BRICSYS 2019—Lift Creativity, Reduce, Complexity, Act as One

Introduction

IT’S HARD TO TOP THE OPENING DRAMA FROM the 2018 Conference in London when it was announced that Hexagon had acquired Brics. And Erik De Keyser, CEO of Bricsys, quickly put to rest any anxious concerns about the 2019 Conference by immediately announcing very positive first-year findings from this acquisition: (1) access to Hexagon customers, (2) new synergies with internal Hexagon partners such as Leica (more about this later), (3) credibility in global markets, and importantly that (4) the Bricsys DNA was unchanged to continue with its highly autonomous and synergistic spirit. A win for both parties as Bricsys continues to roll out a deeply integrated suite of tools for both the AEC and MCAD markets.

Erik De Keyser also provided a quick summary of the upcoming conference sessions, which included a wealth of improvements (almost 400) over the past year, additional Machine Learning / Artificial Intelligence developments, and a laser focus on the market going forward, “One Platform for all Disciplines” within a larger family of specialty applications built on Bricsys defined as “The Collective.”

More details from the conference below.

BricsCAD V20

As the conference turned to the rollout of BricsCAD version 20, it was clear Bricsys valued its growing customer base. Robert Green, Director of Implementation, acknowledged this importance, describing how the company was very responsive to user requests through many listening sessions. By far the most requested feature which was promptly demonstrated was the Dark UI (user-interface). This was quickly and warmly received at the conference.

Then many new features were demonstrated live by Heidi Hewett to include Launcher improvements, UI improvements (many options and optimized for workflows (programs)), improvements to blockify (with library detection / replace), array and pattern detection (and automatic replace) and parameterize. An impressive new “copy guided” feature that detects context when copying and then applies to fix orientation and placement in acceptable options. 2D Auto-constraints and Flip parameters were also built into a block attribute panel along with constraints and states which can be animated.

Hans De Backer demonstrated some drawing refinements focusing intentionally on the importance of drawing as a natural and important function often missed in computer-aided design. He also continues this focus showing improvements to the user interface and the overall experience. Here he said, “best commands are those that you never enter,“ (showing new ways to understand the distance between two lines and, “In BricsCAD, you can draw lines!” and rectangles around dynamic UCS very intuitively.

He also showed maximizing viewports and a new toggle from model-to-drawing. Hans also demonstrated some dramatic performance improvements with a 500,000 line drawing translated on screen at full resolution and very responsively. There were also improvements to the 3D user interface for better user experience with virtual rotation points for orbiting around geometry to maintain an intended focus.

One new 3D feature was an interactive sweep wherein the 3D operation, the sweep was dynamic for even picking the path along contiguous intersections. PT clouds also appeared an innovative BricsCAD v20 feature with dynamic points that were sized based on viewing distance with any effect that was quite impressive and artistic. Hans also noted how PT Cloud friendly BricsCAD v20 was for many variant types. And this efficiency also made BricsCAD v20 very image file friendly for many types and for massive files up to petabytes—especially important for stitched-drone images. And 24/7 was built in for BricsCAD for all maintenance users.

next page: Future of the BricsCAD Platform

Future of the BricsCAD Platform

Multiple times during the conference, the concept of “the development velocity of BricsCAD” was reiterated as currently very fast. This was also repeated by Don Strimbu, Vice President of Communications for Bricsys, in talking about the future of the BricsCAD platform.

This was particularly clear in the rapid integration and improvements of Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) within BricsCAD. Having already (2018) introduced powerful AI tools in BricsCAD such as Blockify, BIMify, and propagate, continued implementations were demonstrated including a company focus on improving workflows going forward.

The areas Bricsys sees AI benefits immediately are in time-consuming workflows such as detailing, adding BIM data, and organizing drawing content. Past the Version 20 release, Bricsys was consistent in noting across all areas of ML and AI improvements that they see contextualizing and personalizing the tools is their goal. They were also clear that these tools will be anonymized in the cloud to protect data and privacy.

One of the factors that make Bricsys CAD unique is that it can be one platform for all disciplines. And not only AEC disciplines, but also mechanical CAD. Add to that ML and AI tools that are hitting a proven stride further set Bricsys apart—a very distinctive offering encompassing a lot of fields and also in a very proven open format with DWG (and “Geometry first” was also echoed several times during the conference).

