Benefits for AEC/O Clients

For firms in architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AEC/O), Graitec’s new status provides tangible advantages, including deep expertise and technical product know-how. Additionally:

• • Expert Guidance: Access to one of the industry’s most highly trained Bluebeam teams 
  • Operational Efficiency: Proven onboarding frameworks for faster implementation and tailored workflow optimization 
  • Strategic Support: Priority support and strategic consulting to maximize ROI on software investments 
  • Future-Proofing: Early visibility into product innovation roadmaps and upcoming updates 

As a Sapphire-level partner, Graitec staff receive advanced training, next-level support, and early access to the latest software advances by the California-based software company. All of this ensures that AEC/O clients of Graitec’s receive top-level services on all their Bluebeam software deployment needs.

Graitec’s team received the award for Bluebeam Sapphire Partnership.

“Being named a Bluebeam Sapphire Partner is a tremendous achievement for our organization,” said Scott McMaster, Chief Revenue Officer of Graitec Group. “It reflects the strength of our strategic partnership with Bluebeam, investments we are making in our go-to-market teams, including the expanded expertise brought through Microsol Resources joining the Graitec Group. This recognition reinforces our commitment to delivering exceptional service, deep technical knowledge, and measurable value to our clients across North America.”

“We are proud to recognize Graitec as a Bluebeam Sapphire Partner,” said Curt Bramel, VP of Global Channel Sales of Bluebeam. “Their team consistently demonstrates a high level of expertise and a strong commitment to customer success. As the industry continues to evolve, partners like Graitec play a critical role in helping firms leverage Bluebeam to improve collaboration, productivity, and project outcomes.”

To learn more about Graitec, visit them online here.

The post Graitec named Bluebeam Sapphire Partner appeared first on Architosh.

MEP Designer

MEP Designer is Graphisoft’s BIM solution for engineers responsible for designing and documenting MEP systems in buildings. The solution is built on the Archicad BIM core engine, the industry-leading platform for architects, delivering complex collaborative BIM workflows between engineers and architects.

Graphisoft MEP Designer is a BIM design and documentation solution for MEP engineers in the AEC industry. It is built on the same Archicad core BIM engine and thus features some of the same visualization capabilities as Archicad, as well as being fully native for both macOS and Windows.

Available as a subscription-based product, MEP Designer is easy to learn and use, featuring an intuitive user interface and smart modeling tools that automate and simplify the MEP design process. Engineers and architects can obtain the software through MEP Designer Studio or Archicad Collaborate subscription plans. A flexible and adaptive solution, MEP engineers will discover how easy it is to develop MEP BIM models for their projects.

Márton Kiss, Chief Product Officer at Graphisoft, stated:

Key capabilities of the software include:

• Detailed documentation generated automatically — from floor plans and sections to schedules and parts lists — customizable and ready for submission.
• Built-in visualization tools and parametric libraries.
• Smooth communications and model consistency — on-site or remotely.
• Accurate planning and efficient coordination — CALHYDRA now connects to MEP Designer via a dedicated interface, enabling direct transfer of water and HVAC systems for hydraulic calculations; results are updated in the model for a seamless BIM-based workflow.

MEP Designer is currently available in select Asian and European markets on both Windows and macOS. It is the first native macOS BIM authoring and design tool for MEP engineers. For more information, visit graphisoft.com/mep-designer.

Architosh Analysis and Commentary

Graphisoft appears to be rolling out MEP Designer first in markets where it already has established bases of users in the engineering disciplines, as well as where engineering-focused sister subsidiaries of the Nemetschek Group consistently work with architects on the Archicad platform. These are likely Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Scandinavia, and perhaps Hungary. An exact list may be available only through Graphisoft sales channels. These European markets, plus select Asian markets, are the first targets for the rollouts. Graphisoft also owns DDScad, a MEP specialist software popular in Europe. The MEP Designer strategy seems to be tied to migrating DDScad users to MEP Designer adoption. 

The post Graphisoft expands roll-out of MEP Designer for AEC industry appeared first on Architosh.

Steel Genie is New

Already a global leader in structural steel detailing and fabrication software and part of the Nemetschek Group, the launch of Steel Genie by ALLPLAN marks an AI-first for the German company in the critical area of construction estimating.

Key Takeaways

• The new product is called Steel Genie by ALLPLAN and automatically analyzes steel structural drawings using AI technology to power estimating workflows
• AI technology understands steel structural members and generates quantities and estimating-level 3D models in minutes.
• Steel Genie integrates into the ALLPLAN ecosystem of products, linking estimators’ workflows with steel detailing and fabricators

ALLPLAN Steel Genie utilizes AI technologies to automatically analyze structural drawing sets, detect key structural members, and generate quantities and estimate-level 3D models in minutes.

MORE: ALLPLAN 2026 — New ALLPLAN Model Viewer, AI, IFC4 and More…

Critically, the software addresses the pitfalls in today’s AEC market where manual counting and manual measurements are done by cost estimators using traditional methods, be they manual via printed documents or utilizing PDF drawings with some level of quantification automation. These new AI-powered automated methods are faster, thereby enabling the cost estimator to focus time on higher-value workflows.

Steel Genie by ALLPLAN is a new AI-powered estimating software that reads structural drawings to generate intelligent cost estimates.

Sunil Pandita, CEO of ALLPLAN and Chief Division Officer Planning & Design at the Nemetschek Group, tells Architosh:

Steel Genie employs artificial intelligence to analyze structural drawings and identify key design parameters. These factors encompass dimensions, length, weight, moment connections, camber, and shear studs. It subsequently identifies structural elements such as beams, columns, joists, and braces to automatically create material quantities and models that are ready for estimating.

ALLPLAN Steel Genie also boasts its own connection engine based on the AISC Design Guide and can export its estimate data to downstream workflows and fabrication teams. It also integrates fully into the broader ALLPLAN ecosystem, enabling estimating professionals to collaborate more effectively with detailing professionals.

Early customer feedback highlights the impact of the new technology.

“Steel Genie is an industry-changing tool for structural steel takeoff,” said Steven Tillery, Vice President of Preconstruction & Business Development at Steel Service. “Even during testing, we’ve seen how it can dramatically accelerate estimating.”

Availability

Steel Genie by ALLPLAN is now available to steel fabricators, estimators, and detailing teams seeking to automate steel takeoffs, improve estimating efficiency, and gain a head start on downstream detailing workflows.

You can sign up for a demo here.

The post ALLPLAN intros Steel Genie—AI Powered Cost Estimation appeared first on Architosh.

The article, however, will debut first this week in the next Xpresso-4X newsletter arriving this Thursday, 18 December 2025. [Editor’s note: This article is now live]

Why Silicon Decides

The features excerpt reads:

“As computing enters the voltage-limited era, the shift away from x86 toward ARM—already reshaping datacenters, laptops, and cloud platforms—carries consequences for architectural computing. This feature explores how those silicon realities are redefining BIM’s future, and why adaptation is no longer an option.”

It is important to note that the notion that silicon drives software, not the other way around, is not new. It has largely always been the case.

As microprocessors gain transistors and computational performance, roughly every 10x improvement, a new type of computer (or computing era) emerges, with periods of overlap.

At every 10x leap in microprocessor power (performance), a new type of computing has emerged. If we look at this chart, we are now in the era of AI Compute. In the latter half of the first decade, we were in the era of smartphone and tablet compute (cellular devices) and smoothly entered the era of cloud compute (datacenter). Yet, today’s dominant BIM and CAD solutions were all architected during the Workstation and Desktop eras.

