AEC Magazine November / December 2010

November/December 2010 >> Vol.51

AECMAGAZINE

DESIGN, MANAGEMENT & COLLABORATION IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Then.

Now. With 3D to be mandated on all Government projects, are you ready for BIM?

p3 AEC Ma 2 new de gazine’s dicated section job

BE Inspired 2010

Revit Server

Faro Laser Scanner

geometry

The Challenge: High-Performance Buildings The Solution: Bentley

Image courtesy Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners Ltd.

Image courtesy Forman Roberts

Building informaTion modeling & more

Software for the design, construction, and operation of all types of buildings and facilities around the world, from the conventional to some of the most inspiring projects of our time.

For projects small to large, simple to complex, each discipline-specific application provides an informed work environment – from conceptual design through documentation, to coordination and construction.

Bentley’s comprehensive suite of software helps professionals productively deliver sustainable high-performance buildings.

Building energy deSign, analySiS & SimulaTion

design

geometry sustainability generative components architecture

geometry

design sustainability geometry

components

sustainability

architecture

generative

components

geometry

architecture

Image courtesy DP Architects Pte Ltd

design and deliver T Projects faster

reduce errors T

and omissions

optimize Building T Performance

multi-disciplinary T Coordination

work in T

generaTive deSign SofTware

Support large or T

GC facilitates the delivery of inspired sustainable buildings, freedom in form finding, use of innovative materials, exploration of “what-if” alternatives for even the most complex designs.

architecture

design

Bentley’s building performance software applications provide the fastest, most powerful, and most accurate design, analysis and simulation available for building load, plant energy, passive design, and dynamic thermal simulations.

GenerativeComponents® (GC) enables architects and engineers to pursue designs and achieve results that were virtually unthinkable before.

generative

distributed Teams Complex Projects

Support The whole T Building lifecycle

Open a world of new possibilities while you work more productively than ever before.

www.Bentley.com/aeCmagazine © 2010 Bentley Systems, Incorporated. Bentley, the “B” Bentley logo, and GenerativeComponents are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

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Vol.51: Contents 4 Newsdesk HP expands large format printers Editorial Managing Editor: Greg Corke Email: greg@x3dmedia.com

Hewlett Packard turns to an all-in-one large format printer for faster paper-to-digital collaboration.

By Stephen Holmes.

10 Event report BE Inspired, Netherlands

Consulting Editors Martyn Day Email: martyn@x3dmedia.com

Bentley Systems’ BE Inspired event started off as a temporary replacement to the company’s main user conference when the banking crisis hit. Now the award event appears to be a standard fixture in the calendar and this year Martyn Day was an awards judge.

John Marchant Email: john.marchant@skilstream.com Digital Media Editor: Stephen Holmes Email: stephen@x3dmedia.com Design and Production Dave Oswald Email: davieos@gmail.com

Advertising

Advertising Manager: Tony Baksh Email: tony@x3dmedia.com Deputy Advertising Manager: Steve King Email: steve@x3dmedia.com

Subscriptions Manager: Alan Cleveland Email: alan@x3dmedia.com

Accounts

14 Event report Autodesk BIM Conference report The adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) systems in the UK has been fairly slow.

Attendees to Autodesk’s BIM conference this Autumn heard first hand that the government may be looking at hastening this.

Martyn Day reports.

18 Hardware Faro Focus3D In the world of laser scanning there have been four certainties; scanners are big, heavy, complicated to use and very expensive. Faro has just unleashed a revolutionary new scanner to challenge all of those perceptions. Martyn Day reports.

20 Case study Grand Designs goes high-tech An architect featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs used Pointools software inside AutoCAD to eliminate waste via real-time conditions capture and analysis in area of outstanding natural beauty.

Charlotte Taibi charlotte@x3dmedia.com Financial Controller: Samantha Todescato-Rutland sam@chalfen.com AEC Magazine is available FREE to qualifying individuals. To ensure you receive your regular copy please register online at www.aecmag.com

22 Event preview Imagina 2011 This year’s Imagina event, being held at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco from 1–3 February, promises to be one of the largest European visualisation and simulation conferences of the year. By Stephen Holmes.

About AEC Magazine is published bi-monthly by X3DMedia Ltd Suite 77, 3rd Floor, The London Fruit and Wool Exchange, 56 Brushfield Street, London E1 6EP T. +44 (0)20 3355 7310 F. +44 (0)20 3355 7319 www.x3dmedia.com © 2010 X3DMedia Ltd All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without prior permission from the publisher is prohibited. All trademarks acknowledged.

Opinions expressed in articles are those of the author and not of X3DMedia. X3DMedia cannot accept responsibility for errors in articles or advertisements within the magazine.

AEC Magazine is printed by Warners Midlands plc www.warners.co.uk

23 Software Open by design

Leica Geosytsems has recently introduced a new application to ease the import of real-world point cloud data into Autodesk’s popular Maya and 3ds Max renderers.

28 Software Revit server

31 Hardware Workstations

Autodesk has recently launched its midrelease Subscription Advantage packs, which provide extra functionality for subscribers.

This month Revit gets a powerful new way for groups to work. Martyn Day reports.

Dell delivers a sub entry-level workstation designed to turn the heads of PC users, but is crying out for a lower specification processor to give it the price point a machine like this deserves.

Workstation Solutions has an overclocked workstation offering unrivalled performance for CAD, but with six CPU cores running at 4.2GHz it also gives dual CPU machines a serious run for their money. By Greg Corke.

30 Case study Collaborative software’s hidden assets Clare Watson explores how collaborative software can lead to potentially huge hidden savings.

AEC MAGAZINE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

26 Software Leica Cloudworx VR

The next evolution of BIM: Collaborative design across the board. By Viktor Varkonyi, Graphisoft CEO.

CONTENTS

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Architects targeted with new entry-level 3D printer UK-based Bits from Bytes has developed a new affordable 3D printer designed to enable builders, architects and those involved in the design of building structures to output 3D prototypes of designs and concepts. Costing less than £2,000, the BfB3000 creates objects from converted CAD and STL files.

It can be used as a rapid prototyper or a rapid manufacturer and has the option of a second head that can be used to print support material. www.bitsfrombytes.com

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Autodesk and Tekla collaborate to enhance BIM workflow

Chaos Group gears up for V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max, a rendering technology popular with architectural firms and design viz specialists, is entering its final stage of beta testing.

The new version features an interactive rendering system, V-Ray RT, which now runs on GPUs. The software will be available in December 2010. www.chaosgroup.com

ArtVPS offers interactive rendering for SketchUp Google SketchUp users looking for a high-speed rendering solution are being targeted by UK software developer ArtVPS. The company’s Shaderlight product is now available as a fully integrated plug-in that introduces interactive rendering to Google SketchUp 7 and the newly released SketchUp 8.

It features a ‘progressive’ rendering technology that enables users to see their image develop on screen as they continue to work inside SketchUp and uses physically based lighting and photorealistic materials.

www.artvps.com

Cadac Organice BV boosts transmittal management Cadac Organice BV, the developer of Cadac Organice, a SharePoint-based engineering document management solution, has introduced a new version of Cadac Organice Transmit. This latest release further enhances the document distribution process in SharePoint and offers advanced transmittal management functionality.

Cadac Organice Transmit is a solution for document control and transmittal management in SharePoint. It is designed to help project-driven engineering industries by distributing multiple documents efficiently to multiple recipients at once and by offering management information to document controllers who need to track transmittals that have been sent. www.organice.com

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Structural detail of a spectator stand at the Yas Marina Formula 1 Circuit in Abu Dhabi, billed as an Arabian version of Monaco. German engineering office Ingenieur-Contor Weckmann GmbH (ICW) used Tekla Structures for the project Tekla and Autodesk are the latest Building Information Modelling (BIM) software developers to work together to enable better compatibility between their respective software platforms.

As a first step, the companies have introduced new features that allow for the exchange of structural data between Revit and Tekla Structures software and are designed to maintain the integrity of structural BIM data from design to fabrication.

“There is an increasing demand for interoperability between our software,” says Tekla Executive Vice President

Risto Räty. “BIM is penetrating the industry more and more widely. Tekla and Autodesk both provide powerful applications for BIM; Tekla’s strength lies in providing BIM solutions for detailing, fabrication and construction. By enhancing interoperability between these products we can create more value for our AEC customers throughout the process, improve their way of working, and thus ultimately improve the overall quality and efficiency of design and construction.” www.tekla.com / www.autodesk.com

Transoft delivers new intersection design tool NEXUS is a brand new CAD software from Transoft Solutions for planning and developing roadway intersection designs. The software is designed to enable transportation engineers and planners to accelerate the process of creating geometry with surface grading and drainage patters in intersection layouts.

With NEXUS, designers can employ two main methods to initiate the creation of an intersection. One method is to define the schematic by setting the lane configuration, capacity conditions, or leg templates. The second method is to select an intersection template. The intersection layout, which includes road edges, lane lines, median island

envelopes, corner island envelopes, control radii, stop bars and crosswalks, is created and oriented based on the reference geometry that the user defines. Once the basic design is initiated, a full set of tools is available for refining the design to meet project requirements. In addition, the software’s safety functions and road grading allow designers to quickly analyse sight lines, vehicle conflict points, grading and surface drainage in the early stages of design. This, according to Transoft, enables designers to evaluate intersection models more thoroughly and quickly even under budget and time constraints. www.designintersections.com

Nemetschek unveils Vectorworks 2011 family Nemetschek Vectorworks has launched the 2011 version of its Vectorworks line of design software, including: Vectorworks Designer, Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, Fundamentals and Renderworks.

The new release features a number of enhancements, including a new true 3D modelling environment that offers better 2D/3D integration and a new rendering engine based on Cinema4D. Improved Building Information Modelling (BIM) capabilities in Vectorworks Architect include a space object, new 3D wall components, and a new slab tool. www.vectorworks.net

AEC MAGAZINE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

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Eagle Point Software brings terrain modelling to Revit Architecture Eagle Point Software has released Siteworks for Revit, the company’s second third-party software solution built to run inside Autodesk Revit Architecture.

Siteworks enables architects, designers and planners to shape the terrain for their building sites using grading tools to model pads, parking lots, streets, pavements and retaining walls. The software uses native Revit families, components and toposurfaces, so designs become part of the overall Building Information Model without the need to transfer between design systems.

Through various component placement tools, design professionals can further enhance their building models with site grading features to visualise designs in 3D and to convey design intent to all stakeholders. Dynamic editing tools provide the ability to change grades, elevations and move grading components while automatically reshaping the underlying toposurface. And with a site plan contained within the Building Information Model, volume and quantity reports

can be viewed using native Revit commands.

“We are very excited about addressing one of the top user requests for Revit from the AUGI Wishlist,” explains Luis Rojas, Architecture Product Line Manager at Eagle Point. “By providing architects and designers preliminary grading tools inside of Revit, we can dramatically improve the workflow between civil engineers and architects, limiting the amount of back and forth transferring between AutoCAD Civil 3D and Revit.” www.eaglepoint.com/siteworks

AEC Magazine teams up with Graphisoft to offer exclusive deal on ArchiCAD Green BIM bundle

Graphisoft has introduced a new sustainable design package called the Green BIM Bundle. The package combines the company’s building information modelling (BIM) software, ArchiCAD, with EcoDesigner, its tool for helping architects evaluate energy consumption early in the design process.

The pairing of ArchiCAD with EcoDesigner’s integrated energy modelling is designed to provide architects with feedback to help optimise a design’s energy performance

and promote a greater understanding of sustainable design alternatives. Analysing in early design stages for energy efficiency and sustainability helps architects optimise their design long before changes become costly.

Initially developed for the US market, AEC Magazine has struck a deal with Graphisoft UK to offer an exclusive offer to registered readers of the magazine - available until the end of the year. Full ArchiCAD with Collaborative Teamworking and EcoDesigner, plus 12 months Technical Support and free upgrades for 12 months can be purchased for £3,250 (20% saving). ArchiCAD Start Edition (for the solo/small office) and EcoDesigner costs £1,175 (20% saving). Contact Graphisoft UK to find out more. www.graphisoft.co.uk

Excitech to focus on construction project planning Excitech, the specialist supplier of design technology solutions for the construction industry, has signed an agreement with Synchro, a provider of software for construction project planning, as a reseller partner.

Synchro develops real-time solutions for the construction delivery team and its software provides a more integrated project process building on design data, resourcing, costs and scheduling. It offers compatibility with common industry software tools to deliver 4D simulation, and project scheduling and planning management.

Excitech Managing Director, Adrian Atkinson, said, “This agreement will provide our customers with the opportunity to further improve the management of their projects by making design and construction stages more closely coupled, which will in turn reduce risk, manage costs and improve timescales.”

