You are right. In a way it is a rant with a call for action.
Also, I present existing problems in an industry and then simply tell the reader that this software can help them with it. If they are interested in more details, they just need to click a link. At one point I was thinking about adding more information about each software to help explain what is possible, some more details about its development. 3-4 sentences for each program to make article more informative. But we already have 4 pages... :)
I am aware that right now it makes the whole thing more like a story told in a bar than proper publication. So give it a try! @Moult
@J_W said:
You are right. In a way it is a rant with a call for action.
In my experience people often don't respond well to a rant that since it is preaching to the choir. Those who are already convinced enjoy having their view confirmed, those who need convincing just get annoyed. Fine for a blog where one is preaching to the choir.
At one point I was thinking about adding more information about each software to help explain what is possible, some more details about its development. 3-4 sentences for each program to make article more informative. But we already have 4 pages... :)
Please consider finding the relevant software on the wiki and linking to those pages, where needed improving those texts. That's a much more durable contribution. I'm always happy to help people improve the wiki.
We need to remember still that the wiki will not have pages for projects that are already well described in other open places like wikipedia. We focus on FLOSS for AEC only. So no pages for LibreOffice, but there is a page on using Inkscape specifically for AEC.
Hi all, I am Nico Arellano, an architect from Chile doing my Ph.D. at Carleton University in Ottawa. I have been closely following and promoting the OSArch community but I haven't been very active in the forums (I am not great at social media, in case you haven't seen me much, I'll try to get more involved).
My dissertation called "de-black boxing BIM" took a totally new direction when I found out about OSArch and IFC.js just a few months ago, last term, I did the IFC.js crash course (I am new at coding) and now I will be doing the advanced BIM frontend development course.
It has been amazing so far, and I can't wait for the next course.
I work as a researcher at the CIMS lab where we are using what we are learning in the course to develop an open-source, web-based digital twin platform (here is the prototype in case you want to take a look: https://cimsprojects.ca/CDT/).
I am also thinking about proposing a new course at Carleton's School of Architecture about FLOSS for the AEC (I hate that I didn't know about FLOSS when I was an undergrad student and I want to help to build early awareness. when you have infinite time and energy!)
I came out to this discussion while I was working on my own story about FLOSS for the AEC, so I will love to contribute to the article if I can.
I can also share a draft (very early stage) of what I have been writing in case anyone wants to give me feedback: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OsWtrSBUKBl8eiL8kQaYgZNML0b4cFhsgYV2DO8-nv4/edit?usp=sharing
Thanks a lot!
I think we need to push it a little bit. Things that are worth doing are worth doing poorly - So let's not lose this chance to respond to this letter - Autodesk didn't so clearly they need our help. @Moult Did you have a chance to look on it? If you want, please take a look, so @Duncan and I can do the final check and @buovjaga translate it.
@Moult any update on your own write up? Time keeps on slipping into the future and while this issue remains ever relevant, would be nice to have some concurrency.
Yeah, I'm a bit embarised this sort of died. Sometimes life pulls us in other directions. @J_W & @nicoarel are you up for taking a fresh look at this? @buovjaga would you still be interested in publishing something?
Yeap, I was thinking about it last week - BTW @duncan I think I am doing the same course on Udemy you did some time ago about Revit API.
I read what we have and there are parts I would like to rewrite (especially the beginning about the letter and a last paragraph, plus extend some parts about the software [IFC.js deserves more!]).
I would try to make it less "rallying" but still I would keep it as "a popular science article". Nerds are already aware about it and we should keep in mind that in the end we are writing it for "normal architects".
I am super busy this week, but next one will be more free. So if anyone wants to work on it, then go for it. If there are no volunteers, I will try to finish it early next week (with a round of final comments after).
@buovjaga, @duncan,
It was more hectic in my live but I managed to finish version 0.something
ready for review ; )
Open-source against the big tech companies
Intro
In September 2022 Nordic architectural associations sent an open letter to Autodesk expressing their concerns. They listed many problems and challenges which are well-known to the most of users of Autodesk software products.
In a few words Autodesk was criticized for its slow development of core programs, a lack of communication with their users, disregard for their needs and latest changes in their licensing system which made its software much more expensive to use. Sadly, it is not the first and probably not the last open letter sent to Autodesk voicing these problems.
