dODDS and ENDS

Autodesk Constructware

For the Constructware users in the world I thought I would post some positive news about some recent changes. I am excited to see that Autodesk is continuing to improve Constructware; the 2010 version was just released this Thursday, October 28. The new version features improvements that are the direct result of working with customers to enable better access to data while strengthening workflows used by project teams to more smoothly integrate business processes of a project. Some of the features include:

Data Accessibility and Reporting Enhancements

Constructware 2010 offers reporting and data access improvements to help retrieve meaningful data while maintaining the integrity of project information. Key enhancements include:

• Reporting Data Download - Constructware 2010 users can now subscribe to a periodic update of their reporting data, packaged and easily downloaded.
• Bundled Reports - This new capability makes it possible to bundle reports into one convenient package.

Interoperability Enhancements

A hallmark feature of Autodesk Constructware is the flexibility to view, mark up and upload not only Autodesk file formats, but also other CAD files and office documents. Constructware 2010 continues this tradition by offering owners and contractors more options to configure the software to better fit their specific business needs, including an upgraded viewing component that now supports AutoCAD 2009 files and the latest formats produced by other design tools in the market.

Usability and Flexibility Enhancements

• User Interface Configuration - Allows customers to configure more module and field names to match their business requirements.
• Administrative Flexibility - New features make it easier to administer users and site configuration.

Product and Operating System Enhancements:

Constructware is now fully supported in Vista, Internet Explorer 8 as well as the newly released Windows 7

For additional information on the press release as well as other information, try these links for further info.
http://www.tenlinks.com/news/PR/AUTODESK/102809_constructware_2010.htm
http://www.constructech.com/news/articles/article.aspx?article_id=8024

Attitude or Technology?

I wrote in an earlier post about some tools and ideas for how to really get started with BIM, but I think on key element that was missing was talking about the importance of attitude over technology. So something dawned on me a few months ago and I was further convinced this past week with a presentation from John Tocci Jr. Attitude may be more important than technology...

Now before anyone gets all worried, I am not prepared to renounce my love for technology. I still believe that technology is one of the keys to moving forward and staying ahead of the tightening grip of schedules and budgets.

So sure you can run out and buy a copy of any BIM technology, stick it on your business card that your firm is now BIM enabled, then toss someone in the corner and tell them to go go go in their little silo. You can then hope that this person or team gets everything right and on their own and tries to promote it back out to the masses eventually. But do you see a winning attitude there? Not really, it’s what’s referred to as "lonely" BIM and does not foster positive expansion. You could also throw a mighty tablet of BIM Standards down on the masses and mandate BIM in your organization, but that is not going to make anyone happy now it is? Running to the computer store to purchase all new hardware and new “toys” makes for some happy people for a few weeks (because it’s like Christmas come early) but it still may not be enough to make BIM successful.

When I have seen BIM properly integrated into an organization (construction, architecture, interiors, or basket weaving) it was because of the attitudes of those involved in the project. They tended to look at things with an open mind, open ideas, and willingness to listen and learn from everyone around them. BIM is truly a social and collaborative engagement. Those that have succeeded choose not to focus solely on the Technology but about the process that were going to be put into place and how they were going to communicate. They trusted that the technology was going to do its job and that the people could be trained or mentored as needed. Technology was not the thing that held them back. Sure it was the single item that brought everyone to the table and started the conversations but it was the attitude of everyone involved that propelled the project forward and allowed them to collaborate about how things would be done.

When you’re starting to bring BIM tools (Revit, Navis, QTO, Civil 3D, ect.) into the company and engaging on your first project. Stop and consider the people that you’re going to have, your “fastest CAD” user might not be the right choice for a BIM team. Anyone ever see the 3rd Indiana Jones Movie? Remember the scene where he is about the pick the grail and the knight tells him to "choose wisely"? Well this is kind of like that. Choose the right group to approach things with a positive attitude and your technology with be successful...

QTO and Windows 7 ADOX Error

I wanted to get this fix out before Windows 7 was even released to the masses. QTO has a small error that prevents the ATO file from opening. Easy to fix!

 
The ADOX file is needed to run a VBA application for Vista and XP, but one does not exist yet for Windows 7 in the installer for QTO. So I just grabbed the one from Vista and added it to the program and everything is warm and fuzzy now!

