Tekla to Revit Interoperability - IFC or DWG?

I am sure this issue has been addressed elsewhere but I would like to highlight one typical issue you will run into if you use 3D DWG instead of IFC when exchanging information with Tekla.

One of our users received 3D DWG export from the structural guys who are using Tekla for modelling/documentation. 3D DWG was inserted into a GM family and then loaded into a project. Everything worked fine until the user had to add some plan regions in plan views.

When you add plan region the entire GM family cuts at "A" plan region view range ignoring "View" view range. Technically this is because the entire structural model is one single 3D CAD block so it respects one view range only, whichever cuts higher.

To get around this issue use IFC file and everything works fine. Ok IFC may not be 100% perfect for a complete bIm scenario but at least for 3D collaboration point of view it is certainly 100% perfect.

More details on Tekla to Revit interoperability can be found here.

UK National BIM Report - 2012

NBS has recently published the latest National BIM Survey. Some interesting findings here. Worth a read. Well done NBS!

Highlights of the findings include:

• 78% agree the BIM is the future of project information, though how that future will look is uncertain, with 4 out of five agreeing that the industry is not yet clear enough of what BIM actually is
• Almost a third (31%) of construction professionals are now using BIM – up from 13% in 2010
• Three quarters of those construction professionals currently aware of BIM predict they will be using it on some projects by the end of 2012, and almost 19 out of 20 people expect to be using it in five years' time
• More than 80% agreed BIM increases the coordination of construction documents, with 65% of those using the technology saying BIM delivered cost efficiencies.

**DOWNLOAD REPORT**

Calculate Occupancy Load and Project Parameter

I have received lot of comments regarding Calculate Occupancy Load plugin I released last week. All of the comments are very positive and encouraging. Thanks everyone who downloaded the plugin and provided valuable feedback.

I have received few comments about using this plugin with room key schedule and project parameter. In my original post and readme file I mentioned that add "Occupancy Load Factor (as area type)" and "Occupancy Load (as number type)", both as shared parameters and assign them to Room object. Actually this is partially wrong! You can use "Occupancy Load Factor (as area type & project parameter)" with Room Key Schedule and populate value for this parameter in Rooms using Room Style. I think this is the best workflow to manage "Occupancy Load Factor" per room type. Although, "Occupancy Load" must be a shared parameter in order to use it in the tags.