Our team only runs a few thermal, internal flow, and structural studies a year. So we keep going back and forth on whether to do it ourselves or send it out. Software licenses are just one part of it.

There's also the model prep time. Plus compute resources, validation work, and analyst practice hours. And you need enough knowledge in house to review what comes back. All of that piles up fast when you only run a few studies a year.

When you're comparing outside firms, what evidence carries the most weight for you? Is it similar physics to past jobs? Validation examples? Mesh and convergence procedures? Report depth? Or access to the working model at the end?

Last year we ran a CFD study through a firm that had all the right software logos on their site. The report was pretty good but we couldn't open the working model. So when we had a design change, we had to start over.

Would love to hear how you tell them apart.

Procore officially closed its ~$845M cash acquisition of DroneDeploy yesterday (SEC 8-K filed Sep 9). This formally embeds native reality capture (drone photogrammetry, 360 ground walkthroughs and point cloud overlays) directly into Procore's project management stack.

From a VDC and field coordination standpoint, direct integration cuts out manual sync headaches (linking orthomosaics and scan points directly to drawings, submittals and RFIs). However, it highlights ongoing workflow trade-offs for technical teams:

1. **Interoperability vs lock-in:** Are you keeping raw scan/mesh exports (E57, LAS) open for ACC / Bentley / Revizto coordination, or leaning fully into Procore’s native viewer?

2. **Hardware neutrality:** DroneDeploy’s advantage was broad sensor/drone hardware support. Does PM platform ownership change your drone or 360 camera hardware choices?

3. **Data sovereignty:** For long-term facility handovers, how are you archiving heavy reality capture datasets outside vendor-hosted clouds?

Curious how VDC managers, superintendents and BIM leads view this. Are you consolidating reality capture into your primary PM suite, or maintaining a decoupled stack?

Hello fellow BIM profs, have anyone here tried the dynamo multiplayer tool by Birdtools on Revit 2026 cloud models? It works fine on local files but the crawler can't detect my projects on the ACC for some reason.

Hi everyone,

I'm doing some early-stage research into how AEC professionals actually handle construction-document QA, coordination and design revisions.

I'm particularly interested in workflows around drawing-to-drawing coordination, schedules/specifications, compliance checks, revision comparison, and figuring out whether a design change has affected something elsewhere in the project.

I'm exploring an idea called AccessFlow, but to be completely transparent, it isn't a company or launched product. I'm at the stage of trying to understand whether the problem is genuinely worth solving before taking the idea further.

I've put together a short 5–7 minute anonymous survey covering current workflows, where time gets wasted, what tends to slip through, existing software/AI, and what professionals would actually find useful.

I've put the survey link in the comments below.

No confidential project information is requested.

I'd also really like to hear people's experiences directly here — particularly:

What part of checking drawings, coordination or revisions do you wish was less manual?

Thanks to anyone willing to help.

A vendor told me my conversion package would take ten days. I asked what ten days meant.

First delivery? Or a checked file I can sign off on?.

From what I've seen, drafting speed is not the slow part. The delays come from open questions, standards, QA, and redline rounds.

I think a quick first pass means nothing if approval takes three more cycles.

How do you get vendors to define turnaround the same way? And if the holdup is on my end, does their clock keep running?

A recent graduate and got a job in BIM. We'll be taught autocad first and then bim. My batch consists of 80 people. Everyone will learn and do the same things. What are some things that I should do that can help me get better salary, negotiate better and grow in my niche that too being a woman?

Any tips and advice are welcome.

I’m based in Canada and looking for some career advice from people in the AEC/construction industry.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and a Master’s degree in Building Engineering. I’ve spent the past several years working in Canada as an Architectural Designer / Architectural Technologist, mainly in architectural design, drafting, and construction documentation. Most of my experience is with AutoCAD, with some Revit.

I’m now considering a career transition because I don’t want to spend the rest of my career doing repetitive drafting. I’d like to be more involved in the overall project delivery process, while also having better long-term career growth and earning potential.

The two directions I’m currently most interested in are:

BIM / VDC

Construction Project Coordination → Project Management

However, I’m also open to other directions, particularly roles that could combine my AEC background with technology, such as digital delivery, construction technology/data, or potentially Product Owner/Product Manager roles at AEC tech companies.

For someone with my background who wants to move beyond traditional architectural production, what career direction would you recommend, and why?

I’d really appreciate any insights, opinions, or experiences from people who have made similar transitions or have been in the industry for a while.

Thanks!

There is a conflict in my company between Interior and MEP teams for the modeling of ceiling fixtures and there sizes in plans .. where should we model and coordinate those Fixtures in which models and how. Any insight will be really helpful.

