Which building information is best conveyed in 3D, and which still requires 2D?
Form, massing, spatial relationships, facades, and system clashes can be better represented in #D where you can see more of the entire picture. This also makes it easier to review for people with less detail on the project as they have more spatial context. 2D is better for dimensions, notes, and other specific details that can look way too complex in 3D.
◦ Which stakeholders need 2D drawings, and why has that not gone away? People who check codes, contractors, and subtractors. Permits and contracts reference drawings and currently drawings are the legal record of the design, so the 2D requirement hasn’t changed.
◦ Give an example of something in your building a 3D view fails to communicate. The wall layers aren’t conveyed well in 3D. From the outside it just looks like a beige wall, but when you look at a 2d cross section of the wall, you can see the siding, cavities, fiberboard, stud, and inner gypsum that gives it its R-value and other properties.
The same location needs to be shown differently to different audiences.
◦ How would information at one spot be filtered for a client, a contractor, a code official and a fabricator?
◦ What is the risk of showing everyone the same view?
View templates enforce consistency across a set.
◦ What goes wrong on a real project when views are configured individually? If views have different scales, angles, line weights, tags, or visibility, some plan can show furniture that others don’t or some tags can be present while others aren’t interfering with schedules and confusing contractors. People reading the sets are likely to misread it and waste time making fixes or trying to align them.
◦ Who should own the templates and standards, and why? the wall layers. A BIM manager or project manager should own the template standards. A template change changes every view, so one accountable owner keeping the standard from drifting between plans is important as they can answer for it if issues arise.
Your schedules pull information straight out of the model.
◦ How can schedules support procurement and model based estimating? A schedule creates counts of things like doors, windows, areas, etc. A contractor can use these schedules to price the quantities when contracts are being signed, and automatic schedule updates can ease the process of new pricing when design changes are made.
◦ What is the danger of a schedule that is accurate about the model but wrong about the building? If a digital model doesn’t accurately represent a site and the project in reality, the schedule will likely be off, resulting in costly field errors, procurement failures, and project delays. This can result in emergency trade orders that reduce profit margins and stress the project timeline.
◦ What did your calculated field reveal that the plans did not? While the plan wanted 30% 2bd and 45% 1bd, the unit mix calculation reveals that a typical residential floor holds 42% 2bd and 33% 1bd. Sizes also vary within each type. The plans follow a guideline, and the schedule reveals the actual reality, which is essential for understanding the project as it moves forward in design or making changes.
You published two versions and compared them.
◦ Why does version history matter more on a shared model than a personal one?
◦ If a consultant says their work was based on last week's version, what do you need to be able to tell them?
◦ When should a model be formally issued rather than just saved?