Model-Based Shop Drawing Review

ALYSSA SCHEAR: So first of all, just to make sure you're in the right room, we're going over an introductory instructional class on just doing shop drawing model reviews. So if you're expecting something super complex, probably have the wrong room. So let me know if you have any questions about that. So I'm really just today, showing how a project engineer, or someone out of school can take a look at the shop drawings together with the structural model or whatever you have available to make that review process more accurate and quicker. Just not miss some of those common mistakes that we make when we review some of the paper or PDF drawings. So we'll look at really how to reduce some of that rework and some of those errors.

Everything that's here will be available online, including the handouts. So I will post those after this course. So I hope to get done early and take your questions then. So we'll just hold the questions till at the end, just to make sure I can get through the workflow and it makes sense as we go. And then we'll save all of those questions for at the end.

So my name is Alyssa Shear. I've been working with Autodesk since February. Before that I came from the general contractor world. So I worked as a project engineer and then as a project manager for 12 years, mostly in Denver market, but there are some jobs in LA that I worked on as well. So something we'll see, high rises in some schools, a little retail, couple of projects like that. So I also did some sustainability work. So I did all our corporate social responsibility reporting and lead consulting, and then I implemented BIM 360. So I was the one that kind of did all the project admin, got the project up and rolling, and then rolled it out to the crews. So I don't know how many field guys I've trained but it's a lot. We had about 1,000 and some users when I left, and that was everything from architects to commissioning agents. I had laborers that I had taught to do punch lists. So it's simple enough but I promise you that any of your guys can use the models when I'm done showing you what they can do with them.

So, I'm married to a superintendent. So we spend many a date nights debating software and how to make it actually usable for the field guys, and how to get them to use it more often. So I'll shed a little bit of light that he's gave me at the end of the presentation, and then just for fun, I talk Canadian fast. So I'll try to slow down a little bit, but you can wave me down if you need.

And then I love curling. I pretty much talk about curling all the time in my free time. So if you really get bored, we can talk about that sport. It's the Olympic trials right now in Omaha, Nebraska. So I might be checking some scores after. All right. So there's curling for those of you who are like, what is she talking about? All right.

So getting started, here's an example that I got from Saunders construction. This was used on the 9th and Colorado project, which is a few city blocks that they demoed to make way for new development. It had sat vacant for a period of time. So in this example-- Well, I guess let's talk about so, you know we've done coordination with mechanical trades, right? Mechanical, electrical, plumbing, they found efficiencies by fabricating more in their shops. We hit less conflict and we spend less time helping them figure out how to referee amongst themselves once they get in the job site, but it's amazing to me, almost every day, about how under utilized that is on the skin right? That's where our risk is. That's where water risk is. That's where multiple trades meet each other. Everything from the concrete guy with the embeds for curtain wall, to the steel guy holding that storefront or curtain wall up, to the edge conditions. Just so many hands touch that skin, and a lot of times the models are there. We just don't ask for them, as a general contractor, or as a sub to a sub. So really quite shocking. That's kind of why I'm covering the topic today. So, yes.

So in this example here they threw together, you can see the concrete model with the embeds in it, and the curtain wall and storefront models that they had. In this project it was essential that they lined the embeds up underneath the mullions. That was one of the design requirements, and if you've reviewed those shop drives before, all the architectural drawings show an elevation with those mullions laid out, but everybody else does it in plan. So when you have a new project engineer reviewing this, there's one's going this way and this way, and they're trying to coordinate it. And you know, for some of us that have been around for 20 years, that's no big deal. But for some of those guys coming right out of college, they're trying to look and see what all of that means.

So they can visually check and see that there was a problem here. I make this adjustment. So they found a multitude of errors in the concrete drawings, and they were able to make those corrections. And then when they actually sent this model out, this is glue here. So they sent that model out to the field guys. They were able to use that for checks, both layout and visual checks before they did a pour. And from there they actually only made one embed mistake on that project. So it could have been much worse for sure, just reviewing it the 2D way. So that's kind of what we'll go over. Oops.