Yet, the tools we use today in CAD and BIM industries are originally from the Workstation and Desktop eras. Today’s BIM 2.0 solutions are challenging desktop-era tools by leveraging unique capabilities enabled by the cloud (datacenter) compute paradigm.

But the AI computer era is different. It is categorically scaling (innovation, investment, and speculation) at unprecedented speeds, not seen since the Dot-Com boom. Because of this scale, it is placing unprecedented emphasis on energy efficiency due to its exponential electricity use.

Heterogeneous Silicon

Mobility has been around for decades, but smartphones and tablets have exponentially increased the number of mobile computer devices. As a result, ARM processors today outnumber x86 processors by nearly 30:1. And ARM chips were designed from the beginning with heterogeneous compute in mind, including the big.LITTLE architectural paradigm, whereas x86 chips from Intel and AMD have been playing catch-up with ARM.

In the early PC era, Intel x86 chips outnumbered RISC processors from companies like Sun Microsystems, HP, IBM, and others by a ratio very similar to 30:1. The vast volume helped Intel at both economies of scale and Wright’s Law (net positive effects from experience gained from production). Now the shoe is on the other foot, and it is AMD and Intel that are battling those same benefits now accruing to ARM and its many licensees.

Neural CAD Engines

While x86 chips have fallen behind Apple and Qualcomm badly in performance per watt (and absolute performance in cases like single-core), AMD and Intel are formidable chip design powerhouses. Yet, the battle now becomes substantially more complex in the AI era, where system-on-a-chip (SoC) designs offer key benefits such as unified system memory and high throughput between CPU, GPU, and NPU (neural) cores. Intel and AMD are emulating these designs.

This view of the geometry-oriented AI Foundational Model (neural CAD engine) can create designs spontaneously from a text prompt. It is an entirely new machine learning approach to generating CAD objects, in contrast to classical parametric CAD engines that have been in use for 40 years.

Meanwhile, the CAD and BIM industry is increasingly leveraging NPUs and GPUs for new types of workloads based on AI inference and training. Autodesk’s Neural CAD engines were shown at AU25 in Nashville this past fall.

The special feature will cover in detail how Intel ran into physics at 10nm back in the middle of the last decade and how x86 contributes to the physics problem. It also highlights how Intel’s new 18A process node dramatically attacks these physics problems and why Intel may actually potentially lead again in some performance areas.

Viewers can read the special feature on Architosh on December 24th, or earlier by signing up for the Xpresso-4X newsletter. The newsletter goes out this week on Thursday, so sign up now to not miss out.

The post Preview: End of an Era: How Silicon Will Decide BIM’s Future appeared first on Architosh.

ALLPLAN 2026 is designed for architects, engineers, detailers, and fabricators—as well as construction professionals. The German software firm also holds the well-respected BIMPLUS, a BIM collaboration and coordination platform to federate IFC BIM models in a centralized model and track revisions, tasks, and issue management.

ALLPLAN 2026

To address the AEC industry’s continued fragmentation and complexity, the new ALLPLAN 2026 releases deepen solution integrations and add intelligent automations.

“With our ALLPLAN 2026 releases, we are delivering solutions that bring together automation, collaboration, and sustainability across the AEC industry. This ensures that architects, engineers, and construction professionals can work more efficiently, reduce errors, and deliver projects that meet both economic and environmental requirements”, said Eduardo Lazzarotto, Chief Product & Strategy Officer at ALLPLAN.

ALLPLAN 2026 packs in numerous updates and new features, including updates to BIMPLUS, a new free ALLPLAN BIM Model Viewer, and AI features among many other features.

ALLPLAN Model Viewer is a new free tool for the entire industry that brings an instant browser-based IFC visualization to all project stakeholders. Found at modelviewer.allplan.com, it enables fast model preview and interaction. There is also an improved XRef Manager to bolster unified overviews and simplified data management, and Cloud Reference, a new IFC XRef type that allows direct insertion of IFC files into ALLPLAN and BIMPLUS. Within BIMPLUS, this strengthens the common data environment (CDE) nature of that solution.

Other key updates include:

• A new AI Assistant — available through the Connect platform, this assistant extends planning efficiency and improves upfront decision making by providing guidance on ALLPLAN workflows, AEC standards, and best practices. This includes offering smart suggestions to tasks ranging from construction standards to code support. It is available 24/7 and in multiple languages.
• Preoptima CONCEPT integration — this integration facilitates the export of early-stage massing models directly into ALLPLAN for early-stage carbon assessment—much before the necessities of BIM detailing are required.
• GeoPackage Data Exchange — enables urban planners and designers to integrate GIS data seamlessly across all EU countries and beyond, ensuring they gain access to accurate site context, including better support for decisions on zoning, infrastructure, and environmental impacts.
• New IDS-based attribute support ensures BIM models include all the necessary data for compliance.
• New IFC4 import — new smoother data exchange, plus new interfaces in BIMPLUS for collaboration include IFC4.3 import and extended export capabilities for GLB format for better visualization.
• New extension to the ALLPLAN Bluebeam Connection — facilities the ability to bring documents from the Bluebeam Studio Project environment into their ALLPLAN workflows.

These are the top new general updates across the portfolio of the product line. Additional details specific to product sectors are clarified below.

Building and Infrastructure Design

ALLPLAN 2026 introduces major new capabilities to help architects design freeform staircases with much greater efficiency and less pain. Freeform complex stairways have always been challenging to BIM programs and their parametric limitations.

This shows the new multilayer support in for slabs in ALLPLAN 2026.

There is new multilayer support for slabs which makes it easier to address complex assemblies such as foundation and terrain layers, including previews and precise control for faster, error-free execution planning. Other updates and new features include:

• BIM-compliant room and finish detailing, including rule-based distribution, advanced filtering, and flexible layer management.
• Custom component priority-based connections (PBC) enables designers model complex shapes more accurately while automating interactions between other elements.
• A new parametric tunnel modeling approach integrates alignment, cross-section definitions, construction methodology, providing engineers and detailers with precise and efficient modeling capabilities while improving performance.
• New advanced 3D layer management.
• New next-generation Digital Terrain Modeler.
• Parametric road intersection modeling is expanded to enable more realistic intersection models which reduces manual rework.

There are many other updates you can learn more about here.

Structural Design and Analysis

BIMPLUS now supports Structural Analysis Format (SAF) files via direct import, instantly generating a 3D analytical model for visualization and interrogation. Users can also now transfer their 3D models to the BIM-Connector making easier to work across ALLPLAN solutions.

There is also new 3D structural analysis and design functionality for addressing mobile loads and football analysis, which helps understand the impact of human-induced vibrations.

There is also new automation for column reinforcement design, including new precision for complex circular and spiral structures.

Prefabrication and Construction

ALLPLAN 2026 offers a unified design and fabrication workflow that minimizes manual effort and errors for precast fabricators, ensuring more consistent outputs. The software features rule-based dimensioning, which automatically generates production-ready drawings with precise, customizable dimensions for each precast element. It also includes automated dimensioning for local views, maintaining accuracy and consistency even after modifications. Additionally, a customizable quantity takeoff feature allows users to easily export bills of materials with all the necessary data for ERP systems or clients.

You can learn more about all of ALLPLAN 2026’s updates here.

The post ALLPLAN 2026 — New ALLPLAN Model Viewer, AI, IFC4 and more… appeared first on Architosh.

However, DfMA is still very much alive, and one such company, Manufacton, is a renowned leader in offsite construction (OSC) software platforms.

