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

EcoDesigner Online Seminar, 29 January 2013

We all know both BIM and Sustainability are the super hot topics at the moment.

Now, think of a seminar you spend only one hour and learn about both! Very efficient, isn't it? :))

EcoDesigner Online Seminar!

Graphisoft will present EcoDesigner Star building Energy Modeling Solution. (Please notice it is not "EcoDesigner". It is his big brother "EcoDesigner Star". )

EcoDesigner Star enables architects to use ArchiCAD's building information model (BIM) directly as a building energy model (BEM). This ensures streamlined collaboration between designers and energy consultants. Furthermore, EcoDesigner Star offers standard-compliant energy analyses on the BEM and produces a detailed building performance report, all within the familiar ArchiCAD design environment.

Here comes a "funny" teaser.

The seminar will be on the 29 January 2013, Tuesday at
17:00 - 18:00 Dubai Time
16:00 - 17:00 Kuwait, Jeddah, Doha Time
16:00 - 16:00 Cairo Time

You can register from here.

Have a great day!

Diyane Koseoglu
www.bimes.com

BIM Forum at Heriot Watt University

I attended a BIM Forum at Heriot Watt University, Dubai Campus few weeks ago.

Let me start conveying my experience from the very beginning.

How I went there?

Well, the campus is located in Dubai Academic City area. An amazing location for universities. It's very easy to go there.

Image courtesy of bplanet / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Start driving on Emirates Road... Once you feel like you are completely lost and you will die soon and nobody will find even your body in the desert, it means you are few kilometers away from the Academic City:))

Taking this trip at night will increase the "thriller" effect with the help of dim street lights. The only missing item was the music however I handled it with the help of my GPS. My dear friend GPS lady constantly signed the song of "recalculating" which absulately worked much better than any other thriller music.

Here I have to admit, I don't have the best sense of direction:)) So there might be some exaggeration on the sentences above:)))

Anyway, after getting lost 38 times, I found the campus.

Let me share the agenda with you.

All the presentations were quite nice and informative but Dr. Ahmet Citipitioglu's and David J. Carey's really caught my attention.

Dr. Ahmet Citipitioglu is the structural design coordinator for TAV. Well Here I need to open a paranthesis and give more information about TAV. It's a Turkish company focusing mainly on Airport Project. They not only built but also operate. For instance, Ataturk Airport (Istanbul) is currently being operated by TAV and works like a perfect machine. They have recently been awarded the Abu Dhabi Airport Project which is "the project" of the region. TAV is in JV with CCC and Arabtec in this project. Himm, I think it's enough of information for now and I can close the parenthesis now:) 

Dr. Ahmet Citipitioglu, Structural Design Coordinator, TAV

 

Dr. Ahmet's presentation was mainly about their strategy on managing the BIM aspect of the airport project. The most striking figure was the BIM Budget. 

25 Million USD! Initial team of 30!

This is the biggest BIM budget I heard so far. I would love to see another presentation upon completing the project:)

David J. Carey, General Manager, National Services and Facilities Management LLC

The next one is David J. Carey. He is the GM of an FM company called National Services and Facilities Management LLC and as you can imagine his presentation was about BIM and IFM (Integrated FM). When his kids used to ask him what does he do, his answer was "he takes care of buildings":)) Quite a clear answer I believe. Leaves no question marks:))

Why I liked his presentation?

1. His presentation skills! He has the "cool" accent and has an interesting sense of humor. Although he makes quite though statements, you can't stop laughing. So it was a fun to listen presentation.
2. He knows his stuff! He has a vast experience of FM and communicates it in a very simple way even people like me who are not very familiar with FM can understand very well.

He also gave some interesting figures. For instance, currently the FM industry alone in the GCC is 6 Billion USD. 4 years ago it was 12 Billion USD!

What does he think about BIM?

Well, he is happy to see that BIM gives a much better platform to architects for visualizing the possible problems their design can cause for FM. Plus, he also likes the idea of storing all the information in a central database like BIM.

So overall, it was a nice conference.

Have a great day!

Diyane Koseoglu

www.bimes.com

ArchiCAD's Zone Tool for your sophisticated BIM needs

As you know, I am a big fan of the BIM Guru, Zolna Murray.

I even have a signed copy of her book and I feel very cool about it :)

She has a new blog post which I loved. She managed to explain the real "value" of the Zone Tool very well.

I have always been aware of the hidden gems in the Zone Tool but whenever I tried to explain it to someone else, I failed.