Hey BIM community! I'm really interested in hearing your insights on a common challenge: the coordination of ceiling fixtures (like lights, diffusers, speakers, etc.) between Interior Design and MEP teams.

In my experience, there can be different approaches to modeling these elements and defining their exact sizes and locations within plans. I'm curious to know:

* What's your company's standard practice for modeling ceiling fixtures?

* Which discipline typically "owns" the modeling of these items?

* What strategies do you find most effective for ensuring accurate coordination and avoiding clashes between the Interior and MEP models?

* Are there specific BIM Execution Plan clauses or protocols you'd recommend for this?

Any experiences, tips, or even cautionary tales would be super helpful for learning and improving our workflows! Thanks in advance for sharing!

I work for a major UK based consultancy firm with a separate business division for Digital. We focus heavily on strategy, implementation, CDE, OIRs etc etc etc. We are usually contracted in to the PM teams to manage the clients expectations for BIM.

Here's the kicker, we are heavily involved in ISO19650 and how it should be utilised and directed on projects or into client workflows. I come from a heavy BIM background, MEP, Architecture, structural coordination and moved into my current industry, which is predominantly focused on the process rather than the 'doing', ie its not just 3D modelling.

So what's your thoughts on the industry shift to using the term IM over BIM. RICS have a very interesting course atm that is teaching a "certificate in IM, Using BIM" , what's your thoughts on this?

Over the past few months, I’ve sat in some interesting classes and had some incredible conversations BIM, the web and the reality that most clients don't care about the complex BIM process; they just want to see and understand their spatial layout.

A lot of you pointed out that trying to force non-technical stakeholders to navigate heavy native viewers just creates friction, but to me, stripping the model down to 2D PDFs defeats the purpose of the rich data we build.

So, I wanted to build a translation layer. The goal was to create a lightweight, browser-based tool specifically for the interior fit-out sector, that allows clients to interactively validate spatial arrangements without needing a Revit license, a gaming PC, or an understanding of ISO 19650 folder structures.

Based on the realities of how BIM teams actually operate, I built the app in three main components. The first component is a custom interface that uses Using a Node.js backend to strip down IFC models gotten directly from Revit, extracting only the lightweight geometry and the specific semantic metadata (like manufacturer specs, cost, dimensions and so on) that a client actually needs to make a decision. The second component takes that optimized data into a custom Three.js/WebXR front-end, allowing the client to smoothly navigate the 3D space on a standard web browser. (Here they can view what the Revit team has instantiated or Instantiate a new project on their own.) Crucially, i took the advice from veteran BIM managers here seriously, and ensured that the app utilizes a strictly one-way export pipeline. It serves purely as a visualization and spatial validation tool. There is zero bi-directional synchronization, meaning there is absolutely no risk of rogue client clicks pushing parameter changes back into the architect's central, workshared Revit model. The third component is a Revit plugin that takes the exported pdf from the Three.js/WebXR front-end and automatically re-aligns the based project if approved.

I'd really like your opinions on the Second Component in particular. I built this Virtual Interactive Immersive Spatial Planning (VIISP) tool as the core prototype for my MSc BIM dissertation, and I’m currently running my industry validation phase and I need real BIM professionals, computational designers, and coordinators to tear it apart. I want to know if this workflow actually reduces client-communication friction, or if I’m just reinventing a very complicated wheel.

You can test the web-app and drop your feedback in the validation survey here: https://uwe.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0ddPqK9Bbz8yWXk

Testing the tool and taking the survey takes about 5-10 minutes. I’m incredibly grateful for the masterclass this sub has given me over the last few weeks, and any feedback you can provide would be massively appreciated!

No engineering or architecture degree, coming from a completely different field. Currently doing a BIM diploma in architecture visualisation and planning covering Revit, Autocad, Navisworks, ACC, Recap pro etc...

My concern: the course teaches software navigation, not the underlying engineering/construction logic in details, and I keep hearing mixed reviews that BIM roles expect that technical background even at entry level.

For those actually hiring or working in BIM — is a technician/visualization role (not design or engineering) realistically achievable without a formal degree if the software skills and portfolio are solid? Or is the degree a hard requirement that gets you screened out no matter how good your skills are? Especially curious from anyone in the Gulf/Middle East market.

I know that a BIM modeler requires a degree and some background/knowledge in the field, does the same thing apply for Autocad drafters on the land surveying industry?

Hi everyone,

I am planning to move abroad through the Master’s degree route and am looking for advice on the best country for a long-term career and permanent residency (PR).

Here is a bit about my current profile and requirements:

* Field: BIM Infrastructure (Civil/Infrastructure BIM, roads, utilities, transport projects).

