BIM on the Rocks

Manhattanville: Innovating Academic Urban Development

If you are anywhere near New York City this coming Tuesday night, get yourself over to the Carriage House Center for this BuildingSuccess event:

BuildingSuccess NY:
Manhattanville's Innovative Approach to Urban Development

May 7 2013 5:30PM - May 7 2013 8:00PM EST

The Carriage House Center, 149 East 38th Street, New York NY – 10016

5:30pm - Cocktail Reception

6:30pm - Guest Presentation

* This event is free to attend. AIA credits available

I first learned about Columbia University’s Manhattanville project a few years ago at an internal event. The presenter was showing videos of aggregated utility models and talking about the complications of building new things in New York City. Apparently, it is not just as easy as cracking open your copy of The Works: Anatomy of a City by Kate Ascher and starting to dig.

The Works is an essential book for civil engineers, by the way. You’ll pull it out any time you need to explain to your Great Aunt Gertrude or your kid’s second grade class what you do for a living.

Fast forward to last year. We interviewed Stantec about their involvement in the project and created a customer story.Stantec: Columbia University Manhattanville Project

The Challenge
The Manhattanville project is tremendously complex, with numerous challenges, including a multidecade delivery schedule, widely varying site elevation, and a labyrinth of below-grade pedestrian hallways, mechanical spaces, and classrooms that requires precise coordination. Although Stantec had used BIM on previous projects, the firm’s New York office had never used BIM on an infrastructure project, let alone one of this magnitude.

Stantec entered this project in the Excellence in Infrastructure Awards last year and received third place. Check out the Awards Showcase book when you have a chance.

The upcoming BuildingSuccess event features panelists from just a few of the other players involved in the project. It should be a dynamic conversation about planning, design, construction, ownership and beyond.

Featured Guest Panelists:

• Marcelo Velez, Assoc. Vice President for Manhattanville Development, Columbia University
• Serge Drouin, Associate, Renzo Piano Building Workshop
• Will Paxson, Partner, Davis Brody Bond
• Scott Frank, Partner, Jaros, Baum & Bolles
• Mera Faddoul, Principal, Jacobs Engineering
• Joseph Maraia, Executive Vice President, Lend Lease
• Keith Allen, Senior Vice President, Lend Lease

I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to attend this event myself, so please go for me and take really good notes.

Register for this BuildingSuccess event here.

Rooftop Infrastructure: NYC Water Tanks

I’m starting a new adventure here at Autodesk. I’ve moved from creating our technical marketing materials to looking after an exciting collection of Autodesk customers. My new role brings some more frequent US travel. I’ve packed my camera and set out on a photographic scavenger hunt. You can expect some really mind blowing images, like this one I took this morning in New York City.

 

I figured that these were water tanks based on a combination of engineering experience and the opening credit sequence from Hee Haw.  Almost every tank that I could see looked like a relic from a different age, so I did some reading. It turns out that they are a relic from a different age. There are two companies in NYC that build these tanks, and both have been building them for more than one hundred years.

New York is built on a rock formation that isn’t conducive to pumping water for tall buildings, and wood is still the preferred building material.

The original tankmen were barrel makers who expanded their craft to meet a modern need. Even today, no sealant is used to hold the water in; tank walls are held together with cables but leak through every gap when first filled. As the wood swells, the gaps close and become impermeable.

quoted from Longtime Emblems of City Roofs, Still Going Strong.

As much as I’d like to think I am original, I am not the first person to appreciate the aesthetic and backstory of the New York City water tanks. They remind me of those repurposed whiskey casks that I buy every year for my patio. They smell so good and look so charming. Maybe someday I’ll actually plant some flowers in them.

The Water Tank Project 

New York City Water Tank photopool on Flickr

Get Your Projects Recognized and Maybe Win a Trip to Autodesk University #AU2013

I was looking through the Excellence in Infrastructure Awards Showcase book from last year, and it reminded me that entries are open for this year’s contest.

First Prize

The first place winner will receive one (1) 8570w mobile workstation with 15" screen, one (1) round trip airfare, four (4) consecutive nights lodging and one (1) Autodesk University Las Vegas 2013 conference pass.
Shipping, delivery, taxes and duty charges for the HP workstation will be the responsibility of the winner if they are based outside of North America. The winner can also pick up the hardware prize at Autodesk University 2013.

Second Prize

The second place winner will get four (4) consecutive nights lodging and one (1)Autodesk University Las Vegas 2013 conference pass. Transportation to and from the event is the responsibility of the winner.

Third Prize

The third place winner will get one (1) Autodesk University Las Vegas 2013 conference pass. Transportation to and from the event, as well as lodging, is the responsibility of the winner.