Link to the letter: https://www.the-nordic-letter.com/
Sadly, nothing has changed during last half a year. At the same time we need the best tools we can have because our work makes a difference! We are architects, BIM coordinators, designers, and other professionals who each day envision a better future for our cities and communities, better ways for people to live and work, and more sustainable methods of using the scarce resources we have.
Meanwhile we spend countless hours watching YouTube videos with workaround tips and tricks. We might have installed some add-ins and used some scrips to help with our daily work (for example DiRoots for printing pdfs – It is so funny that you need a separate tool for that). Almost certainly a few of us, who were fed up with it, got into coding to solve simple problems using Dynamo or Python. In a nutshell as an industry, we are puting a lot of effort to patch the holes in a rather expensive software. The story of Blender
We are not the first ones who feel that our position with software vendors is desperate and that we are doomed to pay whatever they want for whatever they provide. If you go back in time to 2002 and take a deep look at the 3d graphics industry, you will see similarities with our current architectural scene. It was a time when big software vendors dictated the rules for the whole computer graphics scene. At that time, you could not make anything related to 3d without buying extremely expensive software.
But there was a man with a vision, Ton Roosendaal and a community wanting a change. In 2002 Blender Foundation was founded and after collecting €100,000 from the community to “free Blender”, the 3d graphics scene had its own free and open-source alternative.
The beginnings were tough, but nowadays, Blender is one of the most popular 3d graphics software used at the same time by professional studios and hobbyists around the globe. The number of Blender users has grown significantly in the last twenty years. Quoting from a “Blender by the Numbers – 2020” blog post: “In 2020 Blender has been downloaded over 14M times from blender.org. With 4 major releases during the year, this is an average of 3.5M downloads per release.” In many areas, it managed to be better than commercial programs, accelerating the growth of the whole industry. Its popularity pushed software vendors to create much cheaper license for “hobbyists”, “small studios” or “freelancers.”
Meanwhile Blender’s large community of driven individuals creates countless tutorials, models and add-ons accessible for everyone, mostly for free. They are giving back into the project, making it easier for everybody to start. We all know how expensive is learning new software. How much time and effort you need to spend to learn it, and how much more to master it. With Blender you do not sign this pact with the devil - invest a lot of your time to learn overcomplicated software and pay subscription fee for the rest of your professional life. You are free to use it however you want whenever you want. Also because you don’t need to be constantly making money with it, you are free to do amazing things and involve yourself in projects important to you! Just take a look online where you can find the whole movies made with Blender, short animations, models ready for 3d printing, games, or examples of stunning art.
It is a force of pure creativity, unbound by monthly subscription fees or proprietary code!
For more information, visit the project site at: https://www.blender.org/ Open-source programs for architects?
Where are we in terms of creating “our” BIM Software? Somewhere at the beginning, but there are already several initiatives which need your help and involvement right now! BlenderBIM Add-on
I already told you how great Blender is. Obviously, there are several cases for using it in your practice, just to name a few - architectural visualisations, concept design, parametric design (geometry nodes and Sverchok), analyses (Ladybug Tools for Blender). But what if you could do “BIM” in Blender?
Developers of BlenderBIM Add-on are responding to this question. Their add-on allows working on IFC models in Blender. It opens the entire world of Blender to the IFC format. By doing so, it creates a space, a framework, for its further use. BlenderBIM developers are already implementing several “OpenBIM Utilities” like clash detection, IFC validation or tools for COBie. They plan even bigger wanting it to become a software for facility management, costing and scheduling (BIM 4d and 5d), structural analysis and even a platform for live building sensors.
It sounds even better when you take into consideration all existing and future options provided by Blender like precise and easy modeling tools, real time rendering engine Eevee, geometry nodes or grease pencil. With time and resources, this project has the potential to seriously influence the industry by combining the BIM approach and the IFC format with a sophisticated 3d graphics program. And all of it for free!
Personally, I am already using it at work. For example, BlenderBIM is a perfect tool for checking the quality of IFC files even when most of the IFC viewers have problems with opening them. For some reason, this tiny addon is always able to do it. After taking a quick peek you can easily see where the problem is and if needed export your file to a different format.