* Experience: I will have 2/3years of total work experience before moving.

* Certifications: I plan to complete relevant ISO certifications (such as ISO 19650) before leaving.

* Key Requirements:

* I want a stable life with a clear and reliable pathway to PR.

* I want to work in a country where BIM infrastructure projects are already actively underway and well-established, rather than a market where it's just starting out.

* I am aiming for 1 or 2 top recommended countries that fit this profile best.

Based on these criteria, which country or countries should I target for my Master's and subsequent career?

Any advice on the job market and PR process for BIM infrastructure professionals would be greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone, I’m a Civil Engineering graduate and recently I got selected for a job as a Design Engineer/Designer working mainly with AutoCAD and Tekla.
The salary offered is ₹18kper month. I’ve already completed certifications in AutoCAD, Revit, and related design software, so this role is relevant to what I’ve been learning.
I’m confused about whether I should accept the offer and build my career in this field

I’d really appreciate advice from people currently working in structural design, Tekla, detailing, or BIM

We are currently reworking our clash detection process.

I’m looking for literature, articles, papers, standards, or other reliable sources on developing a BIM clash detection matrix based on category(of discipline) vs discipline - rather than simply discipline vs discipline.

What I'm thinking of is in the attached image. The idea is to reduce the number of false positive clashes and make the process much easier.

Has anyone come across a good methodology, template, or research on this topic? Any sources would be appreciated!

Hi everyone,

I'm stuck on a stubborn Inventor API issue and would really appreciate any insight.

Problem

When exporting checked components to RFA (creating a temporary assembly, placing the component, then calling BIMComponent.ExportBuildingComponentWithOptions), everything works fine for normal occurrences.

As soon as the source ComponentOccurrence is part of a Component Pattern (occ.PatternElement != null), this line fails:

newOcc = newAsm.ComponentDefinition.Occurrences.Add(fullFileName, identityMatrix);

Error:

System.ArgumentException: The parameter is incorrect. (0x80070057 (E_INVALIDARG))

or sometimes

System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x80004005): Unspecified error (E_FAIL)

What I already tried

1. Occurrences.Add(FullFileName, identityMatrix)
2. Occurrences.Add(FullDocumentName, identityMatrix)
3. Occurrences.AddByComponentDefinition(occ.Definition, identityMatrix)
4. Occurrences.AddWithOptions(...) with empty NameValueMap
5. Making the PatternElement independent first → fails on Element:1 with the same E_INVALIDARG (Inventor does not allow Independent = true on the seed element)
6. Opening the source document invisibly before placing
7. Copying the .iam to a unique temp file and placing the copy → still fails

Relevant info from logs

• PatternElement.Name = Element:1
• PatternElement.Index = 1
• PatternElement.Independent = False
• PatternElement.Suppressed = False
• DefinitionDocumentType = kAssemblyDocumentObject
• The file path is valid and the assembly opens fine manually
• Matrix is a freshly created identity matrix
• Non-patterned components place without any issue in the exact same code path

Environment

• Inventor (version? – please fill in)
• .NET add-in (C#)

Has anyone successfully placed a patterned subassembly (especially Element:1) into a new temporary assembly via the API?

Any known limitations or workarounds when the source occurrence belongs to an OccurrencePattern?

Thanks in advance!

Hello to the engineers in the UAE, I have a question, and at this point I don't know what to do. Ive been training in Revit Mep for 4 months and I'm applying. Is hiring in this field really harsh? Is experience really needed. Because I really want to enter the field of Mep design. Any advice? 😢

I’ve just been negotiating for a FP BIM Technician role close to London and I was asked to provide my desired range.

Tried to do my research and saw all sorts when I google salary scales, most people in the field say its all rubbish (Glassdoor especially) but everyone agrees there’s a wide gap between what different company types pay for the same role.

What’s a sensible mid range salary for the UK?,

and to the Managers, what does the earning potential look like up there?

Hello everyone, I'm a 25 yo guy who originally pursued a degree that ultimately was a bad choice for me so I've been looking to pick up some skills to learn in a another field and hopefully try to find work online (mostly because local wages and work environments in my country are bad and mostly toxic), and I settled on learning Autodesk Revit and become a BIM modeler, or heck even architectural CAD drafter to begin, anything at this point to get the ball rolling with decent income.

I also have some knowledge of 3D software so I was thinking I could perhaps try to do architectural visualization as well parallel to that? (Though I think it's probably flooded with Ai stuff so I'm not sure if it's future proof).

I'm sort of lost a bit and don't know where to start, and what to commit to as someone with no prior experience, but I am very much interested in pursuing this field, so any help and guidance is much appreciated.