done. It increases speed of delivery of a project, provides more reliable information over a project lifecycle, and decreases supply chain communication costs. BIM has been placed as a center of data mapping and project integration in the construction industry. It helps automate a great deal of the design process, can help in customizing workflows, and makes project data easily available.

Poor Interoperability Costs

There can be a significant cost to developers and engineers when the exchange of electronic data is not fluid. Based on results of a 2002 study[2], the highest cost of interoperability issues, about two thirds, were borne by owners and operators. Poor communication of as-built data, lack of standardization, and lack of information about project life cycle calculations resulted in greater costs for O&M staff. It was found that interoperability issues stemmed not from a lack of available technologies, but lack of incentives to improve operating standards that contribute to redundancy in the design and engineering processes.

Challenges in Achieving Interoperability

BIM is an increasingly popular alternative to complex file management systems. Building Models allow more efficient queries, updates, and project management methods. There are issues of data ownership. Engineers will not release open plan sets to construction management teams. CM teams are often working with flat PDFs, making frequent RFIs necessary. There are concerns over proprietary ownership of engineering designs being made completely transparent.

Resources

[1] C.  Eastman, BIM handbook, 1st ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2008, pp. 65-92.

[2] http://fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/build04/PDF/b04022.pdf

Comments

Ronald Park

https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/b2-group-d-bim-for-architects-and.html

Ronald’s post addresses the benefits of BIM for designers. Concept designs can be quickly generated and edited, plans can hold several sets (structural, mechanical, architectural, energy) of information and calculations, and can help model the construction process. Keeping this type of information easily available in the building plans helps inform design decisions of other trades. In my experience, it has been really evident how improved BIM technology helps in the project design process. It allows different trades of my MEP consulting firm to see in Revit, in three dimensions how portions of a duct layout can interfere with the plumbing design, for instance.

Andy Dinh

https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/b2-group-d-andy-dinh-bim-for-owners-and.html

Andy’s entry reviews the benefits of BIM for owners and building engineers. This is a category I have had minimal real life experience with. The main benefit of BIM seems to be planning for better energy models and performance in buildings. It also seems that BIM can provide more informed and accurate budget information. BIM can help owners make decisions on construction based on lifecycles of materials and products they choose to invest in.

Maissoun Ksara https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/01/maissoun-ksara-b2-chapter-2-bim-tools.html

Maissoun’s post reviews parametric modelling. This means objects modelled have geometric and non geometric properties that can be easily updated. It also means that objects are modelled in relation to each other. This allows models to be quickly updated, and families can be adjusted. This type of modelling is found in Revit, and is useful because a change in an object’s model can be propagated throughout the entire design.

Nick Pawlikowski - Interoperability

In its most general sense, interoperability is the ability to pass data between applications so that the applications can work jointly on a single task.  Interoperability can be achieved in part by standardization of file formats.  An early example is IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification).  NASA told the CAD companies it had been working with to develop a standard format to make translation between their applications easier.  The result was IGES, a “middle ground” format that all companies were able to import, export, use and exchange, rather than creating translators for every companies’ proprietary formats.

The diverse nature of the AEC industry and the applications that exist within it demand interoperability to ensure effective collaborative design, planning, and construction.  There are four methods of data exchange in BIM: Direct proprietary links, Proprietary exchange formats, public product data, and XML-based exchange formats.  Direct links provide direct connection between two applications, and rely on middleware software interfaces.  They can have better support for files being exchanged, but are the product of and thus require a business agreement between two companies, and the exchange lasts only as long as the agreement does.

Proprietary file exchange formats are developed by a company to interface outside data formats with that company’s application.  Many are text format, a well-known example beign DXF (Drawing eXchange Format).  They are designed to address specific capabilities needed by the company that created them.  Public product data model exchange formats are designed as an open-standard building model that allows companies to utilize applications jointly beyond what would be provided by any single software company’s specific proprietary method.  Interoperability on this level is critical for projects with large, diverse teams that utilize a variety of software programs with their own data formats.  An example is IFC (Industry Foundation Class), which carries object and material properties, as well as the relationships between objects and geometries.  XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is an extension to HTML.  Exchange formats that are based on XML allow different data structures (called schemas) to exchange many types of data formats between applications. 

As new building system models were being developed (such as for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems), new standards were needed.  The International Standards Organization (ISO) launched committees to develop STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data), which was based on a few defining principles, such as the development of machine-readable language instead of a traditional file format and the reference of sub-models that are made as subsets of larger, standard models for generic classification.  The ISO-STEP initiative culminated in the creation of the EXPRESS language, which utilized an object-oriented programming.