Meanwhile, Synchro has released Synchro Professional 4.0, which features a new object-oriented, database module which , according to Synchro, enables the most challenging 3D models to be run on the most modest of workstations.”

www.synchro.com / www.excitech.co.uk

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AceCad targets process plant and power industries AceCad Software, a provider of structural supply chain solutions and services, has launched StruPlant evolution, a software suite for the process plant, oil and gas and power industries. StruPlant evolution is designed to enhance collaboration when executing structural steel projects, and to reduce steelwork design, fabrication and construction schedules, and costs. The software is built on the company’s Fabrication Information Modelling (FIM) framework that enables steel data to be utilised in the engineering and construction phases of the project. www.acecadsoftware.com

New study compares BIM uptake in Europe with USA A little over a third (36%) of Western European construction professionals are now using Building Information Modelling (BIM), according to McGraw-Hill Construction’s latest SmartMarket Report, The Business Value of BIM in Europe. Produced in collaboration with Autodesk, the National Institute of Building Sciences/buildingSMART alliance, and eleven industry associations in Europe, the report compares BIM adoption rates in France, Germany and the UK, with those in North America, where 49% of contractors, architects and engineers report BIM usage. www.construction.com

Point cloud software helps model Suffolk library A 3D architectural CAD model generated from millions of laser scanned measurements has been used to help design and build a futuristic Library Resource Centre (LRC) in Ipswich. Using software from Pointools and Rhino, TMJ Interiors was able to create a highly accurate model of the two storey LRC structure from which more than 7,000 different components were designed, manufactured and installed to achieve the necessary acoustic qualities required for the library. www.pointools.com

Nomitech enhances BIM estimating software Cost OS 3.8 is the latest version of the BIM estimating software from nomitech. The tool, which links to BIM software via the IFC format, can be used for quantity takeoff and produces cost and resource loaded 3D models for value engineering. Cost OS can be integrated with Primavera, MS Project, and Excel, and is available in the UK through Forgetrack. www.nomitech.eu / www.forgetrack.co.uk

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HP expands wide format print family Hewlett Packard turns to an all-in-one large format printer for faster paper-to-digital collaboration. By Stephen Holmes.

H

P has launched itself head long into the race to provide the most comprehensive collaborative printer available with the launch of its new T2300 eMFP. Released with the proclamation that this is the “biggest innovation in HP DesignJet since 1991”, the company is trying to bridge the paper-to-digital divide by making it easier to work and share the two mediums by using an all-in-one machine.

By allowing customers to print, scan and copy in a large format all from the same device, the Designjet T2300 eMFP is an eye-catching and space saving proposition for many architectural practices.

It is a world first from HP as it is web ready, taking advantage of the company’s new ePrint and Share technology that allows sharing and management of content with project members around the world. ePrint and Share gives the printer its own email address, allowing documents to be sent to it from anywhere in the world. Up to 5GB of data sent in this way is free, with charges to be paid over this amount.

The T2300 eMFP also utilises driverless printing and a simple control panel to make jobs quick and easy from those working with the machine domestically.

The technology allows for direct printing straight from a USB connection, allowing a notebook PC or USB pen drive to be plugged into the printer for quick printing without network constraints or the need to upload printer drivers.

As a result of HP’s Instant Printing Pro, its full colour touchscreen control allows for previews, editing and the printing of files without opening applications or adjusting driver settings, regardless of what software has been used.

Faster paper-based collaboration As design moves deeper into the digital realm, with digital markup tools being used by many architects and planners, HP is convinced that paper is still important to the process.

From its own survey, 84 per cent of the companies it asked felt that using paper was still a part of their workflow.

For example, HP customers could wish to send a document from Beijing for print in the London office using ePrint and Share technology.

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That document can then be used by the London team to mark-up all the changes, on paper, around a boardroom table before scanning it back into the same printer and sending it back to Beijing for colleagues to print off.

The T2300 eMFP does all this, plus more everyday domestic tasks: allowing print sizes from A4 all through to A0; 32GB of dedicated file processing memory; a standard hard disk capacity of 160GB; 80 A1 line drawing prints an hour, and handles two rolls to save swapping media spools for printing line drawings and renderings.

Software The T2300 eMFP: Compact size and ease of functionality would be appreciated by all.

A new printer for repro houses HP has also launched its Designjet T7100 Printer, a high-speed colour printing system. Designed for central reprographic departments and reproduction houses, HP claims from its own tests that the printer has up to 66 per cent lower total cost of ownership over three years against competitive colour devices and up to 50 per cent against monochrome solutions.

Its modular design allows customers to upgrade the device as technology progresses and helps the printer integrate with little hassle into existing IT infrastructures.

The T7100 offers speeds of up to 165 A1 prints per hour, as well as unattended printing and the capacity to manage up to three media rolls with the HP Smart Roll Loading System. The printer also provides an alternative to devices that print only in monochrome and light-emitting diode technologies using HP’s six-ink printing system.

The T7100 is a workhorse large format printer with crisp imagery and rapid printing times. Although not suited for most architectural practices , it would be ideal for large firms wanting quick print runs.

The printer has another trick up its sleeve for the AEC sector.

HP and Autodesk have been working together to streamline the architectural process and build cycle, with the new HP ePrint and Share plug-in for AutoCAD. This allows users to print directly from AutoCAD. Additionally, a full licence of AutoCAD Raster Design is included with the purchase of the T2300 eMFP. AutoCAD Raster Design enables the full scanning of sketches, printed plans or blueprints, which can be digitised and vectorised for further design.

For other CAD packages Scan2CAD is also shipped with the printer as a 30-day trial for scanning to DXF files.

Conclusion The T2300 eMFP is a versatile large format printer.

Eliminating the need to install troublesome drivers and adding the ease of printing direct from a USB, has created an exciting product.

By compacting the size of three-pieces of equipment into one the T2300 eMFP would be of benefit small to medium-sized companies, while its ease of functionality would be appreciated by all. www.hp.com

Price HP Designjet T2300 eMFP

€9,200

HP Designjet T2300 PostScript eMFP

€11,000

HP ePrint & Share

No additional cost

HP Designjet T7100

€12,690

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Are your designs the SAME but DIFFERENT? Generate NEW Drawings & Models for your custom designs in minutes Fill out the form

www.driveworkssolo.com

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BE Inspired Netherlands Bentley Systems’ BE Inspired event started off as a temporary replacement to the company’s main user conference when the banking crisis hit. Now the award event appears to be a standard fixture in the calendar and this year Martyn Day was an awards judge.

L

ooking back, it is amazing that the banking crisis was a few years ago. It seems to have been nothing but trouble for the building and construction industry since. With travel bans introduced by most of their customers, many CAD companies scaled back their user events.

Bentley Systems had to cancel its own big end-user jamboree and instead opted to run the annual awards ceremony, together with a select number of customers in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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The intimacy of a small group provided a great opportunity to talk to the company’s leaders, as well as their more innovative customers. Bentley Systems subsequently deemed the new format a success and now runs two events, one for users and one on ‘thought leadership’ for press, analysts and infrastructure customers who entered the company’s annual awards.

This year’s event was in Amsterdam and I was invited to be on the judging panel for the Architecture

and Structure categories of the awards. While the sceptical among you may think that these awards go to customers that spend the most, I can confirm that it is totally independent and a panel of non-Bentley affiliated industry folks get to look through hundreds of entries (documents, videos, images) and sweat it on numerous conference calls and in face-to-face meetings.

As we weeded our way through the 164 entries it got harder to favour one over another. There were debates, sometimes heated, frequently with passion

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about the various merits of who, why, what and how. Our Bentley ‘minders’ helped out where they could but strictly stayed out of any decision-making (even when we begged them for help to break split decisions). It was a difficult but extremely worthwhile process as we got to see some very good real-world uses of 3D CAD technology.

Keynotes Bentley loves the word ‘infrastructure’, and it is guaranteed to be in any presentation by the company — but what a few years the global infrastructure market has endured.

Bentley Systems CEO, Greg Bentley, gave a keynote that highlighted how things were slowly getting better, from company revenues to product usage. Bentley has a very advanced server architecture that means Bentley knows when and how often its software is used. In a number of graphs we could see the drop in hours spent designing as the global

Fellow BE Inspired judge Hugh Davies of Building Design magazine and Lomas Davies, donned the 3D specs to watch a presentation on 3D city modelling.

Image courtesy of Bentley Systems

banking crisis hit. Alongside was almost two year’s of data showing very slow, gradual increasing use in the United States; but there was variation across other continents, with Asia doing the best and perhaps Europe still suffering the most.

Bentley is back in growth mode after a bankingcrisis dip. Greg Bentley presented a few graphs that would indicate that the company is bouncing back quicker than its long-time rival Autodesk. This could probably be due to Bentley’s clients benefitting from the additional infrastructure spend from government stimulus money. A segment of the market in which Autodesk has less penetration.

Bentley has compiled and released for the first time the Bentley Infrastructure 500 Top Owners ranking to help people appreciate and explore the magnitude of investment in infrastructure and the potential to continually increase the return on that investment.

The infrastructure value represented is over $13 trillion which, to provide perspective, is close to the United States’ annual GDP and equal to the combined annual GDPs of China, Japan, and Germany.

Data sources for the Bentley Infrastructure 500 included published financial statements and third-party research. The rankings, which Bentley will update annually, make it possible to readily compare investment levels across types of infrastructure, regions of the world, and public and private organisations.

The top five countries, in terms of the infrastructure value of the Top Owners headquartered in each, are: 1. United States — 166 Top Owners, $4,241 billion 2. Japan — 58 Top Owners, $1,349 billion 3. China — 29 Top Owners, $870 billion 4. France — 22 Top Owners, $747 billion 5. United Kingdom — 23 Top Owners, $617 billion The document makes for interesting reading and I have no idea how it was compiled as it would seem an impossible task. Facts like the biggest manufacturer owner is Toyota Motor at $72 billion and the biggest bank owner is Royal Bank of Scotland at $25 billion — so now we all know what we have bailed out and is now publicly-owned. Read it here www.bentley.com/500.

Bentley senior vice-president Bhupinder Singh gave an update on the benefits of a number of technologies that were released last year, namely

New York’s 41 Cooper Square project by Morphosis architects.

Image courtesy of Bentley Systems and Morphosis architects

The Stone Towers business park in Cairo, Egypt, by Zaha Hadid Architects.

Image courtesy of Bentley Systems and Zaha Hadid

i-model and the integrated structural model. There was an interesting demonstration of forthcoming 3D document dimensioning and a lot of talk about supporting the latest tablet PCs and the iPad, in fact there was an iPad app on show in the break-out coffee area, together with some cool 3D visualisation technologies.

During one of the socials I had a great conversation with Mr Singh of the merits of cloud computing and the opportunities it raised for Bentley.

The company already has an extensive client-server architecture of its users and there appears to be lots of opportunity for the company to offer online services in addition to its traditional desktop solutions — although do not expect to see Bentley develop for anything too far from Microsoft, except perhaps the iPad.

Projects This year’s entries brought an embarrassment of riches, with everyone from signature architects like Zaha Hadid and a horrendously complex steelwork created by Arups, to innovative water catching buildings inspired by bugs to a mundane airport landing refurbishment. All had their own story and valid reasons why they should be highlighted. I have picked a selection here that pushed my and my fellow judge’s buttons.

The Namibian Hydrological Centre of Excellence Not a winner but certainly highly recommended and innovative. Atlas industries demonstrated the design for a fictional hydrological centre that could be fabricated in a desert/sea location, such as the skeleton coast in Namibia. Africa has a water shortage and this design, inspired by a beetle, which sits on top of the sand dunes to catch the morning fog on

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 AEC MAGAZINE

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Saudi Binladen Group. Within a new financial district in Saudi Arabia’s capital city, Riyadh, the two 18- and 26storey Crystal Towers are located between the ‘Financial Plaza’ and the ‘Wadi’, a pedestrian thoroughfare.

Recessed, scaled, crystalline openings were calculated to minimise solar heat gain and associated cooling requirements, while optimising views to the surrounding plaza and landscape. The project is designed to achieve LEED Certification upon completion. The team demonstrated an interesting use of Generative Components to design the stone cladding of this highly insulated and unusual building.

Villas in the Sky is a proposal for a mixed-use 34-storey tower located in the King Abdullah financial district in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Image courtesy of Bentley Systems and Henning Larsen Architects

its hind legs, really imitates nature. A fog catching net provides a place for water to condense and be trapped, where it is stored and purified. The design also provided a visitor centre and lecture rooms and utilised self shading to limit artificial cooling. We all hope that someone decides to build one of these and try it out.

Marina Bay Sands Winner Innovation in Structural Engineering — The Moshe Safdie design features three cascading hotel towers topped with the 1.2 hectare Sands SkyPark cantilever platform. Also on the site, are crystal pavilions and a museum inspired by the shape of a lotus flower.

The SkyPark cantilever, 200 metres up, is the longest of its kind in the world and required an immense amount of steelwork (7,000 tonnes). Arups designed the structure to withstand typhoon strength winds and the vibration caused by people movement. The sheer amount of structural work required impressed the judges, let alone the unique design requirements, as well as all

The $6 billion Marina Bay Sands, conceived

by Sheldon Adelson, chairman and chief executive of Las Vegas Sands Corp, and designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie. Image courtesy of Bentley Systems and Moshe Safdie

Winning projects in the Architecture and Structural categories: Innovation in Building: Winner Henning Larsen Architects — Crystal Towers — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Innovation in Generative Design: Henning Larsen Architects — Villas in the Sky — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Innovation in Structural Engineering: Arup Singapore — Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort —Singapore Innovation in Campuses, Airports, and Military Installations: Zaha Hadid Architects — Stone Towers — Cairo, Egypt For a full list: www.bentley.com/2010beinspiredwinners.

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the editing during the iterative design process. Think what you will of the building’s aesthetics, the structural model was deemed a thing of great beauty.

41 Cooper Square Morphosis architects — Not a winner, but the most hotly contested of the projects submitted. 41 Cooper Square, is the new academic building for The Cooper Union, a highly respected New York ‘free’ university in America which has been running for 150 years.

Internationally renowned architects, Morphosis had to produce a modern building to tight budgetary constraints and the end result is really stunning. The young team used all the latest technologies and the presentation displayed an extensive understanding of Generative Components.