For more information, visit the project site at: https://blenderbim.org/ FreeCAD Arch Workbench
FreeCAD is next software on this list with an enormous potential. This program was released in 2002 as a CAD software primarily aimed at engineers. It was designed as a 3D parametric modeler rather than computer aided drawing board. Think about it as an alternative to Autodesk Inventor or Solidworks rather than a typical CAD program known in architecture.
From the beginning its developers wanted it to become a platform with unique sets of tools dedicated to different fields of work. Because of that FreeCAD is divided into so-called “workbenches” which contain sets of special functions and commands. With growing popularity of working in 3d environment instead of 2d drawings, its developers created a separate “architectural workbench”. This toolset is in an early stage of development and for now we can create basic 3d models by using elements (walls, floors, windows etc.) and generate simple views from them (plans, sections, and elevations).
In the future the way the program was developed could result in establishing new workbenches for structural engineers, HVAC consultants or façade engineers.
For more information, visit the project site at: https://www.freecadweb.org/ IFC.JS
Nowadays many of us work on online common data environment platforms (CDE) and there is a big discussion what to do with all the data created during design and construction stages.
Of course, big companies are already trying to gain control over it to make us (and our clients) more dependent on them. This time not only during the design phase but also during the whole lifespan of a building. They are creating their own platforms with apps and separate tools.
IFC.JS is trying to push the market away from close solutions and proprietary code towards the use of IFC format. It is a fast and easy to learn toolkit which allows opening IFC models inside your browser. Because of the chosen technology, it is compatible with all major platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS) and it is extremely user friendly. You just need some basic knowledge about building webpages (HTML, JavaScript and CSS) and you are ready to go.
By doing moving data to open format developers won’t have to rely on what is possible in APIs of some software vendor (Application Programming Interface – in short, an allowed way programmers can communicate with a program to get for example data from it). What is even more important keeping data in IFC format guarantee that the owner of a building will also have a full ownership of data saved in a digital twin of their buildings.
For more information, visit the project site at: https://ifcjs.github.io/info/ Speckle
Everyone in the industry is aware how risky and time consuming it is to bring data from one program to another. 3d models, simple 2d lines, even data in spreadsheets – all of them come with problems and challenges. Best case scenario, each time you do it you lose parts of it or its editability. Additionally, there is always a big chance that there will be something seriously wrong with how your model looks like. Worst case, you are simply unable to do it or imported data are useless. For sure you will waste a lot of time doing it. Because of that we end up staying in the realm of one software vendor, sometimes using a separate set of programs for concept design and another set for design development and construction.
But what if you could decide which tool you want to use? I think you should definitely be able to decide it. Some programs are much better in one area but are lacking in another. Why should a great architect struggle simply because they don’t know the software used in one project. It is impossible to know all of them! You are a great designer, but only in one software? It sounds crazy and it does not make any sense!
We often forget that we are much more than the software we use. Developers of Speckle are trying to remind us about it by closing gaps between different software. They developed “connectors” between the most popular AEC applications allowing smooth exchange of data between them. At the same time their platform introduces many other features like version control, collaboration, automation and easy access to data by others (you can use .NET, Python and JavaScript).
For more information, visit the project site at: https://speckle.systems/ Other software for your practice (not-only AEC)
The list of open-source software does not stop here. We just looked at the ones most relevant to AEC, but it does not mean that there are no other open-source projects worth supporting.
Meanwhile please find below my personal choice of programs you may use in your office and your daily life. Their stage of development and user-friendliness varies, but you should check them all:
LibreOffice
Thunderbird
Gimp
Krita
Scribus
Inkscape
LibreCAD
QCAD Conclusions and Open-Source Architecture Community
Open-source software for AEC is slowly emerging. It is created for us by people like us. So, get involved however you can. Support its developers and always be ready to learn new open-source programs. Become a developer yourself. Convince your university to teach open-source software instead of closed source software – in the end they use taxpayers’ money to teach it and it makes people dependent for life on paid solutions. Install open-source software on your workstation. Instead of learning expensive 2d graphics software, invest a few hours into learning Gimp or Inkscape. You do not need to spend a lot of money to change the contrast of a photo, draw a few lines and add some text.
If you are a director, change the way your office works and give more chances to the people who know open-source programs. They are saving you money and sometimes all they need from you is a permission to install it on company computers.