Many data models used today, including IFC, are based on the EXPRESS language.  The International Alliance for Interoperability has been pushing IFC as a neutral product model for applications in the AEC industry.  IFCs are designed to provide standard data models of building information to allow for exchange between various applications, through the entire lifecycle of a building.  They are designed in a “framework” model; they provide broad, general definitions of object elements from which more detailed models can be developed for specific workflows.  For example, the standard “geometry” framework entity can be specified as a wall, floor, or other sub-entities.  A specific building element is specified in a tree format, with each “branch” holding properties and relationship specific to that branch. 

In IFC data exchange scenarios, modeling information needs to be transferred from a source application to a receiving application.  An export translator within a source application extracts the data and assigns it to the relevant IFC entity classes.  The entity data are mapped from IFC objects to a text file format, which is received by the receiving application and interpreted by the import translator in terms of the IFC objects represented by the text.  The import translator writes the data from the IFC objects into its own data structure.  IFC viewers can be used to access the IFC object data directly.  Specific IFC Views can be developed by companies to interpret IFC object data and integrate it into their own applications.

                As IFC becomes more automated and widely used, the rigor of building model creation and review will need to become more stringent.  Models of all stages of design will need to be checked carefully for accuracy before hand-off to another team to ensure bad data is not transferred.  A new version of the IFC data model standard is released every two years, hich resolves issues and improves upon features in the previous versions.  IFC views will be developed further to include extensive testing to ensure reliability before their release and use in the AEC industry. 

An alternative to IFC is the use of XML schemas.  HTML uses tags to specify the type data that is being transmitted.  The XML extension allows for user defined tags, and therefore user-created schemas.  A few XML schemas that have been developed for the AEC industry are OGC, which deals with geographic information, gbXML, which handles green building information, and aecXML, which represents contract and specification documents, RFIs and RFPs, and other administrative resources. 

Web-based formats such as DWF and PDF to not address the interoperability issues supported by platforms such as IFC and XML, but they are a good way to publish building information for review.  Web-based formats can be generic for basic viewing purposes, or have embedded views of project information which contains non-editable object meta-data.

                Management of file versions is becoming increasingly complex and challenging as they support more and more applications.  An alternative to these file formats are building model repositories, which are database systems based on a published object-based format that allows query, transfer, updates, and management of project information from different applications.  In basic terms, instead of passing a file between applications over and over, all applications draw from and modify the same “pool” of building data.  Repositories are expected to be important for dataset preparation for such processes as energy analysis, building material tabulation, and building operation and management. 

Significant improvements to interoperability have been managed in the past few decades, but there are many issues that are still left to be resolved.  Only a few exchanges allow editing, most are just for viewing.  However, all BIM tools now support IFC in ways that allow basic exchanges to be made with good completeness and accuracy.  The figure below presents the current formats common in the AEC industry and their relative geometries and structure:

COMMENTS:

(On Drew Hovey's Post)
Drew, I think your CFD example explains the concept of parametric modeling well.  In general i think that parametric modelling is a great method of quickly iterating on a design to discover the best option.  Your mention of the different branches of Revit (Architecture, Structure, and MEP) relate to the interoperability chapter of the BIM handbook that I read.  I think that breaking up the Revit software into different sectors allows for the workflows that are specific to a particular sector to be performed with efficiency, and because each branch of Revit is based on common entities, the different sectors can by synced and compared with relative ease. 

(On Peter Dannemann's Post)
Peter, reading your post made me aware of a benefit of BIM that I had not thought about deeply before. I knew BIM was a powerful tool for designers, but your mention of BIM's ability to better inform owners of the state of their projects made me think more about how people other than designers could use BIM to their advantage. I am wondering if extensions or independent software exists that can calculate the cost of a change in design at certain stages in the construction process; that would be use useful tool for owners, contractors, and designers alike.

(On Ronald Herazo's Post)
Ronald, I really enjoyed reading about the advent of 3D computer graphics.  The chapter of the BIM Handbook I read (chapter 3) touched on the Boolean operations that allowed the initial creation of shapes, but you went more in-depth which I appreciate and enjoyed reading.  I would be willing to bet that these same operations, coupled with parametric design, allow the easy creation of families in Revit, such as the combination of a rectangular prism and several cylinders to create a pile / pile cap assembly (which I have had the pleasure of doing many times during my previous co-op).  

CITATIONS:

All information in this blog post was gathered from the BIM Handbook, Chapter 3 – Interoperability:

Eastman, C., Teicholz, P., Sacks, R., & Liston, K. (2008). BIM Handbook. Pages 65-91. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Retrieved January 21, 2017.

