2010-09-24T16:48:00.001-07:00

BIM and Cloud Computing Returns to

Washington DC at Ecobuild America

The award-winning BIMStorm is roaring back to Ecobuild America® with the eye of the BIMStorm targeting Energy, BIM / GIS integration and Cloud Computing.

What do leading BIM and GIS solutions coupled with Cloud Computing enable? BIMStorm will demonstrate full life-cycle use of BIM including green product integration along with real rime energy data connected to BIM. Its interactive format invites teams of attendees to participate via smart phone or laptop in a live workshop charrette on the 3D design of hospitals and federal facilities design in real time. Demonstrations will include how BIM can support EcoDistricts and High Performance Buildings.

2010-03-24T17:58:00.001-07:00

Webinar 3/23/2010 Questions

The Onuma System 2010 Webinar was held on March 23, 2010. An animation is available here.
We have assembled some key questions from the webinar. If your question is not answered please join us on the next webinar scheduled for April 29, 2010 with the University of Utah.

Thanks to Finith Jernigan for providing commentary on the COBIE2 Challenge.

Webinar General Questions:

Q: Do I need to pay for the subscription? Where can I obtain info for pricing? Is there a demo version.
A: yes, subscription information is here: http://www.onuma.com/products/OpsAccount.php
A: Demo version for $1 for the first month is available.

Q: What are the minimum hardware and software requirements?
A: There are very minimal hardware requirements. In general, if you can browse the internet, you can use ONUMA Systems. Almost any modern laptop or desktop will run the Onuma System. There is no main software to install to use Onuma. Updated features in Onuma automatically appear when you log in. File sizes are very small, since you only access the part of the project currently being worked on. Even a very large multi-building campus can therefore be worked on in real-time, with no need to download a file.
A: https://www.onuma.com/plan/SysRequirements.php

Q: Does it work on Macs and PCs? Are plug-ins available?
A: The Onuma System works on Macs and PCs.
Minimal plug-ins to get the full functionality are:
Flash for the 2d Graphical Interface
Google Earth Web Plug-In - for 3D Viewing
GDL Web Control for Space Level 3D Viewing

Q: Is the Onuma System open source and publicly available?
A: The Onuma System is based on Open Standards and is available to the public on a subscription basis. It is not open source. We do however allow linking through web services from other applications.

Q: What applications work with Onuma?
A: IFC Compatible BIM Applications
Revit 2009 and 2010 with the Onuma Add On
ArchiCAD 10 with the Onuma Add On
Google Earth
Google SketchUp with the Onuma Plug In
DRofus
DDS
Solibri
Tokmo
Excel
COBIE2 Compatible Applications
Desktop Applications using web services linking them to Onuma

Q: Are you going to show the Room Data sheets?
A: We are running short on time on this webinar. Please join us in the next one.

Q: When is the next scheduled webinar?
A: All webinars are listed here: http://www.onuma.com/services/TrainingSupport.php

Q: Is this webinar recorded?
A: Yes: http://onuma.com/products/BimTube.php?v=Onuma_2010_3_23_10_Webinar

Q: When is the next BIMStorm?
A: BIMStorms are listed here: http://BIMStorm.com

Q: When is the next scheduled live presentation at a conference?
A: April 15, 2010 in Los Angeles
A: All scheduled presentations listed here.

Uses of Onuma

Q: We are a medium size architectural firm and I can see a version of this program for project development and proposal development.
A: Yes, this is a good application for program and project development.

Q: Have there been any projects managed this way through to construction that have been published or that we could read about?
A: Yes, you can go to Onuma.com and read about our projects

Q: How can we link to our own database or system to Onuma?
A: Web services is the best way to accomplish this. Since Onuma is built on open standards it is possible to extend the capability by linking to other systems. This is a more advanced capability of Onuma and we provide support to quickly get this accomplished.

