Managing and Visualizing Your BIM Data

Learn how to make optimum use of your BIM data using Dynamo to make better design decisions and create feature-rich dashboards using Power BI to track your model's data

Key Features

• A go-to guide for AEC professionals to analyze and manage their data
• Explore popular use cases and best practices from experts around the world
• Create efficient dashboards using Dynamo and Power BI

Book Description

Business intelligence software has rapidly spread its roots in the AEC industry during the last few years. This has happened due to the presence of rich digital data in BIM models whose datasets can be gathered, organized, and visualized through software such as Autodesk Dynamo BIM and Power BI.

Managing and Visualizing Your BIM Data helps you understand and implement computer science fundamentals to better absorb the process of creating Dynamo scripts and visualizing the collected data on powerful dashboards. This book provides a hands-on approach and associated methodologies that will have you productive and up and running in no time. After understanding the theoretical aspects of computer science and related topics, you will focus on Autodesk Dynamo to develop scripts to manage data. Later, the book demonstrates four case studies from AEC experts across the world. In this section, you'll learn how to get started with Autodesk Dynamo to gather data from a Revit model and create a simple C# plugin for Revit to stream data on Power BI directly. As you progress, you'll explore how to create dynamic Power BI dashboards using Revit floor plans and make a Power BI dashboard to track model issues.

By the end of this book, you'll have learned how to develop a script to gather a model's data and visualize datasets in Power BI easily.

What you will learn

• Understand why businesses across the world are moving toward data-driven models
• Build a data bridge between BIM models and web-based dashboards
• Get to grips with Autodesk Dynamo with the help of multiple step-by-step exercises
• Focus on data gathering workflows with Dynamo
• Connect Power BI to different datasets
• Get hands-on experience in data management, analysis, and visualization techniques with guidance from experts across the world

Who this book is for

This book is for BIM managers, BIM coordinators, design technology managers, and all AEC professionals who want to learn Autodesk Dynamo to analyze, manage, and visualize their BIM data as well as understand some associated computer science topics. You need to have a background in BIM and knowledge of what a BIM model is to make the most of this book.

Table of Contents

1. Introducing Units of Digital Information
2. Understanding Data Centers
3. Warming Up Your Data Visualization Engines
4. Building a Data Bridge between BIM Models and Web-Based Dashboards
5. Getting Started with Autodesk Dynamo and Data Gathering
6. Importing Revit Plans in Power BI Using Shape Files
7. Creating a Revit Model-Check Dashboard Using Dynamo and Power BI
8. Deep Dive into Dynamo Data Types
9. Using Dynamo to Place Family Instances
10. Gathering a Revit Model's Data from Multiple Models at Once
11. Visualizing Data from Multiple Models in Power BI
12. Having Fun with Power BI

"Ernesto Pellegrino has background experience in computer science, start-ups, and web application development. He graduated in architecture from Roma Tre University. During the last 5 years, companies such as Microsoft and Autodesk have recognized him for contributing to their R&D projects. Also, Ernesto has been a speaker at national events dedicated to design technologies several times. The connection between computer science and academic knowledge has led to him being head of R&D in one of the most well-known Italian architecture and engineering firms, La SIA SpA. Manuel Andrè Bottiglieri is a full stack BIM developer at Lombardini22. Having graduated in architecture, he works as BIM developer and system integrator in the research and development team at Lombardini22. He deals with information modeling, custom APIs, cloud services, and full stack development to process, analyze, and share data through digital models. He is an enthusiast of coding, IoT, big data, and business intelligence, and is a member of the BIM User Group Italy (BUG Italy). Gavin Crump is the owner of, and a BIM consultant at, BIM Guru. Having worked in many architectural firms over the past 10 years as a BIM manager, Gavin opened his BIM consulting firm, BIM Guru, at the start of 2020. Launching off the back of his YouTube efforts on the Aussie BIM Guru channel, his focus has shifted toward educating all levels of AEC professionals about software-based workflows, computational design, and how they can navigate the industry from a BIM perspective. Luisa Cypriano Pieper is BIM manager at CES – Contracting Engineering Services. She is an Italian-Brazilian architect with a passion for automation and process improvement. Luisa has worked in offices in various sectors in Brazil, Italy, Belgium, and Spain. She was previously a BIM manager and BIM consultant before recently becoming head of the BIM management team. In this position, her responsibilities are implementing innovations and managing workflows across the multinational company CES, always looking from a BIM perspective. Dounia Touil is an architect and design technology specialist at NSW Arkitektur. She leverages BIM and design technology to provide professionals with methods and practices to improve project outcomes. With a background in architecture, she has worked in France and Norway in all phases of building design and construction. Over the years, she has been part of large and complex projects in the commercial, residential, office, and transportation sectors. Her current focus is on design automation, data visualization, and software interoperability."