Honorable Mention

The honorable mention winner for Best Use of Autodesk BIM Solutions to Convey Design Intent via Visualization will get one (1) Autodesk University Las Vegas 2013 pass. Transportation to and from the event, as well as lodging, is the responsibility of the winner.

Don’t be shy. Your project doesn’t have to change the world, just change your little corner of the world. Did you improve an intersection? Make something safer? Improve the quality of life for commuters, residents or small woodland creatures? Did Autodesk software play a role in helping you solve problems? Take a look at some of the examples from last’s years submissions.

Submit your project today!

http://www.infrastructure-excellence.com/

Using Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler to Gain Public Support

What would you rather take to a public hearing?

A really spectacular set of plan profile sheets…

Or a 3D model that you can navigate in real time, and let everyone take home on their iPad for more exploring?

Which helps a citizen understand what the new road will look like from his or her backyard? Or what a new traffic pattern might mean for access to their business?

Here is a video on youtube about Gaining Public Support using Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler:

Challenge:  The general public does not typically understand technical information that is conveyed in 2D paper plans.  Negative feedback from public stakeholders, including company owners, who do not have a clear picture of how a finished project will appear from their backyard or impact their business can stall projects. Attending public participation meetings is not always an option, so anytime, anywhere access to project information is a common requirement.

Solution: Communicate alternatives and project impacts in a format that is more easily understood by non-technical audiences, Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler enables public stakeholders to explore high quality, visual models containing project pertinent information. Conveying a clear picture of impacts to adjacent property owners and businesses helps to alleviate concerns, answer questions and speed stakeholder buy-in.

Game Changers: A Look Back at Two Years Since Project Galileo

My best blogging moments come when I stumble upon something interesting during my daily work. This time of year, my daily work consists of software and projects that I can’t talk about yet. But here is something I can talk about.

photo by Whitney Carmean, ImagineArt.

Two years ago, we were introduced to Project Galileo on Autodesk Labs. Back then, I didn’t quite know how to describe it, but I had a feeling that it would change things. (Project Galileo graduated a few months later and became Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler .) Here we were, designing our roads and neighborhoods and sewer systems. Minding our own business. New software comes along and we think, “Wow. That’s cute. But it isn’t going to change my processes.”

I was expecting my third child during the early days of Project Galileo, and being the nerd that I am, I decided he would be my own “Project Galileo”. Then he graduated and became Baby Galileo.

And we thought, “Wow. He’s cute! But he isn’t going to change our processes.” We had this figured out already. The first baby is an education. The second is a butt kicking. The third? They just slide right in. You’re beyond adaptation at this point. Your systems are solid and foolproof. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

But your system stops working. It’s not that it’s broken. It just needs to evolve in a way that you could never have previously imagined.

What you forget is that the world has changed just a bit in the years since you had your first, and that you’ve changed. With a seven year age difference, Panorama and Galileo are growing up with completely different experiences. Panorama had all of the focus and attention of adults, but no big sister to show her the ropes. We, as parents, have better skills and know we need to be more flexible as well.

We had digital cameras and email for sharing pictures of Panorama. We had a blog and a Flickr account for sharing pictures of Prospector. Galileo will grow up with every minute of his life chronicled by iPhone on Facebook with poses inspired by Pintrest. Times are changing fast, expectations are changing faster. Granny not only expects to get a Christmas card picture, but real time stills, videos, webcam calls, Facebook comment feeds, Spotify playlists, and blog posts with witty anecdotes.

Nine years ago, Civil 3D was born and forced us to examine how we did civil engineering. We adapted and found ourselves closer to the dream. Every day, I learn more about how Infrastructure Modeler will open even more doors. We thought we had it figured out, but there is a lot more fun to be had.

Happy 2nd Birthday, sweet Galileo.

Photo by Beth Malonoski, BCM Art and Photography.

Have you read about Project Mercury yet?

Coming to #AU2012? You’re Going to #digthisAU!

For those of you going to Autodesk University 2012 in Las Vegas this year, stay tuned for a chance to participate in a unique event with yours truly.

I can't say too much right now, but I think you'll really dig it!

All you need to do is to connect @AutoCADCivil3D on Twitter. Follow #digthisAU to watch it unfold.

I'll also blog about it and tweet about it in the coming weeks before AU…

Using Analysis Results from Map 3D in Infrastructure Modeler

I have some sewer lines from GIS information in Map 3D. I brought it in through an FDO connection.

I ran a feature buffer on the data. Map 3D creates the buffer as an SDF file and automatically connects to it. You maybe not have realized that was happening if you’ve ever done a feature buffer before. In this case, I just want a 20 foot buffer around each pipe to mark a utility zone.