All right. So we'll start with just running some simple comparisons, nothing too complex. Anybody right out of school could do it. You can also just run some visual checks, so they don't even have to get into Navis or comparers if they didn't want to. We'll look at, once you have found those mistakes, how to get them out to the subcontractor, a couple options there. And then taking those coordinated models out to the field, and making it easy for them to use those models more and more over time.

All right. So running a comparison between different models. So first of all, this is Navis. So we're going to show bringing those models that you have available to you in. I'm just using a super simple example for today, but obviously this could get much more complex on some different jobs.

So first of all we're showing just selecting the two models that we want to compare. In this case I'm just doing a set of window shops versus the architecturals. I'm just making sure that we check the size and the mullions. We just made a single change on here, which was the change of window size, but you can see here we're just running a geometry check.

So from there it popped up this difference that we had gave it to find. I'm just hiding the brick here so you can see the change. When you change the model height it changes the bricks, so it shows both of them as a revision. So in the window shops, it's a 10 by 10, and the architectural drawing showed that it was supposed to be a 10 by 7. So that's not very many clicks for them to get it all in the model. On a more extensive, obviously there would be more of them for them to go around and check and find the issues, but it's not very different I show probably slow it down a little bit.

So it's not that different. So again, we're just taking the two models, our three models, our four models, depending on what scope of work we're talking about here. We're just drawing them into Navisworks and then we're just going to run that compare feature, and then there's a bunch of check boxes. In my notes and also on the knowledge network is a list of what each of those checklists means and they'll break it all down, but we're really just checking for a geometry check. From there it's going to generate those views and we can't just select on them and take a look as you move your way around the building.

So once you found these issues and you know that they need a change, right here I'm just creating a view, and this is going to go to BIM 360 Glue so that everyone can get these comments and everything back. So where he's going to create a view here so that we can move that issue along for a check.

And there we go. So you can see I have the two views there right now. So I'm just staying at grid line A and 7. This window here needs adjusted.

AUDIENCE: Sorry to interrupt. Those two models, do they come from different software?

ALYSSA SCHEAR: They can, so anything authors into Navisworks would work. So it could be Revit versus AutoCAD. Yep. OK. So once again, we're just bringing in the models. We're going to select the two items. I just selected the whole model, but you could just pick beams versus beams, and anchor bolts versus anchor bolts, if you want to do those on different days. Right here I'm just only comparing geometry. It's going to pop up that window that I made that change. I'm just hiding the brick because we're not talking about brick today. So you can see that my 10 by 10 window on the window shops is clearly different than what's called out as a 10 by 7 on the architectural drawings.

So I then go ahead and in the BIM 360 tab I'm just going to create a shared view of that issue, and go ahead and name it. You can do that as you go through. So really you're creating a list of items that you would like to get changed by the trade.

So that's just a super simple example, but obviously there's a bunch of different ways that we could use this. I just came up with a few, but I can probably think of a few more in my head right off the bat, but obviously we have the Steel shop drawings versus the Steel design, which is a super easy one to check, and just making sure that those beam sizes and stuff are consistent. So that would be one of the easiest checks that you would no longer have to do beam by beam, or column by column. Curtainwall shop drawings versus Steel, Curtainwall shop drawings versus the Concrete lifts, making sure those embeds are in the right spot. Curtainwall or windows versus the architectural design, making sure that mullions are hitting in the right spot, and those sizes are correct, and that even came up with total partitions versus architectural. A lot of those guys have families and you can check all your clearances and your 88 requirements, instead of waiting till the inspector shows up on your job, and you're trying to open.

Another one would be anchor bolts, right? So we can check anchor bolts in the Concrete lift drawings versus anchor bolts on our shops. And then actually you could take it one step further, and after you've poured you could scan those, and then you could check and make sure that they were installed correctly. So if you have to make modifications that can be made in the Steel guy's shop instead of waiting for that crane to hit the job site.

