3Squared director Tim Jones presented the project, which is due to be beta-tested this summer, at last week’s BIM Prospects conference.
Speaking to BIM+, Jones explained that a COBie plug-in already exists for Autodesk’s Revit design software, but the new add-on would help to extend team collaboration on COBie through procurement and construction.
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“It’s already possible to manage COBie at the design stage, so they’re widening it to the construction phase and also addressing the construction handover stage,” he said.
Users would be able to import and export COBie-standard spreadsheets from Navisworks to share with supply chain members, who can insert information on components then re-import the data to Navisworks. “There it would be federated with the existing COBie data to create one ‘single source of truth’,” Jones said.
Autodesk is also developing the COBie plug-in for the Field 360 platform, so that supply chain members using tablet devices rather than desktops can also view models and input COBie data.
Jones said that Autodesk customers would be invited to a preview in late spring, with beta testing this summer 2015 and a product launch in late 2015.
3Squared is a strategic partner for Autodesk, with the two companies also collaborating on a “wearable technology” software product that is also due for release later this year.
BIM users reacted positively on Twitter:
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But one BIM specialist felt that the plug-in was “overdue”. “It’s about time. They had a plug-in for Revit, but it was a bit of a show-pony and not much use. But now you’ll be able to take a well-built spreadsheet straight from Navisworks.”
It’s already possible to manage COBie at the design stage, so they’re widening it to the construction phase and also addressing the construction handover stage.
– Tim Jones, director, 3Squared
