


Complex construction projects become easier, less prone to backups, equipment over or under orders, and structural do-overs. When everything works on the 3D model as it should, it works in real life as well.

Builders can analyze the BIM model to find things like “clashes” and can tilt, rotate, and manipulate them to provide various views of the model. If the end result doesn’t match what stakeholders have envisioned in their mind’s eye, builders take the blame.įor instance, BIM models immediately point out construction inconsistencies-designs that simply can’t be created in the real world and that, in 2D, often wouldn’t be discovered until construction began. The construction firms that work with 2D models actually face more risk losing vital measurements and details as they translate the 3D plans they receive back into 2D.īuilders take the project from paper to real-life-they’re the ones who turn the flat designs into actual 3D (built) structures. Communication doesn’t get lost as models are continually translated back and forth from two dimensions to three. The information can be used for little other than plotting a drawing.īy working with the 3D models, all project stakeholders have a common understanding of the project. The 2D CAD tools currently used in the construction industry create pictorial data with no data about the representation tied to it. But the fact is, 2D drawings don’t play well-or at all, really- with the other systems used by a construction firm’s partners. The use of 3D technology is now migrating down to small and mid-sized builders who continue to rely on 2D drawings due to the familiarity of this format. This gives every stakeholder on the project a better, more natural, more intuitive way to understand its design.īIM is now widely used by architects, civil engineers, structural engineers, and large contractors. With data embedded in the model, they add a dimension present in the world that can’t be achieved in 2D. The 3D models from BIM look like the world around us.
#Live dimensions cadtools software
So, when the 3D capabilities introduced with BIM (Building Information Modeling) software came along, innovative AEC firms threw 2D models out the window. They see it in their mind’s eye, not on the screen. When information is presented in only two dimensions, every person involved in the project forms his or her own idea of how the building or site will look when complete. 2D drawings work to explain a concept however, they don’t function like 3D models. Read on for a look at the way transitioning from 2D to 3D models will enhance projects and bring your construction firm up to speed while increasing productivity and building a better bottom line.Īt the most basic level, 2D representations don’t depict a project in a way humans intuitively make sense of the world around them. Meanwhile, a McKinsey report found that 75 percent of companies that have adopted BIM reported a positive return on investment with shorter project lifecycles and savings on paperwork and material costs. The benefits are so great that in a 2014 McGraw Hill Construction BIM study, 75 percent of contractors from around the world reported a positive ROI when they began using BIM. All of that has a significant impact on a project’s time and cost. The use of 3D models affects many aspects of a firm’s work and its relationship with clients, including project cost, communication, and bid creation. Today, construction firms that solely use 2D representations are relying on outdated methods. After all, we live in a three-dimensional world and software and digital representations that mirror our world allow humans to better visualize buildings and designs before they are built. As you’ve likely heard or read, the construction industry is in a state of transformation: from flat to fat from two to three dimensions.īecause of the benefits a third dimension brings, many industries that formerly relied on two-dimensional drawings, drafts, and designs have been moving into 3D visualizations.
