Industry news

Micro workstations get graphics boost with RTX

P and Dell have beefed up the

Hgraphics in their micro workstations, adding custom

versions of the Nvidia Quadro RTX 3000 GPU to the HP Z2 Mini G5 and the new Dell Precision 3240 Compact.

Ultra-small form factor (USFF) workstations typically feature entry-level CAD-focused GPUs like the Quadro P1000, so this is big news for those who want more graphics performance without having to sacrifice valuable desk space, especially when working from home.

The Dell Precision 3240 Compact measures 18.8 x 7.0 x 17.9cm and starts at 1.71kg, while the HP Z2 Mini G5 has a slightly bigger footprint but is 1.2cm thinner. Both machines can be VESA mounted behind a display or under a desk.

The Quadro RTX 3000 GPU features dedicated RT cores for ray tracing and Tensor cores for AI denoising, making it suitable for entry-level GPU rendering, as well as real-time viz and VR. It is not a standard desktop graphics card, rather a custom version of an MXM form factor GPU typically found in mobile workstations.

In the HP Z2 Mini G5 and the Dell Precision 3240 Compact we expect it will offer slightly better performance than Quadro RTX 3000 GPUs found in slimline mobile workstations. The HP ZBook Studio G7, for example, uses a ‘Max Q Design’ variant, so is clocked a touch lower.

Both workstations feature 10th Generation Intel Core CPUs with up to 10 cores and up to 64GB of memory.

■ zworkstations.com ■ dell.com/precision

NXT BLD - online & interactive next month

Free tickets Online 8-14 October

EC Magazine will host its first

Aever virtual conference on 8-14 October, and it’s free to attend.

NXT BLD Virtual will be spread out over a week with five bite sized 90 minute sessions, complete with a live Q&A. Topics include robots in construction, conceptual design, digital fabrication, viz, VR, and lots more. There’ll also be a unmissable panel discussion on Digital Design Futures from the group of AEC practices that sent that Autodesk letter. ■ more on page 24 and nxtbld.com

Revit 2021.1 extends focus on automation

utodesk has

Aconcentrated on automation and

computation for the new Revit 2021.1 release, adding new sample studies for Generative Design for Revit, and introducing a new 2.6 version of Dynamo for Revit along with new Dynamo nodes.

The software also offers better interoperability with Autodesk Infraworks and Autodesk FormIt Pro and enhanced data exchange with third party tools including McNeel Rhino and Trimble Sketchup 2020.

■ autodesk.com/revit

Atkins works with AI startup

tkins has formed a

Apartnership with AI technology start up

nPlan to explore new contracting models driven by technology and data which could transform major project delivery across the industry.

The work brings together Atkins’ project delivery experience and nPlan’s machine learning technology to identify and assess a new approach to contracting that focuses on collaboration, and changes the way risk is measured, shared and managed across major infrastructure programmes.

■ atkinsglobal.com ■ nplan.io

ROUND UP

Geotechnical hub

Bentley Systems has launched OpenGround Cloud, a new service designed to give geotechnical professionals access to a wide range of current and historical geotechnical data. It can be used on ground investigation projects for planning, data entry, borehole log production, lab data management, reporting, visualisation, and more ■ bentley.com/openground-cloud

Revit automation

Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R), an interdisciplinary New York design studio is using a range of tools from Ideate Software to help automate tedious tasks in Autodesk Revit, including the production and maintenance of Revit schedules ■ ideatesoftware.com

Project template

DB Station & Service AG, the transport station operator on Germany’s DB Netz AG route network, has worked with Allplan to develop a ‘comprehensive project template’, which is now available to all Allplan users as a free download ■ allplan.com

Bentley launches IPO

Bentley Systems has announced the launch of the initial public offering of 10,750,000 shares of its Class B common stock. The shares of Class B common stock to be sold in the offering will be sold by existing stockholders of Bentley. ■ bentley.com

HS2 trials AI

A new carbon and cost estimating solution powered by AI is being trialled on a number of HS2 sites managed by the Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture. Using the AI tool, the BIM processes are automated so that different design options can be simulated using different types and quantities of construction materials ■ hs2.org.uk

Revit model health

The Ideate Dashboard for Autodesk BIM 360 is a new data visualisation service that pulls design information from Revit models stored within BIM 360 projects in order to identify and flag design warnings and help maintain Revit model health ■ ideatesoftware.com

HP focuses on aesthetics for new large format printers

P has taken a fresh look at its

Hlarge format printer range, launching new machines

targeted at SoHo (Small office / Home office) AEC businesses. These include the HP DesignJet Studio, which features a sleek white facia and wood or steel finish, and the DesignJet T200 and T600 Series, which HP claims to be the world’s smallest plotters.