Egla Qori - Interoperability

Interoperability

Expressed in simpler words, interoperability describes the extent to which computer systems, software and devices can exchange, interpret and make sense of the shared data. Understanding the importance of integration frameworks, "interoperability for the integration of intelligent buildings equipment and automation systems should be advanced." [1] This will also result in the enhancement of energy efficiency by saving energy for economic and environmental purposes.

Building automation is a catchall for a "sprawling category of control and communications technologies" that link building systems that are typically controlled separately [2]—like electrical distribution, HVAC system, fire/fireproofing, security, and elevator systems. In order to increase the effectiveness, all these systems should be controlled from a single point within the building. These optimized functions give more meaning to the phrase "intelligent buildings", where environments maximize the efficiency of the building, while also ensuring a more careful and effective management of resources. Intelligent buildings are often characterized by "integration of such heterogeneous subsystems in a unified manner." [3] Intelligent buildings improve the interoperability among the different components and systems in an "intelligent" manner, done so through several solutions. These solutions include the use of AI (artificial intelligence) to maximize the connectivity between systems in a cost-effective and innovative way.  The figure below shows an attempt of forward-thinking and integration of systems within a building, before the building has even begun the process of detailed design. This is done through the help of BIM.

Example of extreme BIM of "Building Buildings Electronically First" and integrating all its systems.

To develop a middleware (software that acts as a bridge between operating systems and application) that "caters full interoperability features requires many factors to be considered." [3] These factors require a consideration of different aspects that need to be incorporated for a functioning 'model' of a building, such as reliability, scaling, accessibility, smart integration and control, etc. As designers, we have to think of scalability as an important aspect to ensure that new additions to the system can be done so without requiring major modifications of the entire original system. Accessibility should be considered as a way of allowing information flow, even between heterogenous systems that operate on different platforms. Smart integration can be done in such a way to maximize the results by putting into play 'each system's best trait' and using that into our advantage. 

To reiterate, interoperability in buildings specifically, includes the interaction between several systems or subsystems, and it is done so with the main goal of achieving results that accommodate a more comfortable living, in a more efficient and less costly way. This has been the reason for a lot of debate and "demand for interoperable systems which provides an increased service." [3]

Resources

[1] Hardin, DB, EG Stephan, W. Wang, CD Corbin, and SE Widergren. Buildings Interoperability Landscape (2015): n. pag. Web. 21 Jan. 2017.

<https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2016/01/f28/BuildingLandscapeReport.pdf>.

[2] "Smart buildings - IEEE Xplore Document." Smart buildings - IEEE Xplore Document. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2017. <http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=1222043>.

[3] "Middleware for heterogeneous subsystems interoperability in intelligent buildings." N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2017. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926580509001848>.

Comments

Chris Sager: I agree with your final thoughts on interoperability being a beneficial aspect of today's world. Today's software is being developed with the idea of the same data being adapted and extrapolated in order to be used to perform a different functionality and role, as a way of being repurposed. Although Inventor is a very good tool to model 3-Dimensional parts and create a 3D Vision of an object's final look, it is widely being used nowadays for 3D Printing. More software is trying to adapt and allow information to be received and understood by a 3D Printer, since that technology is already considered "the future". I think that communication between software is key in making processes more efficient. 

Zhijing Zheng: I really liked the analogy you used for interoperability to illustrate collaboration between very important systems such as as architecture, design, and construction for an efficient end product. Interoperability between software or systems has the ability to "make the most out of both systems" when they work together, as opposed to results they can produce individually. A simple example to illustrate this can be the incorporation of smart designs in a house, which tries to maximize sunlight by the use of skylights and windows, but keeps the amount of heat penetrating the facade under control through the use of higher efficiency, lower permeability and conductivity materials. The facade needs to work with the HVAC and electrical system in order to minimize the electric and heating load, while being cost-effective and efficient.

Ronald Herazo: I find it interesting to read about the progression of BIM through the use of parametric geometry and design. Taking complicated parametric equations and mathematical functions and converting them in a clear three-dimensional virtual model is very impressive in order to convey a message or concept. BIM is a great show of collaboration of efforts, that includes the interoperability and easy of transfer of data between software. Different software have various and specific functions; using the best one for the purpose that you as an engineer or designer are looking for, takes a great amount of research. However, this wouldn't be possible without the ease in data transferral and interpretation that technology nowadays has to offer. 

