Hidden Connections in BIM - Love that Matters Featured

Have you ever wondered what happens when two BIM Objects find each other? Believe it or not, it can be the beginning of a meaningful relationship. A space finds its surrounding walls. A lighting fixture meets its space. A pipe crosses a wall. Two Objects - each with their own identity - suddenly connect by context, purpose, or proximity. 

Other industries are not very poetic about this: they call it "interface". In the building industry these encounters are surprisingly often overlooked or considered just "issues".  

And yet, BIM models are full of potential relationships! Quiet moments where objects meet and something could happen. These relationships are not explicitly modelled; traditionally, they live only in the minds of coordinators or programmers.  

With Simplebim we can take a different view: we can identify these relationships, make them visible, and finally give them the attention they deserve.

How does it Work in Practice?  

• It obviously starts with the two independent parties: for example, a Pipe and a Wall (but the same principle applies whenever two objects depend on each other). Based on our settings, Simplebim looks for the place where they meet.  

Does it sound like 'clash detection'? Well, it is NOT.  

Because, as we will see, these encounters are not problems to 'eliminate' - they are realities to "acknowledge". Even to "celebrate". 

•  So instead of just being flagged as ‘errors’, in Simplebim Pipe and Wall generate something new: a derived 3D Object, that represents the "meeting" itself. This Object will have its own geometry, its own quantities, and its own data! And as a grateful child, it will always "remember" where it comes from - carrying references to both Pipe and Wall.  

• At this point, the new-born BIM Object has a lot of potential to contribute to a better BIM world! For example, to a more reliable scheduling or cost calculation, to a more scalable design coordination or site management. 

Not just a Clash - but a Data-rich Connection!

You can still call this derived object an "interface" if you prefer, but it's not meant to just be a geometric replica of a clash. It's something more meaningful: it's a bridge between design intent and construction reality; it's a proof that that relationship mattered; it's information about the amount of coordination, labour, material, and time that it will deserve.  

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This Valentine's Day let's celebrate all those meaningful connections - between people, ideas, or BIM objects - that make their world better!