Manufacton

Manufacton’s construction software platform specializes in providing real-time visibility to offsite production workflows and processes through AI and data-driven decision-making. From its website we learn that Manufacton customers have levered its technology to erect over 4,000 buildings, 260,000 prefabs worth over USD 18 billion in value.

ALLPLAN acquires US-based Manufacton, a leading cloud-based software platform for DfMA (Design for Manufacturing and Assembly) providers.

The software platform includes modules for project planning, production management, materials management, and logistics control. It also features advanced analytics to help businesses continuously improve efficiencies.

Manufacton’s software is a cloud-based platform suitable for general contractors, modular builders, owners/developers, and specialty subcontractors. It has a prominent integration with Oracle Primavera Cloud and with software from companies like Autodesk, Nemetschek Group, Procore, Trimble, Dassault Systemes, and more.

ALLPLAN Integration

The more engineering-centric of the Nemetschek Group’s three main BIM software ecosystems, ALLPLAN now strengthens its presence in the United States construction market vis-a-vis the DfMA side of the market. Specifically, it positions ALLPLAN to help accelerate the digitization of the US construction market.

We are delighted to welcome the Manufacton team to the ALLPLAN family,” said Eduardo Lazzarotto, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at ALLPLAN. “Manufacton is a great fit and a perfect complement to our existing portfolio of construction solutions. This acquisition enhances our expertise in covering the entire product lifecycle and gives us a strong competitive advantage in the rapidly growing modular construction and DfMA markets.”

“The Manufacton team and I are thrilled to join the ALLPLAN family as we continue supporting the AEC industry’s rapid transformation toward prefabrication and offsite construction,” said Raghi Iyengar, founder of Manufacton and CEO of ViZZ Technologies.

The Rise of DfMA in AEC

With increasing labor shortages in the United States and other western countries, modular and off-site construction methodologies continue to increase in adoption. In fact, off-site construction bodes well for larger themes in industrialized construction such as robotics and AI.

MORE: Available Worldwide — Allplan 2025, Vectorworks 2025 and Archicad 28

The DfMA (Design for Manufacturing and Assembly) trend in AEC/O means critical tooling systems used in off-site construction are paired with critical design and BIM platforms. In the United States, the BIM platform that dominates the AEC market is Autodesk Revit, but more specialized software systems offer tailored advantages over a general BIM tool like Revit.

ALLPLAN is also a general BIM solution though one with existing integrated specializations—particularly in the heavy engineering side. Manufacton’s software platform adds integrated management modules unique to DfMA companies and their needs. Via ALLPLAN and the Nemetschek Group, the acquisition provides Manufacton expansion opportunities in Europe and Asia Pacific.

The post ALLPLAN buys US-based Manufacton — Boosts DfMA Sector appeared first on Architosh.

The company’s internal adjustments over the past few years have involved two major trends, including consolidation of brands (see below) and more brand and technology integrations.

ALLPLAN

This month, the Group announced a consolidation move between ALLPLAN, FRILO, and SCIA. The company notes in its press release:

Termed a “merger” ALLPLAN, headquartered in Germany and one of the world’s leading BIM solutions for the AEC industry, will strengthen itself as what Nemetschek is calling a “platform-based BIM” solution across the entire construction lifecycle.

Merger will empower and innovate the design-to-build workflow with a full technology stack from architecture through structural analysis and design to structural detailing and prefabrication.

“This merger gives us additional opportunities to drive and expand our business with a common go-to-market approach and a joint product roadmap strategy. This will allow us to better leverage the strengths of the three brands for our customers while increasing our scalability and, thus, our efficiency. Moreover, the three companies share a strong specific customer focus, so they fit together very well,” says César Flores Rodríguez, Chief Division Officer Planning & Design and Digital Twin.

More Details

FRILO and SCIA, both part of Nemetschek Engineering, will now fall under the larger brand of ALLPLAN. Belgium-based FRILO is a maker of structural engineering software products. Germany-based SCIA is also a maker of structural engineering software with its popular and well-respected multi-material integrated structural analysis software SCIA Engineer.

This merger or alignment will position FRILO and SCIA as components of the larger BIM platform of ALLPLAN, a BIM solution that has both architectural and civil engineering industry-facing capabilities. Allplan (as it is stylized in title caps) is the solution for interdisciplinary BIM, while Allplan Bridge is the world’s first fully 4D BIM solution for bridge construction.

The new collaborative merger will focus on a new unified go-to-market strategy focused on solution market penetration and accelerating a path toward “data-driven multi-material design and prefabrication.”

Dr. Detlef Schneider, CEO of ALLPLAN, emphasizes: “By merging modeling and structural engineering competence, we are crafting a unique solution technology stack in the market from conceptual design through structural analysis and design to structural detailing and prefabrication that supports the growing demand for lean delivery processes. This initiative will significantly drive digitalization within the AEC industry, empowering engineering professionals with the end-to-end workflows they need to enhance project productivity, quality, and sustainability.”

To learn more, visit Nemetschek online.

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Architosh’s senior associate editor, Pete Evans, AIA, IDSA, was part of the press corp in Singapore and a jury member for this year’s YII awards. (see image below). We have Evans’ full report coming soon, but today, Architosh begins to cover some of the key announcements from Bentley’s big annual event.

Founders Honors

The Founders Honors are selections of top projects from the more than 300 nominations submitted for the company’s 2023 Going Digital Awards in Infrastructure program.

To watch a video featuring Greg Bentley, Keith Bentley, Bentley’s Chief Success Officer Katriona Lord-Levins, and Bentley’s Director, ES(D)G, Rodrigo Fernandes, discussing why each project was recognized for Founders’ Honors, see this link.

Architosh senior associate editor, Pete Evans, AIA, IDSA, at right at the Bentley Year in Infrastructure Conference event in Singapore, 2023. (image: Bentley Systems).

Bentley’s Going Digital Awards in Infrastructure include not just typical infrastructure categories like roads and bridges but also buildings and campuses. We will be sharing more news on all the winners shortly.

The 2023 Going Digital Awards in Infrastructure Founders’ Honorees are:

Benesch
AI/ML-Driven Pavement Crack Detection
United States

Collins Engineers, Inc.
Digital Twins and Artificial Intelligence for Historic Robert Street Bridge Rehabilitation
St. Paul, Minnesota, United States

Contact Energy
Tauhara Geothermal Power Project Drilling Campaign
Taupo, Waikato, New Zealand

Dublin City University
Smart Dublin City University Digital Twin
Dublin, Ireland

Kalpataru Projects International Limited
Construction of 2 Nos of 225KV Transmission Lines & 2 Nos of Substations in Cameroon
Cameroon

Kenya Geological Survey
Kenya Nationwide Airborne Geophysical Survey
Nairobi, Kenya

Kovalska Nerukhomist LLC
Kovalska Going Digital
Kyiv, Ukraine

Port Authority of New South Wales
Port Authority of New South Wales: A Case Study in Digital Transformation
New South Wales, Australia

PT Hutama Karya (Persero)
Geotechnical Engineering to Support Sustainability in “Nusantara” City at IKN Toll Road 3A
Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia

Waskita Karya (Persero) Tbk
Evolve to Digital Ecosystem for New Capital City of Indonesia
Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan, Indonesia

Shanghai Investigation, Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd. (SIDRI)
Kubuqi 2000MW Photovoltaic Desertification Control Project (Section I)
Ordos, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB)
Model Based Design – Preparing for the Future of Digital Delivery
Watertown, Massachusetts, United States

WISDRI Engineering & Research Incorporation Limited
New Blast Furnace Project of Yukun Iron & Steel Capacity Upgrade Project
Yuxi, Yunnan, China

WSP Australia
Implementation of Digital Workflows on Infrastructure Projects
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Yuba Water Agency
New Bullards Bar Dam
Camptonville, California, United States

Detailed information and images on each of the winners can be found here.

