14 Lessons in ArchiCAD Training Course - Arabic

Good news! The complete ArchiCAD Training Course in Arabic  is finally out!

A lot of people have been waiting for ArchiCAD training course in Arabic so now you can indulge yourself in BIMES’ localized online training course, with 14 lessons to learn from.

Thanks to Fady from our Cairo office who is a proven and excellent BIM user and also now a Voice Talent! :)

You can access the full online training here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjb4WesQ5TxRpxW9vXevODJ_XEhBYV7ta

Or how about starting your first Lesson now?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOqpdGkcmEM

Please leave a comment and let us know how you are doing! If you liked these lessons, give us a hand and share it to your friends and colleagues.

BTW, stay connected with BIMES!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIMEngineeringSolutions  
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BIMESmarketing

BlogSpot:  http://bimes-bim.blogspot.ae/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/bimesmena

Enjoy!

BIMES Team

Wanted! Experienced Architects with ArchiCAD Knowledge

Hi All,

image from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Other Business Concepts And Ideas

We are looking for a talented, ambitious, motivated, Architect to join an up and coming Dubai based Design Practice. A unique opportunity to work on small/medium sized exciting projects in an enthusiastic  yet "Zen" working environment.

Job description and requirements are available below. Please email us on archicadme@bimes.com if you are interested.

Expertise and Skills: 

Education: B. Arch, M.Arch or B.Sc in Architecture (minimum 5 to 6 years of university study)

Experience: Minimum 3-5 years post graduate experience

Experience with International Companies required

Design Experience required

Creative and Passionate about design. 

Skills: Ability to work independently as well as part of a team

Reasonable knowledge of the following software: Archicad (Graphisoft) , Photoshop, InDesign and MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint and any 3D software.

Affiliations: Member of UAE Society of Engineers (or Eligible for Membership) is a must 

Position Available: Immediately

Have a wonderful week ahead!

BIMES Team

www.bimes.com

How to define LOD?

We recently had a meeting in which everybody agreed that LOD 300 is the Design Model with Precise Geometry.

But that was the only agreement:)

I am not even talking about Level of Detail. Engineers from the same organization could not agree on if certain element is counted as architectural or structural.

Sounds funny but everybody has their point of view and they all makes sense to them.

In these situations, a generic LOD definition is the invitation for trouble. Every single person in the room will have a different expectation from the model.

What is the solution?

Make an inclusion list!

You can use AIA E202 document.

AIA E202

• List the elements that will be modeled.
• Define to what detail it will be modeled.

Sometimes, we even simplify it.

Element name and remark describing the data assigned to it.

It will save you from a lot of problems in the future.

Life is this simple!

Enjoy your day!

Diyane Koseoglu
www.bimes.com

Why do you need a BIM Execution Plan?

Are you an experienced BIM user?

Are you very new to BIM?

Is this your first in-house BIM Project?

Are you outsourcing BIM?

Are you a BIM Service Provider?

Whoever you are, you need a BIM Execution plan to successfully use BIM in a complex project.

WHY?

1 - CLEAR COMMUNICATION
At the moment, there is a huge gap between people's BIM knowledge within the same project. For example, when you say IFC (Industry Foundation Classs) file, another construction professional can understand "Issued For Construction". You might continue talking about it for minutes without noticing those are totally different things. Don't tell me "Noooo!". I saw it a couple of times already:)

This can happen even between BIM User with expertise on different software. The word "parametric" may not ave the same definition.

SO,
- Create a BIM Execution plan which defines the terms and everyone agrees with it.

2 -  BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WORKFLOW
It is very difficult to foresee challenges before you face it. For example, when I first started cooking, I used to get recipes from my mom. She used to give me the ingredients and almost no detailed instructions because for her it was extremely obvious that I need to first put oil, than onions then x, than x etc. Unfortunately it wasn't that clear for me so I used to end up with uncooked zucchinis and overcooked eggplants:)
It is very similar to our situation with BIM. For you it might be crystal clear that you don't need to wait for the model to be completed to start with 4D but what about the gentleman sitting next to you?

SO, 
Clearly explain the workflow in the BIM Execution plan and also define the responsibilities.

