For Architets I'm thinking it would be great to have two concepts integrated into the Assets Manager:
1 - Proxy System
This is steming from the DXF library you presented. I use Sketchup and I have been using 3D simple blocky objects as Symbols. They work great in plan and elevation view and I use Sketchup's Layer system to have them visible in some scenes while not in others. These simple blocks look great for 2D drawings (as your dxf symbols), allow us to work fast because they are very lightweight but are horrible in renders. Therefore I use a feature in my render engine which replaces these objects by high poly models at render time. Once Render stops, they go back to blocks. As Blender has Cycles and Eevee, what is render time or not might be harder to tell as you might be working with eevee and the blocks are fine for working, but you might want to present with eevee and the blocks should be replaced then.
It would be great if we could link one of this blocky shapes to any other high poly model from the asset library. For instance a blocky chair to a high poly red chair. Hit render and check if the color is right, if not relink the block to a blue chair.
I'm just starting with Blender, so I don't know if or how this can be adapted to blender's reality but it would be very nice to have for architects.
2 - Xref System
It would be great that we could insert certain 3D models as external references that will be updated by collaborators or at a later stage.
What this means is that if I insert a chair, a building, a staircase or a tree, at a later stage I could reload it, updating it in the asset manager library and in the file where it has been inserted.
3 - Variations
This would be interesting to have. A chair with wooden legs could be set to change it's back rest to be red, blue or yellow. We could change that specific chair to be yellow or every one of the similar assets in the model to be yellow. I'm worried that I would have to have several similar chairs with different colors in the asset manager, if I could have only one.
I have to tell you things are looking really great so far. Presentations are also very useful and to the point. Congratulations on your work!
This comment is for the general forum as I have only just begun to read back through the archives and it's probably naive to think it hasn't been covered before. Also, I'm blown away at the advances in technology and having a bit of trouble getting my head wrapped around it so some of my ramblings are just ricochet thoughts leaking out of my head.
As I mentioned in my introductory post my background is in residential construction. I have worked in many different roles starting with the actual labor trades such as framing carpenter and to lesser extent poured in place concrete, then into the management arena as building superintendent followed by a stint in engineered lumber design and my last hurrah as purchasing/ estimating lackey. The culmination of these experiences, especially the purchasing/ estimating, really drove home the disconnect between developer, sales, construction, purchasing, and interior design. It was very much a fly by the seat of your pants approach. From bar napkin sketches to plan/ design "borrowing" to cookie cutter developments (which I absolutely abhor) to the "We do it this way because we have always done it this way" mode of innovation. It was standard practice to draw plans in different viewports and with any design change for the exterior, say an elevation, that the plan views would never be touched or modified. I had a small taste of software automation with DataCAD back in the late 90's for the engineered lumber design and knew there was a huge opening for the entire industry. My dream then was to draw in 3D and changes would populate throughout the project. Even this would have been a small step as there was not a practical way to relate this to the many options available to each plan and tie to sales contracts or estimating. These options were the industry answer to "Custom Builder" marketing. They weren't custom builders in any way but had farm plans with A-Z elevations, pre-packaged options, finish/ trim levels that gave the feel of customization while allowing the cookie cutter plug and play to continue behind the curtain. I felt deep down there would eventually be a rug that really tied the room together... I realize BIM is not a relatively new concept but you have to relate it to the residential builders that tend to be a very practical group as you typically don't have the support structure that a commercial contractor would have. There is no "safety net" and the focus tends to be on experience and repetition at the field level to catch and smooth bumps and prevent costly mistakes. You don't have what I might naively describe as the lawyer crew to fix things. If there is a mistake in the plan you have to catch it or eat the cost to fix or modify it. You don't have anyone to sue for lost time etc.