Q: We have legacy data in CAD and BIM formats. Can they be imported to Onuma?
A: Yes, it is possible to import properly formatted data into Onuma. Even scanned line drawings can be imported as background or attached to projects in Onuma.

Q: What type of services does Onuma provide?
A: In addition to licensing software, we are a full architectural firm. We have found the most success helping owners and other architects, engineers, planners get up to speed rapidly in BIM strategies and implementation of the Onuma System.

Q: Does Onuma provide project support? How do we contact you?
A: Yes, we provide owners, architects, engineers and planners project support as services.

Q: How many users of Onuma are there?
A: Onuma is installed on servers such as with the US Army, General Services Administration and others. We do not disclose the use of Onuma by clients except for those that are willing to share their info.

A: Building owners are using Onuma on new projects and for managing existing facilities. Some examples:
Los Angeles Community College to use BIMStorm
Bath School District to use Onuma System

Revit

Q: Will Onuma link to Revit and is it bi-directional?
A: Yes, use the Onuma Revit Plug-In

Q: Can Onuma import/export Revit data?
A: Yes. Onuma focuses on a specific "Model View" for BIM. For example, structural systems are managed in Revit Structure but not in Onuma. Onuma could have an attribute for floor load to guide the design resolution in structural BIM applications.

Q: Does the "intelligence of the furniture" import into Revit as well? I am thinking of the scheduling feature in Revit.
A: Yes, Revit can schedule the furniture that came in.

Q: And can I bring in furniture layouts I create in Revit?
A: Yes, when you download the Revit plug-in, you will also download Revit Families as well. If you use these families in Revit, the layouts will import from Revit to ONUMA as well.

Q: The Onuma system does not replace Revit and other software, but it integrates with them. Drawing in the Onuma System makes it seem like an independent software. How does this relate to Revit etc.?
A: It is possible to create and edit BIM in the Onuma System as an independent software up to a certain point. To go all the way to construction documents you would need other BIM applications such as Revit to connect to Onuma and continue with the design started in Onuma. On the other hand, some users may stay completely within Onuma depending on what the workflow is. This flexibility and connections to other systems is what makes Onuma unique.

Q: As a follow up, a chair can be attached to an rfa, Revit Family file?
A: Not sure if this answers your question but when you download the ONUMA plugin for Revit, it also contains Families that you can use that are compatible with ONUMA
A: Furniture and equipment in Onuma are 'mapped' to specific families in Revit which are included in the Plugin download. For specific Onuma Studios, a users groups own families can be mapped to Onuma furniture as well although to make the workflow to and from Revit work correctly, the families have to be adjusted to have the same origin (insertion point) and values for the width and depth (the bounding box) in their parameters.

Q: Can someone get the plug-in to import a OPS BIM data model from another company?
A: If I understand the question correctly, yes, anyone with an ONUMA license can create a Revit file using the plug-in. Once that Revit file is created the Revit file can be shared with any other office as they would right now.

Archicad

Q: Can you export and import to ArchiCAD?
A: Through IFC it is possible to export and import from ArchiCAD.

Q: Will there be an ArchiCAD 13 plug-in? Or are you expecting that IFC will fully cover that?
A: we do plan to update but for ArchiCAD 13, IFC is the best option at the moment.

Q: I have ArchiCAD 13 I have de export a IFC model to Onuma?
A: Until Onuma has updated the ArchiCAD Plugin, the best solution is to export to IFC, convert it into BIMXML with the DDS Viewer and then import it into Onuma.

Q: How does the library work in ArchiCAD on Onuma?
A: The ArchiCAD plug-in we have can import furniture from ArchiCAD as well. Currently we only have this plug-in available for ArchiCAD 10 but intend an update soon.

Q: I see that your furniture is ArchiCAD GDL based. Will they become native objects when imported to ArchiCAD?
A: Yes, we are using GDL as one of the 3D viewers for space level furniture. Currently the export of GDL objects to ArchiCAD works with ArchiCAD 10 only.