So really taking a look now at, so once we've made all these we found all the issues that we'd like to get taken care of. How can we provide these markups and feedback to the subcontractors? There's a couple of different ways that you can do this. I'm just going over the easiest way that's possible.

So, we've reviewed the shops and now what? So markups can be made in Glue as markups, or as we go forward, you could go ahead and take these into docs and track them there. So either way. So first of all, we are just going to pull up the view. So here you can see where my shared view was that I created, the a-7 window discrepancy. So we'll click on that, and it will pop up that view that we had. Do you guys remember this view? So there it is for us. Now I can go draw an arrow. I can write text, cloud, circle it, whatever you guys want to do for markup. And then I can add that markup.

Now I can go ahead and email it. So in this case I'm emailing it to myself, but you'd have a list of subcontractors in that account. So you can send it back straight to them. So here's what will show up in the text of the email. I'm just telling him to please revise the shops and re-glue it so that I have a field on file set for my field guys. And then I will just click Next here. I had to tell him thanks first.

There you go. So that notification went out. So he's going to get an email and it's going to show that markup in the list of items for him. So that's kind of one item, but you can group those, so you can select multiple ones at once. So you don't have to send those one-by-one. OK?

All right. So we've done the coordination, we've taken our time and reviewed the shop drawings, either by running compare, or just doing a visual check around the building. We've done the markups and saved the views so that the subcontractor can address them, and now we're looking at pushing the coordinated model out to the field guys. So here we can use the marked up shop drawings right? Or we can wait for a field and file. So if you can get a field and file from the subs, or the manufacturer, obviously that would be preferred. Sending anything out to the job site that has errors in it is never a good idea. But sometimes if you had to, you could get going, but really these are really easily pushed out to the field guys. All right. I did not run that first.

OK. So in here we're just going to select on the model that we want to share, and from there there's that little tab there. And it says share with field. So we're just going to easily click that button and share with field. And the reason I get sometimes complaints that that step is there, it just doesn't share automatically, but to me that's a gatekeeper for the field right? What we want to see in the office in coordination might not be ready for field eyes.

So for example, we might be marking up the shop drawings in Glue and coordinating with the subcontractor, coordinating with the manufacturer, but I don't necessarily want that to go to the field guys until I have my field and files set, or until I have it marked up sufficiently, that I would actually want some guy trying to pour concrete off of it. So there's your gate in Glue to release it.

All right. So now we're getting into the field product, and this is what the guys have on their iPads. So as a project admin we just need to accept that file that the coordination, or the BIM department gave us. So this is really someone on site saying, yeah, we trust the office. We want a poor off of it.

So we're it's going to go to the project admin section under equipment is where this is found. We're going to pull up that model. So, go in here and just make sure we have the right project. And then make sure we select the right model. Must be thinking. And then I hit OK. That's going to process into the project. So, three steps I'd say, to share with the field guys.

AUDIENCE: Does this also work the same [INAUDIBLE]

ALYSSA SCHEAR: You're not going to like that answer.

AUDIENCE: Too bad.

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Yeah!

AUDIENCE: OK.

ALYSSA SCHEAR: All right. Yes, oops.

AUDIENCE: Is there a logic to sharing it to six or seven guys on-site, actually working on their iPads?

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Yep, so let me show you that video, and we can talk a little bit more. So, am I on the right sheet? Right. So on the iPads, the guys just need to make sure they sync the job site to get that new model, right? So we're just going to make sure they're on the right project, hit sync, and that is it. So after that it's going to be on their iPads.

So now we're going to show them how to use the model. And so right here is their menu. So the model will actually come into Glue for them, and the reason I would bring it into a field if you have it, is because that's where they live. So they're going to have all of their equipment, whether it's equipment warehouse checklists, or whether it's owner equipment, issues, safety issues, quality issues, their daily updates. That's where everything lives. So by bringing it into field they don't have to have two different apps, right? That don't have to run to their Glue app, and then run to their field app. It's just one app for them. So the only person that really has to figure out Glue, or where to even find it is more in the office side of things. But the field guys can find it all in this single location. Yeah, so.