For more about Bentley, visit them here.

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Bold Promises Delivered

“Last year, we outlined a bold new vision when we unveiled our Product Roadmap — and we delivered,” said Márton Kiss, VP of Product Success at Graphisoft. “The 2023 release includes significant advances across the Graphisoft ecosystem with major enhancements and feature updates offering the greatest value in recent times for both new and existing users.”

The news unveils significant product updates for Archicad, BIMcloud, BIMx, and DDScad, in addition to service, training, and other updates offered by the software company.

As for the big-picture vision referred to above by Kiss, you can read coverage from last year. More importantly, our preview coverage on Archicad 27 and “all things Graphisoft” was published in our June 2023 Xpresso newsletter (#47 ), where the special feature, titled “Evolution versus Revolution—Graphisoft and BIM 2.0,” discusses not just Graphisoft’s upcoming technologies but its belief that “this is really about evolution versus revolution,” in regards to the question on the next era of BIM, sometimes tagged “BIM 2.0.”

Product Updates

Those links above point to deeper philosophical coverage of BIM’s evolving nature and where Graphisoft sees itself and its products. As for key product updates for users in particular, as well as the rest of the industry, here’s a summary below. We will have deeper coverage from our boots on the ground in Budapest a bit later.

Archicad 27

The latest version of Archicad features a powerful new Design Options toolset that will enable architects to rapidly generate iterations on design without jumping through complexity in the software and its various setups. Moreover, the new capabilities help you manage these design options, helping teams to evaluate and communicate options to clients and project stakeholders.

Graphisoft Archicad 27 and its sibling apps are now released.

The introduction of the new Design Options tool is a valuable feature, aiding architects in realizing infinite possibilities and ultimately enhancing their creative expression,” said Kevin Lee, Director of Technology | BIM, at TZG Architects in Australia. “This tool is a much-awaited gift to the architectural community.”

Another big boost to architects on Archicad 27 will be the highly requested additions to the attributes management workflow. Seemingly simple in approach but challenging in execution, users can now better organize more attributes by folder. Cool new features that caught Architosh’s editors’ eyes include distance guides for placing elements in the BIM model, which can greatly speed up design workflows.

BIMcloud

BIMcloud is one of the AEC industry’s most profound technical innovations. Introduced nearly a decade ago in a special event in Japan, the patented server technology allowed BIMcloud to service teams in far-flung places from each other while simultaneously delivering performance-leading BIM model teamwork and sharing capabilities.

With BIMcloud, users get secure, real-time collaboration between all project members, even on massively large projects and even on slow internet speeds. There are both public and private secure options running on standard hardware and SaaS options for BIMcloud. Security has been enhanced with a new multi-factor authentication technology.

BIMx

The award-winning BIMx app, first introduced on the iPad platform, now boasts issues management features and accurate sun positioning for rendering in BIMx. The app has gone from once a presentation and viewing tool for BIM models and 2D drawings to coordination and collaboration and runs on iPad, iPhone, and Android devices and on computer desktops via a browser. It should actually run on Linux computers, too, if running a modern complaint browser. Readers can learn more about what is new in BIMx here.

Other Updates

DDScad is also updated in the current version of the popular (in Europe mostly) MEP design and documentation tool.

“DDScad supports us greatly in our electrical design,” said Uwe Bullwinkel, Ingenieurgesellschaft Schnittger Wilde, Germany. “With version 19, we are now even more flexible. For instance, the parallel power feed of distribution boards comes at the right time, as we need it for planning photovoltaic systems, among other things. And with the new overview diagram, we can quickly review the respective power supply system. These and the other innovations make DDScad the best option for efficient MEP design.”

DDScad is now available in select countries in the Graphisoft Store as a monthly and annual subscription and will be introduced in additional countries soon. DDScad is also available as a perpetual license. Learn more about what’s new in DDScad.

Finally, Archicad Collaborate is a subscription offer that bundles Archicad, BIMx, and BIMcloud SaaS at a single price point.

Enjoy this video for the latest updates.

Learning More

To learn more about what is new in Archicad 27, visit here. For more info on BIMcloud, click here. And for Graphisoft, in general, visit here.

The post Graphisoft announces Archicad 27 and more at Building Together Event appeared first on Architosh.

Infrastructure Awards

The annual awards program honors the amazing work of Bentley Software users who advance infrastructure design, construction, and operations globally. Twelve independent jury panels representing 12 award categories selected 36 finalists from over 300 nominations submitted by 233 organizations from 51 countries.

Representatives from the finalists’ organizations will present their projects to a panel of independent judges to determine the winners and meet with global press and industry executives at the 2023 Year in Infrastructure and Going Digital Awards event, which will be held at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, 11 – 12 October 2023. Readers can learn more here.

Bentley Year in Infrastructure and Going Digital Awards – 2023.

Chris Bradshaw, Bentley Systems’ Chief Marketing Officer, said, “We are so excited to be back in Singapore to present the Going Digital Awards finalists in front of our users and those attending virtually, as well as invited press and analysts at the 2023 Year in Infrastructure and Going Digital Awards event. These projects reflect how organizations have improved their workflows by embracing digital technologies to maximize efficiency and cost savings. I congratulate the finalists for advancing infrastructure intelligence by adopting Bentley Infrastructure Cloud, iTwin Platform and products, and Bentley Open Applications, and I wish them success on their future projects.”

The Finalists Are:

Bridges and Tunnels

• China Railway Changjiang Transportation Design Group Co., Ltd., Road & Bridge International Co., Ltd., Chongqing Expressway Group Co., Ltd. – Comprehensive Application of BIM-based Digital and Intelligent Design and Construction for the Liaozi Grand Bridge, Chongqing City, China
• Collins Engineers, Inc. – Digital Twins and Artificial Intelligence for Historic Robert Street Bridge Rehabilitation, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States
• WSP Australia Pty Ltd. – Southern Program Alliance, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Construction

• Dura Vermeer Infra Landelijke Projecten, Mobilis, Gemeente Amsterdam – Bruggen en Straten Oranje Loper, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
• Laing O’Rourke – New Everton Stadium Project, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom
• Laing O’Rourke – SEPA Surrey Hills Level Crossing Removal Project, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Enterprise Engineering

• Arcadis – RSAS – Carstairs, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
• Mott MacDonald – Standardizing Delivery of Phosphorus Removal Schemes for the UK Water Industry, United Kingdom
• Phocaz, Inc. – CAD Assets to GIS – A CLIP Update, Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Facilities, Campuses, and Cities

• Clarion Housing Group – Twins: Creating a Golden Thread across Digital Estates, London, United Kingdom
• Port Authority of New South Wales – Port Authority of New South Wales: A Case Study in Digital Transformation, New South Wales, Australia
• vrame Consult GmbH – Siemensstadt Square – Digital Campus Twin in Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Process and Power Generation

• MCC Capital Engineering & Research Incorporation Limited – Green and Digital Plant Construction Project of Linyi 2.7 Million Tons of High-Quality Special Steel Base, Linyi, Shandong, China
• Shanghai Investigation, Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd. – Digital Asset Management of Hydropower Projects Based on Digital Twins, Liangshan, Yibin, and Zhaotong, Sichuan and Yunnan, China
• Shenyang Aluminum & Magnesium Engineering & Research Institute Co., Ltd. – Digital Twin Application Project of Electrolytic Aluminum Engineering of Chinalco China Resources, Lvliang, Shanxi, China

