AFR: LayOut 2 is really touching on the fringe of a CAD program and SketchUp Pro 7 with its new Dynamic Components is bringing sophisticated parametrics to 3D form making. And now you can add meta data to objects. Whether you want to admit it or not you are evolving SketchUp Pro 7 into a “building information modeling” system (BIM). Is this Google’s back-door approach to entering the BIM market?
JB: We have always said we had no intention in going head-to-head with anybody in the CAD or BIM market. We are not trying to be another BIM. What we want to do is build on our strengths in conceptual design and modeling.
AFR: Can’t third-party developers start building out tools that bring architectural BIM functionality into the SketchUp 7 eco-system? Already we are seeing energy analysis tools compatible with SketchUp models. All you need now is a space object.
JB: IES, Integrated Environmental Solutions has this energy analysis tool. Unfortunately not for the Mac. If you set your building position on the site just so it can determine that your design will be much more green, save more energy, than a change of materials per se. That is incredibly useful to design. That is the type of thing we want to see third-party developers doing to help our users.
AFR: What about a space object? I know that BIM applications need to have one.
JB: What is a space? It’s at least six sides. We can do the energy part with that. The IES plugin calculates energy use from what SU has built into it.
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