So here you can see I've still left this issue highlighted so you can tell that we follow this model through. If this was a field and file that coloration would be gone if it's no longer needed.

AUDIENCE: Is there any issue if you're comparing the Navis models from the architects, that is not a contract document.

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Right.

AUDIENCE: So you're sharing that model to a shop drawing, Somebody has to compare it to a PDF of the architectural drawing?

ALYSSA SCHEAR: So I think architects will start to learn that we're going to use their model either way. So, usually we'll have to kind of a QC check on the architect's model early on in the project, and we know whether they've made modifications to the 2D since it came out of the model. And we're going to make a call on using it. Really, everything from our layout software to I mean, it all uses the model. So in the Denver market for sure it was getting to the point where all those architects were used to us using it, and that was-- So with a subcontractor, everything will be--

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Yep.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Yeah. I mean technically. I would argue that you should still pull out your 2Ds to review your shops anyway. If you did 100% 3D, because you're still going to have to look at some of those detail sheets, and some of that. But what you should be able to do is line up some of the coordination right? So we shouldn't be missing embeds, you know that we don't find out till Curtainwall's on the truck, getting pulled up with a crane when we find out that embed misses. You know, those are some of the hardest fixes to make too, because there's three or four hands touching that embed.

So you know, there's the embed designer, the Curtainwall designer, and then the structural engineer, and they all argue amongst themselves, who's going to fix that. Meanwhile you know, you've got a crew on site trying to finish that row of Curtainwall and dry us in. So I still think we really need to look at the you know, just make sure everything's going to hit where it's supposed to hit, and make sure that's all coordinated in our shops. But it does not really relieve the project engineer or whoever's reviewing those shops from still going to look at those details for sure right? But, yeah.

All right, so once it's on the guy's iPad it's in the menu. They can go and see the different views that you've set up for them. So we can pull up that conflict if we wanted. I mean, hopefully it's gone, and this is the field in file set, but if we wanted to show them certain things we can follow that model right through.

So back in the project engineer side of things, if the project engineer or the team prefers to send these out as issues to the subcontractor or manufacturer, in the case of a sub to manufacturer relationship we can go ahead and create an issue for them to track and make sure it gets resolved. So we can actually give them a list of items that we would like to fix. So here I'm just typing in description. I'm assigning it as issue types to middle, so that the guys can filter that out from their stuff. In fact, I could actually filter that out to the point that the field guys don't even see that issue. I had a hard time finding Glaeser, but there he is. And then from there, I can add any other standard properties, or I could track some custom properties if I wanted. Any questions about that?

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Yeah, contract the issue. So if you're a sub you can push the manufacturer to say it's closed, or the sub can close it, or I could go back and close it myself, as I review their field and file set. I can also send them a list out of there. I could send them an automated report that's showing those issues until they get resolved. So from there I have a list of issues I can very robustly track, whereas in the Glue option where I showed you tracking the markups there, it's more just like an email notification. You kind of hope that they resolved it like they're supposed to. This would be more like holding them accountable for sure.

So, because it pins right to the drawing you can take pictures, and the issues-- I don't know how many of you guys know the field product really well, but you know we can attach pictures and comments, and all that kind of thing. We could you know, track if there's some kind of reason why that was an issue, you know the sub could come back and say, hey we do it this way because of x, and we can go ahead and keep trending where that item is going from there. So in this case, I didn't really take a picture because we're attaching right to the model, and it's right there to show us what the issue is, but we could if we wanted to.

So one thing I hear is that this is time consuming, and even if I get it out to the field they're never going to use it anyway. So if you're convinced the field is not going to use it you probably convince them to. But usually the field guys will start using it you give them the chance. So, I also don't think it's that time consuming to push this out to the field. I mean, I think we're up to six clicks right now to share that entire model with the field guys. So I really don't think it's that tough for a project engineer who, is reviewing submittals and our files all day long to make that modification.