Rail and Transit

• AECOM Perunding Sdn Bhd – Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System Link, Malaysia and Singapore
• IDOM – Value Engineering Stage for Detailed Design & Supervision of the Rail Baltica Project, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
• Italferr S.p.A. – New High Speed Line Salerno – Reggio Calabria, Battipaglia, Campania, Italy

Roads and Highways

• Atkins – I-70 Floyd Hill to Veterans Memorial Tunnels Project, Idaho Springs, Colorado, United States
• Hunan Provincial Communications Planning, Survey & Design Institute Co., Ltd. – Hengyang-Yongzhou Expressway in Hunan Province, Hengyang and Yongzhou, Hunan, China
• SMEC South Africa – N4 Montrose Interchange, Mbombela, Mpumalanga, South Africa

Structural Engineering

• Hyundai Engineering – Automated Design of Civil and Architectural Structures with STAAD API, Seoul, South Korea
• L&T Construction – Construction of 318 MLD (70 MGD) Wastewater Treatment Plant at Coronation Pillar, New Delhi, India
• RISE Structural Design, Inc. – Dhaka Metro Rail Line 1, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Subsurface Modeling and Analysis

• Arcadis – South Dock Bridge, London, United Kingdom
• OceanaGold – Validation of Digital Management Tools for OceanaGold’s Waihi Tailings Storage Facility, Waihi, Waikato, New Zealand
• Prof. Quick und Kollegen GmbH – Deutsche Bahn Neubaustrecke Gelnhausen – Fulda, Gelnhausen, Hessen, Germany

Surveying and Monitoring

• Avineon India P Ltd. – Provision of Services on the Generation of CityGML Models of Kowloon East for the Lands Department, Hong Kong SAR, China
• Italferr S.p.A. – The Digital Twin for Structural Monitoring of St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
• UAB IT logika (DRONETEAM) – DBOX M2, Vilnius, Lithuania

Transmission and Distribution

• Elia – Digital Transformation and Connected iTwins in Smart Substation Design, Brussels, Belgium
• PowerChina Hubei Electric Engineering Co., Ltd. – Full Life-cycle Digital Application on Xianning Chibi 500kV Substation Project, Xianning, Hubei, China
• Qinghai Kexin Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd. – 110kV Transmission and Transformation Project in Deerwen, Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, China, Gande County, Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai, China

Water and Wastewater

• Geoinfo Services – Achieving Drink from Tap 24×7 Water Supply System for Emerging Economies, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India
• L&T Construction – Rajghat Multi Village Rural Water Supply Scheme, Ashok Nagar and Guna, Madhya Pradesh, India
• Project Controls Cubed LLC – EchoWater Project, Sacramento, California, United States

For more information about the finalists, visit this link.

The post Bentley Systems Announces Finalists for 2023 Infrastructure Awards appeared first on Architosh.

How it works

These iTwin carbon assessment tools leverage Bentley’s iTwin Experience, a relatively new cloud product that allows owner-operators to visualize and navigate digital twins  online. This is combined with EC3, an embodied carbon-in-construction calculator tool, developed by the nonprofit Building Transparency.

Embodied carbon impact calculation from EC3 visualized in iTwin Experience. Color codes represent the severity of realized embodied carbon. Image: Bentley Systems.

Consequently, this combination enables engineers to explore multiple design choices more quickly, whilst eliminating manual data exports. As a result, these new iTwin carbon assessment tools, enable infrastructure professionals fully to automate embodied carbon calculation reports and impact analyses. Bentley Systems Director of Product Management, Kaustubh Page explains:

History

In 2022, Bentley developed an integration service within the iTwin Platform. As a result it enabled the automation of generating embodied carbon reports for infrastructure projects via One Click LCA (a life cycle assessment application) and EC3. Now iTwin Experience provides a ready-to-go, bi-directional integration with EC3. This enables users to visualize carbon assessments in a digital twin, without the need to write code.

Moreover, iTwin Experience exports a data model to EC3, a free tool for which users need to register separately. This performs the embodied carbon calculations and returns results that iTwin Experience seamlessly reads and visualizes.

Testing

Employee-owned architecture and engineering firm Burns & MacDonnell is currently testing Bentley’s iTwin-powered carbon reporting capabilities. Its Design Technology Director, Mark Tablante, outlines its progress so far, “Electrification is a critical component to meeting the world’s decarbonization goals.”

Tablante continued, “There is a tremendous amount of capital investment needed in electric T&D infrastructure and a carbon-efficient design makes the most of every dollar spent to further decarbonization. Tracking and reporting on progress toward utilities’ net zero goals is important to not only their shareholders, but for the future of our world. Burns & McDonnell is working with Bentley to test their new iTwin-powered carbon reporting capabilities for the electric utility industry.”

Rodrigo Fernandes, Director of ES(D)G (empowering sustainable development goals) within Bentley Systems added, “We want to enable users to implement carbon analysis and optimization as a natural, repeatable, and standardized procedure, as part of managing every type of infrastructure project, anywhere in the world. The sooner that carbon assessment is integrated into an infrastructure project, the bigger the carbon reduction opportunities will be.”

Consequently, digital twins are becoming crucial for carbon assessment and decarbonizing infrastructure. They do so by ensuring accurate carbon assessment and optimization throughout a project’s lifecycle. Consequently this has to start in the early design stages.

Bentley’s new iTwin Experience combined with EC3 and One Click LCA provides excellent iTwin carbon assessment tools. Consequently, these will enable owner-operators and their supply chains to visualize, analyze, manage, and share infrastructure digital twin data, sourced from various systems.

Availability

The aforementioned capabilities are only currently only available in Preview. Moreover, for the time being, they will only be available for a restricted number of partners and early adopters.

About Bentley Systems (Nasdaq: BSY)

Headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania, USA, Bentley Systems Incorporated is a software company. It develops, manufactures, licenses, sells, and supports computer software and services for the design, construction, and operation of infrastructure. Meanwhile, it generates annual revenue of approximately USD 1 billion in 194 countries. Currently, it employs more than 5,000 people.

Moreover, users deploy Bentley software for the design, construction, and operations of roads and bridges, rail and transit, water and wastewater. Engineers also use it for public works and utilities, buildings and campuses, mining, industrial facilities, and of course carbon assessment. Its product range includes:-

• AssetWise for asset and network performance.
• iTwin Platform for infrastructure digital twins.
• MicroStation-based applications for modeling and simulation.
• ProjectWise for project delivery.
• Seequent’s leading geo professional software portfolio.
• SYNCHRO for construction management.

The trademarks listed above all belong to Bentley Systems Incorporated or one of its subsidiaries. Meanwhile, all other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

• For more information concerning Bentley Systems, please click here.
• To learn more about Bentley’s iTwin embodied carbon assessment, please click here.
• And an interesting video of iTwin embodied carbon reporting in action is available here.

The post Bentley announces new iTwin carbon assessment capabilities appeared first on Architosh.

Robust and reliable

Robust and reliable software is key to enabling multiple stakeholders to consult, use, and feed data into connected workflow models.

Screengrab showing Trimble Tekla 2023 used for structural design. (Image: Trimble.)

Consequently the latest Tekla products enable smoother information delivery on projects that are typically growing in size and complexity. Trimble Structures senior product director, Michael Evans, explains:

Tekla BIM software is a powerful tool for developing and achieving environmentally friendly construction methods. It enables designers and engineers to optimize the use of resources, minimize waste, and enable full asset lifecycle maintenance.

