Tekla Corporation and Solibri, Inc. have introduced to the buildingSMART organization an idea of using an open standard to enable workflow communication between different BIM (Building Information Modeling) authoring tools. This initiative was very warmly received by the buildingSMART community. The standard has been named 'OpenBIM Collaboration Format'.
Tekla and Solibri develop innovative BIM technology in their own fields. The companies are both active members of buildingSMART. The organization's main goal, sharing building information models between disciplines and software applications by using open standards, is gradually becoming widely accepted. Interoperability makes it possible to share digital information, re-use, review and analyze it effectively. Tekla and Solibri have previously developed their own ways to communicate findings and required actions to other project stakeholders. Tekla has done this with their free of charge Tekla Structures Model Reviewer application by model viewing and commenting, and Solibri has developed the Solibri Issue Locator for communicating quality problems to be fixed by designers.
In practice, the standard specifies means by which designers and other stakeholders are able to relate messages, action items, viewpoints and snapshots to specific components in a model and transmit them to others. The receiving party then uses this information in its own BIM authoring tool to identify and locate the component(s) and view them from the same viewpoint the sender had established. Currently, Tekla is using a similar approach for void planning between MEP (mechanical engineering) designers and structural engineers.
The OpenBIM Collaboration process enables an orderly and effective method of communication that is fully traceable.
Instead of focusing on the features of one single tool, the idea of interoperability is to focus on the process and how well various BIM authoring tools operate together. To support this idea, both Tekla and Solibri have contributed the software code they have developed for the BIM collaboration process to be freely used by other software vendors supporting open standards. Tekla and Solibri have started this initiative, but they do not claim the ownership or intellectual property rights to the idea or format.
Currently, the following companies have committed to include open standard BIM collaboration tools in their software:
- Tekla Corporation, Solibri, Inc., Autodesk, DDS, Eurostep, Gehry Technologies, Kymdata, MAP, Progman, QuickPen International
Bentley has indicated that they are considering to include these BIM collaboration tools in the near future.
For more information, please contact:
Leif Granholm, Senior Vice President, Tekla Corporation
Tel. +358 400 440 608, leif.granholm(at)tekla.com
Heikki Kulusjärvi, Managing Director, Solibri, Inc.
Tel. +358 10 5486 800, heikki.kulusjärvi(at)solibri.com
Distribution: Tekla and Solibri websites, industry media
Tekla
Tekla's model-based software products make customers' core processes more effective in building and construction as well as infrastructure management. Tekla Corporation has area offices and partner organizations worldwide. International operations account for more than 80% of net sales. Founded in 1966, Tekla is one of the longest operating software companies in Finland. More information at www.tekla.com
Solibri
Solibri, Inc. is the global leader in BIM quality assurance providing out of the box tools for BIM quality assurance, design process coordination, design review, analysis, and code checking. Solibri's corporate mission is to develop and market quality assurance solutions that improve the quality of BIM files and make the entire design process more productive and the construction process more cost effective. Solibri's customers include major building owners and users, construction companies, architects and engineering firms. More information at www.solibri.com
buildingSMART
BuildingSMART(TM) International, formerly the International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI), is a global alliance of organizations dedicated to bring about a coordinated change for the improvement of productivity and efficiency in the construction and facilities management industries. BuildingSMART's emphasis is to demonstrate the efficiency and sustainability benefits that true interoperability can deliver and to help members and their supply chains in implementation. The service offering of the buildingSMART International Alliance includes developing and operating a global standard; supporting members in business generation; providing them with a sounding board in the international organization; and syndicating technical development work, promotion and marketing. BuildingSMART International is organized in Regional Alliances representing a country or a group of countries acting together. Currently, buildingSMART International has Regional Alliances serving Australasia, Benelux, China, the French-speaking countries, the German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), the Iberian countries (Spain and Portugal), Italy, Japan, Korea, North America, Norway, the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland and Sweden), Singapore and the United Kingdom and Ireland. More information at www.buildingsmart.com