There was a little confusion as to which part of the project submitted for the competition, as the documentation related to the building but the event presentation focussed on the ‘Gigamesh’ atrium that was designed with GC. It consists of an undulating lattice that reaches the full height of the building and involved the scaffolding and moulding contractors to work together to hand craft and suspend a giant mesh.

During the design the mesh structure was constantly questioned due to budget and was finally built out of some contingency money that had been saved. The passion to include this in the design was obvious and the amount of trial and error required to build the intense mesh required a lot of learning on the job. The use of GC in the definition of the design was exemplary, especially as there were so many changes. However, we didn’t hear enough about the use of GC in the building design and there were questions raised as to whether this was art or architecture. Still Morphosis is a fantastic practice, with obviously very bright designers.

Crystal Towers One of two winning entries from Henning Larsen Architects, The Crystal Towers is a commission from

Villas in the sky Winner Generative Components innovation. Having already one another award the judges were concerned about giving the same team another award but each category had to be judged on its merits and in this design and presentation we were left in no doubt that Generative Components was used in a very compelling way to created a very complex facade that went through many changes in the design process.

The 34-storey tower has shifted upper plates to create a jagged look. The angled panels at the top are used to reduce the strong sunlight and energy consumption. GC was used to automate much of this unusual façade.

The Stone Towers business park Winner of the Innovation in Campuses award, the Stone Towers business park is designed to harness the power of the sun. Zaha Hadid’s 180,000 m2 Stone Towers project had the typically strong forms that we have come to expect from her studio. The project combines world-class office facilities with retail stores, food and parking facilities, and a five-star hotel.

The towers comprise 550,000 sq m above ground and another 600,000 sq m below ground. Inspired by the patterns and textures of ancient Egyptian stonework, the tower façades will be covered with recesses and protrusions that capture the effects of light and shadow. In this an incredibly dense mixeduse development, the judges couldn’t help but be blown away.

Conclusion This year’s BE Inspired event lacked the big product launch news of past events and I missed the usually highly engaging Keith Bentley technology keynote, but there was a wealth of great customer projects. One of the winners, London’s CrossRail, gave a fantastic presentation of the huge effort that is going on in the UK capital, in one of the biggest projects currently in the world. It is a huge endeavour to enable those troublesome bankers to commute to work quicker.

If you are a MicroStation customer but have not thought about entering the competition, I would strongly urge you to do so. If you do, pay attention to the detail and documents you submit. Tell the story of your project and how you used all the technology at your disposal to innovate and win against the odds. www.bentley.com/beinspired AEC MAGAZINE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

HIGH QUALITY

AUTOMATION Colin Ivil of MBSI Detailing Ltd knows the most efficient way to design, detail, and fabricate a steel structure.

MBSI uses Tekla so its clients can automate fabrication and project management through interfacing with MIS systems and CNC machinery. Even more importantly, sharing the Tekla model allows the project team members to stay in the building information loop real-time. www.mbsidetailing.co.uk Tekla Structures BIM (Building Information Modelling) software provides a data-rich 3D environment that can be shared by contractors, structural engineers, steel detailers and fabricators, and concrete detailers and manufacturers. Choose Tekla for the highest level of constructability and integration in project management and delivery.

www.tekla.com/uk

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Autodesk BIM Conference report

“The industry is in crisis. It is being asked to deliver more for less and move to low carbon designs” Mark Bew, CIO, URS/Scott Wilson

The adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) systems in the UK has been fairly slow. Attendees to Autodesk’s BIM conference this Autumn would have heard first hand that the government may be looking at hastening this. Martyn Day reports.

A

t one point it was all about why move from 2D to 3D, what are the benefits and who pays. That argument, to a degree, has been superseded with ‘to BIM or not to BIM?’ Where project teams; architects, structural engineers and heating and M&E engineers work on a single model.

Early adopters of BIM are championing a move to a more intelligent modelling approach but these have been few and far between. The core problem of this appears to be defining this new way of working and sharing the responsibility and rewards in completing a project, as well as finding like-minded companies.

The Autodesk sponsored BIM Conference held at the end of September in London’s King’s Cross provided a forum for some of these issues to be aired.

Autodesk has done a pretty good job of marketing that Building Information Modelling = Revit. Of course that is not the case: Bentley has Bentley Architecture / Structural etc, Graphisoft has ArchiCAD and Nemetschek

Reforming practices Ever since The Egan report the inefficiencies of the industry have been identified, mulled and generally procrastinated over. Paul Morrell, Chief Construction Adviser to UK Government gave a lot more insight into what may be in store for the industry next year than anybody expected.

Whatever you might think of the current coalition government the one thing we probably would all agree in is we don’t really know what radical thing they will try and do next! Morrell has been involved in producing a research document, due to be delivered next March, which will advise the government on how to reduce costs ONMENT ION IN THE BUILT ENVIR NT & COLLABORAT of construction, drive value and drive a DESIGN, MANAGEME low carbon infrastructure. From what he said it will pretty much suggest that BIM Then. becomes mandatory for all government contracts, in addition to traditional 2D drawings. The research would also look at standards and open formats to make .

Now on all Government this possible.

With 3D to be mandated BIM? for projects, are you ready Always good to end a conference on a bombshell, even if this is a er Scann Laser Faro Revit Server BE Inspired 2010 small glimpse into a report that will be delivered in 2011. This could change everything and rapidly accelerate 3D usage in all industries.

2010 >> Vol.51 November/December

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p32 AEC Magazin new dedicat e’s ed job section

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offers Allplan — all are capable of building intelligent 3D models from which 2D documentation can be created. As this was an Autodesk event, one would assume that everything would be served with a hefty dose of Revit marketing but nothing could be further from the truth. An architect using any system would have not been troubled by any hard sell in the presentations.

Conference As you would suspect at a day-long event with around twelve different presentations, the pace was fast and furious, averaging between 15 and 30 minutes per slot.

Snappy enough for anyone with a short attention span, or caffeine addiction.

Mark Bew, CIO, URS/Scott Wilson opened the conference and acted as master of ceremonies throughout the day. Mr Bew explained how the industry was in crisis and being asked to deliver more for less and move to low carbon designs, which were just two of many epic challenges. To respond to this harsh environment every aspect of the construction industry needed to be looked at; people, process and technology.

Even BIM as we know it today needs to improve with more common standards and agreed ways of sharing a database versus the old way of sharing files.

Next up was Autodesk’s Phil Bernstein who elaborated on current practices and trends within the global construction industry. Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is an American term but Mr Bernstein identified this as being an increasingly common way for clients, architects and contractors to work under a new legal framework, where risk and reward is shared and cross-company teamwork is encouraged. Autodesk’s own headquarters in Waltham, near Boston, recently underwent an interior fit-out using an IPD methodology, resulting in work being developed in breakneck speed, completed ahead of time, all under budget and the participants didn’t end up suing each other at the end.

In fact Autodesk had invited John Tocci, CEO of Tocci Construction, who worked on the project to address the audience later that afternoon.

John Lorimer, director, Manchester City Council (MCC) gave an amusing talk on how the council was seeing value in having BIM used on their school

projects. Using core design values, MCC uses collaborative framework arrangements to break the old contracts and build Facilities Management (FM) in every phase of design, construction and operation.

The net result is a kit of standardised parts — ideal for a BIM system.

Aedas Alan Robertson, director, Aedas gave an excellent talk on the benefits of BIM to architects. Aedas invested in BIM for a number of reasons but the key persuasion points were to stay ahead of the competition and its own R&D team had highlighted benefits to the switch. For Aedas, BIM has meant a change in process, in production, the up-skilling of operators, specialised training for managers, a reduction of manpower, better hardware and operating systems (64-bit), and new internal CAD standards.

As a result of a significant investment its clients get an increased understanding of their designs. production time has been cut with reduced errors AEC MAGAZINE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

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from better co-ordination. By effectively prototyping buildings prior to construction there was a reduction in clashes and onsite queries. Mr Robertson said that staff moral had improved and the bottom line — the company had already seen a 50-100 per cent return on investment.

Mr Robertson explained that over time and with experience, BIM is enabling the company to reach work stages much quicker than the old 2D methodology. Within its third project there was a considerable productivity improvement over 2D in all phases of the design.

In a nice little slide entitled ‘What we know now that we didn’t know before’, Mr Robertson explained that the comprehensiveness of information was appreciated, such as providing many more section drawings, schedules as they are a bi-product of the modelling process. The firm can now produce a 3D model quicker than a 2D drawing. Clash detection and changes to designs can also be accommodated more easily.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 AEC MAGAZINE

But there are barriers to BIM; the investment required is not insignificant and there are hardware issues due to the size of models. Keeping track of models and revisions has been a problem together with the extra training required for staff. Legacy projects and data is difficult to get the benefit of data reuse and finally M&E engineers have to be dragged kicking and screaming to the BIM table.

Aedas will next look at incorporating Autodesk Ecotect and IES energy applications into its workflow.

There is also an ongoing need to increase its employees’ skill levels through advanced training.

Outside the company, Aedas wants to encourage BIM in other disciplines so it’s easier to find like-minded companies to work with.

Mott MacDonald Paul Bates, divisional director, Mott MacDonald, also chairman of the company’s CAD working group, gave a presentation on the benefits of BIM

Paul Morrell gave an excellent insightful talk, which was music to the ears of anyone selling BIM software or services.

in engineering. Mr Bates kicked off explaining that clients now request BIM to be used on projects and it is here to stay.

The risks associated with BIM come from the failure to define common standards for collaboration. There also needs to be adequate checking procedures and resolution of liability issues of inaccurate or just plane wrong core data.

Mott MacDonald has already deployed BIM in structural, civil, mechanical, electrical and public health. Quantities and sustainability are catching up and the company is setting up a cross-discipline BIM steering committee to formalise standards and figure out what to do with all of the accumulated BIM data.

Bates certainly seemed the kind of man who drank, ate and slept CAD for Mott MacDonald.

Describing the experience with BIM as ‘largely positive’, indicating that there were still issues that needed addressing.

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Institutions A segment was set aside for the British building and construction bodies: RIBA, CIBSE, ICE to discuss what they were doing about BIM and how it impacted the industry. This was probably the weakest presentation of the show but was unfortunately more indicative of the fact that these bodies are ultimately highly self serving.

To make BIM work, integration between the participants is necessary. It became very clear in the panel Q&A that the industry bodies seem unwilling or unlikely to co-ordinate a BIM group between themselves. When asked what they were doing together, they pondered if specific co-ordinated BIM practices should be handled by a different body. This seemed to be the wrong kind of message for the day.

Ryder The organisers had obviously kept the more dynamic presenters till the afternoon, as the first slide of Richard Wise, director, Ryder Architecture’s

On stage discussions mixed with time for questions and answers made the event highly interactive

presentation read BIM... so what? In an impassioned presentation Wise made the case by stating what work Ryder had done, even in tough times. He listed tens of benefits, showed the quality of their documentation and just how they used the models for everything from analysis to delivering prefabricated parametrically customisable schools.

Conclusion Autodesk’s BIM Conference was a roaring success and it was refreshing not to have product rammed down everyone’s throats, which could well have been the case. While the majority of presenters were Revit customers, they were free to express where things worked best and where more work was required.

At the heart of the day were more general topics such as workflow, contracts, training, migration, data translation and some very good examples of companies that have made the move and reaped the rewards.

Left to almost the end of the day, Paul Morrell’s insight into how the government sees BIM as a

Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is an American term that is an increasingly common way for clients, architects and contractors to work under a new legal framework, where risk and reward is shared and cross-company teamwork is encouraged. Autodesk’s own headquarters in Waltham, near Boston recently underwent an interior fit-out using an IPD methodology, resulting in work being developed in breakneck speed.”

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crucial technology to both drive down waste and improve the carbon efficiencies of projects really came as a shock and acted like the last nail in the coffin for those that were resistant to change. When the report is delivered next March it is highly likely that the government’s next action will be to mandate that its projects are delivered in an independent BIM format such as IFCs, in addition to the 2D plans sections and elevations.

After the event I met up with Autodesk’s Phil Bernstein who was really excited by the surprise announcement. In fact Autodesk hurried out a quote from Paul Morrell, which was circulated far and wide. Mr Bernstein explained that In the USA, the General Services Administration (GSA), the body that looks after government buildings, stipulated BIM deliverables and this rocketed adoption of Revit across its user base. While in the UK Revit has something like 20 per cent adoption, in the States it has already reached 60 per cent penetration. A Government endorsement really makes a difference.

So the key takeaways are that BIM is coming, projects are getting completed and new ways of working are being defined. The increases in productivity that are promised by the vendors are achievable but moving to a BIM methodology does not happen overnight. The main, current, problem is finding M&E firms that use BIM and the data translation or ‘data wrangling’ that can occur needs to find a solution. Until that time, it will become increasingly frequent that a specific vendor’s BIM system will be required to win on bids.

For those that missed the event but want to get some of the information that was presented, Autodesk has a specific website where most of the presentation materials have been archived at: www.autodesk.co.uk/bimconference AEC MAGAZINE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

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Faro Focus3D

In the world of laser scanning there have been four certainties; laser scanners are big, heavy, complicated to use and very expensive. Florida-based manufacturer Faro has just unleashed a revolutionary new scanner to challenge all of those perceptions. Martyn Day reports.

