The push to move BIM software into the cloud is part of a broader trend where virtually every type of software is transitioning to web-based platforms. The reason is obvious: cloud-based applications offer collaboration capabilities and the convenience of accessing software directly from a browser without needing installations.
Revit is linked with BIM, especially for architects, but its usefulness for electrical engineers has been limited and always runs on a local computer. This setup has been standard, but the industry has envisioned a future of cloud-based BIM software. Autodesk has been experimenting with this concept since 2016, intending to bring the capabilities of desktop-based Revit to the cloud, promising enhanced collaboration and accessibility.
New Players in the Cloud BIM Arena
Several companies have joined the race to create cloud-based BIM solutions, including: Infurnia, Snaptrude, Arcol, and Qonic.
These companies are vying to revolutionize the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry with their cloud-based BIM platforms but evaluated through the lens of the electrical engineering BIM scorecard, they fall short.
The Electrical Engineering Perspective
For electrical engineers, the current cloud-based BIM solutions do not address the specific needs. Most of these platforms focus primarily on architectural design, offering little to no features tailored for electrical engineering. They may mention the AEC industry broadly and even at times electrical engineering as a sub-discipline, but this recognition is not detailed.
The tools that electrical engineers require, like voltage drop calculations, single-line diagrams, and detailed electrical system modeling are absent.
What This Means
For now, electrical engineers will likely find that their current workflows stay the same, relying on established desktop-based tools like AutoCAD and Revit while cloud-based solutions develop. While the cloud may represent the future of BIM, it will be some time before these solutions cater effectively to the specific needs of electrical engineers.
For more information on how the 10-point scorecard works, see this video that discusses it in more detail. You can also download a scorecard graphic to help personally score BIM software.
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