3 - BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHALLANGES
A recent example from my own work. For a small presentation, we were supposed to create a small model and show the workflow. We decided on the software to be used for each discipline but since we were in rush, we did not create a BIM Execution plan which asks you the software version to be used.
Well, after a couple of hours work, we noticed that a colleague has recently upgraded to the latest version which is not compatible with  the 4D software. As a result we ended up spending our valuable time on converting the structural model to the older version so that we could integrate with the rest of the system.
We are in dayd-to day BIM business and even we make mistakes if we do not plan in advance and communicate it very well amongst the team. Can you imagine if this was not a small presentation but an actual project and you have contractor, consultant, owner and subcontractors involved. The mess would be significant!

SO,
Go into details and indicate software names, version, input and output file types etc.

4 - BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF INPUT - OUTPUT RELATION

Allright! I know everyone understands what input is required for what output! But the key is timing!
I have noticed that many new BIMers do not  understand that the majority of the input is required at the early stage of building a BIM Model. Therefore we clearly state the date we need each data.

SO,
Clearly define what do you need to deliver what is required and do not forgot to mention when do you need it.

Well, this list can continue but I am running out of time I allocated for this post:) Don't worry! I will give you a link where you can learn more about how to prepare your BIM Execution Plan.

http://bim.psu.edu/Project/default.aspx

Enjoy!

Diyane Koseoglu
www.bimes.com

ArchiCAD Training in Arabic - Layer Settings & Control Box

Hi All!

We had a 3 days weekend and today we are back at the office! Well, a long weekend was very much needed since we have been quite busy lately.

Of course there is a down side of a long weekend. I have around 3 million emails waiting for me to reply. Therefore I don't have much to write today.

I am very lucky though:) My hardworking colleague Fady, recorded some more training videos in Arabic. Today we will be sharing a 26 minutes video about "Layer Settings and Control Box".

Enjoy!
Fady Londy
Diyane Koseoglu
www.bimes.com

ArchiCAD Trainings in Arabic!

Good Afternoon All!

I have very great news for you!

Our Cairo office has been busy with creating ArchiCAD training materials in ARABIC! I know almost everyone speaks English in the Middle East but learning ArchiCAD in your native language is a lot better:)

Before sharing it with you, I would like to thank Fady Londy for the great work!

Today we are posting 2 videos and new ones will come everyday...

Enjoy!
Diyane Koseoglu
Fady Londy
www.bimes.com

What Makes a Good Estimating Model?

What makes a good estimating model?

It depends on the phase! A good estimating model in design phase or pre-construction phase?

Since BIMES is mostly involved in pre-construction phase, I would like to focus on this in this post:

1 - Model according to means and methods of construction:
The most important thing is doing the model according to the actual means and methods of the construction.   What do I mean?
Well, column height is the best example for this. You can model your columns as a single piece from bottom to top of the project. However in real life, the columns are constructed floor by floor. The right approach is modeling the columns floor by floor the way they are built. The start and end point of a column is also important. Is it from structural slab top to structural slab top or from structural slab top to structural slab bottom? You need to answer these kind of questions beofer starting the project.

2 - Model according to the output required:
You need to understand what output is required from the model before starting. Make sure that you understand it in detail. For instance, the concrete quantities! How to segregate it? Just a floor by floor element quantity might be enough! Or you might have to segregate it as per the concrete grade. Once you understand this, plan which information will be entered to which area? You can sort it by using layers or the custom IFC parameters introduced in ArchiCAD 16.

Image courtesy of adamr / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

3 - What should be modeled? What should NOT be modeled? 
An important decision that depends on 2 main factors:

• Time allocated for modeling
• Future use of the model

For instance, you are modeling for tender which means you have very limited time! So you have to model smartly. For instance you can model the exterior walls conceptually and use the exterior surface area only and make assumptions for the insulation etc. It would work very well if you bid for the project but don't get it:)

However if you get the project, you will have to provides details of the wall skins/sub-components for accurate estimates as well as shop drawings. You might think, I will just replace the wall or increase it's detail level but most of the case, remodeling would be preferred by the modeler.

In another case, if the model will be used only for coordination and quantities then you can work with abstract elements and attach unit costs.

So we usually have a kick off meeting before starting the project to discuss these details and draw a road map. This is very important for a successful and efficient BIM Modeling process.

Diyane Koseoglu
www.bimes.com