Well one is a building information modelling platform, another a space data management tool, STRATUS is a private BIM Cloud and the last is a famous rapper - so nothing obvious that's for sure!
The CodeBook User Group has recently been trialling Revit + CodeBook in the Cloud, using the STRATUS Private BIM Cloud as a platform. What that means precisely is that the Revit and CodeBook software is installed on a cloud server, which is accessed remotely through your internet browser using a secure login and password.
So the applications are running in the cloud, not from your PC, think of it like STRATUS providing you with a tunnel to their server and window to view the server desktop, or perhaps more importantly the software.
The Revit model and CodeBook database are co-located (i.e. saved on the same cloud server), making both perform very efficiently. Typically most firms use a LAN or WAN, which regardless of the spec or amount of money spent on infrastructure, will be subject to latency - i.e. a time lag.
This time delay is caused by the volume of traffic passing through (i.e. your colleagues working), routers, switches etc... I've even known underfloor cabling to get damaged by rats chewing through them, resulting in slow network performance!
Running RAM, processor and data hungry applications like Revit + CodeBook from the cloud makes a lot of sense. The spec of a server can be modified quite easily and "throttled" to provide specific users with a higher spec, or provide extra RAM during intensive periods leading up to a deadline - that's the power of cloud based resources.
Removing the LAN or WAN from the equation also offers performance gains, the model doesn't have to be copied across the network to your PC when first opened - it's there on the same machine as the applications. When synching with the central model etc... the distance the communication or changes have to travel is greatly reduced and is subject to fewer human or environmental conditions.
So this all sounds great Chris, but what happens if my internet connection is slow or worst still drops off? A good internet connection and graphics card certainly helps, but should your connection be interrupted all you need to do is log back in and you'll be taken back to where you left off.
For more information on STRATUS visit their website - http://stratus.net.nz/ - and if you have any questions, or to arrange your own trial contact Des or one of his team and they will be happy to help.
The next CBUG is on Tuesday 1st October and Danielle, Adam and I will be collaborating to give a live demo of several cool features - Room Tasks, Flex Reports and C-sheet generation - all from the cloud!
For more details check the CodeBook User Group on LinkedIn, here's the meeting invitation for Tuesday including WebEx details - https://www.dropbox.com/s/idgp59x82p3sm2i/CBUG-AU13_11_invite.pdf#!
Oh and back to the original question about Snoop Dog... he provided the background music to this sneak preview video of CB+Revit on STRATUS and may be making a guest appearance at the next user group session.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=3zR1RXOnXwA
Make it happen.
...aimed at educating, promoting good practice and demystifying the use of CodeBook within Architecture.
Friday, 27 September 2013
Wednesday, 3 July 2013
Making the complex that little bit easier...
Large, hi-tech projects are rarely easy and straightforward. They often require detailed planning and the sub-division of tasks, their sequencing, consultant inputs, reviews etc... so that the end goals are achieved.
The development of the CodeBook GUI over the last year reflects this and the user experience has been simplified, based on roles. The CodeBook software has grown organically exponentially over it's life and around a year ago the development team took the opportunity to rethink, modernise and streamline the GUI.
Those that have been using CodeBook for a while, will remember the old layout and where each function was located. For new users this could take a while to learn and get used to in v10, whereas within v11 CBI have introduced "the ribbon", large icons and grouped together tasks based on workflows which make it much easier to find the function you need and navigate around the system.
When I first looked at v11 it took me a while to understand the layout and why things were arranged in the way they are, but when I started thinking in terms of roles it made a lot of sense.
The Home Tab is aimed at your general users, that are involved in developing rooms. You can navigate around your project through the Properties section, choosing whether to view Sectors, departments, floors, rooms, room data etc... which appear in the "main window". You can switch between these views quickly and easily too from within the main window, or from the ribbon.
The Room Linking section allows you to create or remove links, synch rooms etc... based on what you have selected within the main window. The FFE section currently shows Library Viewer and Attached Files and it is at this point that I want to draw your attention to the "local window" which runs along the left hand side, next to the main window.
The local navigation and main window work together when you are in related views - i.e. if you're in a room based view in both local + main, or FFE view within both local and main. In the example shown however, I have an FFE local view and room based main window, which means I can navigate around both quickly, but also drag and drop components from my local navigation into my equipment list in the main window - adding them to the equipment list.
Those of you with a keen eye will have noticed that the ribbon has slightly changed too, to reflect what I am now working on - i.e. FFE and I now have a Placement Section available, which allows me to insert equipment into my CAD/BIM model.
This adaptive GUI is fantastic in my opinion as it keeps things generalised where they should be and more detailed when you need them to be, rather than having every option presented to you all the time.
The Synchronise commands require you to have CAD/BIM open and Reporting enables you to create reports, or generate views/drawings depending on the CAD/BIM system you are using.
So most general users can now carry out 100% of their work all from within the Home tab!
In addition to general users, or room loaders as I sometimes call them, we have a couple of other types of users to consider - the template builders and administrators.
Template builders are able to generate Room Data Templates, Room Type Templates, Edit Equipment, Unions and Assemblies all from the Build Tab. Again the dynamic GUI will adapt and some additional options become available depending on what is happening within your local navigation or main window.
Administrators have several tabs to work with, first is Load, which enables you to import rooms and FFE from Excel, Revit, ADB, HFBS or wherever the brief data has come from.
Next is the Output tab, which contains features like creating Image and Revision databases and exporting data to A.N. other system.
Then Manage, which contains more advanced functions such as batch updating info, merging databases, creating shuttle databases, the placement matrix etc...