T

here is little doubt that the laser scanning market is on a very sharp upwards trajectory, as vendors such as Autodesk and Bentley Systems embed core point-cloud technology into the engines of their flagship products. So with wider availability and decreased cost in accessing the tools to capture, edit and use 3D point clouds we should not, perhaps be surprised by innovation in the hardware capture side of the equation.

The cost of laser scanners together with their size and expertise required to use them has limited the accessibility of the technology. As a result, it has to date made better business sense for surveying bureaus to provide services after making the sizeable investment in equipment.

However, as the price and ease of use drops over time, point-cloud data will again benefit from wider availability. With the Focus 3D, Faro, has just taken a considerable step forward in single-handedly doing exactly this.

I first heard there was something ‘exciting’ coming from Autodesk’s CEO, Carl Bass, last year at Autodesk University. With the news of its new point-cloud engine in AutoCAD 2011, he confided that a much cheaper range of scanners would soon be coming out to democratise the industry.

I should have guessed it was Faro, as Autodesk had established close links with the company to help it support scanned data inside AutoCAD. The product at the source of all the excitement was the new Faro Focus 3D laser scanner; it is five times smaller (24cm x 20cm x 10cm), four times lighter (5kg) than the previous generation, and can be operated with just one finger. Without any doubt it is the smallest laser scanner available on the market today and can be comfortably taken on an airplane as hand luggage.

Capabilities The Focus 3D offers millimetre accuracy and the capability of capturing 976,000 points per second at a range of up to 120 metres. There is a built-in level sensor, together with built-in auto-registration, which results in estimated processing time savings of up to 50 per cent. An innovative touch screen interface provides fast and easy access to all the scan controls.

The icon driven menu system takes a leaf from the iPhone and also reduces training time. The integrated lithium-ion battery provides up to five hours of scanning per battery charge and can be charged during operation.

Furthermore, all scans are stored on a standard SD card

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enabling easy transfer to a computer (Apple Macs have an integrated SD slot).

Each machine comes with a copy of Faro Scene, to view and analyse the 3D point-clouds for collisions and deviations. Scene can also be used to measure distances, surface areas and volumes — great for looking at the evenness of floors and walls and seeing the results in colour. To connect to popular CAD systems such as AutoCAD, Rhino, MicroStation, Geomagic and PolyWorks, Scene offers a range of tools to enable the early stages of ‘Scan to BIM’, in which an intelligent 3D model could be created from the original scanned data.

Colour Point clouds are just a collection of high density dots having X, Y and Z co-ordinates, however when combined with a photograph, suddenly you have the quickest way of accurately capturing the real world in a CAD system.

Typically this has been done with mounting a highquality (that means expensive) digital camera on top of a scanner and merging the data outputs. Faro’s Focus 3D has a built-in 3 Megapixel colour camera that can simultaneously capture automatically co-ordinated and parallax free images to generate photo realistic scans.

The final point to mention is of course the price, which at around £24,000 per unit represents fairly attractive positioning given the large benefits over the more cumbersome competitive systems.

Conclusion It is quite rare that in hardware there are significant jumps in capability as each subsequent generation is refined and improved through development. Without doubt, Faro has made a giant leap forward in the traditional technologies to enable such a small, light and easy to use device.

Talking with people in the laser scanning industry, I have heard estimates that Faro is now up to 12 months ahead of its competitors with this new design and is having trouble keeping up with the demand for the Focus 3D already.

It is also worth pointing out that there is an inaugural SPAR laser scanning event happening in Amsterdam between 7-8 December this year. It is the European sister of the highly popular SPAR event held in Houston and is a great place to find out about everything that is new in the industry. www.faro.com/focus/uk www.spar-eu.com AEC MAGAZINE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

“It is rare that in hardware there are significant jumps in capability as each subsequent generation is refined and improved through development. Without doubt, Faro has made a giant leap forward in the traditional technologies to enable such a small, light and easy to use device.�

HARDWARE

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Grand Designs goes high-tech An architect featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs used Pointools software inside AutoCAD to eliminate waste via real-time conditions capture & analysis in area of outstanding natural beauty.

S

ecuring planning permission to build in open countryside seemed like an impossible pipedream for husband and wife team Chris and Helen Seymour-Smith, especially when they wanted to build on the site of a tumbledown barn precariously perched on a hillside in the Cotswolds — an area of outstanding natural beauty. But the couple pulled a rabbit out of the hat and gained special planning permission to build a house of “exemplary architectural merit” underground.

The Cotswold Hills rise gently west from the broad, green meadows of the upper Thames to crest in a dramatic escarpment above the Severn valley and Evesham Vale. This is rural England at its most mellow where the landscape draws a unique warmth and richness from the famous Jurassic limestone beauty of its buildings to give the Cotswolds their distinctive character and an underlying unity throughout the area.

Like it or not, this beautiful tapestry pretty much guarantees that new buildings must follow suit, all but eliminating any opportunity for introducing ‘modern’

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structures or materials to the landscape; unless of course you go underground like the Seymour-Smiths.

Their sub-surface strategy, however, was not without risk and came with its own unique challenges.

First the ‘must keep’ barn structure located directly above could topple at any time, and secondly, to complicate matters further, Helen Seymour-Smith (playing the role of architect and project manager), was determined that her dream home would become the first accredited passive house (www.passivhaus.org.uk) in England; two substantial challenges which raised the stakes from the outset.

Put yourself in their shoes: You are the project architect and project manager for the construction of your own grand design — that raises the emotional game considerably. It is also the most complex project you have ever done and even though your budget is ample at £600,000 every penny is already accounted for, so there is no room for error.

Add to that the aim to build England’s first PassivHaus, which requires (among many other things) “excellent levels of airtightness” and

Chris and Helen Seymour-Smith gained special planning permission to build a house of “exemplary architectural merit” underground in the Cotswolds, an area of outstanding natural beauty.

everything must fit right, first time. You can not afford to do anything twice. You can not afford to have any waste.

Now consider this: You are about to confirm an expensive order for a vast number of precast concrete wall panels that have a long lead time and allow for zero on-site alterations to accommodate any errors.

Long before they arrive, the concrete team is due on site to pour the foundations and slab, and you do not get two goes at getting that right either. Getting either wrong could delay the project by weeks, raise the cost above affordable levels, and perhaps more importantly put at risk the coveted PassivHaus status.

So seeing the volume of complex reinforcement (the intricate mesh of steel bars), which is manually bent and woven into place on site to reinforce the poured concrete slab, and the extent of timber formwork used to contain the poured concrete while it cures, Mrs Seymour-Smith feared that any part of it could easily be out of position by the smallest margin, which would cause all manner of problems for her schedule and budget.

AEC MAGAZINE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

There is an old saying in the building game, ‘measure twice, cut once’ and that is exactly what Mrs Seymour-Smith did when her dream project was showcased for all the world to see on Channel 4’s Grand Designs TV show. Keen to eliminate her exposure to risk, Mrs Seymour-Smith turned to 3D laser scanning — a still relatively new technology — to accurately measure the size, shape, and location of the formwork and reinforcement.

“After only three seven-minute scans [taken from different positions] using a Faro 3D laser scanner, we had a complete 3D point cloud model of the site,” Mrs Seymour-Smith said. Then using the Pointools plug-in for AutoCAD, she combined the accurate 3D point cloud model with her detailed design model inside AutoCAD Architecture to compare the ‘just-built’ items with the ‘as-designed’ model.

This was particularly vital for the ply box-slots around the slab edges that the pre-cast concrete wall panels would sit in. Mrs Seymour-Smith explained the risks they faced: “Had we got this wrong, the concrete wall panels simply would not have fit — and unlike a NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 AEC MAGAZINE

bit of wood, concrete panels such as these can not be reshaped on site.”

The cost of getting it wrong would have been immense. At best, the team would have been forced to cut into the floor slab, compromising its structural integrity and wasting precious time and money. At worst it would have been a case of starting over.

Of course nothing went wrong. The 3D point cloud model confirmed that all was good; the work already done on site was spot on and the concrete pour went ahead as scheduled. The pressure was off, the risk of errors eliminated. Sometime later, the concrete wall panels arrived on site and slotted into place perfectly.

But that was not the end of the build. The airtightness results for PassivHaus status blew them away (if you’ll excuse the pun). “We needed to achieve fewer than 0.6 air changes per hour to meet the PassivHaus standard and we achieved just over 0.2.”

That is three times better than PassivHaus requirements and 50 times better than UK Building Regulations. www.twitter.com/pointools

Using a Faro 3D laser scanner, the SeymourSmiths created a complete 3D point cloud model of the site. Then using the Pointools plug-in for AutoCAD, they combined the accurate 3D point cloud model with the detailed design model inside AutoCAD Architecture to compare the ‘just-built’ items with the ‘as-designed’ model.

Commenting on the project, Kevin McLeod, Grand Designs presenter for Channel 4, described the Seymour-Smith’s project as: “One of the most challenging builds ever seen on Grand Designs.”

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Imagina 2011: show preview

Imagina is being held at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco, from 1–3 February 2011. It promises to be one of the largest European visualisation and simulation conferences of the year. By Stephen Holmes.

W

ith 3D technology in architecture, visualisation and landscaping the backbone of the multidiscipline event, Imagina is promising to be a showcase for how the industry is moving forward through the application of new techniques and technology.

The architectural field will be headed by a strong line up of conferences, including presentations from Cristiano Ceccato, an associate at Zaha Hadid Architects; Jan Halatsch, research scientist at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich; Nakharinh Phomsouvanh, BIM expert group leader at construction firm Oger International; and architect Marc Oliver Paux.

Imagina also offers a cutting-edge overview of the latest European 3D city projects, their benefits and limitations, the latest technological innovations and feedback from the most advanced towns and cities working in this field while conference topics will be looking at what can be learned from these projects.

After the exhibition closes guests will be treated to a shimmer of Monte Carlo glamour at the annual Imagina Awards, recognising the very best uses of 3D modelling, simulation and visualisation.

As ever there will be a varied line up of exhibitors, which will be displaying some of the biggest names in the industry alongside a bustling array of new start-ups, fresh ideas and newly developed technologies.

With the show taking place in Monaco there is a strong French contingent among the exhibitors. The likes of Dassault Systèmes and The French National

22 EVENT PREVIEW

Geographic Institute (IGN) will be entertaining visitors.

International giants such as Nvidia and Wacom will be cast alongside the interesting smaller companies.

Here are five companies to visit: Bentley Systems - www.bentley.com Architectural CAD giant Bentley will be exhibiting at this year’s show. On display will be its popular MicroStation software, used by architects and engineers the world over, along with more specialist land development and survey tools.

Top: The champagne flowed at the Imagina awards 2009.

Middle: ATM 3D. Bottom: Lunette 3D Pictures by Imagina.

Bionatics - www.bionatics.com/ Bionatics is a French software publisher specialising in real-time 3D modelling and visualisation tools for large territories and their evolution over time. The company presents version two of its flagship software LandSim3D that allows the user to automatically convert GIS and cartographic data into a rich, detailed and interactive 3D model.

Enodo - www.enodo.fr Previously known as IMAGTP, Enodo is an annual presence at this event, wowing crowds with its adapted high-end video-game technology (Cryengine) fitted to industrial needs. Enodo provides solutions for real time and interactive manipulation of industrial data.

The French company’s team stretch 3D graphics and artificial intelligence to fit all sorts of individual projects.

Dell - www.dell.com Drawing crowds with its latest Precision Workstations, Dell will be partnering with graphics processing specialist AMD, who will be showing its ATI Eyefinity technology, which can run up to three of Dell’s UltraSharp monitors at the same time.

Nvidia/PNY - www.nvidia.com Graphics processing power is a big draw at this event and Nvidia will be at the show to display its latest CAD optimised products including the Quadro FX family, and its latest developments in the field of stereoscopic viewing: 3D Vision Pro. AEC Magazine will be providing coverage from this year’s show, bringing you the latest news and releases. www.imagina.mc

Noomeo in action on the exhibition floor.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

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Images courtesy of Autodesk, Inc. © 2010 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All rights reserved. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, ATI, the ATI logo, FirePro and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Microsoft, Windows, Windows XP and Windows 7 Professional are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. © Copyright 2010 Hewlett-Packard Development Company L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. Intel, Intel logo, Intel Xeon is a trademark of the Intel corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Subject to availability.

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AP Imagina 2010 - 210x297 Archi GB 2:Imagina

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Open by Design The next evolution of BIM: Collaborative design across the board. By Viktor Varkonyi, Graphisoft CEO.

B

uilding Information Modelling (BIM) has fundamentally changed how buildings are designed. There is now plenty of hard evidence that the wealth of information from virtual building models has completely transformed how designers make their design decisions, resulting in far better designed buildings. However, no designer is an island in the design process (not even solo practitioners) so does BIM offer the same level of added-value to design collaboration between the different disciplines?

This article explores how BIM can bring real and significant benefits to design collaboration, between the disciplines, by providing a new level of transparency and integration in the design processes of building projects, of any type or size.

2

Collaboration today Typically collaboration between design disciplines is a low-level information exchange, via simple electronic or published formats, in which there is no direct added-value to the design process. This situation is perpetuated because today’s software tools have not facilitated meaningful collaboration across the disciplines.

But with the right information it is possible to transform design so it becomes fully transparent and a real ‘co-design’ process. Designers can make a better contribution if they are working with a full understanding of the design context of all the other disciplines. Sounds great in theory but in practice this will only work if designers can continue to use their established design tools and processes.

