What types of building information are best portrayed in 3D views?
While not great for every application, 3D views provide an excellent sense of depth and allow the viewer to get a better picture of how the different elements interact. For example, suppose you have only one elevation for a house. While you could take an educated guess at what the other sides of the house look like, there is no way to truly know. Even if you had access to all of the elevations, it can be difficult to piece all of the information together—especially if you have never looked at the project before. On the other hand, a 3D view allows you to look at multiple sides of the structure and maneuver the view to your liking.
Furthermore, 3D views allow you to visualize how furniture will be arranged and judge whether there is ample room to fit everything. A 2D floor plan has a similar capability; however, it can sometimes be tricky to estimate the necessary clearance without the added dimension.
- Which stakeholders require 2D views, and why?
Despite the utility and ubiquity of 3D views, 2D views are still vitally important. In particular, contractors and construction companies require 2D views. Three-dimensional views typically lack the necessary dimensions to actually construct the building. Additionally, 2D views are often printed and used on the construction site. This can—and is— being done with 3D views, but it has canonically been done solely with 2D views.
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?
Design ideas should not always be conveyed through photorealistic renders. For many stakeholders, photorealistic renders lack the dimensions necessary to actually build the project. Also, photorealistic renders can take a lot of time to setup and compute. As such, creating renderings for many early-stage projects can be a waste of time.
- How does the level of detail in the rendering and its presentation affect the perception of stakeholders reviewing your design?
The level of detail conveys the overall state of the design to your stakeholders. If you show stakeholders a photorealistic rendering, they will likely be hesitant to suggest changes or voice their concerns. On the other hand, a “sketch-like” image conveys that you are open to feedback and willing to co-create. Thus, it is important to tailor your visual representation to your audience. This customization also allows you to convey a non-verbal message to your stakeholders about your current progress.
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 can be directly used to assist with procurement and model-based estimation. Since many models are provided by companies, the Revit models have built-in cost data. These models often include information on how to purchase the products, easing procurement. The number of each object required can also be added to the schedule, ensuring that the exact number of parts required are ordered.
In this module, I created a wall schedule that included the total area of each wall type. This information can be handed off to others for direct cost estimation. The window schedule that I created in this module also displayed a metric that can be used to ease cost estimation (glazing area).