And then also, of course, one thing that I always note is that the first time is always going to be the hardest. So there is going to be a learning curve on that first time, trying to find the button you know, where was that? And watching the video, and going back and doing it yourself. But it's pretty easy to remember after that. It's not a super complex process.

So next is enabling the field to use the model. So I think I might've said this word a few different times last few minutes, but making it easy is key. So when we make it more about the office than the field, we're not making it easy for the field. And they'll push back on that. That'll make it difficult for them to pick up an uptick. So we're going to go over a couple of items that are super easy. Nothing complicated about them, but those super small changes make all the difference to field guys.

So the first thing I'll talk about is maximize the use of field, or maximize the use of views I mean. Whenever I bring this up everyone always tells me, oh we do, you know, all the time. But then I see a view that looks like this over here on the left where it's ICOs and 3D three or four different views named 3D, and we got some of it will have 3D and your office's modeler's name. So I would argue I guess you do have views, but I'm not sure very many field guys will be able to figure out what you're trying to tell them there.

When I explain it to Ps, I also say it's kind of like, not creating views for the field is kind of like getting an O and M manual from a mechanical sub where it's hundreds and hundreds of pages, and not a single bookmark to be found right? Like, what do you want me to do with this document? Or a set of specifications where the architect scanned the thing and there's no bookmarks. Makes everybody on the whole job's life more difficult, from bidding, right through to the superintendent using them on the job site. So maximizing those use of views, so really creating something that they can use. So that could be the main stairs, or the mechanical well, whatever it is that they need.

And on those first few jobs I would suggest having the conversation with the guys about what they want for views, right? Have them think it out. What do they want from you, and how does that make their life easier? It's not so much that you couldn't maybe guess what they want, but when they have that conversation with you they're buying in right? They're part of the process. You're not just handing it to them and walking away. We're actually having that conversation about how can we make this easier on you and what do you need? And most foremans respond really well to that. Probably all of us would respond to that better than just getting the model shoved at us. So really kind of asking them.

And this is going to be different for every type of crew. For a concrete crew, they really want to see the core and the foundation, and whatever they need. A Curtainwall guy's going to need an entirely different set of views. So really making sure I understand what those guys need, but instead of them trying to scroll through the model and find that location we're just providing them with a view with one click. So big difference for them.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

ALYSSA SCHEAR: What's that?

AUDIENCE: What's the difference between [INAUDIBLE]

ALYSSA SCHEAR: You can do it either way. So whatever shows up in Glue is also in field. Yep. The other thing I see really under utilized is the map navigator and the mapping tool, which is the little orange circle, I guess. So they can find the level and set themselves on the right floor, which is really nice if the model was set up that way in the office. They could put themselves in the room, or facing the Curtainwall, or facing the corner. Whatever they're needing to do. They can even situate themselves that they're going to be facing right direction, and then in the top right-hand core where it says go, I don't know if you can see my mouse up in the top right there, there's go, and they just hit go, and it'll pop them into that room, or against that core, or whatever it is that they're looking at. And so from there, they could just take a glance and make sure they're in the right spot. So yep.

AUDIENCE: If there's an update to the model that isn't put up on Glue, do you have to resend it to the field, or does it automatically just--

ALYSSA SCHEAR: No, once you do that first connection they'll start to flow through, but the guys will have to the resync, right? Just like if you upload a new set of 2D drawings, or whatever it is.

AUDIENCE: Right, there's a lot on there in that area.

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Right.

AUDIENCE: It automatically pushes it through.

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Yes but the field guys on the iPad will need to sync, because it doesn't assume they have a connection for sure, just because those guys so often, don't have a connection, but those guys get used to syncing really quickly. Yeah. So the product is made so that if the guys don't have Wi-Fi then they can still do their job, their model's still there, their issue tracking's still there, they can still create an issue, they can still create a checklist, whatever it is, without needing to go, or just being SOL, I guess you could say.