Tekla community

With the use of open standards, Trimble’s Tekla software products also have an active partner community. Tekla partners are developing their projects using Tekla API (application programming interface). This includes complementary applications for specialized industry sectors such as scaffolding design, industrial projects, and detailing for modular construction, such as light metal framing.

Latest versions

• Tekla PowerFab 2023
• Tekla Structures 2023
• Tekla Structural Designer 2023
• Tekla Tedds 2023

Tekla PowerFab 2023

Steel fabrication management software suite Tekla PowerFab 2023 offers some interesting new features. These help fabricators manage changes in their projects efficiently and minimize errors. In the latest version of  PowerFab, subscribers can gain quick and easy access to visual production dashboards and a handy shipping calendar.

The mobile tool Tekla PowerFab Go provides new time-saving functionalities. To support sustainable material sourcing, Tekla PowerFab 2023 also has the ability to track the origin of raw materials.

Tekla Structures 2023

Structural BIM software Tekla Structures continues to improve the user experience. Thus making it easier for users to learn and adopt its time-saving features. Its updated drawing editor also makes the software easier to learn and use.

Tekla Structures creates advanced detailing for fabrication workflows and brings project communication to a new level. In its rebar detailing, complex bar shape designs are easier to share with procurement, manufacturing, and the construction site.

Customers in steel fabrication benefit from greater flexibility by being able to cover more detailing options related to bolts and holes for specialized industries. The software also features updated outputs and exports in the field of detailing for the fabrication of multiple types of projects and materials.

Tekla Structural Designer 2023

Tekla Structural Designer 3D design and analysis software introduces a rigorous analytical approach to footfall assessment that can bring substantial cost benefits as well as a reduction in risk through accurate quantification of performance. The engineer can run multiple footfall scenarios in a single model effortlessly.

Trimble Tekla 2023 demonstration. (Image: Trimble.)

Tekla Structural Designer 2023 further supports optimized engineering office workflows by:

• Enhancing the link to connection design software, including IDEA StatiCa® software.
• Improving workflows for timber design using Tekla Tedds.
• Introducing a new integrator for Autodesk® Revit® 2023 users.
• Strengthening the design-to-detail workflow with Tekla Structures.

Tekla Tedds 2023

The structural design software Tekla Tedds now offers seamless integration of structural design information and documentation with Tekla Structures to improve collaborative design-to-detailing workflows. Improved integration with Tekla Structures also enables linking Tedds calculations to Tekla Structures components.

With this added functionality, Tekla software now provides a seamless workflow for end-to-end connection, checking between the engineer and steel detailers. In addition, the Tekla Tedds calculations support multi-material design in Tekla Structural Designer. The latest version also includes new and updated calculations for faster, more reliable structural element design.

Information Security

As part of Trimble’s ongoing efforts to provide enterprise-level security required in environments that thrive on data sharing, all Tekla products are now certified to be fully compliant with ISO27001. This is a well-respected global standard for managing information securely.

Availability

To learn more about Tekla 2023 and to download the various packages outlined above, please click here.

About Trimble

Headquartered in Westminster, Colorado, Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) is an industrial technology company. It develops core technologies in positioning, modeling, connectivity, and data analytics to connect the digital and physical worlds. Its products are also designed to improve productivity, quality, safety, transparency, and sustainability. From purpose-built products to enterprise lifecycle solutions, Trimble is transforming industries such as agriculture, construction, and transportation.

Trimble’s Tekla software products are designed for advanced BIM and structural engineering. To learn more about Trimble and its Tekla range of BIM software, please click here.

Autodesk and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. IDEA STATICA is a registered trademark of IDEA RS s.r.o.

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Keith Bentley

Bentley Systems founder Keith Bentley will step down as Chief Technology Officer in April 2023. After that, he will assume the role of Technology Advisor through to his anticipated retirement later in the year.

Keith Bentley, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Bentley Systems. (Image: Bentley Systems.)

After that, he will continue serving on Bentley Systems’ Board of Directors. His successor as Chief Technology Officer will be Julien Moutte, the current Vice President of Technology. Keith Bentley’s younger brother and Bentley Systems’ CEO, Greg Bentley explained:

Julian Moutte

Newly announced CTO Julien Moutte initially joined Bentley Systems as Vice President of Technology in January 2021. Previously Moutte had been head of technology for SAP Marketing Cloud. Julien’s technical expertise ranges from cloud operations and high-availability platforms to multimedia and mobile.

Julien Moutte, Vice President of Technology, Bentley Systems. (Image: Bentley Systems.)

Moutte is an IT entrepreneur and investor. During the past fifteen years, he has launched more than ten companies in Europe and the United States.

Based in Barcelona, Moutte is fluent in English, French, and Spanish. He graduated in computer science in 1998 at Université Claude Bernard in Lyon, France. Moutte worked in startup ventures, and at SAP, with Bentley Systems’ Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Cumins, to whom he reports.

Julien Moutte said, “Working with a visionary CTO like Keith Bentley is a rare privilege and a humbling experience, which I have enjoyed greatly for the past two years. Our iTwin Platform is uniquely positioned to help us and our users advance infrastructure for a world in dire need.”

David Hollister

David Hollister served as Bentley Systems’ CFO between 2007 and 2022. Hollister’s replacement will be Werner Andre. Greg Bentley told us, “David Hollister has zealously and adroitly stewarded our financial, portfolio development, and investment activities, and our IPO in 2020 would not have been possible without his drive and orchestration. I am further grateful to David for having nurtured such a capable CFO successor, Werner Andre, who has performed admirably over the past year.”

David Hollister, Chief Investment Officer, Bentley Systems. (Image: Bentley Systems.)

Additionally, Keith Bentley and David Hollister participated in Bentley Systems’ Q4 2022 quarterly operating results presentation on 28 February 2023. A recording of the event is available on the Events & Presentations page on Bentley Systems’ Investor Relations website. Please click here.

About Bentley Systems

Headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania, USA, Bentley Systems Incorporated is a software company. It develops, manufactures, licenses, sells, and supports computer software and services for the design, construction, and operation of infrastructure. Moreover, its software is used for the design, construction, and operations of roads and bridges, rail and transit, water and wastewater, public works and utilities, buildings and campuses, mining, and industrial facilities. Its product range includes:-

• AssetWise for asset and network performance.
• iTwin Platform for infrastructure digital twins.
• MicroStation-based applications for modeling and simulation.
• ProjectWise for project delivery.
• Seequent’s leading geo professional software portfolio.
• SYNCHRO for construction management

At the same time, Bentley Systems generates annual revenue of approximately USD 1 billion in 194 countries. Currently, it employs more than 5,000 people. For more information about Bentley Systems, please click here.

The post Keith Bentley—Bentley Systems Founder Retires appeared first on Architosh.

The event takes place from 25- 27 October 2022.

Building Together 2022

“Graphisoft customers have designed millions of buildings around the globe to create a world of attractive, culturally valuable, and sustainable buildings,” said Huw Roberts, Graphisoft CEO. “We’re excited and honored to be joined by outstanding thought leaders and innovators in the AEC space at this year’s Building Together event — and to share their practical insights on the trends shaping architectural design and engineering.”

The all-online program for Building Together 2022 will cover a broad range of topics, including socially responsible architecture, digital tools and transformation, visualization technologies, and future-proofing the next generation of architects.

