BIM Collaboration and Communication Tools - Part 1
- S. Mansour
- Nov 14, 2018
- 4 min read
Communication problems have long been a major cause of issues when dealing with construction projects. Bad communication practices, or miscommunication easily results in errors and confusion between team members, delays on site, frustrations and monetary losses to all parties involved. The industry has looked at various tools and methodologies in order to improve communication between stakeholders.
One of the main ideas behind the introduction of Building Information Modelling (BIM) was the improvement of communication and collaboration between teams. However, even after the adoption of BIM into the industry work-flows, communication remains one of the areas where teams are falling short. The need to get the correct information to the right people on a timely basis, is compounded by the fact that teams are often be using different software, have very different requirements in terms the type of information they need, and the methods of exchange they can access. In order to get past some of these limitations, industry has looked at adopting a more open platform that allows for easier exchange, not reliant on the type software being used. Industry Foundation Class (IFC), BIM Collaboration Format (BCF), access to the Application Programming Interface (API) of software vendors, and the push for Open BIM protocols have all made it easier to develop communication tools for the industry.
At the recently held London Digital Construction Week, and the London Build shows, many vendors and developers were present introducing their solutions to the communication problem. The array of options available to users shows how important the need is to overcome our communication shortcomings. In this series of posts, I have attempted to compile a list of some of the digital collaboration tools available to teams today.
For that purpose, I have divided the tools into three broad categories:
BIM and BCF related tools that allow teams to view, communicate, and exchange information directly with the 3D models.
Site related tools that allow users on building sites to access information, drawings, and communicate with members of the design teams.
Digital project and document management tools. These sometimes contain platforms that integrate both previous categories.
It is important to note that some tools will overlap between the three categories listed, and that this is not a comprehensive list.
Today’s post will be focusing on the first category BIM and BCF type tools:
A quick note about BCF for those who are not aware of it. The BIM Collaboration Format (BCF) is an open source filetype that was developed in 2004 by Solibri and Tekla. The file can be opened either stand-alone software, through plugins in model authoring and CAD software, or through purchased software usually with options to compile or view the 3D models on the cloud. BCF allows users to create Issues and Comments, take a snapshot of the area or item in question, assign it to team members (Optional), and link the snapshot back to the 3D model (regardless of the software the model was created in) as well as create reports based on closed and ongoing issues. You do not need access to the 3D models to view BCF files.
Please note, I am not promoting any of the solutions below, this list is for reference only, and I would like to hear about any other tools you might have experience with that I have missed.
BIM Track - https://bimtrack.co/ Web based Viewer, IFC compliant, BCF support, Software integration (Autodesk, Tekla, Solibri, Verity, etc.), assign issues, analytics and reporting.
BIMcollab - www.bimcollab.com Web based viewer, Software integration (Autodesk, Tekla, Solibri, Vectorworks, Archicad, etc.), assign issues, analysis and reporting,
3D Repo - http://3drepo.org/ Web based viewer and model compiler, clash detection, change detection, assign issues, map integration.
BIMData - https://www.bimdata.io Web based viewer, Standard checking, Revit plug in, IFC support, BCF support
Revizto - https://revizto.com/en/ Web based viewer, software integration, standalone App for mobile devices, IFC support, BCF support, assign issues, Revision control, 2D sheets, mark-ups,
DDS-CAD Viewer - https://www.dds-cad.net/downloads/dds-cad-viewer/ Standalone viewer with IFC and BCF support, DWG support, clash detection, filtering of views.
BIMx - https://www.graphisoft.com/bimx/ Cloud based viewer with mobile App, 2D and 3D support, IFC and BCF support, measuring tools.
BIM Review - http://www.bim-review.com Model viewer, IFC and BCF support, Free version available for viewing and measuring
Bimsync - https://home.bimsync.com/ Web based viewer built on Open BIM platforms, IFC, BCF, 2D, 3D, 4D, Open API, COBie support
DaluxBimViewer - https://www.dalux.com/ Free Cloud based BIM viewer, mobile app available, IFC support, PDF support for 2D drawings, Revit plugin. Paid versions include assigning tasks, punch lists, and facilities management tools.
Kero view - https://www.kreo.net/kreo-view Free viewer, clash detection, team collaboration and assigning tasks (Not sure if this is BCF based)
Neanex - https://www.neanex.com/en/solutions/architects BCF and IFC support, plugins for various CAD software , Change tracker, Clash detection, some document management support, validation and specification tools.
StreamBim - http://www.redskyit.com/construction/products/StreamBIM.htm Mobile cloud based viewer with IFC and BCF support, access to plans, assign issues, RFI templates,
Much more than just communication tool, but they were instrumental in building BCF.
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