BIMx

GRAPHISOFT BIMx

Initial release	June 2011 (2011-jun)
Operating system	Microsoft Windows Mac OS X iOS Android
Type	3D computer graphics, CAD, Building Information Modeling
License	Proprietary commercial software
Website	graphisoft.com

GRAPHISOFT BIMx is a set of desktop and mobile software tools to interactively present the 3D model and 2D documentation of Building Information Models created with ArchiCAD through a much simpler and intuitive interface than ArchiCAD's complex BIM authoring environment's UI. 3D models with 2D drawing sheets exported to BIMx document format can be viewed with native viewer applications developed for Apple iOS, Android, Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows operating systems. BIMx presents three dimensional building models in an interactive way similar to First-person shooter video games. Clients, consultants and builders can virtually walk through and make measurements in the 3D model without the need of installing ArchiCAD. The Real-time cutaway function can help to discover the construction details of the displayed building model. 2D construction documentation can be accessed directly from the BIMx Hyper-model's 3D model views providing more detailed information about the building.

BIMx authoring and viewer applications

The GRAPHISOFT BIMx software suite consists of three different applications, the publisher software, the desktop viewer software, and the mobile viewer applications:

• ArchiCAD (OS X / Windows): The BIM authoring tool, a commercial application which can publish BIMx Hyper-models
• BIMx App (iOS / Android): A free app that can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store for displaying 3D models on iPad, iPhone or other Android-based smartphones or tablets.
• BIMx Docs App (iOS): A commercial application which can be purchased from the iTunes App Store for displaying the entire BIMx Hyper-model: not only the 3D model of the building but also its two dimensional architectural documentation set as drawn and detailed with ArchiCAD. In-app purchase is also available at the free BIMx iOS app for buying one-model license to view an individual hyper-model or a model-sharing license to share a specific model with more clients.
• BIMx Desktop Viewer (OS X / Windows): A desktop application that can be freely downloaded to view BIMx models. (3D models only, as the desktop viewer cannot display BIMx Hyper-models.)

History

The core engine of BIMx was originally developed by a Swedish developer: Zermatt Virtual Reality Software. The original product was released as an add-on for ArchiCAD 9. GRAPHISOFT acquired Zermatt^[1] in 2010 and released Virtual Building Explorer for ArchiCAD 13 and ArchiCAD 14. Virtual Building Explorer for ArchiCAD 15 was renamed to BIMx or BIM Explorer.

BIMx Hyper-models

The BIMx Hyper-model concept provides easy access to drawing sheets (such as floor plans and sections) directly from the virtual environment generated from the 3D building models. The 2D drawing sheets of a BIMx Docs Hyper-model can only be opened with either the paid BIMx Docs application or by an in-app purchase. There is also an in-app purchase available for accessing one full Hyper-model for one client and an other in-app purchase option facilitating the sharing of one Hyper-model with more clients.

Awards

• Construction Computing Awards 2013 — Mobile Technology of the Year^[2]

Reviews

• BIMx Docs — AECbytes Product Review^[3]
• Top 10 Apps for Architects — archdaily.com ^[4]

References