Next, I go over to Infrastructure Modeler, import the SDF and configure it as a coverage. (If you need help with this process, see my post from the other day, Importing Parcels with Black Outlines in Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler.)

Now I can see my buffer in Infrastructure Modeler, and use it as a guide when working out concepts, etc.

This really gets me thinking about what other types of analysis I can do in Map 3D and bring in to Infrastructure Modeler to visualize the analysis in context. Remember that trick I did the other day where I assigned different heights to parcels based on their value? What if I did that with an overlay analysis of flood zones and land use? Or a buffer around dangerous intersections? How can you leverage these tools from the Infrastructure Design Suite in combination to tell your story? I was especially thinking about doing a stream buffer analysis with Map 3D and seeing what that would look like in Infrastructure Modeler.

Here are some other posts your might be interested in:

Making Tooltips in Infrastructure Modeler

Creating a Land Use Theme in Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler 

Tell a Better Visual Story Using Heights and Themes for Land Value

Infrastructure Modeler is part of the Autodesk Infrastructure Design Suite. Learn more and download a free 30 day trial here: www.autodesk.com/infrastructuredesignsuite

Tell a Better Visual Story Using Heights and Themes for Land Value

How would your client react if you showed them something like this instead of a 2D map or excel table?

Let’s say I’m working on an exhibit for a road realignment proposal. I need my client to understand how much it will cost to acquire parcels for right of way. I have a shapefile of the parcels from the county. They might have an assessed value already assigned in your county, but for mine, I used Map 3D tools to add a new object data field of “Land_Value”. For my example, I just did values in the thousands (i.e. $250,000 = 250). Then, I exported the polygons as SDF and imported them into Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler.

When I configure the data, I’m going to tell Infrastructure Modeler to make these polyons into buildings. Yes, buildings!

I’ll grab that Land_Value data for the description field, as well as for the Roof Height. This will make my “buildings” the same height as the Land_Value. More expensive parcels will be taller than less expensive parcels.

It probably doesn’t make sense to have my “building” be 250m tall, so I can play around with that height either by changing the units or…

I can make a formula. I just want something that conveys the message and shows the relationship between land values. I’m not going to be measuring the heights or anything, so I’ll use Land_Value / 4.

I want the building bottoms to be draped on my terrain.

I didn’t assign a style yet, because I want to use that same theming technique that we learned the other day to assign colors based on that Land_Value field.

I also want to assign a tooltip to each building, like we did the other day for land use types. This will let me hover over one of my building/parcels and see the actual land value. We learned tooltips the other day in this post.

One the data refreshes, I see my parcels as 3D “buildings” with variable heights.

Hovering over a building, I get my tooltip.

Just like the other day, I can make a theme for these parcels. The red ones would be the most expensive.

What else can you use this technique for? How about:

Traffic counts

Air pollution

Lighting or sound impacts

Highly sensitive habitats or wetlands

Anything that you want to “pop” and have your stakehold say “OOOOh, now I see which parts we need to avoid!”

Using Bookmarks to Save Your View in Infrastructure Modeler

I’m a huge fan of Named Views in Civil 3D (or AutoCAD or Map 3D). They are very handy while you are doing design because you can quickly get to where you need to work, or what you need to fit on a sheet.

In Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler, you can use Bookmarks to save important views. Let’s say I wanted to navigate easily to a location in my model where I have a historical site.

Zoom, pan, adjust your view to look like you want to remember. Then press Add Bookmark.

Give your Bookmark a name.

 

You’ll see your Bookmark on the list under Bookmarks. Easy!

Now when you sit down with your clients, you can quickly zoom into the key areas you want to talk about. This is also useful for getting ready to use the Storytelling tools.

Creating a Land Use Theme in Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler

My state has a nice land use shapefile. It contains polygons that are labeled things like “airport”, “forest”, “mixed urban” and “single family residential”. Your state or county might have zoning information. Or you probably have access to things like flood zone polygons, or similar.

I want to make a theme based on these land use types.

After I import the data, I go into the Configure dialog, just like I showed you the other day. In addition to all of the normal configuring stuff about style and draping, I need to tell Infrastructure Modeler which field in my data is important to me. In this case, I know the LANDUSE07 field contains the information that I’d want to “theme”, so I pick that for the NAME field.

Next, choose Analyze > Feature Themes.

For the Property, you want to theme on the Name. That’s the field I assigned to my LANDUSE07 information.

I can pick a color range, or assign individual colors to each unique property. Also note, I can made the theme transparent.

Now, I can see all of my different land uses in color!

Think of all of the valuable things you could theme to show your client their options for a project, or work on region planning, how about watershed studies? Lots of great ideas.