The penultimate tab is called Database and this allows you to compact & repair your database, query database types - yes it happens, sometimes people rename bizzarely / accidentally so knowing if a database is a project, equipment or room data is useful! If you are using the SQL server version, this is managed from here and likewise the mobile server.
The last tab Mode simply shows the current user mode selected, i.e. what Graphics Tool you are working with and the User Interface, i.e. Administrator, Project Manager or Team Member. You can switch between modes without having to close and restart CodeBook which can be useful on occasion.
So General Users = HOME
Template Builders = BUILD
Administrator = the rest
You could almost state that the tabs get increasingly more complex as you journey to the right and that individual capability is measured by how many tabs to the right you know... but that's just silly.
Make it happen.
The development of the CodeBook GUI over the last year reflects this and the user experience has been simplified, based on roles. The CodeBook software has grown organically exponentially over it's life and around a year ago the development team took the opportunity to rethink, modernise and streamline the GUI.
Those that have been using CodeBook for a while, will remember the old layout and where each function was located. For new users this could take a while to learn and get used to in v10, whereas within v11 CBI have introduced "the ribbon", large icons and grouped together tasks based on workflows which make it much easier to find the function you need and navigate around the system.
When I first looked at v11 it took me a while to understand the layout and why things were arranged in the way they are, but when I started thinking in terms of roles it made a lot of sense.
The Home Tab is aimed at your general users, that are involved in developing rooms. You can navigate around your project through the Properties section, choosing whether to view Sectors, departments, floors, rooms, room data etc... which appear in the "main window". You can switch between these views quickly and easily too from within the main window, or from the ribbon.
The Room Linking section allows you to create or remove links, synch rooms etc... based on what you have selected within the main window. The FFE section currently shows Library Viewer and Attached Files and it is at this point that I want to draw your attention to the "local window" which runs along the left hand side, next to the main window.
The local navigation and main window work together when you are in related views - i.e. if you're in a room based view in both local + main, or FFE view within both local and main. In the example shown however, I have an FFE local view and room based main window, which means I can navigate around both quickly, but also drag and drop components from my local navigation into my equipment list in the main window - adding them to the equipment list.
Those of you with a keen eye will have noticed that the ribbon has slightly changed too, to reflect what I am now working on - i.e. FFE and I now have a Placement Section available, which allows me to insert equipment into my CAD/BIM model.
This adaptive GUI is fantastic in my opinion as it keeps things generalised where they should be and more detailed when you need them to be, rather than having every option presented to you all the time.
The Synchronise commands require you to have CAD/BIM open and Reporting enables you to create reports, or generate views/drawings depending on the CAD/BIM system you are using.
So most general users can now carry out 100% of their work all from within the Home tab!
In addition to general users, or room loaders as I sometimes call them, we have a couple of other types of users to consider - the template builders and administrators.
Template builders are able to generate Room Data Templates, Room Type Templates, Edit Equipment, Unions and Assemblies all from the Build Tab. Again the dynamic GUI will adapt and some additional options become available depending on what is happening within your local navigation or main window.
Administrators have several tabs to work with, first is Load, which enables you to import rooms and FFE from Excel, Revit, ADB, HFBS or wherever the brief data has come from.
Next is the Output tab, which contains features like creating Image and Revision databases and exporting data to A.N. other system.
Then Manage, which contains more advanced functions such as batch updating info, merging databases, creating shuttle databases, the placement matrix etc...
The penultimate tab is called Database and this allows you to compact & repair your database, query database types - yes it happens, sometimes people rename bizzarely / accidentally so knowing if a database is a project, equipment or room data is useful! If you are using the SQL server version, this is managed from here and likewise the mobile server.
The last tab Mode simply shows the current user mode selected, i.e. what Graphics Tool you are working with and the User Interface, i.e. Administrator, Project Manager or Team Member. You can switch between modes without having to close and restart CodeBook which can be useful on occasion.
So General Users = HOME
Template Builders = BUILD
Administrator = the rest
You could almost state that the tabs get increasingly more complex as you journey to the right and that individual capability is measured by how many tabs to the right you know... but that's just silly.
Make it happen.
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
The next CBUG AU will be held on May 28th, 2013
The next user group session will be held on Tuesday, during which Danielle Currie will present the second part of the library development sessions.
Last month Marnie Reid presented a Library development session that focused on the many considerations when building a library, the common problems encountered and advice on how to manage things in the long term.
Danielle's session will look at how to link individual equipment definition with a family, but also how to do this en masse, using the Bulk Add functions and also how to Bulk Edit library definitions using the descriptions, codes, groupings etc... it should be an informative session, for info on locations and WebEx details check out the Invite & Linkedin post
The User Group does have an Australian focus but we welcome CodeBooker from overseas to join in via WebEx. You're guaranteed to learn something new, get a new perspective or perhaps a fresh approach to common tasks - hope to see you there!
Last month Marnie Reid presented a Library development session that focused on the many considerations when building a library, the common problems encountered and advice on how to manage things in the long term.
Danielle's session will look at how to link individual equipment definition with a family, but also how to do this en masse, using the Bulk Add functions and also how to Bulk Edit library definitions using the descriptions, codes, groupings etc... it should be an informative session, for info on locations and WebEx details check out the Invite & Linkedin post
The User Group does have an Australian focus but we welcome CodeBooker from overseas to join in via WebEx. You're guaranteed to learn something new, get a new perspective or perhaps a fresh approach to common tasks - hope to see you there!
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