In the ever-changing landscape of modern design and construction, building information modeling (BIM) has proved to be a pivotal technology that has transformed how buildings are designed.
However, many would argue that the most significant benefit of BIM is its ability to create a digital framework that can unite the different construction trades, minimize errors, and guarantee that no time is wasted during the project’s construction phase. This process is known as BIM coordination.
Key Components of BIM Coordination
BIM coordination is about much more than simply creating a data-filled 3d model of a project. Instead, it is a way to use BIM information to bring all involved stakeholders onto the same page and streamline the design and construction process. Effective BIM coordination relies on four key components: detailed BIM models, accessible information, collaboration, and trade integration.
Detailed BIM Models: 3D models used for BIM collaboration are more than just a visual representation of a project’s physical appearance. Effective models provide a platform for shared information about a building’s conditions before and after it is built, paving the way for the next crucial component, accessible information.
Accessible information: Whether it is an investor, safety manager, or a trade overseer when everyone involved has access to functional information about a building project, it facilitates communication among the different construction disciplines and allows for better organization and shorter overall project completion times.
Collaboration: The ability to meet project deadlines depends heavily on minimizing “construction downtime.” Or, in other words, ensuring no time is wasted. For specific trades, like plumbing and electrical, workers can only begin their jobs after the excavation and structural workers have finished theirs. BIM collaboration allows every trade overseer to monitor the project progression and collaborate with other teams to plan the perfect moment to begin their work without causing issues with other trades or wasting precious time.
Trade Integration: Sometimes, when various independent teams are working on a facility, issues may arise, costing funds and valuable time. For this reason, integrating all construction trades into a single BIM model is essential. Modern 3D modeling software programs feature cutting-edge clash detection systems that predict and alert engineers, construction workers, and project managers if problems exist between different disciplines.
BIM Coordination Process: A Step-by-Step Guide
A successful BIM coordination plan should be structured and organized. The following sequence can benefit engineers and builders before, during, and after construction.
Step 1: Pre-Construction Planning
In the pre-construction phase of a project, the main goal is to determine the scope of the project, as well as budget caps, project parameters, and potential challenges that may arise over the course of the construction phases. Conceptual designs are typically created in the pre-construction phase to provide a platform that facilitates BIM coordination.
Step 2: BIM Modeling and Team Integration
Once a basic 3D model is created, engineers from the different construction disciplines can begin to collaborate on converting the design from a conceptual idea into a functional model that will provide all the information needed to start construction. Each trade can “fill in the blanks” until a single unified model exists.
Step 3: Clash Identification and Resolution
Once the model used for BIM collaboration is complete, clash identification can begin. In this phase, the engineers in their respective trades will meet to discuss any clashes identified within their designs and work out a plan to resolve them cost-effectively.
Step 4: Construction
After the BIM Model is finalized, construction can begin. As the building project advances, construction is added to the model in real-time to help stakeholders keep track of budgets and deadlines.
Step 5: Operation and Maintenance
The usefulness of BIM coordination doesn’t end once construction comes to a close. An active BIM model is a valuable resource to facility managers, giving them insight into a building’s health. Real-time data provided by on-site sensors can help determine the perfect moment for building system maintenance, renovation, and replacement.
Tools and Technologies for Effective BIM Coordination
The effectiveness of BIM coordination relies heavily on the tools and technologies utilized in its processes. While successful BIM collaboration can be carried out with minimal software, dedicating additional resources to optional BIM tools like virtual reality (VR) yields greater results in many cases.
BIM Software – A capable BIM modeling software is the beating heart of successful coordination. Autodesk Revit is the industry standard. However, programs like McNeel Rhinoceros and Graphisoft Archicad deliver powerful design features at a more accessible price point.
Cloud-Based Collaboration Platforms – A cloud-based collaboration platform is the second piece of the coordination puzzle. These programs facilitate communication regarding specific aspects of a project. Naturally, pairing a cloud-based collaboration platform with BIM software from the same company is the most effective. However, independent software programs are also available.Autodesk BIM Collaborate and Trimble Connect are two of the most popular coordination tools among engineering and construction firms.
AR and VR Tools – While AR (augmented reality) and VR tools are not essential to effective BIM collaboration, they provide a high-tech method to ensure all stakeholders are on the same page regarding project expectations. Many AR and VR programs, like Enscape, can be seamlessly integrated into BIM software, facilitating a new level of collaboration.
Benefits of Implementing BIM Coordination in Construction
Successfully implementing BIM coordination requires time, money, and resources. However, in most cases, the benefits greatly outweigh the initial investment. Among many others, some of the benefits that come with BIM coordination include:
Improved Construction Efficiency: The communication resulting from implementing BIM coordination leads to smoother workflows and fewer construction errors.
Higher Quality Buildings: When everyone on an engineering and construction team is on the same page with design principles and project details, the overall quality of the structure increases.
Enhanced Sustainability and Facility Performance: BIM can help ensure that buildings meet current ISO Standards and are utilized in the most energy-efficient way possible, leading to cleaner and more sustainable Facilities.
Reduced Delays and Overall Costs: Identifying and correcting clashes before the construction phase helps avoid unnecessary setbacks and the waste of allocated funds.
Enscape 4.0 is here! It marks a significant leap forward in real-time rendering and visualization, emphasizing a unified user experience across different platforms, notably including macOS alongside Windows for the first time.
