Autodesk recently unveiled the latest addition to its BIM 360 Design Collaboration platform: Automated Change Analysis. The new tool will allow BIM 360 customers to easily track design changes and review change data via the BIM 360 dashboard. This will still be part of the Autodesk Cloud, which means that design teams can easily be notified in real time when changes are made. According to the company, this will provide improved management and risk prevention for a more optimized project workflow.
One of the key features of the Automated Change Analysis tool is its ability to create watch groups. This provides project leads, designers and BIM managers with the capability to select specific design elements in the Revit model that require monitoring. The team then receives automatic notifications whenever edits are made to these design elements, enabling members to track unexpected changes as they occur. A Change Visualization interface lets users view more details of the changes made for a more in-depth review. Teams can now easily keep track of critical design items while also eliminating the need for manual model queries, subsequently speeding up the design process and reducing risk.
Meanwhile, the Changes Dashboard offers an overview of all the changes made to a model. This is automatically updated as changes are made in real time. The dashboard icon indicates how many changes have been made in a watch group. When a watch group is expanded, users can see the number of changes made up to that point for each model and design element. Teams may also opt to view the changes through the Change Visualization Interface for a more comprehensive overview of change details.
The BIM 360 Design Collaboration platform is one of the Autodesk BIM 360 solution offerings that helps design teams centralize project data and access relevant information in real time on any device. The Autodesk Construction Cloud lets users view data and make decisions from anywhere in the field. According to the company, the goal is not only to improve productivity but to also reduce the need for numerous design reworks. This accelerates project delivery while ensuring optimized data exchange between project teams.
The addition of the Automated Change Analysis tool enables designers to immediately view the impact of design changes to ongoing projects. Teams can now easily visualize and contextualize design changes by team, project phase or building level. This eliminates the need to track changes manually, simplifying the management of model edit updates. According to Autodesk, this will allow designers to focus on collaboration and the design process.
Other features of the BIM 360 Design Collaboration platform include Document Management, Design Authoring, and Model Coordination. Document Management ensures that teams have access to the latest design data under a streamlined work environment. Meanwhile, Design Authoring includes various design tools ranging from 2D to 3D construction drawings. Users can also automate and schedule repetitive tasks. Finally, Model Coordination lets teams quickly identify constructability issues and errors thanks to an automated clash detection tool. This helps construction teams avoid costly errors, saving organizations both time and money.
For more information, visit the Autodesk BIM 360 product page here.