B2 -Group B - Week 2 - Blog Post - Chris Sager

­­            My time at Drexel has introduced me to several software applications typically used by those involved in the design, construction, and management of buildings. Each suite of application proved to provide different sorts of information as the result. Whether it be a 2D CAD drawing from Autodesk, a 3D geometric model from Sketch Up, Numerical energy usage and cost data from eQuests DOE 2, and even something as minimal as 3D electronics components out of a 3D printer through Creo Parametric, the resulting data produced from these services proved to be extremely beneficial. Interoperability gives professionals in our field the ability to tie all this information together in the hopes of sharing it between services. It is the ability for two systems to work with one another.
          

            In the BIM Handbook: A guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Contractors, Chapter 3 provides us with an excellent overview and discussion on the Topic of Interoperability [1]. The handbook provides us with different kinds of exchange formats professionals will acquire, A brief background of product data models and the efforts in supporting standardization, as well as finally the evolution of BIM and how it’s moved from File-Based exchange to more advanced building model Repositories.

Various BIM Tools Logos from Around the Internet

           

            Today there exists 3 levels of interoperability. They are Technical, Syntactic, and Semantic.  In the technical phase, we are focusing on the ability to send information from one system to another electronically. The syntactic level deals with the ability to read what was just sent to you. It important we realize the ability to understand the information we have just received has not yet occurred. It is usually at this point in our field most software packages and systems have downfalls. Great, we received data, but without understanding it, is it beneficial to us? In the semantic phase, we are both receiving information and understanding it in the same moment. A simple example of this is the fact I can grab my Apple iPhone right now and download Microsoft Office onto it. Write this entire article, and then publish it. Both systems work together although they are competitors and both use different coding languages. The same can be said for most design and construction software.

Bim Handbook Chapter 3 Figure 3-1

            In the beginning of the 21^st Century the number of design and construction applications grew steadily year over year. With this growth came more deficiencies in Interoperability. In supporting standardization, chapter 3 covers steps taken by the International Standards Committee (ISO) in Geneva, Switzerland. The creation of STEP or Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data helped create the EXPRESS language and develop safeguards to deal with advanced data exchange issues. Another large improvement in the community was provided through IFC. In short, IFC is a database format. It’s just a way to store, retrieve, and even build data. More and more though governments are requiring the use of IFC as a deliverable in government projects.

The question ultimately arising, Is there a good result of all these facilitations? I believe the answer is yes. BIM repositories will definitely become more common and their growth will increase for managing BIM projects in the future as they become more complex. This is going to bring about the need for better Interoperability. This chapter as well is a little bit about dated as noted by Maria Raggousis, another member of my group in her week 2 post.

I also took the opportunity to visit Rivets support forums and find a few conversations discussing changes customers were looking to me implemented in newer models of the program. It is very interesting to see some of the requests involving interoperability. For example, a number of requests come up daily asking for the ability to merge, mesh, and integrate among the applications different features or other systems.

Revit Ideas Discussion Website Header

Works Cited

Eastman, Charles M. BIM handbook: a guide to building information modeling for owners, managers, designers, engineers and contractors. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2011. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.

Revit Ideas Page - http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/idb-p/302/tab/most-recent

Comments to my Peers

Peter Dannemann wrote a very interesting discussion piece this week in regards to BIM and the features it provides to professionals in more fields than you would initially assume (here). For example, he goes on to state how not just the designer and engineer can find the benefits of BIM useful, the owner and stakeholders in the project could use BIM energy data to assume costs related to the project. This is so beneficial when spending millions on a project and coming up with post construction management and maintenance fees. Its your responsibility as a designer and constructor to undergo commissioning on your projects. This includes HVAC, heating, electrical loads testing which having a better view of before the construction process can save a headache.

I  read Brandon Mengels (here) discussion this week to get another perspective on chapter 3 in the BIM Handbook (here). While we discussed a lot of similar topics throughout the chapter, Mengels made a lot of excellent insights I brushed over. For example, his opinion on non-editable geometric data was interesting. Numerous applications come up with these geometric results whether its a energy usage based off 3D room sizes, or stress & strain information for structural steel. Mengel states from the subject, only a handful of people have the qualifications to manipulate this data. NASA for example, is discussed as being one of those organizations requiring lots of data mining and manipulation to implement it into their projects. Another reason the improvement of Interoperability is so important.

Taryn Francischetti wrote a very interesting discussion this week emphasizing the pros and cons of Revit, today’s market leader in BIM software application (here). While I was already familiar with a lot of the advantages associated with Revit, some downfalls were new information for me. For example, the more curves your project features in design elements will exponentially slow down the software. This is critical and something Revit should look as soon as possible – more and more projects today are looking to implement designs of this curved nature. Take for example the new Apple campus in Cupertino under construction. It is on massive circle made of glass and steel.