Here’s what to expect later this month:

• Architecture as a tool to improve lives: — According to Anna Heringer (Germany), ‘joyful living is a creative and active process.’ The internationally acclaimed 2010 recipient of an honorary UNESCO professorship was recently awarded the Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for her outstanding contributions as a pioneer of sustainable construction.
• Acting towards designing Socially Responsible Architecture (SRA): Jessica M. O’Donnell, Kitchen & Associates (USA), — will moderate a roundtable on how architectural practices can take actionable steps now to implement elements of the Socially Responsible Architecture movement in their current projects.
• Golden nuggets — Data-driven change in architectural practice: Data is everywhere, but insights are not. Rosey Alexander, Bond Bryan (UK), — shares a glimpse into how architectural practices can use the data they generate to unearth information that drives change and alters behavior.
• Digital Darwinism: — The disruptive nature of start-ups brings innovation and challenges to larger, more established firms. Karl-Heinz Land (Germany) explains what ‘digital Darwinism’ is and how companies can leverage that disruption to work in their favor.
• Turning a vision into built reality — Floating Office Rotterdam: Albert Richters explains how the Powerhouse Company (Netherlands)  used BIM to build a floating, off-grid, carbon-neutral office building.
• Building business relationships: Bernardo Farkasvölgyi, Farkasvölgyi Architects (Brazil), —  describes how strong mentor and client relationships and innovative technology partnerships helped build and grow a successful practice — now in its fourth generation — despite a challenging business environment.
• The advantage of functioning fully in BIM:  — Learn how Archicad empowers the 12-person team at Resin Architecture, led by Graham Whipple (USA), to do the work of a 50-person firm.
• …and much more.

For a complete list of speakers and topics and to register for free to attend the Building Together 2022 conference, please visit https://graphisoft.com/events/building-together-digital-event-2022.

The post Global BIM Event—Building Together 2022 to Explore Disruptive Industry Trends appeared first on Architosh.

Michael Campbell

Campbell joins Bentley from product engineering software leader PTC Inc. (Nasdaq: PTC), where he has spent his entire career since earning his mechanical engineering degree from Boston University in 1995.

Michael Campbell, chief product officer, Bentley Systems.

He had product leadership responsibility for PTC’s mainstream design applications and for its IoT (internet of things) acquisitions. Then Campbell served as Executive Vice President and General Manager for its augmented reality offerings.

Campbell is now responsible for defining Bentley’s product strategy and for managing its product development. Campbell reports directly to Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Cumins.

Cumins explains:

Other appointments and promotions

Following its IPO in 2020 after 36 years, Bentley Systems anticipates naturally occurring executive retirements. This presents significant opportunities for internal promotions. Consequently, Bentley also announced expanded executive roles for staffers James Lawton, Claire Rutkowski, and Suzanne Little.

James Lawton, chief digital officer, Bentley Systems.

James Lawton takes the newly created role of Chief Digital Officer. Lawton joined Bentley with the acquisition of geosciences software company Seequent in 2021. He will lead Bentley’s digital experience strategy, as well as the IT organization, shaping and delivering a seamless experience for Bentley’s users.

Claire Rutkowski, SVP, CIO champion, Bentley Systems.

After six years as Chief Information Officer, Claire Rutkowski is now SVP, CIO champion, leading solutions, and advocacy for engineering firms. These companies currently contribute slightly over half of Bentley’s recurring annual revenue. Rutkowski originally joined Bentley in 2016 from the position of CIO at engineering firm Stantec/MWH.

Suzanne Little, chief colleague success officer, Bentley Systems.

Suzanne Little has the newly-created role of Chief Colleague Success Officer. Meanwhile, Chief Talent Officer Florence Zheng has become an adviser for organizational succession to Bentley’s board of directors. Little will lead Bentley’s global human resource functions, along with expanded responsibility for enhancing the company’s overall colleague experience. Previously, as Vice President of Talent, Little led Bentley’s global talent operations.

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VBS Blue Engine

Unlike some other game engine-based simulations, VBS4’s ‘VBS Blue’ engine was developed specifically to serve the military simulation and training domain. The VBS Blue engine simultaneously offers users both millimetric accuracy and global scalability.

Partial screen capture shows one way NZDF might deploy VBS4

Managing Director of Bohemia Interactive Australia, Ryan Stephenson tells us:

VBS4 supports large-scale virtual scenarios and has hundreds of authentic military training uses. It also has a flexible terrain import system that can incorporate and deploy large quantities of complex terrain data from virtually any source. It is envisaged this is a feature that NZDF will put to good use.

In addition to desktop usage, VBS4 has “out-of-the-box” integration with virtual reality VR (virtual reality) and MR (mixed reality) headsets, including the Varjo XR-3 and other commercial off-the-shelf/military off-the-shelf (COTS/MOTS) hardware (such as armored fighting vehicle weapons controllers).

This provides the NZDF with common simulation software that can be redeployed in a wide variety of its training scenaria. Thus reducing the product’s TCO (total cost of ownership).

Example of the sort of virtual terrain that NZDF could generate with VBS4

The NZDF is also a long-term user of BISim’s Terratools virtual terrain simulation software. It has been used to build a number of highly detailed tactical maps of the New Zealand Army’s training sites.

In fact, NZDF has been using BISim’s products for over 15 years. BISim intends to continue providing software, support, product training, and development services through its local subsidiary Bohemia Interactive Australia (BIA).

About BISim

A subsidiary of BAE Systems Inc. and originally founded in 2001, BISim (Bohemia Interactive Simulations) is a global software company. It produces a range of simulation and training software development for defense and civilian organizations. Its engineers use the latest game-based technology to develop high-fidelity, cost-effective training, and simulation software products.

Thousands of military personnel around the world are trained using VBS software products. More than 60 NATO and NATO-friendly countries and over 300 system integrators and prime contractors deploy VBS technology. Its customers include the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, Canadian Armed Forces, French Armed Forces, Bundeswehr, Swedish Armed Forces, Australian Defence Force, and of course, the NZDF. In fact, BISim’s VBS products have become one of the most widely used COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) product ranges in the military-simulation sector.

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VBS4 is a comprehensive software application for combined land, sea, and air collective training, mission rehearsal and experimentation. VBS4 22.1 includes improvements in performance and user experience, as well as some interesting new features, including:

• • Snow Layer Improvements.
  • Support for NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling).
  • Improved thermal imaging.
  • New Close Air Support (CAS) Module.
  New VBS Dashboard.

Snow layer improvements

VBS4 now has improved snow representation for anywhere in the world. This allows independent control of snow cover on terrain and trees. The new functionality also allows users to control to what extent roads in the environment are plowed.

Nvidia DLSS

VBS4 now includes support for NVIDIA DLSS. This is an AI rendering technology provided by GeForce RTX graphics cards. This technology can significantly improve performance, especially on very high-resolution displays.

Improved thermal imaging

VBS 22.1 significantly improves the accuracy and realism of thermal imaging simulations. This includes the simulation of heat transfer from troops in prone positions, and running vehicles, onto the ground and surrounding buildings. The simulation of heat generated from explosive munitions is now also simulated in craters.

New VBS Close Air Support training

With the new VBS CAS and its easy-to-use VBS Plan interface, many users will achieve a wide range of Close Air Support training needs out-of-the-box, whilst benefiting from VBS4’s increased performance. Users can plan and operate CAS missions similarly to how they do this in VBS4’s existing CFF module.