Another thing to note is that on Glue and field, the guys can't make any changes to the model. So we had that concern earlier, that the guys will change an element, or they're going to change geometry. They can pull dimensions and make markups. They can go and navigate themselves through but they're not going to be able to change the model back out to Revit, or AutoCAD, or whatever your authoring software is. So there's really no concern that the guys are going to mess with the office, going back to the other direction.

You know from here the guys can take it one step farther. So they can use this for Layout. So you can run Point Layout on here, and they can start getting into that kind of thing. And there's a few other classes on that. So I didn't get too deep into that, but they can go from there. They can start tying it to a safety program, their pre-port check lists, their installation checklists, whatever all that you guys are wishing from them, I'm concerned to all be in here. And a benefit I definitely saw in implementation is when more of it was in here than less. So if they go to this program for safety and that one for storm-water, and their checklists are here, and there PDFs are here, the usage of all of those drops. So the more you can bring them all into one place, you know if they have to do safety every day, and QC is sitting right there, then they're going to look at both right? They can't help it, but if we've got a bunch of different programs that's where it starts to break down a little bit, and they start to use it less. OK.

So just to bring this conversation back around, just a reminder that this is what we usually review. So we're taking a look at the elevations. And I don't know if I've got a plan in here, but we're taking a look at all these different shop drawings and trying to coordinate them all into the model. So we may have three or four different sets of drawings. I don't know about your project engineers, but usually I had to wait all the guys left the job site, so I could think, and so that I could do this in peace if I was going to follow all those details. And like we mentioned back in that side of things, we're not replacing the review of those @D details right? We're just making it easier to make sure that items are hidden and coordinating.

I think it's really easy as a project engineer to miss a dimension, or maybe something wasn't on the drawing. So I didn't check that dimension and I wouldn't necessarily have saw that bust, like I would visually. Also, I think that the project engineer, and probably your superintendent learn the job better when they start looking at the model right? They're going to start to notice some issues or intuitively know, I'm going to have this has to install before this, whereas when we're looking at 2Ds, some of the stuff doesn't hit us until we're right in front of it on the job site, with a crane staring at us and some crew on site waiting.

And so, really going back to this example, we're really just looking for the time savings and really reducing those number of errors. So going to coordinate, going to make sure those changes get fixed. We can use those for layout if we want, but definitely visually even for a port check. So one of the most interesting phone calls I ever made was one of our foremen was pouring a core and they made an embed mistake. So he came to tell me about it, and it turns out that he used a little force stud embed from an elevator divider beam. Those are supposed to be the other way. It was supposed to have been like, an entire, humongous embed that held up the biggest beam on the entire high-rise.

So that was awesome, and it was all because the embeds were labeled, but part of the label had were off the last number. And so he thought he was putting the right embed in. His guys thought he was putting the right embed in. So we sat down together and called the structural engineer and asked him you know, are you sitting down? Because you're going to love this phone call, right? And when we called, and that fix was a dramatic. We had to do three bulbs and a proxy, and then we had some special tubing, and the architect had to design a wall to hide our little glamorous fix. So there was nothing fun about that from the architect, to the structural, down to myself making that phone call.

So I've asked him since then, what do you think? Can you tell me what we would have that different? And he's dead-set that if know, he had had that model, even if he's not pulling all the dimensions of there, or he's not doing Point Layout, which he can do, but even if he is just visually checking, he would have visually known that that embed was clearly wrong on there. Whereas on his 2D shops the guys just get going. It takes them longer. He's got to lend his drawings out someone else, and so he found it much easier just to quickly do a check before that core got closed up. So yeah. OK

So we went over the comparisons between different models, pushing that out to the subs, or the manufacturer, or whoever was the one putting together the shop drawings. Really starting to use that for the crew and making it easier for them to pick up on. So, done a little early. We do have time for questions. What do you got?

AUDIENCE: Is this a 3D model that you're creating?