All three DesignJets work with the HP Smart App for iOS and Android that allows users to print and manage jobs from ‘virtually anywhere, anytime’. Meanwhile, users can send multiple files in one click (PDF, JPEG, TIFF, DWF, and HP-GL/2) from PC or Mac, and with HP Click software, documents of different sizes can be printed automatically (A1/D and A3/B or A0/E and A3/B).

With its natural materials and sleek aesthetic, the HP DesignJet Studio printer is not meant to be tucked away in the corner of an office. The printer comes in two sizes - 24” (A1/D) and 36” (A0/E) – and with an automatic A3/B tray, multi-size projects can be printed automatically without manually switching the media source.

The HP DesignJet T200 Printer Series is primarily a desktop 24” (A1/D) printer, built to fit in the smallest of spaces, although there’s an optional stand and optional automatic sheet feeder.

The HP DesignJet T600 Printer Series is available in two sizes - 24” (A1/D) and 36” (A0/E) - and comes with a built in stand and output bin and automatic sheet feeder.

■ hp.com/designjet

Performance boost for Vectorworks 2021

ith the new 2021

Wrelease of Vectorworks,

users with multi-core workstations are said to experience up to five times faster file loading and improved transition time when changing 3D views. According to the developers, the Vectorworks Graphics Module (VGM) also means no delays when navigating in 3D with the flyover tool.

Other new features of Vectorworks 2021 include the Project Sharing server that offers a ‘versatile multi-user environment’; better interoperability capabilities with Excel Import/Export and PDF Drawing Marker Links.

Smart Options Display allows users to stay in the modelling space without needing to constantly move their mouse between drawing area and tool palettes.

Elsewhere, the quick search command helps users find and activate any tool or menu command by typing what they need, while Smart Markers make it easier to use drawing markers when generating documentation.

To support a ‘better BIM workflow’ for architecture and landscape professionals, Vectorworks 2021 features new materials that define both the graphical attributes and data of building materials all in one location.

Epic Games adds animation and phasing to Twinmotion

PROJECT COURTESY OF GRAPHISOFT

Tekla links to Fabsec Fbeam

winmotion 2020.2, the latest tools for animation and phasing, more realistic materials and effects, and new animated and smart assets.

For animation, the software features a wide range of new door assets that automatically snap and scale to fit within existing openings and can be set to

rkio, the VR-centric interoperability with Revit, offering a bi-directional workflow.

With the Arkio Revit plug-in users can export a Revit model to Arkio. Once the Revit model is inside Arkio, users can add markups, sketch new design ideas or add

intoo is developing a new to be streamed from the cloud directly into Unreal Engine.

The idea is to create ‘rich, immersive experiences’ that mix as-built scan data with as-designed CAD and BIM models to address QA/QC workflows for construction.

The technology uses Cintoo’s Cloud platform that turns terrestrial laser scans automatically open based on the proximity of camera and/or people assets. Custom objects such as doors, windows, and elevators can also be animated.

A new multi-track timeline-based phasing tool is designed to make it much faster and easier to create phased video of a project’s construction schedule, or to present different variations sequentially. geometry to create different design options.

To export the design back to Revit, Arkio shapes convert to Revit mass families or generic shapes. Built-in Arkio assets, sketches, imported buildings and models convert to customisable families. Program data even exports as object parameters that can be used in schedules. into high resolution meshes that are 10 to 20 times smaller than the source scans and include multiple levels of detail. The datasets are ‘fully cloud compatible’ and can be streamed to a WebGL browser on desktops, laptops, tablets and VR headsets.

The development is being funded in part by Epic Games, who has awarded Cintoo an ‘Epic MegaGrant’ as part of a $100m program designed to help firms accelerate work done with Unreal Engine.

rimble and Fabsec

Thave developed a bi-directional link

between Trimble’s design and analysis software Tekla Structural Designer (TSD) 2020, and Fabsec’s FBEAM software, which is used to design long span cellular beams to the Eurocode.

Structural engineers, as well as D&B fabricators of steelframed buildings, can download

■ fabsec.co.uk

Trelease of the AEC focused real-time viz tool, includes new

■ unrealengine.com/twinmotion

Revit models import directly into Arkio

Acollaborative spatial design tool, has improved its

■ arkio.io

Laser scan meshes streamed into Unreal

Ccloud-client solution that will allow mesh-based laser scans

the software free.

Graphics boost for VRcollab

Rcollab LITE v0.10.26,

Vthe latest version of the AEC-focused

collaborative VR tool, features improved graphics, easier sharing of meeting links and a new organisation dashboard.