BISim’s VBS CAS Project Manager, Richard Brake tells us:

New VBS Close Air Support training snapshot

VBS CAS is used by military trainers for many training purposes. They can set up simulations of complex virtual battles, coordinate with thousands of allies and fight against instructor-controlled adversaries. VBS CAS is available as part of the BISim latest desktop training software bundle. This includes:

• Radio Pro. This adds support for unlimited radio channels and types.
• Configurable radio network presets, enabling users to customize channel names, colours, and icons.
• Radio degradation that can also be influenced by weather, distance and terrain obstruction.
• Overlay sharing within VBS Plan. Overlay sharing allows users to share VBS Plan drawings to other VBS4 users on the network. This allows different planning “cells” to draw plan layers and submit them to create collaborative drawings quickly.
• Microsoft Bing terrain data support. Providing customers have the appropriate Microsoft API key, VBS4’s Bing support allows customers to stream Bing data into VBS4.

New VWS dashboard

New VBS World Server dashboard

VBS4 22.1 also includes the new VWS (VBS World Server) dashboard. It has a web-based interface which allows administrators remotely to control and monitor the operation of the VWS. Administrators can monitor real-time system resources such as memory usage, network utilization and many other critical parameters. The administrator will be alerted to issues and can start and stop individual VWS services without having physical access to the VWS server.

About Bohemia Interactive Simulations

Founded in 2001, Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim) is a global software company at the forefront of simulation and training software development for defense and civilian organizations. Its engineers use the latest game based technology to develop high-fidelity, cost-effective training and simulation software products.

Thousands of military personnel around the world are trained using VBS software products. More than 60 NATO and NATO-friendly countries, and over 300 system integrators and prime contractors deploy VBS technology.

• Customers can download BISim latest desktop training software, VBS4 22.1, from the BISim Customer Portal.

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As FRILO acquired DC-Software, it significantly expanded its product portfolio in the foundation engineering segment. Thus strengthening its position as a leading provider of structural design software.

FRILO CEO Markus Gallenberger said:

Software portfolio

DC-Software has developed a comprehensive range of digital foundation engineering software. The software company’s product range is currently divided into two types of foundation engineering.

• DC-Soil range handles subsoil exploration, soil, and contaminated site investigations, and the display of geothermal boreholes and geothermal probes.
• DC-Foundation range is for geotechnical calculations, foundation engineering, groundwater drawdown, and infiltration.

This means that FRILO acquired DC-Software on 1 April 2022 and it added a sophisticated product range comprising more than 30 software programs to its portfolio.

Screengrab of  DC-Software’s DC-Bearing software package from its “DC-Foundation” range.

Dr. Armin Doster, Ing, co-founder of DC-Software said:

Founded in 1989, DC-Software has developed into a sustainable and profitable company. It has become well established within the DACH market. That is the German-speaking parts of Europe, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. With the takeover of DC-Software, FRILO has extended its software portfolio into the foundation engineering segment.

Frilo is part of the Nemetschek Group, a vendor of specialist software for architects, engineers, and the construction industry.

• More information about DC-software’s range of products.

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Its latest service release, dubbed “Allplan 2022-1” offers designers a “Technical Preview” feature. This provides live synchronization with Lumion visualization software. Other improvements include:

• a better user experience
• improvements to the installation procedure
• enhancements for experienced users
• sophisticated features such as parametric road design

Realistic visualizations with Lumion

One of the smartest new enhancements to ALLPLAN’s latest release is its “LiveSync” feature. This provides point-of-view synchronization between Allplan and Lumion. This feature means that changes to the model or viewing position in Allplan are automatically applied to Lumion too. This enables users to generate visualizations in Lumion, quickly and easily. This is particularly useful  for realistic representations of vegetation, interior design, or moving objects such as people or vehicles.

Better user experience

To make it easier for new users to get started with Allplan, its tooltips have been improved. When the user hovers over an icon with the mouse button, a brief explanation of the function is automatically displayed. Developments to standardize the user interface have also been continued.  For example, property palettes have been added for more object types such as openings and steel connection components. Users can also rotate a selected object in its animation.

Improvements in the installation procedure

The new Windows installer makes it much easier to get started.  The user guidance has also been redesigned and simplified. This significantly speeds up the download and installation process. Administrators in charge of a large number of workstations will be pleased to know that one can save all one’s settings on one installation and redeploy them on your remaining installation. Moreover, projects can now be imported from any source directly in the project selection dialog.

Enhancements for experienced users

Experienced users will enjoy the fact that creating one’s own Python scripts is simpler and easier. The new palette designer allows parameters to be placed selectively on multiple tabs. Tooltips have been improved and adjustment sliders are now supported. It is also possible to access additional components such as columns and beams and to control IFC export. In addition, actions can be undone or repeated with just one click. For the simplified use of its cloud services, there is a new common login for Allplan Connect and Bimplus.

Parametric Road Design with Allplan

Road design modelling using ALLPLAN’s software

In Allplan 2022-1, a road model is created based on assigned cross-section templates. All plans and reports can be automatically derived directly from the model. The parametric concept allows the gradient of a road axis to be subsequently changed or, for example, the terrain base data to be easily adjusted. In addition to high performance, Allplan offers an intuitive graphical user interface, straightforward input workflows and a wide range of functions for model detailing. This latest service release also offers additional components for automated plan output, improved input of vertical axis geometry, and a much faster graphical display of the terrain model.

Installing latest update

Allplan 2022-1 was released on April 7, 2022, and is available via the “Auto Update” function in Allplan or Allplan Connect. Please note that synchronization with Lumion requires Lumion version 8.3 or later and Allplan version 2022-1 or later.

• For more information, please see Allplan 2022-1 Release Notes.

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Allplan is one of Europe’s leading AEC software companies and a BIM solution that serves both architecture and structural engineering professionals. Allplan is based in Germany and SDS2 is based in the United States and is a leading provider of BIM solutions for the structural steel detailing industry.

Joined Forces

Allplan and SDS2 will officially join forces to create a customer-focused product portfolio of BIM solutions for the entire structural workflow. This merge will enable Allplan to offer solutions for the engineering detailing steel industry. In turn, SDS2 will expand its expertise in concrete construction. Combining the competencies will enable them to become a multi-material providers.

A screencapture from SDS2’s interface in action.

“Merging Allplan and SDS2 unleashes a lot of business potential for the Nemetschek Group,” says Viktor Várkonyi, Chief Division Officer of the Planning & Design Division and Member of the Executive Board of the Nemetschek Group. “By closely aligning the concrete and steel detailing expertise that the Allplan and SDS2 solutions have opens significant opportunities to deliver exceptional value to their joint customer base. This strategic move will clearly strengthen our market position in structural workflows – from design to fabrication and construction – and is centered around the Allplan platform and ecosystem.”

“This merger is again an important milestone, not only for Allplan and SDS2, but especially for our customers,” adds Dr. Detlef Schneider, CEO of Allplan. “Combining technology and know-how for steel and concrete construction will create a strong solution that will strengthen our market positioning and instantly provides additional value to our customers.”

MORE: Bimplus gets update from ALLPLAN

“For us, this is an excellent match in terms of strategy and structure,” comments Stuart Broome, CEO of SDS2. “The combined revenue engine and economies of scale will enable future development to accelerate beyond what either company could achieve alone, which represents an even brighter future for our customers.”

The merger with SDS2 follows the recently completed integration between Allplan and Precast Software Engineering, which strengthened its product portfolio with expertise in precast fabrication technology. Allplan now enables a seamlessly integrated BIM workflow from design to fabrication to construction.

To learn more about SDS2 visit them here. To learn about Allplan visit them online here.

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