I'm looking towards another career change and although I had sworn off a return to construction I am now very interested in researching what is available today as far as software and seeing it the time is right to attempt to pull my "dream" together. I don't know how to code but I am a connoisseur of functioning end products. An unapologetic super-clicker with perfectionist tendencies, if you will. I was intrigued by Blender but almost instantly put off as I didn't find the precision I have grown accustomed to in other CAD offerings. Most of the how-to videos were glowing reviews of walls, windows, doors, oh my! etc., but they all had the same methods: "you put something over here and move it up to about here and then lets add something over towards this corner and make it a little bit bigger". I was very put off by the just eyeball it generalities so it wasn't until I purchased Archipack @stephen_l and discovered the BlenderBIM @Moult add on that I thought there might be some hope. Now I find this forum and seeing @Andyrexic work and also some of the concepts by @ReD_CoDE (where he uses the term "automatically" but I prefer "automagically") that I find my mind spinning with potential solutions to the myriad of obstacles that prevent variety, innovation, and true design flexibility in the residential markets. From maximizing land development potential to truly custom homes in a subdivision setting to working through a design process in a studio atmosphere that will serve not only the visual artistic design representation needed for a client to explore a nearly realistic feeling of the final product, but that it will also manage the practical aspects of plan production and costing. I love it. I have a lot more research to do but all-in-all this looks very doable with the right focus. I not only have to overcome the learning curve for Blender but BIM/ IFC, and that doesn't even touch the Open Source software and focusing on the best method to make a living doing what I really loved for so many years. This living must be in a cutting edge frontier atmosphere, not the striving for mediocrity that sucked any satisfaction from potential innovations in the past. i.e. I need my mojo back!
Ok, kids, back to work. @Andyrexic I will be checking out your projects soon and might be in touch with some questions, most likely conceptual at this point. Really like what I see so far. Thanks for listening.
I'm a mass timber designer/prefabrication passionate and I really like the idea of this add-on. I would love to give it a crack on some project that I'm working on, as soon as it'll be available. I have first to (re-)learn blender though, it's been a while from the last time I had a quick play with it!
@Nigel Integration with BlenderBim and export for IFC is possible, but my knowledge of this is limited. The companies I have worked with are interested in exporting manufacturing data for parts and reports like cutlists and hardware takeoffs. Is Bim and IFC data used more for commercial buildings? I am curious to know since my focus is more residential would companies find IFC export useful. I have been meaning to do more research into this, but it hasn't come up with any of my work with manufacturing companies.
It might not be too applicable to your current work with manufacturing since many companies use their own systems, tools and software's, the advantage of Ifc and how it can be applicable is that ifc is an international ISO standard for BIM (Building Information Modelling) what this means is that if Home builder (which is amazing btw well done!) can properly export an ifc file that means anyone could open that file in another program along with the information data attached to the model.
So it can be helpful in manufacturing but is more helpful in the design process across the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry. Cutlists and hardware takeoffs are part of that information, but it can also store structural analysis info, thermal performance, cost information, etc and keenly that is interoperable across the whole industry and takes that information along with it. That's my understanding I'm not an Ifc professor but I can vouch it's useful af.
@Ace Thanks for the information. It is very helpful. I will be doing more research into exporting an IFC file at some point. Since I have all of the part and hardware information for Home Builder Cabinets It seems like it wouldn't be very difficult to implement.
Hi @Andyrexic@Ace answer covered it for me, I would add that that environmental impact data of materials can also be shared. Quite significant with kitchen cabinetry and the variety of material used. The 2D generation and annotation of drawings is the other important area, I'm looking forward to see that evolve.
"Home Builder for Blender" is an indispensable tool for architects and designers utilizing Blender for 3D modeling. With its intuitive interface and extensive features, it streamlines the process of creating realistic home designs. From floor plans to intricate details, this add-on offers versatility and efficiency. Whether you're crafting a cozy cottage or a modern mansion, "Home Builder for Blender" empowers users to bring their architectural visions to life with ease.
