What types of building information are best portrayed in 3D views?
Information about furniture, spatial awareness, lighting & shadows, and architectural features are best portrayed in 3D views. Since this is how most people interact with their built environment, these stakeholders often find 3D views really helpful in understanding what the project will end up looking like. In addition, 3D views often are very good at planning and designing the systems of a building: structural systems, mechanical systems, electrical systems, plumbing systems, fire protection systems, water proofing systems. 3D views can help designers and builders spot conflicts in these systems earlier and more accurately, so that builders have more error-free plans out in the field.
Many stakeholders require 2D views. Often times, for complex or public-sensitive projects, regulatory authorities still require 2D views for inspection. 2D views are often more accessible to the public in that 2D views are much easier to store and file for public projects. Often, specialized subcontractors with systems that generally are in a flat plane (like MEP) will use 2D views to best understand their work; however, for for complex projects, 3D views often capture conflicts more clearly. In addition, since most of the construction industry still relies on paper "blueprints" in the field, expert builders still rely on understanding 2D views, although this is rapidly shifting.
Give examples of how the building information for a specific location in the project needs to be filtered for different audiences and purposes?
Should your design ideas always be conveyed through photorealistic renders?
Designs should not always be conveyed through photorealistic renders because many buildings (unfortunately) don't have an aesthetic focus, but rather a utilitarian focus. Since rendering takes time and money out of a budget, for the owners who simply want a functioning building, rendering doesn't help organize or convey the specifications of that functioning building.
Renders tend to have a very finished look, even if they portray a model that isn't quite done. Thus, we have to be careful rendering, as it may give stakeholders the wrong impression about 1) how the building will actually look like in the end and 2) how malleable the current plans for the building actually are. However, the advantage of the render is that it gives a very non-technical look into the project, one that everyday owners can understand and make comments on. Detail in the render should mirror the level of detail in the building and the necessity of the render. As the building's dimensions and architecture is more and more finalized, the more detail a render deserves.
Name some applications where viewing the building and model information in virtual reality or augmented reality would be most beneficial?
- Are there advantages to using a C.A.V.E as a virtual environment versus VR headsets?
How can schedule views be used to assist with procurement and model-based estimating?
Schedule Views are very good at summarizing the total amounts and counts in a building. Because procurement is concerned with ordering enough materials to build the building and less about where it goes, showing a list of all the particular items the building needs is incredibly helpful to the general contractor when building, and essential to the supplier when purchasing. When data regarding (time) scheduling as added to the model, then the schedule information will show not only quantity needed but also time needed. This all together will provide the supplier the information needed to get the right deliveries to the right places at the right times.
Since most it's hard for most people to estimate the cost of things from summation and much easier to compare using rates, schedules can also be used to help estimate the costs, by showing the quantity and rates of the items the builder is purchasing.