Here is the a trailer from the post:

The mighty zone tool – poetry in BIM-ming 

I’ve been besotted by ArchiCAD’s ‘zone tool’ lately.

I had not always been a fan of it, early in my career, seriously disliked it even, mainly because of its ugly, big zone-stamp.

That was when I was still working and thinking as an ‘architect’ and the aesthetics of the drawings I produced were high in life’s priorities.

Have grown out of that stage, thank’ goodness and amongst other more crucial things in life, I rediscovered the ‘zone tool’.

Sadly, the stamp is still pretty unattractive, yet the tool behind it is pure magic.

Not only can you use it for dynamic space planning with instantaneous monetary feedback on design decisions, it is a de facto massing tool too, you can track your shapes in 3D.

And not just boxes, but almost any shape, cut and trimmed to suit perfectly.

Should try it out, sometimes!

Other programs have ‘room’ tools, area calculators or slabs for massing.

Virtual clay to carve your virtual buildings out.

Yet, there is so much more to this (so poorly named) ‘zone tool’.

It sits somewhere between the real and the imagined – tangible and abstract even in the digital worlds of fuzzy reality.

It treats the user as an adult professional with sophisticated needs. 

Click here to read the full post 

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

Have a great day!

Diyane Koseoglu

www.bimes.com

What is BIM and What is not BIM?

As you know we have been working as BIM Consultant for some developers and project owners. All of them are prestigious names in the market and almost everyone involved in the project are internationally well-known. I mean they are all BIG BOYS!

When we are all around one table, we are having quite interesting discussions. An in my opinion, the most interesting one is defining what is BIM and what is not!

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

To me BIM Stands for Building Information Modeling and the "I" is the most important letter when you are interested in the complete life cycle of the project.

Why?

Very easy and simple!

 Image courtesy of Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

You are designing a building so you defined the geometry. Next step will be documenting it, right? So the model has to have information that will help contractor to built it. Contractor should add more information to manage his construction efficiently. Time and cost data should be added at this stage.

The above are the butter and bread of the construction work.
But why an owner is interested in BIM?
What attracts an owner most?

According to IFMA, 75% of a building's life cycle cost is spent on operations and maintenance.

So for an owner, having an as-built model which can be used for Facilities Management is the most important thing.

Having said this, if your model is only "B M" and lacking the "I", then how can you use it for FM?

To sum up, please do not put a software into BIM category if it can not store construction information. Some tools are just for modeling and that's the reason they are developed for. 

I just summed up above but suddenly I remembered an old neighbor of us. Their son was absolutely in love with Excel. Actually he was crazy about it.

One day he was showing us why he is so impressed with Excel! He did some tricks in front of us and started to play a video in one of the cells.

Yes, that was interesting but in a very strange way.

Why would a developer spend time to make excel play videos!

That was the first question that came to my mind:)

Have a great day!

Diyane Koseoglu
www.bimes.com

Auto Grid Height Adjustment

Are you tired of seeing the grid marker heads inside the columns and beams?

Well, I used to be!

Thanks to ArchiCAD 15 it is no longer an issue but we thought some of you may not know this little trick so Jothi prepared the video below:

Enjoy!

Jothi Shanmugam
Diyane Koseoglu
www.bimes.com

Build Qatar Live

Have you heard of these crazy competitions!

BIMers team up and they try to design and virtually collborate a project within 48 hours. Non-stop!

Image from BuildQatarLive

Well, in BIM industry it is pretty prestigious competition.

As a person who needs to sleep min 8 hours a day, I highly respect the every and each team member. Yes, not only the ones who win:)

This time the site is located in Qatar and teams from all over the world are invited! It will start on November 27th, Tuesday and will be completed on Thursday!

More information is available from here!

By the way, they are giving out some prizes as well. I think free software etc.

Come on... Register... You can do it:)

10 ways to guarantee BIM failure!

First 9 of them are real case stories that led to failure. 10th has not yet but still very dangerous;)

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

1- Don't hire an experienced BIM Manager.

 

2- Don't train your team properly.

3- Find someone from your organization whose maximum interaction with latest technology is iPhone and make him BIM Manager.

4- Make sure that the above BIM Manager thinks that he knows all about BIM because he attended some seminars and read some case studies.

5- Don't get training and never ever run a small pilot project to fully understand the capabilities of the BIM Tool before making mass number of license. Instead, just rely on vendor's word.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 
6- See the BIM requirement chapter in the tender documents and say "oh well, we will think about it if we get the project".