SketchUp

Q: How does Onuma connect to SketchUp?
A: The Onuma SketchUp plug-in allows SketchUp export and import. The geometry and data from Onuma is exported to SketchUp. For example, space attributes such as name of the space and floor finish could be exported to SketchUp.

Energy and LEED

Q: Do you have flavors for LEED development and architectural work vs facilities?
A: Yes, we have a LEED checklist that is attached to projects and can be used for architectural work.

Q: does this system integrate MEP and structural design and analysis?
A: Early structural requirements such as floor load can be added as an attribute in Onuma. MEP requirements can also be added in a similar way. MEP equipment can be added and attributes associated with it can be included. The intent is that in the workflow from early design to engineering, the requirements would be used by other engineering BIM applications to resolve the requirements. In the facility operations phase, some of the data that is relevant for operations can be brought back in to Onuma.

Q: Has this application been used to compare baselines for LEED credits (energy and optimization)?
A: A LEED checklist exists in the Onuma system. Baseline credits or goals can be defined in one scheme. The various options in the design process can be tracked and compared to the baseline. Other options for graphically comparing a baseline plan to various resolved plans and creating delta reports is also possible.

Q: Will the system read Ecotect files?
A: Onuma will export IFC and GBXML files that can be imported to Ecotect. As with other software if Ecotect files or data can be saved as IFC, BIMXML, or CSV, they can be imported back to Onuma.

Workflows

Q: Within your templates how do you deal with projects which are not linear?
A: Each user also has the option to establish their own templates based on project types that might be repetitive for their office.

Q: Is the equipment attached to a BIM file?
A: Yes, all equipment and furniture data becomes part of the overall BIM data.

Google Earth and GIS

Q: Can AutoBIM import information from geo-database, building footprints, transportation and terrain information? I see it can import Google maps. However, for professional planners, we need much more information than that. I suggest that insert SQL and geo-database server in XML languages to achieve that. Is that possible? The new version of ArcGIS 10 will enhance the sketching tools, how onuma system connect to GIS in a professional applications like ArcGIS and transfer planning information from GIS into BIM and Modeling?
A: Onuma supports the exchange of geographic data with GIS applications through a variety of XML formats (XML, KML, GML, cityGML) and web service functionality. It can also be adapted to use the APIs of specific GIS applications. Managing terrain information is currently not, or only in the most basic way, supported in Onuma. As with our connections to BIM applications, Onuma is not intended to replace the functionalities of other GIS applications. Onuma allows non GIS experts to be working in GIS by default in order to interface with GIS data both by importing it and also by creating it.

Q: What GIS data formats can be imported/referenced live?
A:Currently, Onuma displays Google satellite imagery and maps live with the Google Map and the Google Earth APIs. Onuma is reviewing connections to ArcGIS servers as well as servers in the Open Source Community and will add layers based on the need of its users and clients.

Q: How do you deal with out-dated Google Images?
A: Users can import their own background images to layer on top of Google Earth maps. For example, if you have a site plan, aerial photo or even a sketch it can be imported and aligned on top of the Google Map. Unfortunately since we do not have control over imagery in Google Earth there is not much we can do on our end. However, we have found Google has been fairly good with providing frequent updates and most of the major cities are accounted for in the projects we have worked on.

Q: Do you have templates, lists, spreadsheets, etc related to underground utilities and site work ?
A: Utility lines and sitework can be added at the site level. Additional attributes such as IDs, color coding, timelines etc. can be added those elements. An Excel spreadsheet can be exported for further analysis or edits and imported back in to update the plan.

Additional FAQs are available here.
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Onuma System Winner

New for our 2010 Webinars, one webinar attendee has a chance to access the Onuma System for one year at $12. This is a $528 value over the year. This session's winner is DKA Architecture of Seattle Washington.

2010-03-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Onuma System Blog. We will be posting information on the Onuma System here including webinars, and links to other relevant information. Please visit the Onuma.com and BIMStorm.com websites for more information.