ALYSSA SCHEAR: So the merge? Yeah, you'll merge them together. Yeah.

AUDIENCE: You're merging all of those?

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Yeah. I mean, whatever it is. So you can compare two items at once. You could just take your window shops versus your architectural and that could be it, or you could be comparing your concrete lift, verse your steel, verse your Curtainwall all at once.

AUDIENCE: Will it still have the architectual model there?

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Yeah. And then I don't know if I showed it clear enough, but you can actually turn those models on and off right? So the other thing we talk about is using this model, and the architectural models get old, then blah, blah, blah. But what we can do is, once we have the windows shops we can actually turn off the windows in the architectural model. Leave the architectural model there, but the windows become the shop drawings right? Start using the shops for their use. So kind of just stepping our way until that architectural or structural model is mostly replaced with a fabrication model.

AUDIENCE: Is the architect you're going to be using already existing?

ALYSSA SCHEAR: So we had our architects using it for quality punch lists or observation reports. I did not have them using it for a model review but it definitely probably would have started pushing that way for sure. I mean, I've already done the model.

AUDIENCE: What if they don't have BIM 360?

ALYSSA SCHEAR: So we just give them access to it because it saves us so much time to not get that PDF observation report, that that alone is almost enough to have a seat really.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

ALYSSA SCHEAR: What's that?

AUDIENCE: For all assignments?

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Yeah. The civil guys, I don't know that we always gave them a seat, but we probably would have if they were asked. Like even the landscaping's doing our punch lists, their observations, structural guy for sure needs it. It also makes it easier to get the letters at the end right? You always have that the letter that signs off, that the building was built, and the contractor paid attention to my drawings. So in structural I could give a whole list of anything that was outstanding to the structural engineer, and he could just sign off on that right? So made life a lot easier trying to get to close out.

AUDIENCE: In a similar vein, and this goes against everything I've practiced in mechanical porting. Does it make sense to do several Earth models, almost per scope, for ease of review in the appeal?

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Yeah. I think you can start putting them all together, but I would start turning them on and off. Like, if I'm a project engineer I would probably pick two right? Well, I don't know. The more you get in there the more something hides something else, or the harder it is for them to conceptually like, write a school understand what they're comparing. So yeah.

AUDIENCE: I think a person in the field is going to find the issues. They will make it as easy as possible for them.

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Right. So setting views again. Because setting views you can actually set where they just have the two scopes to work right? So I can set a view for mechanical versus structural for example.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Yeah, I mean the shared view list, but the guys will prefer that over no views, all day long. So yeah, for sure. But once those guys get in there they get really good at turning models on and off right? Like, I mean, we're really good at comparing architecturals and flipping that, and then going over this set, and flipping mechanical, and then having the structural, and throw them all on the plan table, look at them all. I mean turning those views on and off in here to get that same comparison, it takes them about a week before they figure out that that's super worthwhile, but I think there is another question over here. Nope? Oh, there.

AUDIENCE: I got two really quick points. One of the things that becomes far more obvious to all of us is how modeling and the new process in general is moving more like a decision making earlier and earlier in our schedule. And this to me is another great example of, well, I'm an architect. So when I think about construction industry creation, I have to think about assigning a capable person right away to a project, or in this case, setting up some of those views. Going through the model and preemptively getting that work in there to save the time on the back-end.

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Yeah.

AUDIENCE: The other question, [INAUDIBLE] All of us at management have been struggling over the last couple of years with our contracts and exacting how the language in the contract reads, as far as what documents. What documents are going to govern it. And in the moment, we have some fuzzy language in our contracts that say you can reference the model, you can look at the model, but it does not supersede the 2D document.

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Right.

AUDIENCE: I don't know how well that's holding up in practice, or if anyone has had any issues with that, or legal applications, but right now that's where we are.

