SpecifiCAD™
SpecifiCAD™ is a CAD/BIM plug-in. Built using CADalytic Media's patent-pending technology, the SpecifiCAD™ plug-in dynamically matches user-defined building product content with building product manufacturer (BPM) content directly within the CAD/BIM environment.
When the CAD/BIM designer selects a building component, SpecifiCAD™ delivers relevant building product data from participating content providers. Currently, SpecifiCAD™ showcases product data from the McGraw-Hill Construction Sweets Network® and the Google™ 3D Warehouse. From the Sweets Network®, the designer can click on the hyperlinks and icons to bring up a full web page of content (the product page, details, 3D models, catalogs, galleries, specifications, or Green data) and this content can be incorporated into the CAD/BIM document. The product page can be linked to the selected building component. Presently, this feature acts as a placeholder for relevant content; in the future, web services will leverage this link to provide lifecycle-related services. From the Google™ 3D Warehouse, the designer can either download a SketchUp™ model directly into the CAD/BIM session or download the model to the Desktop.
SpecifiCAD™ is available on the Google™ SketchUp™, Autodesk® AutoCAD®/ADT/AutoCAD® Architecture, Autodesk® Revit® Building/Architecture, Graphisoft® ArchiCAD®, and Bentley® Architecture platforms.
In Google™ SketchUp™, clicking on a building component automatically serves up relevant building components in the SpecifiCAD™ window. The designer is able to browse Sweets Network® BPM product pages and download content relevant to the selected building component. The designer can link a product page to the selected building component--to follow/edit the hyperlinks, simply right-click on the selected component and pick the appropriate menu item. From the Google™ 3D Warehouse, the designer can replace a selected building component or all components similar to the selected component with a relevant SketchUp™ model or simply insert the model. Designers can also use the replace functionality with SKP content already stored on disk--simply right-click on the object to be replaced and select the appropriate action.
In Autodesk® AutoCAD®/ADT/AutoCAD® Architecture and Graphisoft® ArchiCAD®, clicking on a building component automatically serves up relevant building components in the SpecifiCAD™ window. The designer is able to browse Sweets Network® BPM product web pages relevant to the selected building component and download details, 3D models, catalogs, galleries, and specfications. The designer can also link a product web page to the selected building component. From the Google™ 3D Warehouse, the designer can directly download relevant building components into the AutoCAD® session. SpecifiCAD™ also enables AutoCAD® SKP file drag-and-drop functionality.
In Autodesk® Revit® Building/Architecture and Bentley® Architecture, the designer clicks the 'Specify...' button in the SpecifiCAD™ window to retrieve relevant product data to the selected building component from the Sweets Network® or the Google™ 3D Warehouse. The designer can browse, download details, 3D models, catalogs, galleries, and specifications, and link relevant BPM product data from the Sweets Network® and download Google™ 3D Warehouse SketchUp™ models to the Desktop:
With SpecifiCAD™ delivering relevant building product content directly to the CAD/BIM desktop, designers will spend less time searching for products allowing them more time to explore design scenarios. SpecifiCAD™ can be used in all design phases, from conceptual design (to give designers ideas of existing products) to the construction document phase (when actual building products or their equivalents must be called out) and even the facility management phase (where building components must be maintained or replaced).
A free beta release of SpecifiCAD™ is available immediately here. Currently, only the Microsoft Windows platforms are supported.