For more information and more ways to help visit us at https://osarch.org/. The Open-Source Architecture Community brings together like-minded users and developers who share a common goal: that the built environment can be designed, constructed, operated, and recycled with free/libre and open-source software, with increased transparency, and a more ethical approach. We are creating a place where everyone involved in the built environment’s conception and life can meet, inspire and collaborate to develop empowering digital tools.
Blender Foundation and all the people involved in the development of Blender proved that it is possible to make a breach. They changed the computer graphics industry forever. We just need to do “the same thing” again! This way we won't have to sign any letters to any software vendor ever again.
About the author:
Julian Wandzilak is an architect, designer and BIM coordinator who gained his BIM experience working in the UK and USA. Currently, he is based in Kraków, Poland and is involved in several architectural projects located not only in his home country, but also in Norway and Australia.
He learned Blender back during his university years to do his first creative job – almost 200 illustrations for an e-learning platform. He supports Open-Source because he prefers to compete with people based on skills, merit, and quality of their work, rather than based on what software they can afford to buy.
@J_W hi there. I appreciate the work and thought you've put into this. My suggestion is that you publish it on the social media platforms you use and add links to them here. Then we can pick them up from OSArch and promote and comment on those posts. If you want to tag us you'll find links to our social media accounts linked from the main homepage. I'm not on social media much at the moment so you're probably best to tag someone else or let the others know in the chat that you've posted. That's my suggestion. Thanks again for your support and activity in this project we're all part of.
After a bit of delay, the Finnish translation of Julian's article was published on 18 Jan 2024 in the blog of The Associaton of Finnish Architects’ Offices. Hopefully they will also publish the English version.
Edit: the English version is now in the same post, below the Finnish text. Enjoy :)
Comments
You are right. In a way it is a rant with a call for action.
Also, I present existing problems in an industry and then simply tell the reader that this software can help them with it. If they are interested in more details, they just need to click a link. At one point I was thinking about adding more information about each software to help explain what is possible, some more details about its development. 3-4 sentences for each program to make article more informative. But we already have 4 pages... :)
I am aware that right now it makes the whole thing more like a story told in a bar than proper publication. So give it a try! @Moult
In my experience people often don't respond well to a rant that since it is preaching to the choir. Those who are already convinced enjoy having their view confirmed, those who need convincing just get annoyed. Fine for a blog where one is preaching to the choir.
Please consider finding the relevant software on the wiki and linking to those pages, where needed improving those texts. That's a much more durable contribution. I'm always happy to help people improve the wiki.
We need to remember still that the wiki will not have pages for projects that are already well described in other open places like wikipedia. We focus on FLOSS for AEC only. So no pages for LibreOffice, but there is a page on using Inkscape specifically for AEC.
Hi all, I am Nico Arellano, an architect from Chile doing my Ph.D. at Carleton University in Ottawa. I have been closely following and promoting the OSArch community but I haven't been very active in the forums (I am not great at social media, in case you haven't seen me much, I'll try to get more involved).
My dissertation called "de-black boxing BIM" took a totally new direction when I found out about OSArch and IFC.js just a few months ago, last term, I did the IFC.js crash course (I am new at coding) and now I will be doing the advanced BIM frontend development course.
It has been amazing so far, and I can't wait for the next course.
I work as a researcher at the CIMS lab where we are using what we are learning in the course to develop an open-source, web-based digital twin platform (here is the prototype in case you want to take a look: https://cimsprojects.ca/CDT/).
I am also thinking about proposing a new course at Carleton's School of Architecture about FLOSS for the AEC (I hate that I didn't know about FLOSS when I was an undergrad student and I want to help to build early awareness. when you have infinite time and energy!)
I came out to this discussion while I was working on my own story about FLOSS for the AEC, so I will love to contribute to the article if I can.
I can also share a draft (very early stage) of what I have been writing in case anyone wants to give me feedback:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OsWtrSBUKBl8eiL8kQaYgZNML0b4cFhsgYV2DO8-nv4/edit?usp=sharing
Thanks a lot!
I think we need to push it a little bit. Things that are worth doing are worth doing poorly - So let's not lose this chance to respond to this letter - Autodesk didn't so clearly they need our help.
@Moult Did you have a chance to look on it? If you want, please take a look, so @Duncan and I can do the final check and @buovjaga translate it.
