| Interoperability: Autodesk Inventor, AEC Exchange, and the Secret of BIM |
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By KETIV Technologies
Interoperability is Key
We’ve noticed a steady—and steeply—increasing need for interoperability between the manufacturing community and the world of Building Information Modeling (BIM) used by the architectural community.
Over the last few years both communities have increased the intelligence of the data they use to create their designs. Manufacturing has turned to 3D modeling tools such as Autodesk Inventor to create robust, intelligent models to manufacture products and equipment quickly and efficiently.
Meanwhile, the architectural community has improved its designs, too, with tools such as Autodesk Revit to add intelligence to their models. They’re creating their own robust designs with increased efficiency.
A New Disconnect Exposed
As each community employed tools like Inventor and Revit to move information more efficiently, a new weakness was discovered. The ability for both industries to move that intelligence between one another hadn’t improved at the same rate.
Like two towers separated by an ocean, the two industries possessed information that couldn’t easily be shared. The neutral formats used in the past stripped vital information (such as manufacturer information) while retaining unnecessary information such as small fasteners in a model that would be used in the context of a building.
Now, tools like the Inventor AEC Exchange tool, have built the first high-speed line across that ocean.
AEC Exchange Spans the Gap
By adding the ability to easily remove information Inventor required for manufacturing, a simplified model (with the correct information for placement) can be placed in the BIM model. In addition, information about the Inventor model required for BIM (such as a manufacturer) can be included to ensure that vital information is transferred from the manufacturer using Autodesk Inventor to the architect using Autodesk Revit.
How It Works
Let’s consider a designer using AEC Exchange to transfer information to an Autodesk Revit user.
We have a model, in this case a water heater, fully detailed for manufacturing. All the pipe fittings, fasteners, components and such required to build the heater from scratch are present. To manufacture the water heater these details are critical to the proper function of the heater.
Architects using Autodesk Revit don’t require the same details as the manufacturer using Inventor. Particulars, such as how many 10-32 screws are required to mount the thermostat, for example, don’t add value for them. They only serve to weigh down their models unnecessarily.
Inventor uses the following steps to create a file for Revit to use efficiently.
1. Designate the proper connection points, if needed
2. Shrink wrap the component to remove the details not required for the Revit model
3. Export the data using the Export Building Components tool
As part of the export, AEC Exchange will prompt for details about the Inventor model. These include important fine points such as Component Type (Equipment and Furnishings, Waste Management, and Climate Control, among others), model number, and manufacturer.
With these details inputted the file is saved with the*.adsk format.
Now this file can be made available to Revit users to integrate and spec this product in their designs.
Conclusion
In this discussion we saw how a model created in Autodesk Inventor can be quickly and easily transferred into Autodesk Revit. Not only is the data transferred rapidly, AEC Exchange ensures that the information transferred is what’s critical to the Revit designer.
Two towers once separated by an Ocean; but now the lines of communications are open indeed.
Jonathan Landeros is a Senior Application Engineer at KETIV Technologies (www.ketivtech.com).
Acknowledgement
KETIV Technologies extends our gratitude to Roger Charbonneau of AEC Factory (www.aecfactory.com) for providing his Revit expertise.
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| Published 2009-08-24 00:00:00 |
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