Here are the steps I used:

1. Make Sure QTO is closed
2. Locate the following path\file on the install DVD: \x86\Autodesk\QTO\Vista\ADOX.DLL
3. Copy the ADOX.DLL file to the installed QTO use directory: C:\Program Files (x86)\Autodesk\Autodesk Quantity Takeoff 2010 (you will need ADMIN rights for this)
4. Restart QTO and open any ATO file or create a new file. The program should perform as required

Happy QTO'ing

BIM Main Stage and 4 QTO Presentations

What a long yet interesting week it has been. Kevin and I have spent the better part of the week in Tunica, MS, about an hour outside of Memphis. The location in itself was pretty interesting. Once you get over the fact that the hotel is a mile away from the casio and that the casio is actually a barge with a moat around it (I kept looking for the dragon). They have some strange rule in MS about casinos cannot be on land, go figure. Although that was not as interesting as when we were in the Kansas City Airport and kept seeing the t-shirt that read "Nothing Tips Like a Cow"

The event was the MC2 users conference with about 150ish general contractors, subs, estimators, and owners in attendance. We found ourselves in the midst of a BIM for Construction Main stage presentation where we talked a great deal about the need to share data and move out from the individual silos into sharing more information (see We All Work for the Project). Great conversations! That evolved into apparent intent that contractors are truly interested in sharing the data and actually protecting the designs (which in contrast the AE's think they are out to beg, borrow and steal instead). Its about trusting the information provided, leveraging our professional skills, and communicating unselfishly

Who would have ever thought that group a estimators would be so excited about the value of BIM and what information could be shared for the betterment of a project. After the BIM for Construction presentations we spent the rest of two days presenting QTO at various times to different groups. These guys really challenged us and the very idea of extracting and sharing information out of a model. For them it was about how far could they could drive the information, they really searched and we think found the value of the "I" in BIM.

Every building really does have it price! For Kevin and I, the reward this week was being challenged by this group. I think we were able to learn as much from them as they were from us. Honestly, this group may have been one of the most engaging and forward thinking we have had the privilege of presenting to date! Thanks for having us MC2, looking forward the relationship goes.

QTO and MC2 ICE Integration

Finally, the integration with MC2 ICE Estimation is here!

I was out in Tunica, MS this week attending the annual MC2 users conference and they gave me the OK to release the details on the QTO to ICE integration. So for those of you who have been asking me when its going to get here your wait is finally over.

Now the next question, how do you get it. The best route is to contact MC2 Support and they will be able to give you the required downloads and point you in the right direction.

More to come on the MC2 event later!!!

Getting Started with BIM in Construction

This may very well be the number 1 question I get asked every week. So I would like to offer a brief bit of insight into getting started with BIM. I personally find for every organization its different. It could be as simple as starting with Model Coordination, Building Quantification or Clash Detection. What I think is important is to understand the needs of the organization, create a plan and know where you want to go. then figure out how to get there.

Art Theusch from Chrisman Construction says “BIM will not magically build the building for you, BIM is only as powerful as the people and processes that you apply to the tools.  The tools are exciting and powerful, and in simple terms they enhance your ability to communicate to your team.  No matter how well you think you know the building it is impossible to visualize the project from 2D plans.  Countless times I have been able to communicate the heart of an issue when I can tell the story in 3D.  

“The easiest way to get started is in 3D coordination, the required skill sets can be taught with the proper training and the benefits far out weight the cost.  You don’t need to have a team of CAD users to break into the BIM world.  If your company does not have the ideal person on staff, one option is to hire a consultant to walk with you through your first BIM project.  Once you have been lead through this process once, then you will have a better idea of the skills your team needs to lead on the next project.”

Kevin Miller from BYU has this to add "The tools for estimating from the BIM model have developed enough to where estimators can work in both the 3D and 2D worlds allowing the estimator to perform a complete takeoff in this hybrid environment."

Laura Handler Virtual Construction Manager with Tocci Building has these bits of advice to offer:

"Leverage relationships with architects. Develop relationships with architects. Never mind that BIM is collaborative so it just makes sense; it is actually easier to implement BIM on a project if the architect is 'on your team"

"Pair technical excited entry levels (and pick the right one..young doesn’t not equal right for your first BIM project) with experienced superintendents and PMs"

"Everyone says this, but pick your first project carefully. Pick something that will succeed so that people will want to do more BIM. Pick how you’re going to use BIM carefully.  Don’t try to do everything (you will fail, if you do). They call clash detection low hanging fruit for a reason."

"Apply the principles of change management to getting into BIM. Take a class or read a book to really understand change management in general. Understand and accept that you are going to make a significant change to the way you to do business."

And finally I would like to offer this bit of advice to:

• Do your research and understand what solutions best fit your needs
• Create a plan, strategy, and someone to lead it - identify a project to implement your plan on
• Identify the "low hanging" fruit for your company and start there (Navisworks or maybe QTO)
• Attend events like the ACG BIMFORUM (www.bimforum.org)
• Find local BIM\Revit User Groups
• Invite your Ecosystem to participate (subs, architects, engineers)
• Talk to your peers
• Don't be afraid to get help

We All Work For The Project...

This past week, at the Vella Systems Customer Advisory Board in Boston, Laura Handler from Tocci put up a very simple slide at the end of her presentation. And it read:

"We All Work For The Project"

Hmm... I have to say that I was impacted by this slide and it has really made me spend the day thinking about what this means not just to me, but to the business of construction, and to everyone involved. I think that this single statement is true in many ways and I wonder if many project teams have lost sight of this.