ALYSSA SCHEAR: So on the contractor world, you're used to taking risk and we're evaluating that. So we're going to take a look at your drawing, see how consistent your properties are. See how well your families are set up. You know, whether we can see anything that was changed, maybe penciled in on your PDF before it came out to us. We're going to start running comparison between models and see what you changed versus what you clouded. So from that we're going to get an idea of how likely that model can be trusted, and we're going to make a call off of that.

AUDIENCE: If you find an issue with the model, then you apply to a paper, and you see this.

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Yeah, there's that too, right? Yeah, for sure.

AUDIENCE: You can save the paper drawings [INAUDIBLE]

AUDIENCE: You take a look and you decide.

AUDIENCE: We would just tell you it's wrong.

ALYSSA SCHEAR: So huh?

AUDIENCE: Paper drawings are basically the model.

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Yeah. I mean the paper drawings come from the model. It's not like we're I mean--

AUDIENCE: But all our files are on paper. And that changes the model 12 times between CDs and bullets and 12, and they give you the model that CD creation, and then they're trying to catch up somewhere between when you're building.

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Yeah. What's nice is that now we can run a model comparer. So we can actually take your entire model and compare your SD versus DD, versus CD, and see what you've changed. So we can't miss you know, which is nice. And then even on the GC side, I can do that for a mechanical model. So when that sub sends me a change order I can actually now quantify right? Whereas before, you take one look at that mechanical change, and you're like seriously? I do not want to stay here tonight. Like, count this up and figure out if those clients are even remotely accurate right? Like, or inflated or whatever. But now, I just you know, I could just run a compare and there I go.

AUDIENCE: Are you referring to geometry more than anything?

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Yep. It can tell property changes and stuff too when it's model to model. So in this case we're just doing a geometry check because that model has two different origins right? Like the window shop guy does not name is windows the same as the architected did. In the case of this where I'm comparing his DDs versus CDs, or just change order to see if anything got slipped in or missed, that's actually his model versus his model. So it could actually tell you if a property changed, a name change, anything.

AUDIENCE: One of the advantages that I do see here is that more and more projects were partnered.

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Yes.

AUDIENCE: Or perhaps, employs anybody vertically from start to finish, or pairing up with a contractor, or a designer, and so there's going to be a comfort level there. But it still creates a lot of conflicts say, self-contractors. I think that's more of what we're seeing right now. [INAUDIBLE]

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Yep.

AUDIENCE: We're comfortable with each other, but we don't know all of ourselves, and they don't know us. Even the integrated model, I got an issue right now because we're, as a subcontractor we're drawing the Revit model for the US engineer, because we're working hand-in-hand [INAUDIBLE] But then again, they changed the ceiling fixtures three or four times, and we're just constantly drawing to be drawing. So, this a not-PC price, or a GP, then [INAUDIBLE]

AUDIENCE: At the end of the day, subcontractors, they got to make it work. [INAUDIBLE] All the changes that happened. But the problem is you know, we're trying to keep up with that, all those changes at the same time construction is going on.

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Yeah. GC's on your case telling you to get in the field.

AUDIENCE: Having an exterior skin, [INAUDIBLE] We have a hard enough time keeping ourselves straight, let alone trying to worry about somebody else. But in the years [INAUDIBLE] They seem to be coming a long way in trusting. We will trust the structure for the model, and dehumor that.

ALYSSA SCHEAR: Right.

AUDIENCE: We're going to start over and use that [INAUDIBLE]

ALYSSA SCHEAR: I would say that you are just a few years behind what the mechanical, electrical guys learned right? I mean, they went through all the same learning pains and the same right? I think you guys will get there too. I think it's just going to take a little bit of like-- a part of it's just talking about it. A lot of times that we don't even ask for your model right? Because we just assume you gave us a 2D. That's all you have is 2D, and it turns out you had 3D all along right? So I could have at least, you know, even if you're not taking the risk of the 3D, we can talk about GC versus sub. But I still at least use that for coordination, for conversations around the table, for opening up how you fit somebody else, and having right? Visually, there's still, hands-down, no reason we shouldn't use your model if you have it.