The Importance of Vectorworks 2009 to Building Information Modeling

For many in the A/E/C industry, Building Information Modeling (BIM) has become synonymous with 3D; a BIM project incorporates all the aspects of design from geographic information, to building geometry, to component relationships, and finally, to the quantities and properties of the building components required. Much like Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) for manufacturing, BIM requires a purpose-built foundation to manage the amount of data generated. In the manufacturing industry, the 3D modeling requirements for PLM applications date back to the mid 1980’s, as manufacturers demanded design software that would enable them to speed their product development process. As a result, PLM software kernels like Siemens PLM software, Parasolid®, are very mature and robust; built on a highly scalable, flexible, accurate 3D platform that has come to be recognized as the best in class.
BIM applications have not been built to the same demanding standards. They have grown to meet the information management needs of a handful of actual practitioners. Therein lies the problem. Large and mid-sized commercial projects must document and model hundreds of thousands of components. Without a scalable 3D modeling application, you run the risk of documenting a limited or inaccurate model. BIM must evolve to meet complex, large-scale, 3D modeling needs. The best way to build a strong modeling platform is to leverage the manufacturing industry’s investment in software development. Embedding Parasolid’s modeling software engine, while incorporating A/E/C-based BIM capabilities, creates an extremely scalable, flexible, and accurate BIM platform. At Nemetschek North America, that’s exactly what we’ve done through our partnership with Siemens PLM software. Already an A/E/C
industry leader in 3D modeling with our unique ability to support free-form modeling, we’ve licensed and incorporated the Parasolid kernel into our Vectorworks application to transform it into the best-inclass of architectural 3D modeling.
Let’s take a look at the impact of BIM on the A/E/C industry, what it means to be the best-in-class of architectural 3D modeling, and how a best-in-class architectural 3D modeling application facilitates an efficient design.