7- Believe that there is only one "way" to succeed with BIM on each project.

 Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 
8- Believe that having a model only for coordination is BIM and you can produce shop drawing with the traditional method which has nothing to do with BIM. Further more claim this is much cheaper.

9- Prefer ideal workflows to realistic ones.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net 

10- Final and the most important one: Be arrogant to Diyane and irritate her although she is nice, kind and respectful towards you:)


Congratulations! You are ready to fail now:)))

Have a wonderful day without any failures!
Diyane Koseoglu
www.bimes.com

Maybe IFC works better in cold regions, especially under -20 degrees:)

A couple of days ago, I was speaking with one the Graphisoft Product Managers and I mentioned him that IFC is not the most trusted file format in the Middle East.

After this statement of mine, I was expecting a response like this:

"Ohhh I know! It has to be developed further but we are fully dedicated to OPEN BIM and we believe IFC is the future."

But no, that wasn't the answer.

He was pretty much surprised with my statement and he said he was recently visiting large Scandinavian contractors using ArchiCAD and they were extremely happy with IFC.

WOW! Very unexpected answer!

Since then I have been trying to find a good answer why IFC has totally different reputation in the Middle East and Scandinavian countries. Following are the possibilities I could think of:

• Maybe it's easier to manage IFC files on smaller projects.
• Maybe Scandinavians are more experienced with BIM.
• Maybe Scandinavians has lower expectations from IFC and they are happy with whatever they get:)
• Maybe IFC works better in cold regions, especially under -20 degrees:)

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 Puff! I really don't know!

Have a great Sunday!
Diyane Koseoglu
www.bimes.com

Why large contractors are switching from other BIM Tools to ArchiCAD?

Recently there is a new trend which is quite interesting.

Large contractors are switching from other BIM Tools to ArchiCAD.

Common things with these contractors are:

• Invested large amount of time and resources on the implementation of other BIM Tools.
• Developed  significant materials on the BIM Tool they implemented initially. These materials include templates, modeling guides and standards
• Have not investigated ArchiCAD before making the decision of implementing other BIM Tools.
• They all have very professional teams who are perfectionists and they check the outputs very carefully. Making dummy models for clash detection is not what they want. They want real BIM. With "I" in the middle.

What I see is after a couple of projects with other BIM Tools, they start searching for other options and start establishing an ArchiCAD team. They run some projects in parallel and finally decide to continue with ArchiCAD.

Here the important question is "Why? Why do they change to ArchiCAD after investing so much in another BIM Tool?"

Image from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It's not because ArchiCAD has a beautifully designed interface!
It's not because BIM Server makes life so easy!
It's not because ArchiCAd is a much more mature solution!
(I mean all of above are true but they usually do not justify burning up all the investment done)

The main reason is ACCURATE QUANTITIES in ARCHICAD!

Image from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Quantities are the "Deal Maker" or "Deal Breaker" for contractors. If your BIM Tool does not give you accurate quantities, it will cost you profitability and sometimes even the project. (I wrote a post earlier about getting accurate quantities with minimum efforts actually. You can read it from here.)

This means switching to a ArchiCAD and getting accurate quantities will payoff within the first project even. I am pretty sure the savings on the first project will cover up both the implementation cost of ArchiCAD and the money and time invested on the previous tool.

As you see, it makes sense:)) Wise decision...

Actually they also mention the way ArchiCAD handles large models was also an important criteria! But I don't think it's the main reason. (This is my personal, humble opinion:)))

As my boss always says "Contractor is Contractor" :)))

PS: I haven't seen this trend with architects and consultants. They usually stick with the first tool they implement. Interesting, right?

Diyane Koseoglu
www.bimes.com

BIMx Model Transfer - Cloud Service for Sharing BIM Models

BIMx! Exploring BIM Models on iPad or iPhone and now on Android!

This is the star of our meetings lately.

We are also doing it "Steve Jobs" style. Going through the technical details during the meeting and and just before closing the meeting we say:

"By the way, here comes your project on iPad! Would you like to explore it?"

You know top manager loves iPad adn when they see their project on iPad they fall in love with it once more. They start playing with it like a kid. While they are enjoying their experience we turn the stereo on and give them 3D Glasses! Pheww!

Another successful meeting concluded!

It really help us a lot in getting projects.

And it is the same for our clients. They do the same trick.

Today I have good news for BIMx users with SSA (Software Service Agreement).