Diff’rent strokes So the big question is how can this seamless information flow between the design disciplines be achieved? In most cases a simple binary file exchange is insufficient because of the fundamental differences in the requirements of the different disciplines. Image 1 above illustrates an architect and structural engineer working, in parallel, on the same structure, but the structure — a column — has a totally different interpretation and composition for each profession.

The architect models the entire structure of the column, including the veneer and finishes, in addition to the load-bearing core structure. In the ‘architectural’ BIM the column is modelled as one multi-storey element as it will be constructed this way with the column being poured together with the slab. However in the ‘structural’ BIM layers, which are non-load bearing, this is not required and two columns must be modelled to perform structural analysis.

There are countless examples where one single NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 AEC MAGAZINE

2. The architectural and MEP systems are co-ordinated.

1

where information is specifically prepared to address different stages of the workflow. An ‘open’ (IFC-based) collaboration offers complete flexibility so what would this workflow be for an architect and structural engineer? IFC — Industry Foundation Classes — developed by buildingSMART and now an ISO standard, is a common data schema for building information, which enables exchange of intelligent data between different software applications.

Model preparation 1. The architectural and structural composition of the same column. element for the architect is a whole system of loadbearing components for the structural engineer. This is not only about analysis: structural detailing is very different to architectural detailing. A similar issue exists when architects and services engineers work on separate designs, which then need to be merged for co-ordination. Image 2 above shows the collisions when the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) services are coordinated with the load-bearing structure of the building.

Full ‘open’ workflow solutions It is evident that the genuine differences in design requirements for the disciplines cannot be bridged with simple information exchange no matter how perfect the file interface is. The real solution is dynamic, bi-directional, collaboration workflows

Usually the architect creates the main design concept, which is then shared with the engineers.

The full design package provides engineers with overall context but in addition they need only the data, which fulfills their specific requirements. What engineers need to receive is:

• Filtered — the structural elements of the project • Relevant — the core of the load-bearing parts

of those structural elements • Structured — the elements classified according to their load-bearing function • Processable — data in a form that facilitates the creation of the initial structural model These requirements offer visual clarity but each has functional importance too. For example providing only the load-bearing core enables the geometries to be mapped automatically by their centre reference line. These types of requirements cannot be fulfilled by traditional methods such as printed documentation or its digital equivalent.

Not even CAD files or poorly-prepared BIM models provide an effective solution so the ‘architectural’

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BIM has to be properly prepared for the structural engineer. See image 3 below.

The architect has prepared — with the aid of specific software tools — a model that is a best fit for collaboration with the structural engineer. Requiring minimal effort by the architect this preparation included: 1. Filtering out all non-structural elements with a specific project-level switch; 2. Removing all non-load-bearing parts of the structures; 3. Reclassifying all elements with non-matching element-types for correct mapping between the architectural and structural models; 4. Selecting a specific translator for the receiving structural application to create a prepared IFC file for the engineer.

With this four step framework the physical and functional characteristics and data-structure of the BIM model can be refined and prepared for any collaboration workflow. This is true regardless of the vendor or version of the structural software — in fact the flexibility in this framework makes this open workflow superior to any other method of connection. This flexibility is not only important for engineering collaboration but also for any BIM data exchange including analysis and model checking software solutions.

5. IFC workflow based “ecosystem” of design and analysis tools.

5

Roundtrip collaboration After the engineers receive their initial model the workflow continues with both disciplines evolving their own BIM models but with a regular synchronisation of model changes. To take account of differences in model constructs,

3. The architectural model prepared for structural collaboration.

3

4

and to facilitate working in parallel, the optimal solution is a ‘reference model’ workflow. This is not a new process but additional technology to support version tracking and change management makes the collaboration a truly seamless process.

Model synchronisation is shown below with an implementation of IFC model change management.

See image 4 below.

The IFC model received from the structural engineer contains new, modified, and deleted elements. The architect can review these elements one by one, in the context of the ‘architectural’ BIM model, and can decide if the proposed changes should be adopted. If so, the architect can update the architectural model with the selected elements from the reference model.

This intelligent workflow removes the burden of tedious manual co-ordination and, with the IFC link, extends real BIM collaboration to virtually the whole of the construction industry. The IFC 2x3 standard has been established for over five years and all the major software vendors have implemented this IFC interface making it the most robust BIM model exchange platform available today. Figure 5 above shows some of the tested and proven workflows between a range of applications all using the IFC 2x3 platform.

Created equal?

4. Change management by IFC model version tracking.

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Do all projects, regardless of type and size, benefit from this workflow or is it only large and complex projects? Our experience shows that the degree of benefit has little correlation with project type or size (indeed, very similar to the benefits from implementing BIM).

Perhaps the best confirmation of this is the value you attach to each of the following questions: • Are your design decisions better if made

with up-to-date information, which covers the entire project?

• If RFIs from consultants are greatly reduced could you spend more time on your core competence of design?

• How much effort do you put into figuring out the design changes made by other project participants?

• Would it increase your productivity if you could minimise design errors?

• If Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is the future would a better integrated team make you all more competitive?

• What if you could regain control over design decisions to deliver better designs, and with less effort?

If any of the above questions resonate with you then switching to BIM based design workflows becomes an imperative. To derive the greatest benefit do not create BIM models just for only your own immediate design and documentation purposes but take a holistic approach to the entire design process and include interdisciplinary collaboration as well.

A natural evolution During its 20 years BIM for architects has evolved from the first virtual building models, through design file sharing, to the recently introduced real-time model-based collaboration, and now to the workflow integration of design disciplines.

This article describes the challenges for inter-disciplinary collaboration and also offers practical solutions. If you share the vision of open collaborative workflows, which bring real productivity and quality benefits to all stakeholders, then you should implement the workflows I have described.

These workflows are real and available to you now. www.graphisoft.com AEC MAGAZINE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

Leica CloudWorx-VR Point Cloud plug-in for 3D Studio Max, Design & Maya

Leica CloudWorx-VR Faster more compelling models, renderings & animations Leica Geosystems announces Leica CloudWorx-VR, a powerful plug-in for creating models, renderings, animations and photo-realistic 3D content based on rich point cloud data directly within Autodesk’s 3ds Max or Maya applications.

Leica CloudWorx-VR offers 3ds Max and Maya users the same, familiar user interface they already know to Z[ÄX^Zcian adVY V YZchZ! XdadjgZY ed^ci XadjY Vh V (9 background, merge point cloud data with other model elements, cast shadows on the cloud, and even process point clouds into smooth surface models.

CloudWorx-VR supports data from Leica HDS and 3rd party laser scanners, enabling any laser scanner user to more easily expand service offerings to include powerful multi-media deliverables based on point clouds. >cij^i^kZ! ]^\]"ÄYZa^in bdk^Z"bV`^c\ Limit boxes for convenient point cloud segmentation Cloud colouring and advanced rendering Improve depth perception with lighting Point snapping Navigation and camera controls

For more information and to arrange a free trial call 01908 256547 or email uk.sales@leica-geosystems.com

Leica Geosystems Ltd Davy Avenue, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes MK5 8LB Phone: +44 (0) 1908 256 500 Fax: +44(0)1908 256 509 Email: uk.sales@leica-geosystems.com www.leica-geosystems.co.uk

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Leica CloudWorx-VR Leica Geosytsems has recently introduced a new application to ease the import of real-world point cloud data into Autodesk’s popular Maya and Max renderers.

O

ver the past five years, laser scanning has been positioned at the cutting edge of surveying technology. With bespoke point cloud plug-ins available for Autodesk AutoCAD, Bentley MicroStation and many more packages, surveyors and CAD technicians can now easily manipulate full 1:1 3D data.

Until recently, there was no easy method of importing point cloud data into industry standard modelling and animation packages such as Autodesk 3ds Max or Maya. With many architects, gaming companies and surveying firms using these solutions, it was often the case that workarounds were developed to utilise the point cloud and 3D modelled data inside these packages.

Leica Geosystems is a specialsit in manufacturing laser scanning hardware and software solutions. As a provider of both the means to record, edit, analyse and deliver data, the company claims anyone can utilise a full Leica solution from project inception to completion. With the release of CloudWorx-VR for 3ds Max and Maya, even more companies can now use point cloud data.

Leica CloudWorx-VR makes it easy to create compelling multi-media deliverables based on rich, accurate and complete laser scanned data. It allows users to open point cloud files directly within the native 3D environments. In addition, customers using the Leica Cyclone Software suite (v7.1 onwards) now have the ability to export in VR format (*.alp), which can be opened directly inside 3ds Max or Maya.

CloudWorx-VR can also handle REP, PTG, LAS, FLS and 3DD files (binary), and PTS, PTX and TXT files (ASCII), meaning that users of scanners from many other manufacturers can take advantage of this new software. A simple executable file is provided, as part of the installation, to convert these file types quickly.

One advantage of CloudWorx-VR is that it taps into the rendering capabilities of 3ds Max and Maya. Not only can users model directly over the

“Architects can now model directly over the data, all on an engine capable of handling hundreds of millions of points even with a relatively modest PC ” Street-level view of raw point-cloud data with as-built model (Cloudworx VR 3ds Max).

cloud, slice it, section it, trace over it and colour it, but also you can render the points, cast shadows onto the points, or even recognise the cloud as an entity capable of casting a shadow. This means that street-scenes and architectural montages have the capability to be more realistic.

Architects can now model directly over the data, all on an engine capable of handling hundreds of millions of points even with a relatively modest PC. The built-in animation tools of both 3ds Max and Maya allow users to create point cloud visualisations.

Point clouds can now be seamlessly integrated with

modelled data so that when rendered the output is compelling and powerful. The ability to generate professional grade movies opens up previously unexplored markets for survey companies who may want to produce new deliverables – movies can even be rendered in full stereoscopic 3D. The demand for visualisations for planning applications and rights of light management is higher than ever before. These new tools allow for fast, effective solutions for these projects that can aid the development process and pre-planning stages. www.leica-geosystems.com

The new dedicated jobs website for Architecture, Engineering, Construction (AEC) professionals

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Inside the box The ‘Limit box’ tool allows users to focus on very discreet areas. This means that data-handling is always fast and ensures you are viewing the maximum amount data at all times. This is an excellent feature for larger datasets where only a small portion is required to be modelled.

The ‘Slice’ tool allows for a moveable slice in the X, Y or Z plane to be set up at any given point and with any depth. This allows for accurate modelling of sections.

The clip box can also be animated to produce interesting results when navigating through structures and when producing fly-throughs of the data. Construction planes can also be created so that all objects drawn on the cloud are snapped to a 2D plane of the user’s choice. Users also have the ability to interrogate individual points, measure between them and annotate.

Among the options for modelling with the data, users can select to generate markers on the point cloud to which geometry can be snapped to. N-sided polygons can also be drawn directly onto the cloud as can splines and particle markers. This level of functionality means that models can be generated quickly and efficiently with the minimum of fuss.

There is also a full compliment of cloud management tools within both versions, which allows individual datasets to be viewed. Small clusters can be turned on or off at will and point cloud performance can be adjusted to the user’s preference, ensuring you are always getting the best possible presentation.

The point cloud can be coloured using intensity values (multi-hue or greyscale) or true-colour. The software can also colour the data with a gradient map to help visualise large topographic scenes.

Plan-view of ScanStation C10 point-cloud data (500m points loaded using CloudWorx-VR 3ds Max).

Screen shot showing gradient-map colour option for accurate height information.

Users can select to generate markers on the point cloud to which geometry can be snapped to. N-sided polygons can also be drawn directly onto the cloud as can splines and particle markers As-built 3D model derived from Pointcloud using CloudWorx-VR for 3ds Max (64 bit).

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 AEC MAGAZINE

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Revit server Autodesk has recently launched its mid-release Subscription Advantage packs, which provide extra functionality for subscribers. This month Revit gets a powerful new way for groups to work. Martyn Day reports.

I

n the move from 2D to 3D modelling, while there were benefits, there were also some new technical problems to overcome. In a traditional CAD workflow, the documentation of a project is typically done through the creation of multiple 2D drawings, which can easily be generated through a distributed team.

In the new world of Building Information Modelling (BIM), the model generates all the sections and elevations and the team has to work together to build a single 3D model. This is a completely different way of working and it is safe to say that the software firms didn’t really put a lot of effort into helping early adopters enable good collaboration between project members.

In ArchiCAD R13 and R14, Graphisoft unleashed a pretty comprehensive Teamwork BIM server workflow solution for its users, which bridged the gap to allow architects and all the various engineering disciplines to work together on the same model. It was easy to manage and highly visual, enabling elements to be reserved for editing, or requested from other project participants. Autodesk’s Revit solution had nothing like it and it seems the company has taken note, as it has just delivered a new Revit Server capability for its subscribing customers.

Revit has a concept of worksharing, which allows multiple users to work on the same grand scheme.

This allowed the model to be copied to all machines and subdivided into worksets using element borrowing for editing as well as new element creation. Edits made to the model can be sent to update the master model, as well as other user’s edits imported on an ‘Reload Latest’ is performed.

The system requires manual policing and company standards need to be created to ensure it works. Revit models are, in general, big and the file sharing system occupied a lot of network bandwidth,

LAN Local Model

Local Model

Central Model Local Model

Local Model even when not sending geometry. This was bad news for anyone outside of the office or on remote internetbased connections.

WAN It is at this point, the new Revit Server comes to the rescue. To improve and extend the worksharing capabilities, the first core change to the system is that the central model is no longer one big single file but is split up into a number of folders and datastreams with element permissions. Essentially this is similar to the way a standard database would work. Based on this new database-like model structure, there is now the concept of a central server where the projects reside.