From my side, I collected some images below:
OSArch for an icon!
https://wiki.osarch.org/index.php?title=File:Logo_OSArch_128p.png
Blender (not sure if we need it)
https://www.blender.org/about/logo/
Blender BIM:
https://wiki.osarch.org/index.php?title=File:Blenderbim-screenshot.png
FreeCAD
https://wiki.osarch.org/images/8/8d/Wikilab_drawing.jpg
The Wikilab project (2017) designed by uncreated.net architecture network and built.
IFC.JS:
https://osarch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/ifcjs-1536x791.jpg
I can't find anything better - right now I'm learning it but nothing I've done so far is worth publishing ;)
Speckle:
https://speckle.systems/content/images/2021/02/parade.svg
if everyone is happy with it I will write them an email asking for their permission.
I was also thinking about this print screen with all connectors:
https://i.imgur.com/he0pz0R.png
@Moult any update on your own write up? Time keeps on slipping into the future and while this issue remains ever relevant, would be nice to have some concurrency.
Yeah, I'm a bit embarised this sort of died. Sometimes life pulls us in other directions. @J_W & @nicoarel are you up for taking a fresh look at this? @buovjaga would you still be interested in publishing something?
Sure, I will send an accepted piece for publication to the associations and hopefully they will like it.
Yeap, I was thinking about it last week - BTW @duncan I think I am doing the same course on Udemy you did some time ago about Revit API.
I read what we have and there are parts I would like to rewrite (especially the beginning about the letter and a last paragraph, plus extend some parts about the software [IFC.js deserves more!]).
I would try to make it less "rallying" but still I would keep it as "a popular science article". Nerds are already aware about it and we should keep in mind that in the end we are writing it for "normal architects".
I am super busy this week, but next one will be more free. So if anyone wants to work on it, then go for it. If there are no volunteers, I will try to finish it early next week (with a round of final comments after).
@buovjaga, @duncan,
It was more hectic in my live but I managed to finish version 0.something
ready for review ; )
Open-source against the big tech companies
Intro
In September 2022 Nordic architectural associations sent an open letter to Autodesk expressing their concerns. They listed many problems and challenges which are well-known to the most of users of Autodesk software products.
In a few words Autodesk was criticized for its slow development of core programs, a lack of communication with their users, disregard for their needs and latest changes in their licensing system which made its software much more expensive to use. Sadly, it is not the first and probably not the last open letter sent to Autodesk voicing these problems.
Link to the letter: https://www.the-nordic-letter.com/
Sadly, nothing has changed during last half a year. At the same time we need the best tools we can have because our work makes a difference! We are architects, BIM coordinators, designers, and other professionals who each day envision a better future for our cities and communities, better ways for people to live and work, and more sustainable methods of using the scarce resources we have.
Meanwhile we spend countless hours watching YouTube videos with workaround tips and tricks. We might have installed some add-ins and used some scrips to help with our daily work (for example DiRoots for printing pdfs – It is so funny that you need a separate tool for that). Almost certainly a few of us, who were fed up with it, got into coding to solve simple problems using Dynamo or Python. In a nutshell as an industry, we are puting a lot of effort to patch the holes in a rather expensive software.
The story of Blender
We are not the first ones who feel that our position with software vendors is desperate and that we are doomed to pay whatever they want for whatever they provide. If you go back in time to 2002 and take a deep look at the 3d graphics industry, you will see similarities with our current architectural scene. It was a time when big software vendors dictated the rules for the whole computer graphics scene. At that time, you could not make anything related to 3d without buying extremely expensive software.
But there was a man with a vision, Ton Roosendaal and a community wanting a change. In 2002 Blender Foundation was founded and after collecting €100,000 from the community to “free Blender”, the 3d graphics scene had its own free and open-source alternative.
The beginnings were tough, but nowadays, Blender is one of the most popular 3d graphics software used at the same time by professional studios and hobbyists around the globe. The number of Blender users has grown significantly in the last twenty years. Quoting from a “Blender by the Numbers – 2020” blog post: “In 2020 Blender has been downloaded over 14M times from blender.org. With 4 major releases during the year, this is an average of 3.5M downloads per release.” In many areas, it managed to be better than commercial programs, accelerating the growth of the whole industry. Its popularity pushed software vendors to create much cheaper license for “hobbyists”, “small studios” or “freelancers.”