Assignment B2 - Group B - Maria Raggousis

Chapter 3 - Interoperability

Source: C.  Eastman, BIM handbook, 1st ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2008, pp. 65-92.

Brief Summary & Overview:

This chapter in regards to BIM software was explaining the purpose, needs, types, and limitations of "interoperability" of software. In particular, file formats and the way that data is stored and translated from one software to the other so that the original content is retained. We are all familiar with these things even if we have only been exposed to PDF files of JPEG files - technically these are ways of storing data and viewing them across multiple computers and software platforms.

In this industry it is extremely important that we can share the files and electronic data that we have from the Architect to all of the Engineering Departments - structural analysis - HVAC analysis - plumbing analysis - etc. The Chapter refers to many forms of this translation of data - the ones I was most familiar with due to my experiences on co-op are DXF (Data eXchange Format) and the GIS systems of SHP (Shapefile) and SHX (Machine Code version of Shapefile). My understanding of these file formats is that you take the file in one software and export and package it as this file, send it over somewhere else, then that software decodes the items inside and basically has a set of spatial points and visual graphic data that you can then work from so you are not doing the files from scratch.

The chapter goes on to indicate various types of ways that we use this interoperability - private & public - and specific scenarios of what warrants what and details on how the process is done and who (groups & agencies) is interested in the furtherance of these file exchange formats and what the fture might be for this after 2007.

Further Explanations:

I just wanted to look in to and point out a few more details that the authors bring up, a system that I was not familiar with: IFC (Industry Foundation Classes). I wanted to find additional information beyond what is presented in the text because I did not understand what it is, what purpose it serves, and how to use it.

From the AutoDesk Revit Forum:

IFC is an open and neutral file format maintained by buildingSMART. It is ISO certified which means it meets international standards and is considered a standard interoperability system. Files in one system can be saved and exported in to the IFC file format (.ifc, .ifcXML, .ifcZIP) and then imported and "translated" into the next system, whether that is for an analysis program use or to send to a different company with different software.

We are familiar with Revit's library of things (walls, property definitions, thickness, height, attributes) and that is the type of information that an IFC stores so information, time, and quality can be preserved in all stages of a project.

Additional Thoughts & Comments:

Wrapping up this blog post - this Chapter is a little bit out dated - in 10 years a lot can happen in the BIM world and has in the computer world. AutoCAD, Revit, Bentley, and GIS Software have gained traction so much that non engineers are utilizing them for their everyday projects. Interoperability in this day and age is crucial and it will continue to get better. Talking with the industry professionals during my co-op interviews - they have seen Revit in the industry for the whole time that it was there and the compatibility that they have seen between the software has really multiplied lately. Maybe in our lifetimes the systems will become seamless and all systems will be able to read each other or maybe I am just dreaming.

Comments for Other Students:

Peter Dannemann - Chapter 4: I wanted to read your post so that I could learn more about Chapter 4 which comes right after what I was reading on compatibility of files between BIM software and methods. It brings up a great point about its accessibility and use as a tool for everyone, not just the designer. How can we expect other people to understand what they are paying for or spending on their energy or how structurally deficient something is without showing it to them - they can keep inventory on all things related to their buildings - no matter what kind of position, company, or personal scenario that gives way to using BIM tools. 

Drew Hovey - Chapter 2: Your chapter in the book is interesting in that it explains what BIM is and the different uses for it - mine explained the file sharing and data storage so I was confused what other types of data might be stored but after reading your summary regarding parametric modeling, I understand that there is much much more to these models than just a shape file that I was mostly used to from my co-op. I think utilizing these simulations is very important to get ideas of energy costs since we are so focused on sustainability (as we should be). I wonder if they can be or already are integrated with the codes so that the systems can be checked that way in an operational point of view. I feel like a lot of buildings claim energy consumption is down while they are being designed but I want to see buildings that are actually operated that way with the data to show it. I think that is where BIM can go in the immediate future. (Sorry if that was a tangent). 

Nick Pawlikowski - Chapter 3: I like that even though we read the same chapter, our takeaways are different. I think the proprietary programs do have a place in this industry because it cannot all be open source translators - specific companies need to have their own controls to do these translations and interoperability to what they might want to import in their own programs. I unfortunately don't see the future of XML based review but maybe for specific aspects of this industry it is possible to expand on that. I completely agree with you that management of these files is going to be the most challenging part in the next couple of years.