BricsCAD Ultimate: 24/7 & BricsCAD BIM, Mechanical Plus…

Through a session entitled “The BricsCAD BIM Workflow”, Kevin Settlemyre, Tiemen Strobbe, Jacob De Sutter, and Pieter Clarysse demonstrated both BricsCAD BIM (Ultimate) and 24/7 workflows on a “Flow Station” (transportation hub). Taking a partial design in a federated format on 24/7, a new building was solid-modeled, and then taken through the entire process including an improved BIMify, propagate, a new Automatch with a Compositions Panel, a new BIM Stair tool (and much more).

Simultaneously, a complex generative design for the canopy using Rhino3D Grasshopper (inside Bricsys), all working in parallel on stage, combined their efforts through 24/7 updating the overall design. This demonstration even included adding a series of LOD 450 parametric escalators created in BricsCAD Mechanical and then using an Enscape integrated workflow, including walking through a photo-realistic model with supported real-time changes happening in the federated model.

Small, but important details from BricsCAD Version 20 were constantly being peppered into the demonstration. IFC classification data/types were driving the Grasshopper parameters within BricsCAD. This was demonstrated iteratively through “baking” the Grasshopper solution to then re-edit other parameters back in BricsCAD.

Multi-core processing was being leveraged to auto-generate and update drawings, tags, compositions, and profiles in the background. A new Bill-Of-Materials (BOM) schedule was shown with model elevation views and hatches. And using a built-in IFC BIM Collaboration Format (BCF) panel, active collaboration was demonstrated with issue resolution/communication on the fly.

All in all, a very impressive and hiccup-free demonstration with some powerful new tools and additions designed to “unlock creativity” per the team’s apt reflection. And while only BricsCAD files were being created, updated, synced and collaborated around on 24/7, this starts to show the real capabilities and competitive space that Common Data Environments (CDE’s) require and the solid work that Bricsys has done developing 24/7 for online collaboration.

next page: HOK and Zaha Hadid Architects—Their Presentations from the Avant-Garde

HOK and Zaha Hadid Architects—Their Presentations from the Avant-Garde

The next couple of sessions were also very exciting in a different way. Still very much about Bricsys but from entirely different aspirational perspectives from two different and very important global architecture firms.

First, Greg Schleusner, Director of Design Technology Innovation for HOK, talked about a pilot project using BricsCAD. HOK tested BricsCAD on a complex existing project, the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville. They tested and illustrated many of the unique BricsCAD features, such as BIMify, propagate and even the Rhino 3D Grasshopper and Enscape integrations.

The results for HOK was very impressive. It also showed the challenges of incorporating new tools into a setting like HOK. Greg was positive on the direction with BricsCAD in HOK, especially as the US market becomes more “productized.” He was also mindful of drivers that will enable partners and competitors to begin to adopt these “broad, powerful, and amazing” work Bricsys is already doing. HOK is also doing more with BricsCAD directly—more on that below.

Next, Joris Pauwels of Zaha Hadid Architects presented the Antwerp Port House with Paulus Present of Bureau Bowtechniek. The project was remarkable and very complex. Taking an almost invisible seat at the table for this work was Bricsys 24/7 for construction collaboration.

Amongst the very design-oriented complexity, including a challenging structural parti and complex facade randomization/optimization, this quiet support work was not pronounced or focused upon during the presentation. The aspirational, sophistication and success of the solution showed itself. Just the way a collaborative CDE should be—it just worked.

BricsCAD Mechanical

The continued central importance and focus for BricsCAD Mechanical was demonstrated throughout the conference (integrated with the Ultimate workflow described above, for instance). The sheet metal strength and company history, features and development for a parametric direct assembly modeling (non-history based) continue to be unique in the industry (and even more so as combined with BIM workflows in the same toolset—”Alone in the Classroom,” as Christian Lecomte noted).

New are more automatic annotations, efficiencies and communication capabilities. The focus of the demonstration was the escalator parametric model that was resized and automatically recounted parts from 6M to 10M in the new BOM table feature. Also shown was a new suppress feature for a rapid efficient level of detail definition depending on context and computer. AI features including an improved “Propagate” were again demonstrated in the mechanical model workflow to automate flange detailing. Tab and hem detailing were also added to this new version. Finally, the technical drawing improvements included fully exploded view generation in all directions with optional trailing lines.

