BIM Design

CHAPTER 6

STRATEGIES FOR COMPONENT GENERATION

THE BOTTOM-UP OR TOP-DOWN APPROACH

Building information modelling allows computing techniques to surpass traditional architectural production tools most commonly associated with the drafting room. More precisely, information modelling allows for the creation of intelligent components that can be used to construct a building as an assembly. In contrast, computer-aided design (CAD) tools allowed architects to produce drawing sets within the computer offering better project management and coordination between consultants, via electronic data transfer, etc. CAD simply changed the medium of architectural production from a physical one to a virtual one. The lines spoken about in the previous chapter were vectors that had basic attribute data such as length, start and end point, and degree of curvature; with the potential to add additional attributes that specifically linked them to design or construction. Information modelling has allowed virtual geometry to become smart in that it shifts the virtual design environment from class-oriented to object-oriented. This distinction is important, as previous 2-D and 3-D software packages simply listed geometric objects as a type or class, some examples of this are lines and surfaces. Information modelling packages link objects through libraries or other groupings to contain more attribute data than simply geometric handles. This might include material properties like weight, or environmental properties ...