The Nemetschek Group of Germany, considered to be US-based Autodesk’s main competitor in the AEC/O software industry, has announced the availability of its new dTwin “digital twin” platform.
dTwin for AEC/O
dTwin is the AEC/O industry’s first horizontal and open digital twin platform. It will bring data-driven insights to customers, helping them to efficiently manage their physical assets from single buildings to campuses to global real estate portfolios.
Nemetschek says dTwin is the first solution in the AEC/O industry to fuse all data sources of a building into one overarching view. The new Nemetschek solution can combine all pertinent data from CAD/BIM, IWMS (integrated workplace management system), and more with real-time streams from building operations.
Nemetschek Group announces the AEC/O industry’s first open horizontal digital twin platform called dTwin.
dTwin can also connect to other data sources via an open API system and, therefore, can seamlessly integrate comprehensive data on building assets between design, construction, and operations into what the German software company says is an “open data-driven Building Lifecycle Intelligence™ approach.”
“Our new digital twin solution, dTwin, significantly enhances visibility, increases efficiency, and enables data-driven decision-making,” says César Flores Rodríguez, Chief Division Officer, Planning & Design and Digital Twin at the Nemetschek Group. “Particularly, the fusion of various data sources in dTwin is a strong differentiator compared to other solutions in the market.”
Dr. Jimmy Abualdenien, Head of Digital Twin Product at the Nemetschek Group, adds: “dTwin intelligently structures the information and properly links it across systems throughout the complete lifecycle of a building. The benefit is harmonized information streaming from various data sources.”
What is a digital twin?
Architosh has written extensively about digital twins before, but it is worth pointing out how the Nemetschek Group has defined what a digital twin is. They write in their press release:
A digital twin is a digital replica of a physical asset; this may be a component, a system, or a whole building. More importantly, the virtual replica is continuously fed with real-time information from the physical object, reflecting its current state. With this, a digital twin not only allows for accurate visualizations but moreover derives insights through analysis, simulations, and optimizations.
Using dTwin
From a common web browser, uses can access real-time dashboards in the SaaS (software as a service) dTwin platform to efficiently monitor all relevant information and obtain purpose-tailored insights. Data for IoT (Internet of Things) sensors in buildings and their systems can stream data to dTwin which ingests this data and couples it with other data for the generation of information from which operations can take action. This can include items such as real-time energy monitoring inside a building, real-time daylighting monitoring or real-time room occupancy monitoring.
dTwin can integrate with point clouds, 360-degree panoramas, BIM (building information modeling), CAD 3D models and 2D documents, IWMS, and more. This integration enables visible insights and packaging of 3D models and documents supportive of physical assets monitored within and without the building.
AEC/O industry readers can learn more at: https://www.nemetschek-dtwin.com/
Architosh Analysis and Commentary
Nemetschek’s announcement of dTwin wasn’t necessarily surprising given the company’s recent acquisitions, investments, and statements about the overall AEC/O industry. It should also be said that the company already owns, through its daughter companies, CAFM and related software systems in its Spacewell and Crem portfolio companies.
What is surprising is that dTwin is a new (SaaS) software solution directly from the Nemetschek Group rather than another discreet daughter company. In fact, on this webpage (see image below), it is made rather clear that dTwin is part of a new “Digital Twin Business Unit” of Nemetschek and that prior daughter company and past acquisition dRofus is in this “development in progress,” if you will. dRofus is still listed as a “brand” on the Nemetschek Group brands page, while dTwin is not.
It doesn’t really matter so much how dTwin and dRofus are positioned. The point is it appears that the Nemetschek Group has launched a ground-up digital twins software platform that embodies the principles of Open BIM. This is in direct contrast to the mostly proprietary digital twin software market. It will be interesting to watch how this all evolves.