On Thursday, April 11, we held another great Building Information Modeling (BIM) networking event, this time at our headquarters in Redwood City, CA. One of the highlights of Thursday’s event was the WorldViz virtual reality room, where attendees donned a stereoscopic head-mounted display and experienced immersive 3D walk-throughs in full scale. Owners use this technology as an opportunity to determine how their building will look and function long before it's even built to ensure that the final plan matches their vision for the project. By eliminating late stage design changes, BIM can help save time, money, and resources in the long run.

An attendee is fully immersed in a virtual apartment using WorldViz technology

If you thought QR codes were just for business cards, think again. At another augmented reality demo, our Innovation team showed how builders can see through walls by simply scanning a QR code with the BIMAnywhere app. Builders use this to visualize the intricacies behind the wall, saving time and minimizing rework.

The BIMAnywhere app allows builders to see structures behind the wall by scanning a QR code

Sometimes it’s hard for owners to know what their building will look like based off a blueprint, resulting in late stage design changes that delay completion, costing owners time and money. That’s where augmented reality comes in. The coded letters below allow us to shift around the configuration of a building’s interior to create a 3D virtual representation. The end result? We’re able to build, test and design how a building will look before it’s built, allowing us to address issues sooner and deliver more predictable outcomes for our clients.

Augmented reality can turn a piece of paper into a 3D visual representation of a hospital room

Augmented Reality was definitely a hit on Thursday, but that’s not all we had to offer. The event also included the following demos:
• Laser Scanning
• BIM Training
• Field BIM
• ourPlan
• DPR Consulting
• Building Controls
• 4D and 5D

What demo did you enjoy the most at Thursday’s event? Tell us in the comments below. Learn more about collaborative virtual building and BIM here.