Beginners Guide to BIM 360 | BIM Collaborate

What is BIM Collaborate?

BIM Collaborate (aka BIM 360) is an online Common Data Environment (CED). It will help you to make informed decisions throughout the lifecycle of a project; from the initial concept through to the design and construction, operational and finally decommissioning phases.

Not to mention it complies with the ISO19560 standards.

As its new name suggests, it facilitates collaboration with all stakeholders to assess what’s needed and when. Each team has a ‘work in progress’ area and they can then release the data once it is ready for consumption by the wider project stakeholders. All information (transmittals, ROI’s and Snagging) is encapsulated in a single environment. This allows you to communicate to an individual, company or team. All communications are linked, from the moment an issue is raised to the completion of it.

Features of BIM Collaborate

Desktop Connector – This allows all Revit users to interact with the current project data as if they were using a local server. It is not dependant on geographical location thus enabling separate and remote teams to work together seamlessly.
It doesn’t stop with Revit users! Civil 3D, Plant 3D and AutoCAD users are all invited to share and coordinate to produce a “Fit to build” project.

Automatic clash detection – This compares all models against all models and presents the user with a simple matrix of clashes

Mobile Interface – All information is also available on-site via the mobile interface allowing the concept to become reality with a level of fidelity that is difficult to achieve in any other way.

What is the difference between BIM 360 and Revit?

Simply put, BIM is a process and Revit is a tool to leverage that process.

BIM stands for Building Information Modelling; this is the process by which multiple parties on a building project coordinate 3D modelling information. If done correctly it takes away much of the problems that can occur on-site due to lack of information. The way it works is, that the various contractors design and share the information in a 3D model with the other contractors, so that during the design process they have the equivalent information for the other contractor, allowing them to formulate a design that both avoids and compliments the designs of the other parties.

This in turn reduces the chance of clashing on-site and consequently reduces waste (time, materials and cost), increasing profit and general safety on site.

Revit is a piece of CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software. One of the tools that facilitate the BIM process.

It is a 3D parametric design package that contains physical information as well as background Metadata relating to the built asset and its components. It allows coordination between different contractors and related parties to enable the design of a coherent finished project. When this is done well, a model without any clashes can be produced, again reducing the chance of problems on-site and in turn increasing safety and profit margin.

One of the joys of Revit is that all the information for scheduling and quantification is sat in the BIM Model (in the form of Metadata) just waiting to be used.

No more spending hours updating elevation and section drawings! Revit instantly updates the model everywhere that a component is seen or referred to; this includes sections, elevations, call-outs, and YES even the Schedules!

What’s not to like?