This version is described as laying the groundwork for future developments with a reworked codebase that enhances performance and stability. The new Enscape version also introduces tighter integration within the Chaos ecosystem, allowing for more cohesive development across operating systems.
What is the latest version and features of Enscape 4.0?
New people & animated vegetation assets
One of the standout features of Enscape 4.0 is its extensive array of new assets, including people and animated vegetation, which enrich the realism and vibrancy of visualizations.
NVIDIA Denoiser for capture exports
The introduction of the NVIDIA Denoiser for capture exports significantly improves image quality, especially in settings with minimal direct light. For Windows users, there are beta features like ray-traced artificial lights, which produce more accurate lighting effects, and improvements in reflections and global illumination for hardware that supports ray tracing.
Timeline Animations
For those working in collaborative environments, Enscape 4.0 introduces new tools designed to streamline workflows and enhance communication between designers, architects, and clients. Features such as Timeline animations and enhanced commenting tools facilitate real-time feedback and more efficient project development cycles.
NVIDIA Denoiser for capture exports
Further underlining its commitment to real-time rendering, Enscape 4.0 brings notable improvements in rendering speed and visual fidelity, offering more realistic materials and advanced lighting effects. This update ensures faster render times and stunningly immersive visualizations that capture the essence of the designers’ intent.
Denoiser off/on
Denoiser off/on
New VR headset support
Moreover, Enscape 4.0 expands its VR capabilities with official support for new VR headsets like the Meta Quest 3 and HTC Vive Pro 2, promising faster loading speeds and crisper details in virtual reality experiences. The update also includes a UI reskin, support for Rhino version 8.3 or later, and optimizations for Revit Worksharing, improving the user experience for Revit users working on shared models.
Lastly, Enscape 4.0 enhances interoperability within the Chaos ecosystem through the introduction of V-Ray Scene Exporter. This feature allows for seamless data transfer to V-Ray and other design applications, strengthening the workflow connection between Enscape and other tools used by design professionals.
Enscape 4.0 represents a comprehensive update aimed at improving the efficiency, quality, and accessibility of real-time rendering for architects and designers. Its focus on multi-platform support, enhanced assets, improved rendering capabilities, and streamlined collaboration tools sets a new standard for visualization software in the architectural and design industries.
Interested in learning more? Contact enscape@microsolresources.com to get connected with our architectural visualization and Enscape specialists.
We’re about to awake to a new dawn in visualization, where exciting tools and technologies will allow everyone to create anything they can imagine without limitations. Technology enables visualizing spaces and rendering architectural models in immersive environments, utilizing augmented reality to create three-dimensional objects within a real space, and creating a VR walkthrough based on your BIM data.
Microsol Resources a Chaos Gold Partner and a premier provider of technology solutions to the design industry, will host Chaos Unboxed in New York on April 17, 2024, at the CUNY Graduate Center to learn what’s new, where the industry is heading, and how Chaos tools can help you visualize and explore the future of architectural visualization.
ArchViz Workshop
When: Wednesday, April 17, 2024 | 1 to 5 pm Where: CUNY Graduate Center, Concourse Level – Room C, 34th Street & 5th Avenue, New York
Loaded with exclusive educational content by Nikos Nikolopoulos, Founder and Creative Director of Creative Lighting, this workshop will help you master architectural visualization and lighting by leveraging both the wisdom of Creative Lighting’s philosophy and the cutting-edge technology of Chaos software. Join this workshop to explore:
Composition and storytelling
Advanced techniques for realistic lighting
Exterior lighting strategies for Archviz
Mastering the color palette
This is not a hands-on workshop, no equipment will be needed. The workshop is accredited by the AIA for 3.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
“We are thrilled to be able to bring Chaos Unboxed to New York for the first time and as part of the series of Chaos Unboxed events worldwide and to discuss the future of architectural visualization.” says Emilio Krausz, President of Microsol Resources. “We are excited to hear from leading architectural visualization experts how they incorporate AI with advanced 3D modeling and animation software to produce immersive experiences such as virtual and augmented reality,” added Mr. Krausz.
Chaos Unboxed: The Future of Visualization
When: Wednesday, April 17, 2024 | 5 to 8 pm Where: CUNY Graduate Center, Proshansky Auditorium, 34th Street & 5th Avenue, New York
Join us for the wine and beer reception from 5 to 6 pm. Then, hear the architectural visualization presentations from 6 to 8 pm.
Agenda Highlights for Chaos Unboxed
We will hear from these architectural visualization experts and hear how they enhance real-time visualization workflows, bringing complexity and realism to their designs.
Mengyi Fan, Director of Visualization | SHoP Architects
Daniel Cashen, Associate Principal | SOM
James Falconer, Managing Director | The Boundary
Luis Inciarte, Founder & Director | Narrativ
AI (artificial intelligence) rendering is making waves in the world of architecture. Our discussions at this event will explore ways to understand how this new technology has the potential to change architecture visualization as we know it. Is it a threat to avoid or an opportunity to pursue?
We will also hear the product roadmap directly from the Chaos product team. You can learn first about the latest V-Ray and Enscape features, ensuring seamless workflows, cloud collaboration, and their real-time building performance module.
Dan Monaghan, Regional Head | Chaos
Roderick Bates, Director of Corporate Development | Chaos
Ivan Kozaliev, Presales & CGI Specialist | Chaos
Sign up and reserve your seat and be the first to know what’s next in visualization. Chaos Unboxed presentations is accredited by the AIA for 2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
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