BIM is Software

Ok, is this topic is one of those that I think is interesting in that, in my personal experience, the people that seem most passionate about it are those that have the least experience with working on a project involving BIM, or they work for an Autodesk competing firm. Either way I'll throw my 2 cents at this oft beaten topic. Let us first define BIM in its most basic form:

Building - well that's the goal at least, it has to represent something we build.

Information - There has to be data behind it, intelligent AEC centric data that understands the general types of objects as well as the flexibility to leverage the minutiae of data that we add for a multitude of purposes.
Model(ing) - It has to be in 3D.
 
Ok, so for those that say BIM isn't software I will in short agree with you. It is a bunch of software. Revit is BIM unless you use it exactly like CAD (detail lines, detail components, filled regions only) and that is a huge "if". No one does that. Many users don't take advantage of every nook and cranny of Revit but as long as they use walls and doors, that's a BIM. I guess my point is: BIM begins at conception.
 

There are other tools, I admit, but as far as the de facto BIM Authoring tool? Revit, without equivocation. If you doubt that just look at every BIM guideline out there 10 to 1 is specifies Revit (probably 100 to 1 but I am ballparking it). Now the bunch of software that I allude to is meant to show that there are BIM authoring tools (e.g. Revit, Tekla) and there are BIM leveraging tools (e.g. Navisworks, e-SPECS, Solibri, Virtual Environment, Affinity, SmartBIM). It has to come from somewhere and that is software and then it exists and is taken advantage of in software.

So for those that say "BIM is a process not software" please rethink this. Is Sketchup BIM? No. it might be a building model but it lacks the AEC intelligent information (I guess it’s a BM them, ha ha). So Revit is BIM, ok I feel better now.

Introduction

As an IMAGINiT Technologies technical expert I get to see how a lot of different firms use the software tools we sell and service. The industry seems to have reached a critical mass of firms us BIM with more major dominoes falling every day. Now owners are dictating a lot more than just the software tools used and firms are having to truly open up their process to downstream use.

This owner standard is what ultimately got me to the decision to begin this blog and start a Twitter account (My Twitter homepage). Why social media? Because for me this is undiscovered country and after participating in a recent Tweet Chat (#bimspectrum) I woke to the power of connecting for the greater good.

 This is a pretty big leap for me considering I have successfully shunned Facebook, much to the chagrin of my friends and family. I figured I spent enough time in front of a computer when I work, so why make up another reason to stare at a lit screen. So technically this is work but I sincerely hope that the information contained will aid the industry as a whole. At the very least you will get my honest opinion and lessons I have learned while I travelling and interacting with all types of firms . Here is what to expect in the posts to come:

• Updates on software tools in and out of the Autodesk realm

• Trends in the industry around standards and collaboration

• Information on new content being released through the IMAGINiT portal portal.imaginit.com (registration is free)

• News on upcoming marketing events like BIM Spectrum (www.bimspectrum.com), and other virtual and in person events

• And some other things as I can come up with them...