Meanwhile Blender’s large community of driven individuals creates countless tutorials, models and add-ons accessible for everyone, mostly for free. They are giving back into the project, making it easier for everybody to start. We all know how expensive is learning new software. How much time and effort you need to spend to learn it, and how much more to master it. With Blender you do not sign this pact with the devil - invest a lot of your time to learn overcomplicated software and pay subscription fee for the rest of your professional life. You are free to use it however you want whenever you want. Also because you don’t need to be constantly making money with it, you are free to do amazing things and involve yourself in projects important to you! Just take a look online where you can find the whole movies made with Blender, short animations, models ready for 3d printing, games, or examples of stunning art.
It is a force of pure creativity, unbound by monthly subscription fees or proprietary code!
For more information, visit the project site at: https://www.blender.org/
Open-source programs for architects?
Where are we in terms of creating “our” BIM Software? Somewhere at the beginning, but there are already several initiatives which need your help and involvement right now!
BlenderBIM Add-on
I already told you how great Blender is. Obviously, there are several cases for using it in your practice, just to name a few - architectural visualisations, concept design, parametric design (geometry nodes and Sverchok), analyses (Ladybug Tools for Blender). But what if you could do “BIM” in Blender?
Developers of BlenderBIM Add-on are responding to this question. Their add-on allows working on IFC models in Blender. It opens the entire world of Blender to the IFC format. By doing so, it creates a space, a framework, for its further use. BlenderBIM developers are already implementing several “OpenBIM Utilities” like clash detection, IFC validation or tools for COBie. They plan even bigger wanting it to become a software for facility management, costing and scheduling (BIM 4d and 5d), structural analysis and even a platform for live building sensors.
It sounds even better when you take into consideration all existing and future options provided by Blender like precise and easy modeling tools, real time rendering engine Eevee, geometry nodes or grease pencil. With time and resources, this project has the potential to seriously influence the industry by combining the BIM approach and the IFC format with a sophisticated 3d graphics program. And all of it for free!
Personally, I am already using it at work. For example, BlenderBIM is a perfect tool for checking the quality of IFC files even when most of the IFC viewers have problems with opening them. For some reason, this tiny addon is always able to do it. After taking a quick peek you can easily see where the problem is and if needed export your file to a different format.
For more information, visit the project site at: https://blenderbim.org/
FreeCAD Arch Workbench
FreeCAD is next software on this list with an enormous potential. This program was released in 2002 as a CAD software primarily aimed at engineers. It was designed as a 3D parametric modeler rather than computer aided drawing board. Think about it as an alternative to Autodesk Inventor or Solidworks rather than a typical CAD program known in architecture.
From the beginning its developers wanted it to become a platform with unique sets of tools dedicated to different fields of work. Because of that FreeCAD is divided into so-called “workbenches” which contain sets of special functions and commands. With growing popularity of working in 3d environment instead of 2d drawings, its developers created a separate “architectural workbench”. This toolset is in an early stage of development and for now we can create basic 3d models by using elements (walls, floors, windows etc.) and generate simple views from them (plans, sections, and elevations).
In the future the way the program was developed could result in establishing new workbenches for structural engineers, HVAC consultants or façade engineers.
For more information, visit the project site at: https://www.freecadweb.org/
IFC.JS
Nowadays many of us work on online common data environment platforms (CDE) and there is a big discussion what to do with all the data created during design and construction stages.
Of course, big companies are already trying to gain control over it to make us (and our clients) more dependent on them. This time not only during the design phase but also during the whole lifespan of a building. They are creating their own platforms with apps and separate tools.
IFC.JS is trying to push the market away from close solutions and proprietary code towards the use of IFC format. It is a fast and easy to learn toolkit which allows opening IFC models inside your browser. Because of the chosen technology, it is compatible with all major platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS) and it is extremely user friendly. You just need some basic knowledge about building webpages (HTML, JavaScript and CSS) and you are ready to go.
By doing moving data to open format developers won’t have to rely on what is possible in APIs of some software vendor (Application Programming Interface – in short, an allowed way programmers can communicate with a program to get for example data from it). What is even more important keeping data in IFC format guarantee that the owner of a building will also have a full ownership of data saved in a digital twin of their buildings.
