Classifying data means structuring it in an agreed way so that different actors can easily find what they need and understand it. A classification system is like a common language. In BIM, classification lets people, software and machines share and use building information efficiently and accurately.
The importance of classification is growing as teams for building projects get more complex and international, and as projects themselves generate more and more data which is then relied on to automate processes, make better decisions and operate devices.
So what’s the value created by classifying BIM data? Clarity / Integration / Efficiency / Competition for various BIM stakeholders.
The various classification management tools really make life easier for architects, engineers, contractors, and fabricators.
Practically speaking, Smart Browser helps BIM actors find content quickly, ensures consistency across projects and teams, and makes sure the same and latest versions of content are being used, all of which boost reliability and quality assurance. As Space Zero, one of our clients, says of Smart Browser, “The time and money this saves is immense. Not only could we now change the entire library quickly, we could also eradicate errors in it with ease. Any incorrectly named families can easily be seen, as can the state of parameters.” Read more about Space Zero’s experience using Smart Browser.
Agacad’s Eve Leliuge has worked with Smart Browser quite a lot over the past three years, from training clients and helping them implement it in their workflow to determining with our development team how the software could be further improved. In her words:
“With software as powerful as Smart Browser, time-saving and error prevention go without saying. Where Smart Browser has an even deeper impact is its potential to free you up to be creative and figure out the best ways to accomplish tedious yet crucial tasks. It taps into human creativity and our need for variety in order to stay productive. Because when you know that you’re working efficiently, when you know you’re accomplishing monotonous technical work in a few minutes that used to take weeks, you’re freed up to be more productive in other work that requires actual creativity. Smart Browser doesn’t end with saving time and preventing errors – that’s where it begins. It’s kind of a launch pad aimed at reaching the best BIM quality possible.”
Smart Browser deals not only with content management but can be used to classify a library of Revit families. For a comparison of existing, popular classification systems and the logic behind them, check out AGACAD CEO Donatas Aksomitas’ 4-part series comparing classification systems over at his blog BIMAXON.
In his extensive writings about building information technologies, Donatas has developed a compelling vision about how BIM can be better applied in the AEC industry. His over-arching line of thought boils down to this:
“It’s often said the ‘I’ in BIM is ‘big’ since information is the key to everything in this field. Fair enough. But in today’s big-data world there’s a risk of overload – too much information, much of it with no use or value, clogging our heads and IT systems and slowing our work. That’s why I’m a fan of ‘BIM with a little i’ – ways to eliminate unneeded information and to make data exchange more efficient, more precise and more timely. Reducing information to what we really need. Getting straight to the point in BIM models and processes.“
What Agacad brings to the table for BIM Classification is BIMAXON, a new-generation BIM platform that is essentially a common data environment for a building. It’s purpose? Effective communication and collaboration among all BIM actors.
We’d be thrilled to show you Smart Browser and BIMAXON at our booth (AE452) at Autodesk University.