In turn this server will communicate to local servers based in offices anywhere around the globe. These local servers will maintain up to date copies of the project

Above: The original way of working in a Revit workgroup: Revit copies the central model file to local Revit user’s machines over the LAN, together with synchronising updates. This uses a lot of bandwidth and models are large.

Below: The new central server synchronises Revit project models with local servers around the world, enabling project teams to collaborate efficiently over a WAN.

Save

Local Server Manchester

Update On-Demand Sync Auto-Sync

Local Model Manchester

London LAN Save Update

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More benefits The Subscription Advantage pack also comes with the Conceptual Energy Analysis (CEA) module for Revit. While other energy tools are out there, none are integrated into Revit, including EcoTect which is an Autodesk product.

CEA is a cloud-based application that resides both inside Revit and on the web to give the designer feedback on the sustainability of a design from the very earliest stages. After creating a design in Revit’s conceptual massing tool, a thermal analytical model is created, with materials, location shading, glazing and operating hours. This model is sent to the cloud for any number of calculations in Autodesk’s Green Building Studio. A HTML document of results is sent back giving the estimated performance of the mass.

Through an iterative process an optimised design will hopefully be achieved.

Conclusion

Manchester LAN

Local Model London

models in use on those premises. It is possible to enable the local server and the central server to reside in the same location and using new network protocols the network traffic has been optimised to speed up synchronising .

Essentially this means those working outside the local area network on which the project resides will no longer have to wait lengthy times for the data to arrive, with a local server and regularly updated versions being constantly streamed from the central server. For those with Riverbed style web compression technology, speed benefits will still be apparent.

There is also a new web-based Revit Server Administration, which tool enables management and review capabilities, allowing the creation of projects and folders, location of models, from a remote location.

Local Server London

Central Server

Central Model and Element Permissions

The Revit Server technology certainly solves a problem and eases the problems of working at different locations. It is not as slick or as comprehensive as the Graphisoft technology but overcomes a major drawback of the earlier network implementation of worksharing.

I would assume that this is a technology that will rapidly develop in subsequent releases. The integration of sustainability analysis tools in the massing part of the process is very welcome indeed and while not being a definitive analysis, will surely lead to architects designing energy optimisation at the start of the project, which is surely better than spending money to rectify inefficiencies later on. www.autodesk.com/revit AEC MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

PICTURE PERFECT

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T

he original LCD displays featured TN (Twisted Nematic) technology, which is still used today in lower-cost models. The downside of TN is that it suffers from limited viewing angles, particularly in the vertical direction, and poor colour reproduction. To this backdrop LG developed Image Plane Switching (IPS) technology which has now evolved and is used in all Dell UltraSharp monitors. IPS offers wide viewing angles in all directions, near to real colour images, and also improves eye comfort.

These include the Dell U2211H Widescreen, which has a 21.5-inch 1,920 x 1,080 (Full HD) resolution screen, right up to the Dell U3011 Widescreen, which delivers an incredible degree of detail on its colouraccurate 30-inch 2,560 x 1,600 resolution (WQHD) panel.

All models in the Dell UltraSharp family boast excellent response times to help reduce ghosting and blur and enable the smooth manipulation of 3D CAD models on screen.

This makes them ideal for all manner of 3D professionals including architects, civil and structural engineers and design

visualisation specialists.

Connectivity is another key feature of the Dell UltraSharp Series, with support for a wide range of standards including DisplayPort and HDMI. A built-in Media Card reader and USB connectivity hub round out the professional features providing easy access to external data and peripherals.

WIDE VIEWING ANGLE

A

ll Dell UltraSharp monitors feature an exceptionally wide viewing angle of 178°.

This means users can experience minimal colour deviation and superb greyscale tracking regardless of whether they are sat in front of the screen or viewing it from an oblique angle.

The wide viewing angle applies both horizontally and vertically, so users can move around, sit or

stand and still experience smooth colour gradation on screen. The same benefits are also available to those that put their UltraSharp monitors into portrait mode.

On a practical level the wide viewing angle will be of particular interest to those who use multiple monitors alongside each other on a desk, attendees of presentations or participants in design / review sessions.

Courtesy of Virtual Resolution (virtualresolution.co.uk)

DELL ULTRASHARP FOR CAD and Design Visualisation MicroStation image courtesy of Bentley Systems

1 (Computer Aided Design) CAD For intricate drawings or selecting parts on complex 3D BIM models, UltraSharp excels. The high-resolution, big screen makes it easy to see lots of detail even when zoomed out

1

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2 Design visualisation Vivid renderings are sure to catch the eye, but with each monitor calibrated, colours can also be matched to output on large format printers for client presentations

2

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Advertisement feature

3

The four tenets of PremierColor

S

etting themselves apart from mainstream professional monitors, the UltraSharp U2410, U2711 and U3011 feature Dell’s PremierColor Technology. This allows CAD professionals to work with on-screen colours that are accurate, rich and consistent.

The Dell UltraSharp U2211H features a 21.5-inch screen and a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 and offers an excellent value proposition for professional CAD users

1) Colour consistency, accuracy and precision starts in the factory where each monitor is colourcalibrated so customers that require stringent colour representation can have a great out-of-box experience. This is all documented in a bespoke colour calibration report that ships with each monitor.

2) PremierColor Technology supports industry colour Standards such as AdobeRGB, SRGB, xvYCC and NTSC. This means industrial and product designers involved in colour-centric work have direct support for the colour spaces they frequently use.

3) Offering design professionals maximum flexibility, colours can be adjusted via a dedicated “Custom Colour” mode. This allows users to adjust the Saturation and Hue (RGBCMY), Gain and Offset (RGB) from a range of colour parameters.

4) Boasting the leading colour gamut above 110% (CIE 1976) all PremierColor monitors feature better colour details with no loss in tones and hues.

12-bit internal processing helps to distinguish very low greyscale tone. This enables a greater level of detail in dark areas, which is particularly useful for night scene architectural renders. The U2410, U2711 and U3011 also deliver a colour depth of 1.07 billion colours.

Point cloud model displayed using Pointools software

Courtesy of Virtual Resolution (virtualresolution.co.uk)

PremierColor Technology is based on 4 key tenets: 1) Consistent, accurate and precise colours 2) Coverage of industry colour standards 3) User–enabled colour adjustments 4) Leading colour gamut and colour depth

Navisworks screen shot courtesy of Autodesk

3 Construction simulation Excellent clarity on a big screen makes it easy to identify clashes in digital fabrication software, while the wide viewing angle is ideal for collaborative review sessions

3

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4 Point cloud data A high-definition screen makes it easy to visualise point cloud datasets and perceive depth. Excellent colour reproduction enhances the user’s ability to differentiate objects

4

23/11/10 11:49:59

4

Advertisement feature DELL.CO.UK/ULTRASHARP

THE DELL ULTRASHARP FAMILY Models / SpeCIFICATIONS

23“

21.5“

1,920 x 1,080

1,920 x 1,080

Dell U2211H Widescreen

Dell U2311H Widescreen

Viewable Image Size

54.61 cm (21.5 inches)

58.42 cm (23 inches)

Maximum Resolution

1,920 x 1,080 at 60Hz

1,920 x 1,080 at 60Hz

Typical Response Time

8ms typical (Grey to Grey)

8ms typical (Grey to Grey)

Viewing Angle (Vertical / Horizontal)

178° / 178°

178° / 178°

Number of Colours

16.7 Million

16.7 Million

Luminance (Brightness)

250 cd/m² (typical)

300 cd/m² (typical)

Contrast Ratio (Typical) Dynamic Contrast Ratio (DCR)

1000:1 (typical) / 10,000:1 (DCR)

1000:1 (typical) / 10,000:1 (DCR)

Color Gamut

82% (CIE 1976)/ 72% (CIE 1931)

82% (CIE 1976)/ 72% (CIE 1931)

Panel Technology, Surface

e-IPS (In-Plane Switching), Anti-Glare

e-IPS (In-Plane Switching), Anti-Glare

Monitor Connectivity

VGA, DVI-D (HDCP), DisplayPort, Audio DC out, USB 2.0 (4)

VGA, DVI-D (HDCP), DisplayPort, Audio DC out, USB 2.0 (4)

Ergonomics

Height adjustable stand, swivel and tilt, pivot (landscape / portrait mode)

Height adjustable stand, swivel and tilt, pivot (landscape / portrait mode)

Dimensions (Height) x (Width) x (Depth) mm

348 - 448 (H) x 514 (W) x 184 (D)

356 - 456 (H) x 548 (W) x 184 (D)

Weight (monitor + cables) kg

6.45 kg

7.01 kg

COLOUR GAMUT EXPLAINED When choosing a monitor, CAD/CAM/CAE professionals should pay close attention to the ‘colour gamut’ provided. Colour gamut refers to the entire range of colours that the monitor can reproduce. However, as colour can be rather subjective a number of standardised colour gamuts have been developed to define a particular range of colour. Monitors are then rated by these with the obvious being that

DELL ULTRASHARP SUPPLEMENT (AEC V2).indd 4

the wider a colour gamut the more beneficial it would be to professionals as it would encompass more colours.

The typical RGB based colour gamut is sRGB. This RGB colour model is defined by a triangle with the primary colour points being red, blue and green and within the triangle there is an infinite number of colours resulting from all possible combinations of intensity

levels of the primary colours. However, as sRGB is one of the oldest of the colour gamuts it is also one of the narrowest and as a result Adobe developed its own standard - Adobe RGB, which provides a much greater colour gamut. Another standard colour gamut often used is the CIE 1931 XYZ colour space, one of the first mathematically defined colour spaces created by the International Commission on

Illumination (CIE) in 1931.

A Dell monitor’s colour gamut is rated by the percentage of colours covered by all of the above standard colour gamuts. So, for instance the Dell U3011 widescreen has a 117% CIE1976, 102% CIE1931, 99% AdobeRGB and 100% sRGB coverage making it ideal for colour-critical tasks as the user will be assured of getting crystal clear images with vivid hues and vibrant colours.

23/11/10 11:50:01

Advertisement feature

30“

27“

24“

5

1,920 x 1,200

2,560 x 1,440

2,560 x 1,600

Dell U2410 Widescreen

Dell U2711 Widescreen

Dell U3011 Widescreen

60.96 cm (24 inches)

68.58 cm (27 inches)

75.6 cm (30 inches)

1,920 x 1,200 at 60Hz

2,560 x 1,440 at 60Hz

2,560 x 1,600 at 60Hz

13ms typical (Black to White), 6ms typical (Grey to Grey)

12ms typical (Black to White), 6ms typical (Grey to Grey)

7ms typical (Grey to Grey)

178° / 178°

178° / 178°

178° / 178°

1.07 Billion

1.07 Billion

1.07 Billion

400 cd/m² (typical)

350 cd/m² (typical)

370 cd/m² (typical)

1000:1 (typical)/ 80,000:1 (DCR)

1000:1 (typical) / 80,000:1 (DCR)

1000:1 (typical) / 100,000:1 (DCR)

110% (CIE1976) / 102% (CIE 1931) 96% (AdobeRGB Coverage), 100% (sRGB Coverage)

110% (CIE1976) / 102% (CIE 1931) 96% (AdobeRGB Coverage), 100% (sRGB Coverage)

117% (CIE1976) / 102% (CIE 1931) 99% (AdobeRGB Coverage), 100% (sRGB Coverage)

IPS (In Plane Switching), Anti-Glare

IPS (In Plane Switching), Anti-Glare

IPS (In-Plane Switching), Anti Glare

VGA, 2 x DVI-D (HDCP), Composite, Component, HDMI, Display Port, DC out for connecting a Dell soundbar (sold separately), Audio out (2 channel output), USB 2.0 (4)

VGA, 2 x DVI-D (HDCP), Composite, Component, HDMI, Display Port, DC out for connecting a Dell soundbar (sold separately), Audio out (2 channel output), USB 2.0 (4)

VGA, 2x DVI-D (HDCP), Component, 2 x HDMI, DC out for connecting a Dell soundbar (sold separately) and Display Port, Audio out (2 channel output), USB 2.0 (4)

Height adjustable stand, swivel and tilt, pivot (landscape / portrait mode), Capacitive Touch OSD Controls

Height adjustable stand, swivel and tilt, Capacitive Touch OSD Controls

Height adjustable stand, swivel and tilt, Capacitive Touch OSD Controls

393 - 493 (H) x 560 (W) x 202 (D)

428 - 518 (H) x 647 (W) x 200 (D)

481 - 571 (H) x 695 (W) x 211 (D)

9.57 kg

10.46 kg

12.60 kg

CONNECTIVITY EXPLAINED 1 DisplayPort is a relatively new digital display standard which features a compact connector. It can deliver resolutions up to 2,560 x 1,600 and is supported by virtually all new generation professional graphics cards. The latest DisplayPort standard, supported in the UltraSharp U3011, can also route audio signals.

2 DVI (Digital Visual Interface), the original digital display standard, is being phased out now in favour of DisplayPort. It works in two modes: single link, for resolutions up to 1,920 x 1,200 and dual link, for resolutions of up to 2,560 x 1,600. Most modern professional graphics cards support dual link, either directly or through a DisplayPort to DVI adapter.

3 VGA is an analogue display standard, which is only supported directly by older graphics cards, although it is still popular in many laptops for supporting external displays. As the signal is analogue the image quality is not as good as when using a digital standard.

4 HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a digital display standard commonly used in entertainment systems such as Blu-ray disc players and games consoles. In addition to display data it also supports audio. It is not used directly by professional graphics cards.