Graphisoft offers a new service called "The BIMx Model Transfer Service". This is basically a "Cloud-service" which offers 1GB cloud storage space for each commercial BIMx license they own. It is similiar to the good-old share on Facebook features but now you can set different levels of access. Three levels of model access are available to Premium Users:

• Public Sharing : Models automatically appear on the Facebook community site.
• Private Sharing/ Hidden: Models will not appear publicly, but are accessible without restriction via the direct URL associated with the model.
• Private Sharing/ Protected: Models will not appear publicly and are not accessible without the direct model URL and password set during the upload process – each model can have its own password.

Registration process is quite simple. The instructions are available here.

Enjoy sharing your BIM Models and getting more business:))

TGI Thursday! Weekends start here:)) Have a fabulous weekend!

Diyane Koseoglu
www.bimes.com

Summer Reading List!

Good Morning Everyone!

It has been so hot in Dubai lately. Around 50 degrees. Humidity is just the cherry on top... ( This is a new phrase I learned and I just wanted to use it:)))

Even if we stay outside 2 minutes, it is enough to give you a horrible headache.

And obviously many people are suffering from this. People are forgetting their commitments, coming late to the meeting and etc.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Europe is another issue. They are all on holiday:)))

So what to do now! Shall we also slow things down!

No!

Here comes a summer reading list. Take your iced drinks and enjoy your summer:)))

BIM Estimating: Myth Versus Reality
BIM estimating is not model-based voodoo. The workflow utilizes a quantity takeoff of the 3D model, a database of material and labor costs, modifying the formulas based on past experience, and presenting an integrated view of the 3D model, the takeoff, and the target cost. This article presents a true story about a concrete bid so the reader can de-mystify the construction estimating workflow with BIM.

The Benefits of Cost Planning Versus Estimating
Traditional estimating can be a time-consuming process that involves multiple iterations. Cost planning naturally evolves the estimate as the design changes highlighting cost variances for the project stakeholders.

Five Quick Steps to Compare Cost Plan Snapshots
Estimators have several options in Vico Office Cost Planner to explore "what-if scenarios" for Owner budgeting meetings. One approach is to compare two versions of the Cost Plan using the Compare & Update feature. For example, let’s say that an Owner would like to go back to Plan A even though you’ve already gone down the Plan B (or C or D) path for quite a ways. This article illustrates how to revert back to the first cost plan and pick up where you left off.

Does BIM Mean Estimators Are Out of a Job?
Model-based estimating does not mean that estimators need to learn how to model or can be easily replaced with a few lines of computer code. It simply means learning how to work with model-derived quantities.

Quickly Update Unit Rates for Material and Labor
How do you prepare a construction project estimate when there are spikes in commodities and materials costs due to market demand? How do you factor in new labor rates for subcontractors in your area? Here is a quick tip for updating these unit rates in your Vico Office estimate.

There Is No Easy Button for BIM Quantity Takeoff
As 5D BIM becomes prevalent in the market, many people believe that you simply push a button to get quantities. However, construction-caliber quantities require properly assigned polygons - either from the geometry or manually painted by the Estimator.

Organizing Your Revit Model to Create Useful Quantity Takeoffs
There is confusion in the AEC/O market that a designer’s BIM model can be multipurposed for design-intent, fabrication, and construction. Unfortunately, that just isn’t the case. But there are ways to make any BIM model more useful. This article explains how to use the Revit Mark property to extract better construction-caliber quantities to be used in scheduling and estimating.

Quantities by Location Are Key to Costing, Planning, and Controlling Construction Projects
A straightforward discussion on BIM-based estimating with the AACEI quickly turned into a planning session centered on Quantities by Location. Key to Vico’s construction management platform is the reliance upon quantities per location to cost, plan, and manage even the most complex construction projects.

Why 5D Comes before 4D in Vico Office
While the construction industry counts 3D-4D-5D BIM, Vico does it differently. Because of the tight integration between the Estimator and the Scheduler’s workflows, we count 3D-5D-4D. The Estimator’s components and assemblies are linked to the Scheduler’s productivity rates by Task Manager. This way our quantities per location divided by productivity rates equals durations!

Lightning Strikes at the BIM Storm for Balfour Beatty and Parsons Brinckerhoff
Balfour Beatty Construction and Parsons Brinckerhoff offered Vico an interesting challenge at the BIM Storm: provide a schedule and estimate for three college campus buildings...in 24 hours. It was a breeze in Vico Office. Roll the videotape!

