LAS VEGAS, NV (Autodesk University) - A Revit model can be a tremendous investment for an architectural firm. A lot of design information goes into it. A big project could be 100GB worth of data. All that information is now available for future projects, for analysis, for review and other downstream application. If you know how to use Revit. If you have a license of Revit on your computer. If your computer is always with you.
That's too many "ifs" for managers, engineers in the field or anyone besides the Revit jockeys in the firm. Assemble Systems aims to make BIM information usually locked in a Revit file useful and accessible to others who can benefit from it, without having to buy and learn Revit.
Assemble extracts BIM information from Revit files and makes it available through a web interface
Are there no other programs that may extract information from BIM files? "There are," says Diego Torres-Palma, territory manager at of Assemble Systems, on hand at Autodesk University to show me how Assemble works. "But none of them do it as well." According to assemble, they are hard to use, not visual, can't handle really big projects and can't reach all the data. This is probably Assemble's idea of NavisWorks.
An entirely web-based application, and therefore usable on iPads and other mobile devices*, Assemble claims it get down to business within minutes. "It spiders into the SQL database," says Diego.
Assemble will proceed to sift through the Revit model and present the BIM data in a variety of format and for a variety of functions. It can even do takeoffs and schedules. The web-based interface will show a tabular data alongside the Revit model, a welcome visual confirmation.
How Much?
Assemble costs $3,600 per year per user ($300 per month). A $500 training session is required for new users.
More Information
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*Currently, Assemble's viewer does not currently work with all iPads and mobile devices but data management functions do.
This reminds me of how Microstation got its start: a cheaper way to view proprietary Intergraph drawings on more readily available hardware.
Posted by: Ralph Grabowski | December 30, 2013 at 09:45 AM