Underside of a Dell Ultrasharp U2711

1

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2

3

4

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Advertisement feature DELL.CO.UK/ULTRASHARP

VISUAL PERFECTION

A Dell UltraSharp U3011 monitor helps Yorkshire-based visualisation studio Virtual Resolution deliver renders and animations for high profile architectural projects

Courtesy of Virtual Resolution (virtualresolution.co.uk)

refurbished stores across the UK, Virtual Resolution works across commercial, public sector and international markets. “We work a lot in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi,” says Hales, a partner at the company, “and we have just finished producing work for a large retail mall in Kazakhstan.”

Steady growth despite the uncertain climate means the studio is currently recruiting a fourth staff member to join the team at its 3,000sq ft production studio space, he adds.

With 20 years’ experience in the industry between them, Hales and Power focus on providing a range of services to assist the design and construction industry, from simple modelling and enhanced CGI stills through to animation and real-time/real video montages. “We are all architecturally and graphically trained,” explains Power, “and that’s paramount to the work we do. It’s this understanding of the built environment that allows us to produce more detailed and accurate illustration, making the final result more believable and ultimately more saleable.”

V

isualisation studios are often the unsung heroes of large architectural projects.

Much like the visual effects companies in the back streets of Soho, London, who are quietly responsible for the invisible light and magic that makes, say, the latest Harry Potter film so thrilling, studios across the country are providing vital support to architectural practices and design consultancies in the form of visualisation and animation services.

These services are invaluable.

Anyone who works in construction or development will have experienced the

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frustration of a project which has stalled because a key client or decision maker simply doesn’t understand the architect or designer’s vision. Blueprints, floorplans and traditional architectural illustration can only provide so much detail, which is why photorealistic architectural renderings, 3D models and animated flythroughs are so important. And it’s not just developers and clients who are realising this: planning officers increasingly ask for 3D visualisations in support of planning applications, and sales and marketing teams use

visualisations and animations to enable buyers to see inside and around a space before ground on the site has even been broken.

Steady growth Virtual Resolution is one such studio. Based in Elland, West Yorkshire, the 18 month-old company is the brainchild of Tim Power and John Hales, who met while working for architectural practice Aedas, which remains a client. In addition to being a nominated supplier for Asda, providing 3D still and animation imagery to complement the supermarket chain’s proposals for new and

Sharpening up The team at Virtual Resolution complete much of its work using a Dell UltraSharp U3011 Monitor at 2,560 x 1,600 resolution which Hales describes as a “really, really good” addition to the studio.

“Previously we were using a 22” flat screen and a 24” LED monitor. When we put the U3011 next to them it completely dwarfed them – you don’t realise how huge the 30” screen is until you get it into the studio. It’s very smooth in animations – and I’d say about 50% of our work is animation – with no lagging or ghosting.

And in terms of clarity it’s the best yet.”

Using the monitor on the company’s custom-built Scan

23/11/10 11:50:08

Advertisement feature

3XS System workstations running AutoCAD, Autodesk 3ds Max, Revit and SketchUp, Hales particularly values the pre-set AdobeRGB and sRGB colour settings. “There’s also a really neat little feature for CAD work,” he says, “that works like a sharpening effect or filter. If the image is a bit too soft you can sharpen up the lines so it stands out a bit more: it goes from 0 to 100 in gradations of 10 and for CAD work I put it up to about 70 or 80, which works really well for delivering the additional clarity you need.”

The pre-set modes are also important for the company’s other area of work, delivering graphic design projects for clients. “My background is in graphics,” explains Hales, “and while nothing is ever going to be a perfect match for print it’s imperative in graphics work that what you see on screen is as close as possible to what you’re going to get out of the printer.

We do a lot of logo work and for that the colour depth that you get on this monitor is really important, as it is for Adobe Premiere or photography work.”

Looking ahead But it’s in terms of personal productivity that Hales says he has noticed the biggest change since bringing the Dell UltraSharp U3011 into the studio. “We’ve always used dual monitors for CAD work, with all the toolbars on one screen.

With this set-up, with the 30” screen, we started to question whether we needed two monitors at all, especially when you’re working in 3ds Max.” Focusing on one screen can save valuable time and, suggests Hales, costs too: “When you compare what you would spend on two good quality 24” monitors, this could be a very good thing.” This, he adds, could be worth considering for other relatively new or expanding companies who are keeping a close eye on capital expenditure.

The 178º viewing angle is another bonus. “Some of our work is done almost exclusively

by email, but we have other clients who come into the studio all the time, and while we do have a more formal client presentation area, there are occasions when you want to sit a client down directly at the computer, and it’s great for that. The viewing angle is also especially useful when all three or four of us want to gather round one monitor to talk through a project or hash out an issue.”

In these sorts of situations the team finds it’s important to be able to move a monitor easily, and Hales finds that tilt and swivel on the monitor are all “fantastic. It’s really easy to adjust, glides up and down really easily and takes the weight really well, because as you’d expect this is a reasonably heavy monitor.” Looking to the future, he also sees that this flexibility will be important as the Virtual Resolution team grows. “You get a large amount of movement on height, so you can adjust the monitor for ergonomic reasons, which will become more important for us as we expand and have different staff members working in the studio.”

So with such an eye on future expansion, has the Virtual Resolution team been burning the midnight oil? “Well, we did download the new Harry Potter trailer last night,” John Hales admits, “and tried out the monitor’s movie mode. It looked really good.” It seems every growing company needs a little magic now and then. www.virtualresolution.co.uk

With the 30” screen, we started to question whether we needed two monitors at all, especially when working in 3ds Max

7

The BIG Picture: Using Multiple Displays AMD’s ATI FirePro V8800 can drive up to four Dell UltraSharp monitors

R

unning more than one monitor from a single workstation is becoming an increasingly popular choice among CAD professionals. It enables users to swap between design applications or datasets very easily, which can lead to huge productivity benefits.

In the professional design and engineering space there are many scenarios where a multi-monitor setup would be useful. For example, for those working with 3D models and 2D drawings, analysis or rendering, or when using Office applications, such as spreadsheets, alongside CAD software.

Multiple monitors can also be placed in arrays to form a composite high-definition display, meaning 3D models can be viewed in incredible detail.

From a technology perspective, all the latest Dell Precision workstations can support two or more monitors at the same time. Those featuring Nvidia Quadro FX graphics accelerators can drive two displays from a single graphics card and up to four displays by adding a second. Those that feature AMD’s ATI FirePro graphics accelerators can support up to four monitors from a single graphics card using a new technology called ATI Eyefinity.

From Mobile to desktop workstation Dell Ultrasharp monitors are also the perfect complement to Dell’s powerful mobile workstations. The Precision M4500 and M6500 can be partnered with up to three* Ultrasharp displays to give CAD professionals a vastly expanded design environment to manage complex drawings, spreadsheets and 3D models.

*docking station and ATI FirePro graphics accelerator required

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23/11/10 11:50:15

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Advertisement feature DELL.CO.UK/ULTRASHARP

A Touch of Class

The On Screen Display on the U2410, U2711 and U3011 is controlled by touch sensitive keys, making the displays easy to configure

T

ucked away in the bottom right hand corner of the UltraSharp’s bezel are five capacitive touch sensor buttons which are used to control its On Screen Display (OSD). Each

1 2 3

button is activated by placing a finger on the relevant LED and this brings up the OSD. The top two buttons are then used to navigate the menu.

The OSD is used to control 1

Preset display modes

2

Brightness/Contrast

3

Input Source Select

4

On-Screen display (OSD)

5

Exit the OSD menu

6

Power button

4 5 6

ARE YOU SITTING COMFORTABLY?

input, brightness, contrast and a variety of other colour and display settings. Users also have access to preset colour settings, such as warm, cool, and Adobe RGB. The OSD also displays information or warning messages, such as when a monitor does not support a particular resolution or when there is no signal coming from the computer.

PREMIUM PANEL GUARANTEE All Dell UltraSharp monitors come with a Premium Panel Guarantee that ensures there will be no bright pixels on your display.

Bright pixels are those that are unable to display the correct color output and are permanently lit. Even if only one bright pixel is found, a free monitor exchange is guaranteed during the entire limited warranty period, which runs for three years.

*pivot only available on 24-inch models or below

Comfort and ergonomics are essential in any modern design and engineering environment.

That’s why all Dell UltraSharp monitors can be fully adjusted using intuitive features.

Adjust tilt and height for eye level and a comfortable seating position, swivel for group presentations, or pivot* to work on documents in portrait mode, or multiple monitors side by side.

SNAP & CLICK INTO ACTION Setting up a Dell UltraSharp monitor is incredibly easy and attaching the stand does not require any screws. Simply lay the monitor face down, slot the two tabs on the upper part of the stand into the grooves on the back of the monitor and snap into place. For maximum flexibility, Dell UltraSharp monitors can also be attached to a variety of VESA 100mm desk stands or wall mounts.

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The stand on the UltraSharp U2211H simply snaps into place

23/11/10 11:50:17

AND automatically produce 2D documentation Save time and effort, improve design integrity, and make more from your fees with ArchiCAD – the Designer’s 1st choice for Building Information Modelling (BIM)!

Now try BIM for 3 months It can be a big decision to move from traditional 2D design to BIM so why not try before you buy.

Our ‘Switch and Save’ offer to you is: 2 days introductory training on ArchiCAD BIM Use of ArchiCAD® for 3 months Provision of technical support and knowledge base Access to on line training movies to help as you learn All of this is available for only £297*

BIM 3D Find out more To find out more about this great offer either call on 0845 003 7718 or email switch@graphisoft.co.uk

If you decide to purchase ArchiCAD we will refund your £297* and also provide you with EcoDesigner™, fully integrated with ArchiCAD and great for assessing sustainable design.

EcoDesigner is winner of the “Environmental Product of the Year” at the Construction Computing Awards 2009.

Copyright © Graphisoft UK Ltd 2010. All rights reserved world-wide. All other company and product names may be tradenames or trademarks of their respective owners. Graphisoft UK Ltd reserves the right to change this offer at any time. * Price excludes VAT and will be charged at the rate at that time.

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Collaborative software’s hidden assets Clare Watson explores how collaborative software can lead to potentially huge hidden savings.

M

ore for less is increasingly becoming the mantra for the AEC sector. Cost may still be king but carbon emission is fast becoming the hot talking point. Many in the sector feel that in order to keep costs down emissions will have to take a back seat.

However, thanks to collaborative working harmony may not be so far away.

Over the last ten years, much has been written about the direct cost savings associated with collaborative software, however savings are being found in more than just printing and courier costs.

Significant reductions can be made in time, charges and, significantly, carbon too.

A lot has changed since the early days of construction extranets, with increased functionality and improved user interfaces meaning the technology does not require an accompanying degree to operate it. As efficiency is more important than ever, it is worth examining the various ways in which collaborative software can become an asset to austerity.

There are many well quoted savings that users of collaborative software may be familiar with. The Compagnia report (2003) may be seven years old now but the saving it highlights, 4.28% of project costs, is still valid.

This figure takes into account savings from several of the unique aspects of collaborative software. For instance, with project or business information being stored online, and used in conjunction with in-built view and mark up tools, users can create a transparent record and audit train of changes, leading to significant savings on administration costs. In addition savings are being made on printing, distribution, postage and couriers, all of which quickly add up.

Projects can also expect to save on management costs. With simple to set up processes such as transmittals and approval processes; document control becomes a much more streamlined process, saving on overheads and allowing project managers to concentrate on deliverables.

Hidden savings While initially harder to quantify, collaborative software can lead to potentially huge hidden savings.

At 4Projects, we talk about ‘one version of the truth’, what this means is that all users are operating from the latest revision of drawing, information and instruction.

Using the system, they are always accessing the latest live information meaning rework costs are significantly reduced, if not eliminated.

Project over-runs, penalties and litigation are not uncommon in the sector however by using an integrated delivery approach, firms can reduce these risks. A

30

COMMENT

transparent audit trail is also an essential tool to mitigate risk in these instances. Online collaboration tools facilitate projects, ensuring they deliver both to budget and on time.

By having a shared collaboration space, users can also reduce the need for disparate team members to get together for meetings. Shared working spaces and discussions enable design reviews without users having to be in the same room. When working on international projects savings can run into the thousands.

The biggest hidden saving ironically comes from one of the most visible areas of cost; file storage and archive space. Instead of having filing cabinet upon filing cabinet (sometimes filling entire rooms), all the stored information can be transferred online, eliminating the excess. Office floor space, heating and furniture, each of these expenses can be reduced through the correct use of collaborative software.

There is another area where users of online collaboration tools can make savings, an area that will make your IT Director sit up and pay attention. If the collaboration platform in question allows integrated communication in addition to document and drawing sharing, then you can significantly reduce the size of your local company data and email server.

Servers across the country typically groan with the data storage requirements of complex AEC projects. I am sure the majority of workers have experienced pleas from the IT department to ‘reduce your inbox’. Through collaborative platform people can reduce the numbers of emails flying around and remove the need to store information for audit and archive purposes.

Instead of distributing items via email, users have the ability to upload once to their own server and then issue the information via the system. For example, emailing a 5MB drawing to ten people means 50MB of space on an email server is taken up. By distributing via the collaborative extranet this is removed completely,

Clare Watson: The biggest hidden saving ironically comes from one of the most visible areas of cost; file storage and archive space.

while maintaining an audit trail of the distribution. There is also the added advantage of being able to ensure your recipients have actually downloaded the item.