Go back to my earlier post about Contractors Building Models. If we all truly had the goal of working for the project in mind, then would we be more willing to share models more freely across an extended design team? Then take that one step further and think about sharing the Information from the Model and "playing nicely" through out the project. I think if we all had a common goal of "working for the project" then we could solve some of the challenges that we still face and share the downstream information that our projects (and models) can yield.

In the end, who do you work for on your projects? Take a moment and reflect on the value of this simple statement and decide what it means to you: "We All Work For The Project"

Contractors Building Models?

Finally, my favorite time of the year is here! The heat of summer is starting to wane and that means no more sweating to death out on the golf course or on the Harley! But even more important is NFL and college football are finally back in full swing after a 7 month hiatus! Go Steelers, Georgia, and Clemson (feel free to admonish or cheer along as needed).

But I digress.

Driving back from Pennsylvania this past week I saw a bumper sticker on a really spiffy sports car that read: “Get in, Sit Down, Shut up and Hang On!” (if you have ever been on a jobsite, this is how it seems sometimes) And I was reminded of something; that many contractors (CG and subs) are determined to embrace BIM regardless of whether or not they are getting a model from the Architect or Engineer… That's something I have always admired about contractors, the ability to get something done. I mean Architects and Engineers do task contractors with figuring out how to construct a building after all.

Over the last year or so many construction companies have been kind enough to allow me to come in and learn a little about them. They range from being experts at BIM to just getting started on the adventure. But there was one thing that rings clear, when the AE’s do not provide a model (and this is by no means the ideal way to work or happens in every case, but it does happen) the contractor finds a way to model the items needed for coordination. They may do this by working though the necessary subs, or completing the work themselves.

So why does the contractor do this? Its because of the enormous value in having a model. They use it to identify possible areas of conflict in a building and then solve those problems long before they happen; saving time and money during the construction process. They are also interested in the creating a model to understand building quantities earlier to analyze potential cost impacts differently. Of course let’s not forget another good reason: models look good and make for a great marketing tool.

I write this because I often get this question from the contractors that I visit: What can they do to improve communication with the AE community to obtain models? (Other than legal of course, let’s leave those at the door). Here are a few things to consider and comments welcome of course:

• So I am going to ask the construction community if you would share a few success stories. What can the contractor do to facilitate communication?
• What does the AE want from the contractor in return?
• If you are an AE, do you have concerns/issues to have sharing the model?  

Navisworks 2010 Service Pack 1

Just released Service Pack for Navisworks: Click the below link for download information.

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=13861499&linkID=10382102

Here are a few of the items that the Service Pack 1 improved:

Clash Detective. Camera now transitions more smoothly between clash results.

Object Animation.When adding a keyframe to the end of an animation the object movement now remains consistent.

Comments window. TheID column in the Comments window is now labeled Comment ID.

Hyperlinks and Smart Tags. Autodesk Navisworks now remembers Hyperlinks and SmartTags visibility settings between sessions. New Show Hyperlinks and Show SmartTags options have been added to the Options Editor (Interface node). 

Sectioning. The section bar slider now maintains correct settings when user switches between viewpoints.

Collaboration. When using the collaborate function all window states now remain consistent.

AutoCAD Interoperability.

AutoCAD elements are now correctly displayed on the Properties tab of the Selection Tree window.
Installing Autodesk Navisworks 2010 no longer causes issues with AutoCAD VBA customizations.  

Inventor Interoperability.

You can now view Inventor 'surface models' in Autodesk Navisworks.
IFC Interoperability. Improved support for IFC 2X2 files.
Missing components and misplaced Geometry issues are now resolved.  

Revit Interoperability.

Structural usage text designated in Revit is now displayed in Autodesk Navisworks.
Window and door openings are now supported when exporting NWC files from Revit.
Revit models modelled in mm now appear the correct size in Autodesk Naviswork

QTO 3D Model Display Error - Solved!!!

Seems some of us have experienced problems where the 3D model just does not want to display in QTO, everything works fine, just does not want to the model.... But now a solution to getting things to work.

Thanks to Mark Hadwen on the QTO team for finding the solution. Here is what he has to say:

I figured out what is causing the 3D graphics issue with QTO 2010.   As previously known, some graphics cards do not work in 3D mode in QTO with hardware acceleration turned on.

It seems that QTO and Design Review share the same registry switch for the model driver selection.   So when you select “Direct3D” as your model driver for Design Review it turns it on for QTO which causes the problem.   If “Direct3D” is selected as the View Settings for the model driver in Design Review, Deselecting “Enable Hardware Acceleration” in QTO does not turn hardware acceleration off.

To fix this, open the options dialog for Design Review, in the Model tab, in the View Settings section set the Driver to “OpenGL” or “Software (OpenGL)”.

The next time you open a 3D Dwf in Design review and “Direct3D”  is not being used a message appears:

“Direct X Driver Found, Autodesk Design Review has detected the presence of the DirectX graphic drivers on this system.  Would you like to switch to DirectX to take advantage of better 3D model performance?”

Select “Do not show this message again” and select the cancel button.

I have tested this both in Vista 64bit as well as XP 32bit and it appears to work in both. Thanks again Mark!