When Estimators Block BIM
Instead of just estimating an accurate GMP, Estimators are now required to provide information which is used by the scheduler to build and optimize the schedule, and by the site guys to buy out the project and to control production. The resistance typically manifests itself as downplaying the importance of detailed cost data, and emphasizing the risk of showing model quantities to subcontractors.

Keeping Construction Practices Connected
Connecting your construction firm’s data and best practices is just one way you can move from a BIM Department to a BIM Enterprise. The 5D Data Pack designed to help you integrate your 3D models with 4D schedules and 5D estimates.

Doing Your First Model-Based Estimate
Model-based estimating is a gradual, but rapid, cost planning exercise. As the level of detail increases for particular elements, its estimate grows more precise.

Applying Quantity Ratios from Past Projects to Concept Stage SketchUp Models
Vico has developed a new best practice for data mining past project information for quanties, cost, and schedule data. This information can be applied to concept stage BIM models (like Revit, ArchiCAD, even SketchUp) to produce very detailed construction estimates and schedules. And, these quantity ratios grow more precise over time - much more precise than standard square foot costs.

The Role That Level of Detail Plays in Your BIM Estimate
5D BIM utilizes the 3D model geometry and properties from which construction-caliber quantities can be derived. These quantities are then organized by location for scheduling and priced for the cost plan. But the 3D model needs to be at the proper level of detail for the elements being analyzed.

A Shortcut to 5D BIM
The Vico Office Data Pack is a jumpstart for your new BIM project. The Data Pack is a combination of the Vico Standard 5D Library and the Vico Standard 5D Warehouse. The Warehouse is a collection of coded building elements which can be linked to the Library’s knowledge base for costing, resources, and productivity rates. This information is ready to go when a new bid is being developed and creates resource-loaded schedules and cost-loaded estimates with element assemblies and activity assemblies, all divided into labor, material, machinery, subcontractors, etc.

Diyane Koseoglu
www.bimes.com

Creating RFI reports with screen captures directly from ArchiCAD 16

Good Morning Everyone!

Today we have a great video!

 Image from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Creating RFI reports with screen captures directly from ArchiCAD 16!!! Some of the features we used were introduced with ArchiCAD 16 so it may not be as smooth as this video in older versions.

This is the standard we established for our own BIM Service Projects and the video is created for our internal training.

Of course we are happy to share it with you guys:)

I hope you will find it as useful as we do:)

Enjoy and feel free to share!

Diyane Koseoglu
Jothi Shanmugam
www.bimes.com

Integrating BIM with ERP!

Hi Everyone!

Recently I met with a contractor who wants to integrate BIM with their ERP system. They knew us for quite some time and familiar with the prestigious projects we worked on so they asked our help for this integration.

To be honest, when I heard the sentence I couldn't speak for a couple of seconds due to the shock:)))

A contractor... in the Middle East... asking for an integration between BIM and ERP! Wow!

Yes, and they are serious!

I told them we hardly convince contractors to implement BIM and no contractor has ever asked us about ERP integration.

Well, we all laughed at the tragicomic situation and decided to take it one step at a time.

While we discuss the details of BIM implementation I will do further studies about the ERP integration. So I have homework:))

Image from www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I am happy to do this homework since I love working with companies who has really smart people:))

Have a great weekend!
Diyane Koseoglu
www.bimes.com

Is it a radio for ArchiCAD fans? No, it isn't!

You know what we went through on the days prior to BIM Conference Egypt 2012 event.

Although nothing serious was happening in the city, media was showing as if it is a war area and we had difficulty to convince our speakers about the safety.

However we were lucky to have very professional speakers and none of them cancelled their speech due to this reason:))

However this doesn't mean everything went as planned.

Some of our speakers had last minute problems with their passports and couldn't make it to the event.

One of the presentations cancelled was "BIM for Facilities Management" and when the rest of the organization team heard it is not going to happen, they started to look at me with big eyes:))

Well, I really don't like this "big eye look"! It usually means "we have a big problem":))

Then I understood the reason behind the "big eye look". There were many Facility Managers attending to the event for this specific presentation.

What to do! What to do!

Image from www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I was never involved in FM part of BIM before. Even when I was a junior trainer for ArchiCAD we were joking about ArchiFM and saying that it is a radio for ArchiCAD fans etc:))) (I know it is not professional and not something to be proud of but I really did not know what it was:))

Now, I am supposed to make an ArchiFM presentation and I have 1 day to prepare:))

I  studied a bit further and learnt that 75% of the project costs are operations and maintenance related.