Comments
Hi @Andyrexic ,
For Architets I'm thinking it would be great to have two concepts integrated into the Assets Manager:
1 - Proxy System
This is steming from the DXF library you presented. I use Sketchup and I have been using 3D simple blocky objects as Symbols. They work great in plan and elevation view and I use Sketchup's Layer system to have them visible in some scenes while not in others. These simple blocks look great for 2D drawings (as your dxf symbols), allow us to work fast because they are very lightweight but are horrible in renders. Therefore I use a feature in my render engine which replaces these objects by high poly models at render time. Once Render stops, they go back to blocks. As Blender has Cycles and Eevee, what is render time or not might be harder to tell as you might be working with eevee and the blocks are fine for working, but you might want to present with eevee and the blocks should be replaced then.
It would be great if we could link one of this blocky shapes to any other high poly model from the asset library. For instance a blocky chair to a high poly red chair. Hit render and check if the color is right, if not relink the block to a blue chair.
I'm just starting with Blender, so I don't know if or how this can be adapted to blender's reality but it would be very nice to have for architects.
2 - Xref System
It would be great that we could insert certain 3D models as external references that will be updated by collaborators or at a later stage.
What this means is that if I insert a chair, a building, a staircase or a tree, at a later stage I could reload it, updating it in the asset manager library and in the file where it has been inserted.
3 - Variations
This would be interesting to have. A chair with wooden legs could be set to change it's back rest to be red, blue or yellow. We could change that specific chair to be yellow or every one of the similar assets in the model to be yellow. I'm worried that I would have to have several similar chairs with different colors in the asset manager, if I could have only one.
I have to tell you things are looking really great so far. Presentations are also very useful and to the point. Congratulations on your work!
This comment is for the general forum as I have only just begun to read back through the archives and it's probably naive to think it hasn't been covered before. Also, I'm blown away at the advances in technology and having a bit of trouble getting my head wrapped around it so some of my ramblings are just ricochet thoughts leaking out of my head.
As I mentioned in my introductory post my background is in residential construction. I have worked in many different roles starting with the actual labor trades such as framing carpenter and to lesser extent poured in place concrete, then into the management arena as building superintendent followed by a stint in engineered lumber design and my last hurrah as purchasing/ estimating lackey. The culmination of these experiences, especially the purchasing/ estimating, really drove home the disconnect between developer, sales, construction, purchasing, and interior design. It was very much a fly by the seat of your pants approach. From bar napkin sketches to plan/ design "borrowing" to cookie cutter developments (which I absolutely abhor) to the "We do it this way because we have always done it this way" mode of innovation. It was standard practice to draw plans in different viewports and with any design change for the exterior, say an elevation, that the plan views would never be touched or modified. I had a small taste of software automation with DataCAD back in the late 90's for the engineered lumber design and knew there was a huge opening for the entire industry. My dream then was to draw in 3D and changes would populate throughout the project. Even this would have been a small step as there was not a practical way to relate this to the many options available to each plan and tie to sales contracts or estimating. These options were the industry answer to "Custom Builder" marketing. They weren't custom builders in any way but had farm plans with A-Z elevations, pre-packaged options, finish/ trim levels that gave the feel of customization while allowing the cookie cutter plug and play to continue behind the curtain. I felt deep down there would eventually be a rug that really tied the room together... I realize BIM is not a relatively new concept but you have to relate it to the residential builders that tend to be a very practical group as you typically don't have the support structure that a commercial contractor would have. There is no "safety net" and the focus tends to be on experience and repetition at the field level to catch and smooth bumps and prevent costly mistakes. You don't have what I might naively describe as the lawyer crew to fix things. If there is a mistake in the plan you have to catch it or eat the cost to fix or modify it. You don't have anyone to sue for lost time etc.
