New Leica Geosystems Layout Objects app Visualize VDC and BIM models in the field

Are you experiencing VDC or BIM coordination issues between office and site? Do your designers and foreman struggle, as they work with different data sets? Bernd Moeller is Business Director Field Software Solutions at Leica Geosystems in Heerbrugg / Switzerland. He gives insights about an exciting new field app, especially designed to the needs of layout specialists in the building construction industry. The new app had its world premiere at World of Concrete, on Jan 17th 2017 in Las Vegas.

Digitalisation is moving to construction sites. In that context, are building construction companies facing big changes?

伯恩德·穆勒（Bernd Moeller）：是的。VDC[1]and BIM[2]are far more than just modern terms. We see a massive change in building construction induced by VDC and BIM designed processes. This change offers excellent possibilities for increased efficiency to those construction companies, who manage to adapt their processes to the new standards in time.

Yesterday, Jan 17th, 2017 World of Concrete in Las Vegas opened its doors. What new solution was presented by Leica Geosystems to meet these challenges?

Bernd Moeller: We presented a new solution tailored to cure some pain points of MEP layout engineers and foremen:The new Leica iCON Layout Objects app。

It is bringing Design Models into reality on site. Our beta testers say, “It works really well.” I am sure, layout crews will love it. That’s why we are quite excited.It is bringing Design Models into reality on site. Our beta testers say,“它的运作非常好。”我敢肯定，布局工作人员会喜欢。That’s why we are quite excited.

我们根据建筑专业人员的反馈开发了新应用程序。它旨在满足所有关键细节的需求。It will facilitate massive savings in time and money on construction sites。

听起来让人兴奋不已。告诉我们有关新应用程序的更多信息。在这种情况下，建筑公司是否面临特殊挑战？新应用的核心疼痛点是什么？

Bernd Moeller: Before developing the app we identified three challenges, which construction companies actually have to cope with:

• 第一的, we recognized widespread coordination issues between design teams in the office and construction teams on site. Still working from different data sets, in most cases they couldn’t decide on common standards, yet.
• Secondly，模型对象信息中的智能不能在现场中使用。由于设计数据通常不包含关键的可构造信息，因此减慢了施工团队。
• And thirdly, until now, data enriched design models were a complete overkill for layout crews. These models were far too complex to construct from. We discovered a big demand for tools, which facilitate working with BIM models out on construction sites.

听起来像是“欢迎来到现实生活”。您是如何应对这些挑战的？

Bernd Moeller: We had three main goals. The first goal was, to bring design models including their intelligence onto our iCON field equipment- 易于理解且易于用于布局工作人员，但仍包含BIM的“ I”。我们为开发良好的用户界面付出了很多努力。值得称为graphical user interface。

And the second goal?

贝恩德•穆勒:泰pically design models contain massive amounts of data – often data that is primarily relevant for the VDC teams, but only a subset is relevant to the layout crews so they can determine where and what to construct. Hence for them it is hard to find the structure they need for navigating in the model. It can be really complex. Our second goal was therefore, to simplify the navigation as much as possible - like in a computer game. The new app willenable foremen to execute construction layout tasks straight from design model objects。观看视频以学习如何布局对象角和边缘。

这听起来令人印象深刻。您的第三个目标是什么？

Bernd Moeller: Surveying departments in construction companies and subcontracted surveyors very often are tasked with layout jobs. They are lacking the specific knowledge of the individual trades which have to construct from the indicated points. Therefore we want to enablethe trades in the MEP industry to self-perform layout，基于他们的典型设计数据。这使事情变得更加简单。

Did you reach your goals?

伯恩德·穆勒（Bernd Moeller）：我们绝对是这样认为的。新的布局objetct应用程序在全球范围内the first of its kind。对于寻求直接从BIM模型中使用对象的承包商来说，这是理想的选择。Intuitive, but yet powerful。Intuitive due to the graphical user interface. Powerful as it is fully object-driven, which is unique.

The app enables construction layout straight from design model objects. Simply load IFC data directly from a design software (such as Autodesk Revit), graphically select one or several objects and immediately start laying out, create offsets from objects or add relevant details while being on site.

What are the benefits?

Bernd Moeller: It is a massive simplification. The beauty of using IFC data is complete Object Classes, such as Foundations, Beams, Walls, can be turned on and off as the site progress demands.The layout engineer can simply select visually what he needs to see for his current work-task。

与IFC树视图，工头仅凭直觉选择与施工相关的那些地板级对象。不需要的所有内容，例如家具或电气设计，都可以用一龙隐藏。（（单击此处学习如何导入和可视化IFC数据)

IFC树视图with checkboxes (on the left) to hide or unhide classes or objects.

与所有新的Zlider bar（（a slider in the z-axis) foremen visually “cut” the building to make hidden objects visible (watch the first video above). It's like having a Section Box tool right in the field!

New Zlider Bar

最后但并非最不重要的，structured work packages, ready for construction layout, are created in seconds- 源自复杂的多层建筑模型。所有这些都是在坚固的图标平板电脑上现场完成的。

新应用如何适应未来的Leica GeoSystems产品推出？

贝恩德•穆勒:在建筑业,digitising has become a necessity. Now, more and more companies move from just digitising to digitalisation. Leica believes that digitalisation is the key to improving efficiency and lowering costs. Whereas digitising enables companies to automate processes, digitalisation goes a step further. It connects the office with the field.

这就是为什么Leica Geosystems会提出一堆新的软件工具的原因，所有这些软件工具都将VDC/BIM设计师与现场的专业人员联系起来。这些是MEP布局工程师和工头，是布局对象应用程序的情况。新应用是一个图标构建v3.5软件包的一部分, and is only the first of a series of new solutions we will present in the near future.

Where will the new app be demonstrated?

伯恩德·穆勒（Bernd Moeller）：之后world premiere at World of Concrete on Jan 17th 2017the app will be demonstrated and promoted through our global distribution network. For demos please ask our local Leica Geosystems distribution partner.

感谢您的采访！

伯恩德·穆勒（Bernd Moeller）：谢谢！总是很高兴。

Bernd Moeller, Business Director
Field Software Solutions,
Leica GeosystemsHeerbrugg

[1]VDC- Virtual Design and Construction

[2]BIM - Building Information Modelling