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Don’t Forget! You Saw it in the
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June 2021 #13263 Page #65
Industry Software: What you need to know
By Chris Scott
S
oftware used to be an afterthought, using whatever software your truss plate provider had. In the past, most companies thought software was given to them for free with their machine purchase, when in actuality it was rolled into their pricing.
Whether you used Comsoft’s Wall Builder (my first software), MiTek’s package (my second software), or Alpine’s package – they did everything they could to include add-ons onto the software to accommodate their customers as best they could. Those of us on the CM side of things constantly suffered through glitches and work-arounds. With the industry experiencing a revolution of good reliable labor decreasing and pushing the need for more automated equipment, software has now become a vital part of the manufacturing process. Software packages have come a long way in a short time. Most have either turned into or are turning into BIM suites. Building Information Modeling is a problem-solving tool that communicates a plan to construct buildings more effectively. A BIM tool allows users to generate and manage digital representations of characteristics and functions of building structures. In addition, BIM software provides information such as spatial relationships, light analysis, and geographic information. This process can also break down the actual building parts to piece together how they fit into one structure. These elements can include walls, columns, windows, door, stairs, and more. This data can be extracted, networked, or exchanged to facilitate decision-making regarding the specific building or structure the user is designing. What does that mean when considering a BIM suite for your design software? It means that the whole design project now becomes linked. Changes automatically get updated accurately through the whole project. No more making a change to a window causing a reset to every subcomponent in the wall. The project’s information becomes accessible and exportable in several forms. BIM design suites also integrate with other software programs such as your CRM, production management system, or architectural suite. A complete and accurate inventory list of everything, including the hardware, can be easily generated. BIM design suites also integrate with automated production machinery.
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