For more information, visit the project site at: https://ifcjs.github.io/info/
Speckle
Everyone in the industry is aware how risky and time consuming it is to bring data from one program to another. 3d models, simple 2d lines, even data in spreadsheets – all of them come with problems and challenges. Best case scenario, each time you do it you lose parts of it or its editability. Additionally, there is always a big chance that there will be something seriously wrong with how your model looks like. Worst case, you are simply unable to do it or imported data are useless. For sure you will waste a lot of time doing it. Because of that we end up staying in the realm of one software vendor, sometimes using a separate set of programs for concept design and another set for design development and construction.
But what if you could decide which tool you want to use? I think you should definitely be able to decide it. Some programs are much better in one area but are lacking in another. Why should a great architect struggle simply because they don’t know the software used in one project. It is impossible to know all of them! You are a great designer, but only in one software? It sounds crazy and it does not make any sense!
We often forget that we are much more than the software we use. Developers of Speckle are trying to remind us about it by closing gaps between different software. They developed “connectors” between the most popular AEC applications allowing smooth exchange of data between them. At the same time their platform introduces many other features like version control, collaboration, automation and easy access to data by others (you can use .NET, Python and JavaScript).
For more information, visit the project site at: https://speckle.systems/
Other software for your practice (not-only AEC)
The list of open-source software does not stop here. We just looked at the ones most relevant to AEC, but it does not mean that there are no other open-source projects worth supporting.
Meanwhile please find below my personal choice of programs you may use in your office and your daily life. Their stage of development and user-friendliness varies, but you should check them all:
LibreOffice
Thunderbird
Gimp
Krita
Scribus
Inkscape
LibreCAD
QCAD
Conclusions and Open-Source Architecture Community
Open-source software for AEC is slowly emerging. It is created for us by people like us. So, get involved however you can. Support its developers and always be ready to learn new open-source programs. Become a developer yourself. Convince your university to teach open-source software instead of closed source software – in the end they use taxpayers’ money to teach it and it makes people dependent for life on paid solutions. Install open-source software on your workstation. Instead of learning expensive 2d graphics software, invest a few hours into learning Gimp or Inkscape. You do not need to spend a lot of money to change the contrast of a photo, draw a few lines and add some text.
If you are a director, change the way your office works and give more chances to the people who know open-source programs. They are saving you money and sometimes all they need from you is a permission to install it on company computers.
For more information and more ways to help visit us at https://osarch.org/. The Open-Source Architecture Community brings together like-minded users and developers who share a common goal: that the built environment can be designed, constructed, operated, and recycled with free/libre and open-source software, with increased transparency, and a more ethical approach. We are creating a place where everyone involved in the built environment’s conception and life can meet, inspire and collaborate to develop empowering digital tools.
Blender Foundation and all the people involved in the development of Blender proved that it is possible to make a breach. They changed the computer graphics industry forever. We just need to do “the same thing” again! This way we won't have to sign any letters to any software vendor ever again.
About the author:
Julian Wandzilak is an architect, designer and BIM coordinator who gained his BIM experience working in the UK and USA. Currently, he is based in Kraków, Poland and is involved in several architectural projects located not only in his home country, but also in Norway and Australia.
He learned Blender back during his university years to do his first creative job – almost 200 illustrations for an e-learning platform. He supports Open-Source because he prefers to compete with people based on skills, merit, and quality of their work, rather than based on what software they can afford to buy.
@J_W hi there. I appreciate the work and thought you've put into this. My suggestion is that you publish it on the social media platforms you use and add links to them here. Then we can pick them up from OSArch and promote and comment on those posts. If you want to tag us you'll find links to our social media accounts linked from the main homepage. I'm not on social media much at the moment so you're probably best to tag someone else or let the others know in the chat that you've posted. That's my suggestion. Thanks again for your support and activity in this project we're all part of.
@J_W Let me pick it up over the weekend per my original plan. Thanks a lot.
After a bit of delay, the Finnish translation of Julian's article was published on 18 Jan 2024 in the blog of The Associaton of Finnish Architects’ Offices. Hopefully they will also publish the English version.
Edit: the English version is now in the same post, below the Finnish text. Enjoy :)