Carbon savings So where is carbon in all this? Well whenever you print less, travel less, post and courier less and use less energy for buildings and servers, you are saving carbon emissions and earning green credentials.

The next time you have to go through a tendering process where you have to identify your commitment to reducing carbon emissions make sure you have an extranet planned in the project. By using the tool across a business for the full lifecycle of all projects and operations, the carbon reduction doesn’t need to end once the construction has.

Increasing cost saving potential Traditionally, extranets have been used on a project-byproject basis, simply for the delivery phase of a build.

However, clients, asset owners and contractors alike can harness huge cost, time and more importantly carbon savings applying the software throughout their business.

By contracting with a supplier of collaborative software on an Enterprise basis rather than just projectby-project there are savings to be had. Not only will it be more cost effective in the long run in software fees, but businesses can use the software for any number of projects from feasibility through design, delivery and asset management.

Users can also utilise the platform for general business collaboration. All communications, shared documents, knowledge library, asset library, HR forms, expense forms, management reports, training resources, to name but a few.

The savings are set to increase as the SaaS (software as a service) models develop. From the early days of construction extranets, providers continuously add functionality to their platforms. This is one of the great benefits of SaaS products; they evolve incrementally and users always have access to the latest version, no need to upgrade. Tools for managing construction milestones, online contract management plus online procurement and tender processes mean that the scope for cost savings is extended through additional construction management processes.

Reductions in cost, time and carbon — just a few Product reasons to consider taking a second look at collaborative software.

Clare Watson is vice-president of marketing for 4Projects. www.4projects.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

AEC MAGAZINE

WWW.AECMAG.COM

Dell Precision T1500

A sub entry-level workstation designed to turn the heads of PC users, but crying out for a lower specification processor to give it the price point a machine like this deserves, writes Greg Corke.

F

or years, workstations from the Tier One vendors have come in three sizes: entrylevel, mid range and high-end. Entry-level workstations feature a single processor, mid-range workstations pack in two processors in a compact chassis and high-end workstations boast two processors and capacity for huge amounts of storage and memory.

Last year everything changed. Acknowledging that many CAD users continue to use desktop PCs instead of dedicated workstations, Dell, HP and Lenovo all helped create the sub entry-level workstation. Sporting entry-level processors, graphics, and storage, plus limited upgrade options, these compact machines are much like standard desktop PCs, but earn their workstation spurs through professional graphics cards and ISV (Independent Software Vendors) certification for leading CAD applications including AutoCAD. Dell’s offering in this market is the Precision T1500, which features a comprehensive range of processors (including the Quad Core Intel Core i7 and i5, and the Dual Core Intel i5 and i3) — plus a choice of three entry-level professional CAD

Specifications •

Intel Core i7 870 (2.93GHz) processor (Quad Core) 4GB (2 x 2GB) 1333MHz DDR3 memory Dell motherboard (Intel P55 and H57 chipset) 2 x 320GB 7,200RPM hard drives AMD ATI FirePro V3750 (256MB) graphics card Windows Windows 7 Professional 32-bit One year limited warranty with Next Business Day (NBD) on-site parts replacement and one year NBD on-site service

• • • • • •

£999 www.dell.co.uk

• CPU benchmarks

(secs - smaller is better) CAD — 370 Simulation — 128 Rendering — 375

• Graphics benchmarks

(frames per sec — bigger is better) CAD — 13

graphics cards — the ATI FirePro V3750, Nvidia Quadro FX 380 and FX 580.

Our test machine shipped with Intel’s Core i7 870 (2.93GHz), a mid-range chip, which equipped itself well under our standard CAD test and with its four cores also put in a respectable score in our multithreaded rendering benchmark. The strain began to show under some of our other tests with the machine delivering sporadic results. On further

investigation, we found it was occasionally hitting the 3GB memory limits of the 32-bit Operating System, which slowed things right down. Matching the system with Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) would have removed this bottleneck as it would have been able to take advantage of the final 1GB from its 2 x 2GB DIMMS. For graphics AMD’s 256MB ATI FirePro V3750 showed its limitations in our 3D CAD benchmark.

However, it should be noted that under more CPU limited combinations of applications and datasets the V3750 has proven in the past to be a good performer.

For a machine that is pitched as a sub entrylevel CAD workstation we were not particularly excited by the price tag of £999. However, this is mostly down to the choice of processor. Swapping out the Core i7 870 (2.93GHz) for the Core i3-540 (3.06GHz) Dual Core chip will save you £191 from the off. And with a higher clock speed it will arguably give a slight performance boost for pure CAD as well. Opting for one, instead of two, 320GB hard drives will also shave off a cool £66 and help give it the sub entry-level CAD workstation price a machine like this deserves.

Workstation Specialists WSX-6+ An overclocked workstation offering unrivalled performance for CAD, but with six CPU cores running at 4.2GHz it also gives dual CPU machines a serious run for their money.

L

ike most workstation system builders Derbybased Workstation Specialists (WS) offers three standard models in its desktop range — an entry-level, single processor machine (the WS1400), a mid-range, single processor machine (the WS1600) and a high-end dual processor machine (the WS2600). However, unlike the Dells, HPs, and Lenovos of this world, it also has a supercharged member in its family — the WSX. Here, the boffins at WS take an ordinary six core Intel Core i7 processor and overclock it to a whopping 4.2GHz — a full 1GHz faster than a standard high-end Core i7 chip. The result? An exceptionally fast single processor system which, as our tests confirmed, can’t be touched by any other single processor workstation we have seen or, when all six CPU cores are running flat out doing rendering calculations, some dual processor workstations.

With 12GB of triple channel DDR3 memory the WSX is set up to work with some pretty hefty datasets, and the new Nvidia Quadro 4000 graphics NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 AEC MAGAZINE

card will give plenty of power to rotate, pan and zoom around models on screen. Together with the superfast 128GB Kingston SSD Now drive, it is these three components that contribute to a significant chunk of the machine’s substantial £2,975 price tag. Architecture and engineering firms with smaller budgets (and datasets) could bring this price down considerably by reducing the memory to 6GB, opting for a standard S-ATA II drive, and swapping out the Quadro 4000 for one of Nvidia’s new

Specifications

• Workstation Enhanced Intel Core i7 (4.2GHz) processor (Six Core) • 12GB (6 x 2GB) 1,600MHz DDR3 memory • 128GB Kingston SSD Now (SNVP325) + 1TB Seagate Barracuda 7,200RPM hard drives Nvidia Quadro 4000 (2GB) graphics card Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 36 months full parts and labour system warranty

• • •

£2,975 workstationspecialists.com CPU benchmarks (secs — smaller is better) CAD — 217 Simulation — 81 Rendering — 188 Graphics benchmarks (frames per sec — bigger is better) CAD - 52

•

Quadro 2000 graphics cards or ATI FirePro equivalent. While this would take the edge off what is a colossus of a workstation, it will still retain its ability to carry out lightning fast calculations with its 4.2GHz CPU. As we have said before (tinyurl.com/33tgeyy), overclocked machines are not for everyone, but for those looking for ultimate performance for CAD, the WSX-6+ is currently setting the pace.

HARDWARE

31

BUILD YOUR NEXT CAREER

The new dedicated jobs website for Architecture, Engineering, Construction (AEC) professionals jobs.aecmag.com

A3 AEC jobs ad.indd 1

26/11/10 09:03:56

10 09:03:56

Welcome to AEC Magazine’s brand new jobs section.

Every issue we will bring you the latest jobs for Architecture, Engineering, Construction (AEC) professionals to help you kick start your career.

We have also partnered with CADjobhunter.com to launch a new dedicated jobs website where you can find your dream job by searching by location, keyword or CAD / Building Information Modelling (BIM) software. Alternatively upload your CV to help your future employer find you.

Register your details at

jobs.aecmag.com To advertise on the website or inside the magazine contact Matt Wells matt@cadjobhunter.com +44 (0) 1252 414007

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 AEC MAGAZINE

To advertise in this section contact Matt Wells/Matt@cadjobhunter.com or +44(0) 1252 414007

JOBS 33

JUNIOR/ TRAINEE CAD TECHNICIAN

A leading commercial interior Design & Build company based in central London is seeking a motivated, career orientated individual to join their team.

You will initially work with the Senior CAD Technician within the design team.

The majority of the workload will be: - Preparation of GA drawings - Preparation of detailed drawings, construction drawings - Production of design and details in accordance with project requirements Document control - Site visit and survey required by projects - Working as part of a team, - Any other reasonable task as requested by Line manager You should have the following minimum skill set: - University degree in architecture - Proficient in AutoCAD / ADT - Understand architectural plans, details & technical drawings - Experience with Design and Build or an Architectural practice is essential.

- Have strong written and verbal communication skills - Proficient in Microsoft office, PowerPoint , and Photoshop - Desire to succeed in a fast Design & Build, and construction environment - Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team - Willing to work extra hours when needed due to the nature of the job APPLY BY EMAIL WITH A CV, WORK EXAMPLES AND A BRIEF COVER LETTER PLEASE APP DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE TO: metrodesign@live.com

Dave Oswald Design davieos@gmail.com +44 (0) 1923 490 205

11 - 13 March 2008 ICM, Munich, Germa ny

Design, Automation & Test in Europe Technical Conference Special Focus Topics DATE’08 offers two specific

& Keynotes

days related

to designated themes: Automotive Systems - Wednesday This day provides a comprehensive 12 March 2008 analysis of the evolution architectures to address of automotive the development of safety and time-critical software.

Invited sessions: • Physical Architectures • Software Components for Reliable Automotive Systems • Methods, Tools and Standards for the Analysis and Evaluation of Modern Automotive Architectures • Panel – The Future Car: Technology, Methods and Tools Keynote: • “Model-Based-Design is nice, but ...”

Dr.-Ing. Herbert Hanselmann, President & CEO, dSPACE

GmbH.

Dependable Embedded Systems - Thursday 13 March 2008 This day will focus on both conceptual and applied issues for design, and validation of dependable analysis embedded systems.

Invited sessions: • Dependable Computing in the Face of Scaled CMOS Challenges • Synthesis of Dependable Embedded Systems • Dependability Aspects • Panel – New Directions and Challenges Keynote: • “Reliable Services in an Imperfect World” Hermann Kopetz, TU Vienna, Austria.

For details of the conference programme, exhibition and registration, please DATE Secretariat, EDA contact: Exhibitions Ltd, Tel: +44 20 7681 1000,Email: date@edaltd.co.uk DATE E.Praxis Ad.indd

1

& Keynotes

The DATE Conference covers cutting-edge technologies ranging • System-on-Chip to from: System-Level Hardware • Embedded Software Implementation • Integrated Circuit Design and Test • Multiprocessor Devices (MPSoC) • Networks-on-Chip s • Low Power Design DATE also demonstrates the strong European traditions of applications design for:

• Aerospace and Automotive Systems • Wireless Devices and Communication Networks • Security and Encryption

Opening Ceremony Keynotes - Tuesday 11 March 2008: Giovanni De Micheli, Director, Institute of Electrical Engineering & Integrated Systems Centre, EPFL, Switzerland Dominique Vernay, CTO, THALES, France

Exhibition Entrance to the Exhibition

is FREE

Opening hours: Tuesday 11th March Wednesday 12th March Thursday 13th March Exhibiting companies:

10:00 – 19:00 10:00 – 18:00 10:00 – 17:00

ACE Associated Compiler Experts, Aldec, Analogies, Apache Design Solutions, Design Systems, Axilica, Atrenta, Avery Blaze DFM, CADFEM, Cambridge Consultants, Carbon Design CAST, Certess, CMP, CoFluent Systems, Design, Compaan Design, Concept Engineering, Coresonic, CoWare, Cypress, Denali Software, Design & Reuse, Design Automation Conference, DOLPHIN Integration, Doulos, Dizain-sync, DSP Valley, Elektronik I Norden, ELEKTRONIKPRAXIS, Duolog Technologies, Easics, EDA Solutions, edXact, Elektronik Industrie, Elsevier, Essensium, Europractice, Envision Technology, EVE, Fenix, Forte Handshake Solutions, Hewlett-Packard, Design, Gidel, Gleichmann Electronics Research, Hüthig, IC Mask Design, IMEC, Jasper Design Automation, Magma Design Automation, Mentor Graphics,Mephisto Design Automation, Micrologic Automation, MOSIS, MunEDA, Design Nangate, NEC Informatec Systems, Novas Software, tional Partnership, Philips OCP InternaElectronics, Pro Design Electronic, Prolific, Q Star Test, Qualisystems, Rambus, Rapita Systems, Real Intent, SAME Arcsis, Satin IP Technologies, Semifore, Sigrity, Springer-Verlag, Synopsys, Siemens, Synplicity, Tanner EDA, Target Compiler Technologies, latech, The Dini Group, The TekIET, The MathWorks, Think Silicon, TIMA/UJF, University Systems Technology, Verific of York, VaST Design Automation. Last update - 12/02/2008 or visit:

www.date-conference .com

ns for: Creative graphic solutio catalogues...

Magazines, brochures, adverts, leaflets, flyers, posters... logos, business stationery, invitations...

Taking the time to make design better 34

JOBS

To advertise in this section contact Matt Wells/Matt@cadjobhunter.com or +44(0) 1252 414007

AEC MAGAZINE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

COMMAND YOUR CREATIONS www.amd.com/firepro

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Armari

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© 2010 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All rights reserved. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, ATI, the ATI logo, FirePro and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

MA2310 AMD CAD Racing Car Advert V6_0.indd 1

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