At the end of the BricsCAD Mechanical presentation, and as an echo to the high design presentations of HOK and Zaha Hadid, Bricsys invited in a third architectural design firm to present showing the potentials Bricsys brings to the process of creativity, particularly when complex.

Tal Friedman, CEO of FOLDSTRUCT, whose design methods aspire to realize visually complex freeform icons for every building through pragmatic generative design and construction solutions. Developing innovative Rhino 3D Grasshopper technics for the designs and then rationalized analysis and fabrication, FOLDSTRUCT has a strong portfolio for this design vision.

And then the Bricsys Mechanical team put on a short demonstration of the advanced BricsCAD Mechanical version 20 capabilities with Rhino/ Grasshopper Connection were shown to showcase the new capabilities and how very innovative and powerful the Bricsys solution can be with even radical form design and fabrication.

The Collective

Working with DWG as the foundation for a “Geometry First” philosophy that Bricsys uses to prioritize its core development, it seemed natural that they have a natural posture that is industry-neutral in format and also very open for specialized API/3rd party development such as the AX3000 mechanical solution. And as a founding member of the Open Design Alliance (ODA), which also presented at the Bricsys 2019 conference, it made a lot of sense that Bricsys would start a new initiative called “The Collective” which was officially announced on day two of the conference by Erik De Keyser. AX3000 was held up and described as a tight, deep and specialized integration on top of a BricsCAD foundation. Something where Bricsys would always stay neutral and with choice, but with much functionality in one product. AX3000 was the first member of “The Collective”. Bricsys sees several application partners becoming part of “The Collective,” but seemed very serious in expectations for “tight and deep” integrations into the Bricsys technologies. As Erik described, Bricsys is aiming to create an extensible solution with Bricsys at the core for “The ultimate user experience” with all involved ACTING AS ONE! He even earnestly and cheekily remarked, “All are friends.”

The Announcement

Bricsys did have a scheduled announcement at the end of the first day. It was very intriguing. Bricsys, Leica, and HOK announced an agreement around the research and development of PT (point) Cloud-based AEC industry workflows for BIM. This announcement was apparently still ironing out as a very robust and official press release followed a few days right after the conference. More than intriguing, this consortium aims to solve nothing less than “automatic conversion of point clouds into solid geometry—with the resultant geometry automatically classified using Bricsys’ AI technology. A very impressive freshman year of Bricsys/Hexagon development (with Hexagon member Leica and then HOK) that has the potential to shake up the building and infrastructure markets.

Conclusion and Analysis

Bricsys has built a toolset that bridges AEC and MCAD for both industry pipelines with interdisciplinary connectivity and all in a very extensible, (.dwg)-based and open standards-based platform. This makes it a very unique offering. As we have said before, Bricsys fully believes that the (.dwg) file format has much headroom for future growth and can form a superior base for industry-first innovations. We have written quite a bit about the future of this de-facto file format from the ODA’s perspective here and for the reader who has some history—whether AutoCAD based or some other (.dwg) based tool—our report on the future of this CAD file standard is quite interesting.

Both its innovations around the (.dwg) file format, its ambitious AI (using machine learning) toolsets with more to come, and its inter-disciplinary AEC to MCAD workflows—highly meaningful in a more design-to-fabrication workflows future—have all garnered the attention of significant customer heavyweights. There is no higher marquee design firm in the world of Architecture than Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) and HOK is one of the most award-winning enterprise-class firms in the world. So what does this tell us?

Two things really. Firstly, it comments on the tools these firms already use today and their shortcomings. The speakers didn’t speak to this directly so we can mostly conjecture. Secondly, Bricsys is doing an incredibly intelligent thing in integrating Rhino 3D + Grasshopper inside their BIM solution as well as their larger BricsCAD tools. MCAD customers can use Rhino 3D + Grasshopper as well and with great utility, as we see. It is important to state that leading architecture firms around the world are currently deeply invested in finding ways to automate the CD phase of work, buying the time they can spend in the design phase and in particular using that time to explore more solutions and develop more unique workflows that distinguish their firm’s work. The emphasis Bricsys is laying on AI dovetails beautifully with the integrations of McNeel’s tools. This will lift creativity, reduce the complexity in BIM processes such as classifying elements and enable a “one tool” source for both the creative act and the documentation act in your processes.

To learn more visit Bricsys here.