I'm looking towards another career change and although I had sworn off a return to construction I am now very interested in researching what is available today as far as software and seeing it the time is right to attempt to pull my "dream" together. I don't know how to code but I am a connoisseur of functioning end products. An unapologetic super-clicker with perfectionist tendencies, if you will. I was intrigued by Blender but almost instantly put off as I didn't find the precision I have grown accustomed to in other CAD offerings. Most of the how-to videos were glowing reviews of walls, windows, doors, oh my! etc., but they all had the same methods: "you put something over here and move it up to about here and then lets add something over towards this corner and make it a little bit bigger". I was very put off by the just eyeball it generalities so it wasn't until I purchased Archipack @stephen_l and discovered the BlenderBIM @Moult add on that I thought there might be some hope. Now I find this forum and seeing @Andyrexic work and also some of the concepts by @ReD_CoDE (where he uses the term "automatically" but I prefer "automagically") that I find my mind spinning with potential solutions to the myriad of obstacles that prevent variety, innovation, and true design flexibility in the residential markets. From maximizing land development potential to truly custom homes in a subdivision setting to working through a design process in a studio atmosphere that will serve not only the visual artistic design representation needed for a client to explore a nearly realistic feeling of the final product, but that it will also manage the practical aspects of plan production and costing. I love it. I have a lot more research to do but all-in-all this looks very doable with the right focus. I not only have to overcome the learning curve for Blender but BIM/ IFC, and that doesn't even touch the Open Source software and focusing on the best method to make a living doing what I really loved for so many years. This living must be in a cutting edge frontier atmosphere, not the striving for mediocrity that sucked any satisfaction from potential innovations in the past. i.e. I need my mojo back!
Ok, kids, back to work. @Andyrexic I will be checking out your projects soon and might be in touch with some questions, most likely conceptual at this point. Really like what I see so far. Thanks for listening.
Andrew Peel (@Andyrexic ) placed a new video online:
I'm amazed! Very well thought out. And this is only the first release, wow!
Works as advertised.
Keep it coming @Andyrexic .
Loving it!
Would be awesome if this initiative somehow dove tailed into initiatives on parametric IFC.
A few examples out in the wild..
I'm a mass timber designer/prefabrication passionate and I really like the idea of this add-on. I would love to give it a crack on some project that I'm working on, as soon as it'll be available. I have first to (re-)learn blender though, it's been a while from the last time I had a quick play with it!
Home Builder 3
Can this slick Addon be integrated into BBim or make its objects into IFC objects?
@Nigel Integration with BlenderBim and export for IFC is possible, but my knowledge of this is limited. The companies I have worked with are interested in exporting manufacturing data for parts and reports like cutlists and hardware takeoffs. Is Bim and IFC data used more for commercial buildings? I am curious to know since my focus is more residential would companies find IFC export useful. I have been meaning to do more research into this, but it hasn't come up with any of my work with manufacturing companies.
It might not be too applicable to your current work with manufacturing since many companies use their own systems, tools and software's, the advantage of Ifc and how it can be applicable is that ifc is an international ISO standard for BIM (Building Information Modelling) what this means is that if Home builder (which is amazing btw well done!) can properly export an ifc file that means anyone could open that file in another program along with the information data attached to the model.
So it can be helpful in manufacturing but is more helpful in the design process across the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry. Cutlists and hardware takeoffs are part of that information, but it can also store structural analysis info, thermal performance, cost information, etc and keenly that is interoperable across the whole industry and takes that information along with it. That's my understanding I'm not an Ifc professor but I can vouch it's useful af.
@Ace Thanks for the information. It is very helpful. I will be doing more research into exporting an IFC file at some point. Since I have all of the part and hardware information for Home Builder Cabinets It seems like it wouldn't be very difficult to implement.
Hi @Andyrexic @Ace answer covered it for me, I would add that that environmental impact data of materials can also be shared. Quite significant with kitchen cabinetry and the variety of material used. The 2D generation and annotation of drawings is the other important area, I'm looking forward to see that evolve.
"Home Builder for Blender" is an indispensable tool for architects and designers utilizing Blender for 3D modeling. With its intuitive interface and extensive features, it streamlines the process of creating realistic home designs. From floor plans to intricate details, this add-on offers versatility and efficiency. Whether you're crafting a cozy cottage or a modern mansion, "Home Builder for Blender" empowers users to bring their architectural visions to life with ease.
It needs a way of having views with different scales. ATM you can only have one scale.