Introduction
In the first of three part series we’ll be looking at the software that are included in the Autodesk Architecture Engineering and Construction collection that can be used in the architectural workflow. The first part we’ll focus on the software used in the design and set stages of a project. In total there are about 20 odd different software titles in the collection.
FormIT
The first title we’ll look at is FormIT. The idea behind the software is to enable designers to start sketching their idea on this platform in 3d (instead of on paper) and then to import the 3d sketch into Revit, so as to reduce rework of the idea between the designer and modeller.
There are various versions of the software notably the iPad version that you can sketch with using the Apple Pencil, as you can see below.
In the process you can also calculate floor areas, do sun studies and other energy analysis. You can also import the site image as background to see the surrounding context. You then pass the design to a Revit user to further develop the design saving you time to redraw the design like you would with a paper based sketch.
Recap Pro
The idea behind Recap is that you record the existing environment and import it into your design software to model around.
You can create the existing environment with either a laser scanner that generate points to form a point cloud. This point cloud can be used for interior or exterior environments.
You can also take several photos to create a 3d model representation. This is usually use for smaller objects like tables and chairs, although you can use a drone to capture the exterior of a building or site and use these photos to generate the existing environment. The data just becomes very large to work with.
You would use these processes instead of measuring up an existing building. The benefit is that you have all the information in the scans and there will be no need to go back to the site to go remeasure a missing dimension.
Once you have the data in ReCAP you can clean up the data and then export to a point cloud that can be used in AutoCAD or Revit.
Conclusion
This first part of the workflow focus on the design phases of your project and if you take advantage of the benefits of the software you could reduce the time it takes to complete these tasks. Make sure to read the second part of this blog in which we continue with the workflow.
If you need more information on the software or training on how to use them, please let us know at : https://www.mgfx.co.za/contact
