If you’re looking for a great advocate for 3D and BIM, look no farther than the Walt Disney Corp., which has produced a terrific video extolling the virtues of BIM when combined with tablet computers (well, iPads) in the field. First, take a gander:
Pretty cool, right? They provide some great anecdotes about why 3D-based BIM actually saves time, energy, and resources. It sure is handy to know that the HVAC really should go under the floor and not in the ceiling, right? Rather than discovering it’s about to be put into the wrong place with the holes already drilled. And it’s pretty much a no-brainer to have the tablets in hand so that 3D digital files can be used as reference points and to show – not tell – people what you’re trying to accomplish.
But that’s only a portion of the possibility that exists here. They’re discovering clashes in the plans. Not everything goes according to plan. What about field modifications – how are they incorporated into the BIM? The use of laser scanning or photogrammetry could allow them to periodically incorporate real-world as-built conditions into the BIM so that they could anticipate new clashes as inevitable modifications are made to the original plans.
It might not even be a modification of the actual building plans. Maybe it’s just a modification to the staging plans. You thought the pile of steel was going to be in x place, but you didn’t realize how wet it gets there when it rains, so you moved it to y location. Is that reflected in the plans for bringing in necessary pieces of heavy equipment? Being able to incorporate period photogrammetry of the site would be brilliant for anticipating those kinds of scenarios.
In the short term, though, it’s great to see a company as creative as Disney not only embracing BIM but also singing its praises. That can’t be a bad thing for the 3D industry.
