Gaming Technology in BIM

by Jonathan McGaha | April 30, 2014 12:00 am

You certainly know this joke about dancing about architecture. Perhaps you feel like doing this every time you try to explain your blueprints and CAD models to non-expert clients, or when you seek consensus with your teammates and partners-architects, constructors, engineers. Different people see the project from different angles and speak different languages. Pictures and even 3-D models don’t help to stay at the same page all the time. But what about visual collaboration inside a 3-D environment?

There is helpful software that allows you to discuss the project while being sure that your teammate looks exactly at the section you’re talking about, even if you are in different cities. This software is Revizto (latin for ‘visual check’, by the way). Revizto turns BIM and CAD models to interactive navigable 3-D environments so that you can walk through the project as if it was already built. And you can communicate with all the stakeholders right there too. Sound good? Well, here are some important facts you need to know about Revizto.

All you need is to install Revizto Editor[1] and import your project, created in Revit, SketchUp or any other software package that allows to export FBX files. While turning your project into navigable 3-D environment where you can freely move like in a video game, Revizto Editor preserves all materials and other BIM information. After you’ve spent seconds to create your Revizto model, you can edit it right away, tuning materials, managing light sources and objects information.

After you’re done with converting and editing, it’s time to show the project to other stakeholders. They can open the file using Free Revizto Viewer[2]. This application is so simple, that it doesn’t matter if your partners have experience with professional software or not. It’s even doesn’t matter what platform they prefer, as Revizto Viewer runs on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. You can walk, like in a video game, using WASD keys, or fly, or jump over the balcony (don’t try in real life!). You can talk with others in a chat, stick markers to objects with photos, or record video with voice over. There is also a camera sharing mode in which you can take your entire team for a walk within the project and show them exactly what you want to show, being sure that they see the same corner of the building. Thus, Revizto Viewer helps the team to seek understanding, and the workflow becomes smoother, with faster results, as you don’t spend days and nights trying to get what all these people mean.

Revizto Workspace[3] provides you with access to your projects from anywhere. Workspace is perfect both as secure storage with limited access and public portfolio of Revizto projects. All you need is to upload a project at Workspace and share the link with your team and partners. From now on they can open the file in Revizto Viewer and collaborate with you or open in web browser for quick review.

 

When work is started, it could be useful to embody raw ideas in 3-D and discuss general tendency and space. At this stage Revizto 3-D sketch mode could help, as it allows users to explore first ideas without distracting detail. During the following consideration Revizto helps to reveal errors and problems. It also provides a unique opportunity to walk through the building that doesn’t exist yet, to feel its structure and space. To have a navigable 3-D model at your tablet is helpful when the project is in construction. You can take it with you, going in the field, and to check how accurate the building corresponds with the project. It could be a great idea to share this news with others, as you can attach photos of the building to the model.

Thus, Revizto helps you to achieve smoother workflow, reduce misunderstandings among team members and errors during design and planning. What’s the result? You work faster and meet deadlines and you don’t feel from now that all others speak some different language you don’t know. Because with Revizto all of you speak at the language of visual collaboration.

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Arman Gukasyan is founder and CEO of Vizerra, San Francisco. The company provides services for large-scale, interactive 3-D visualization and develops Revizto-visual collaboration software for the AEC industry. Additional information is available at www.revizto.com[4].

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/gaming-technology-in-bim/

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