The graphics enhancements include Screen Space Reflections (SSR), which adds reflections, giving objects a glossier look; HDR Bloom, which adds a “glow” to reproduce an imaging artifact of real-world cameras; and an advanced windows (glass) setting that adds realism to glass windows and how light passes through.

The new release also makes it easier to invite others to join a VRcollab coordination, design review or presentation session. Previously, guests had to manually insert the code generated by the meeting host, but now meeting links automatically open the software.

■ vrcollab.com/lite

ROUND UP

Digital engineering

Advanced building materials, smart buildings, BIM, digital twins, and modern methods of construction are among the more transformative technologies set to shape the construction industry, according to Asite’s new ‘Digital Engineering: Optimizing Construction’s Digital Future’ research report ■ asite.com

VR training for HE

Highways England (HE) is using VR for a new training programme to help control room operators better understand the impact of their actions on the experience of motorists using the strategic road network ■ mxtreality.com

Corona Renderer 6

Corona Renderer 6 for 3ds Max is said to pack more realism, faster rendering and simpler workflows into six new main features, addressing everything from foam to the sky. This includes a new Sky Model that can now accurately depict twilight and dawn ■ corona-renderer.com

Rendering on Intel

Intel is expanding the capabilities of its oneAPI Rendering Toolkit as it looks to encourage software developers to use its open-source rendering and raytracing libraries in their 3D products. The toolkit is designed to harness the power of Intel CPUs and the soon to be released Intel Xe Graphics GPUs ■ intel.com

Point cloud boost

Elysium’s point-cloud software, InfiPoints, can now automatically extract piping and planar surfaces from scan data collected by UAVs and Mobile Mapping Systems (MMS), in addition to the currently supported feature extraction from tripod scanners ■ elysium-global.com

AI for site safety

Winvic Construction, One Big Circle and UWE Bristol are participating in an Innovate UK project designed to improve construction site safety. ‘Computer-Vision-SMART’ uses realtime image and machine learning to detect, recognise and track hazards on site, which will then alert nearby operatives via IoT enabled, GPS devices ■ winvic.co.uk ■ onebigcircle.co.uk

Reality capture app uses LiDAR sensor on iPad Pro

obile mapping startup Sitescape

Mhas developed a reality capture app for the 2020 iPad Pro that

uses the device’s built in LiDAR sensor to create dimensionally accurate point cloud datasets.

According to company CEO Andy Putch, the AEC industry is a key market for the software where it can be used for progress monitoring, documentation, and remote site access/ collaboration.

Putch told AEC Magazine that the Sitescape solution is not an alternative to SLAM or traditional laser scanners. “It comes at a vastly lower price point, is suitable for novice users, and produces results in the field that can be immediately shared,” he says.

Accuracy is said to be around +/- 1” for linear measurements, while the max range of the LiDAR sensor is 15 feet. “We’ve found that indoors, tracking drift is very low (1” - 2”) for distances below 40’ and increases for larger distances,” says Putch. “A single scan can cover 1,500 sq ft with suitable detail and multiple scans can be captured back to back and then registered into one continuous model.”

The software can export PLY point clouds, but there are plans to add more formats in the future.

■ sitescape.ai

NBS Chorus for Small Works launches

BS Chorus for Small Works is a

Nnew version of the specification platform NBS Chorus, created

specifically for architects, engineers and designers who write specifications for smaller works and projects. The software is cloud-based so multiple users across different locations can develop specifications together.

According to the developers, NBS Chorus for Small Works is suitable for new build or refurbishment projects that are simple jobs and not overly technically complex, such as teaching blocks, retail/industrial units and so on. The software comes with a speciallyselected set of NBS content.

NBS Chorus for Small Works can plug-in to a range of design tools, including Revit, ArchiCAD and Vectorworks and ‘seamlessly’ allows the architectural model to be updated as the specification changes. ‘Specification notes’ record all project decisions directly in the specification.

■ thenbs.com/nbs-chorus/small-works

GroupBC CDE selected for A46 upgrade

sborne, the main

Ocontractor on Highways

England’s upgrade of the A46 Coventry junctions, will be using GroupBC’s CDE for the planning and execution phases.

The rejuvenation of the A46 Coventry junctions is part of a UK-wide, £8.7bn project to improve England’s highly-trafficked motorways and major A roads. Osborne is one of 13 Delivery Integration Partners (DIP) that are collaborating with Highways England on a total of 18 packages of work.

Highways England already utilises GroupBC’s CDE to help accelerate project processes and improve the delivery of its programmes. By using the same CDE technology, Osborne will be able to ‘collaborate seamlessly’ with subcontractors and supply chain, where the CDE will be the primary information management system housing all project data securely.

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