Then I noticed that I was not paying enough attention to FM but I am not alone:)) Construction professionals always have a tendency to ignore FM part of the project:))

Himm now it is time to learn more about it!

I have to admit that ArchiFM guys were extremely helpful and they provided me some material and a 7 minutes video which I fell in love with. (Thank you very much dear ArchiFM team)

 

I liked the seamless connection between ArchiCAD and ArchiFM. How ArchiFM extends the amount of data that can be added to BIM Model is impressive. 

I loved the fact that furniture or phone numbers can be linked to a person and when you move that person in the model all the related stuff will be moved with him in the database.

I also loved the graphical feedback on the model when you want to filter the rooms smaller than a certain size.

It's pretty nice, isn't it?

Diyane Koseoglu

www.bimes.com

The Lemon Squeezer by Philippe Starck remodeled in ArchiCAD

I assume you all know Philippe Starcks famour Lemon Squeezer!

It's a beautiful design but used to be difficult to model in ArchiCAD.

Please notice I said "used to be":)) It is no longer difficult.

Just a matter of 1 minute 11 seconds:))

Here comes the video showing how to do it:))

Enjoy!

Cheers,
Diyane Koseoglu
www.bimes.com

If you want to mandate BIM in your project...

Hi Everyone!

As you know BIM is being mandated in many projects in the Middle East and I had seen many of them so far.

Most of them were pretty strange:))) You do not understand what they want when you read the whole document.

I remember getting confused many times.

But recently I learned more about the people who prepares these BIM Specs and my confusion is over now:))

Well, some of them are prepared by people who attended few BIM Seminars only and think they understands BIM very well.

This is quite dangerous for the owner since BIM is much more deeper than what is shown in the seminars. Plus, nobody shows the handicaps of BIM in the presentations:))

If the specs are prepared by someone without deep experience of both BIM and Construction, be ready to get screwed.

If you want to specify BIM in your project make sure that you know what you are talking about.  Otherwise BIM can be an additional cost rather than saving.

I saw many failures because of this reason!

Please don't be one of them and have a great evening:))

Diyane Koseoglu
www.bimes.com

BIM Training for IT Team! Ready Eventually!

I know the title sounds strange for the ones new to our blog but we have been working on this training guide for a while since we saw a severe need.

In one of the previous posts, I told you how an innocent small mistake of IT team cost us and the BIM team 1 day. This one day is equal to 5 man/day unfortunately since it affected 4 computers. If you want to refresh your memory you can read it the BIM for IT Team post.

"BIM Training for IT Team" covers:

• License Management
• BIM Server
• BIM Server Remote Connection
• BIM Server Backup & Restore Examples

At the end of each section basic troubleshooting steps are also included.

Don't worry we wrote it in a language that IT team can understand. For instance we inform them about the consequences of deleting OS user as well as how to fix it.

Jothi spend quite long time on it  and I would like to thank him for his good work:)

BIM Training for IT Team is available for everyone from here.

I hope you will like it!

Diyane Koseoglu
www.bimes.com

It's not the software what brings success, it is the PEOPLE!

Yesterday I attended to the BIM User Group Meeting in Dubai.

Speaker was Daniel Frawley, from Burt Hill - a Stantec Company.

Dan has a fancy title - Practice Technology Section Leader - which allowed him to make a quite technical presentation about their BIM use.

Image from paytai

The presentation was quite interesting in general but what stroke me most was the way they used BIM to check the sun angle and how it effects the driver when they were designing a race circuit.

They purely used the features of their BIM software, no extra plug-ins or nothing custom developed.

Then I noticed there were many other things they found solutions with some workarounds within the same BIM Software. OK! These workarounds are sometimes cumbersome but still much faster than waiting the software vendor to develop it:)

As you see, it is not the software what brings success, it is the PEOPLE!

Diyane Koseoglu
www.bimes.com

ArchiCAD 16 with EcoDesigner Built-in

Architects no longer have excuse to design non-sustainable buildings!!!

EcoDesigner comes out of the box with ArchiCAD 16.

Yes, performing energy evaluation of your design is no more a luxury. Even a junior architect can understand how EcoDesigner works and perform Energy Evaluations.


If you are still not very confident about using EcoDesigner, Graphisoft created an excellent Playlist where every and each function of EcoDesigner is explained in detail. Here you go:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA200C89E9E1D1280&feature=plcp

I think integrated Building Energy Information Modeling is the most important benefit that ArchiCAD 16 brings to us and deserves 5 BIG Stars:))