The Landscape Institute - BIM for Landscape

Two fundamental principles determine whether software is suitable for use in a BIM project: object-based design and information exchange. BIM processes are based on these key software functionalities. Object-based design connects information describing an object with the geometry by which it is visually and spatially defined. Information exchange, or interoperability, is the capacity to work with and share information with other software packages, without any loss or change to the information.

Parametric functionality is also key to BIM processes, in which a change made to one aspect of an object is cascaded to every view of that object, allowing greater control over the form of objects and their associated information. There are many parametric software solutions, and many drafting packages allow the use of parameters. The questions to ask are Will changes automatically apply to every instance or type of object? and If an object is changed, will the specification also be updated? In other words, to what extent does the software link the representation of objects with the information that describes them?

Software used as part of a BIM process has some other specific characteristics. First, it is intelligent, in the sense of an interaction between an object and the data defining it for instance, allowing the modelling of a trees growth over time and its interdependence with other trees. Intelligent software can also set rules to be applied automatically on the implementation of a design, giving the designer a warning if constraints are broken during the design process.

A second key software characteristic is enabling simulation and the creation of 3D models; furthermore, the designer is able to work with objects with their own attributes to create virtual models. This combination of graphics and information is vital to producing a virtual asset that can be used throughout the projects life cycle. Simulation allows the modelling of some critical features, such as climate, heat and movement. It can enable rapid calculations and better-informed decision-making. Software used in BIM is moving towards virtual design that accurately represents a physical site, and 3D models are often envisaged as the ultimate BIM tool. Modelling objects with their own attributes means that when one type of object is changed, every instance of that object will also be changed accordingly. The quantity of data that can accompany objects means that the range of design and analysis functions available is constantly expanding, serving to deliver the principles and aspirations of BIM still further.

The underlying technology within software tools determines their effectiveness in a collaborative project environment. Database functionality requires that objects are classified in a database, which should be arranged semantically to allow queries to be run. Uniclass 2015 is the classification system required for BIM Level 2, but there are a number of other classification systems in use across the construction industry. Information management functionality should allow the syntactic and semantic association of objects and the interoperability in information exchanges between other packages and users, as well as internally.