Dynamic building model integration

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The amount and complexity of software applications for the building industry is increasing constantly. It has been a long term goal of the software industry to support integration of the various models and applications. This is a difficult task due to the complexity of the models and the diversity of the fields that they model. As a result, only large software houses have the ability to provide integrated solutions on the basis of a common information model. Such a model can more easily be established since the different software is developed within the same group. Other software suppliers usually have to revert to importing and exporting of data to establish some form of integration. Even large software houses still sometimes make use of this technique between their different packages. In order to obtain a fully integrated solution, clients have to acquire complex and expensive software, even if only a small percentage of the functionality of this software is actually required. A different approach to integration is proposed here, based on providing an integration framework that links different existing software models. The framework must be customisable for each individual's unique requirements as well as for the software already used by the individual. In order for the framework to be customisable, it must either encompass the information requirements of all existing software models from the outset, or be flexible and adaptable for each user. Developing an encompassing software model is difficult and expensive and thus the latter approach is followed here. The result is a model that is less general than BIM-style models, but more focussed and less complex. The elements of this flexible model do not have predetermined properties, but properties can instead be added and removed at runtime. Furthermore, derived properties are not stored as values, but rather as methods by which their values are obtained. These can also be added, removed and modified at runtime. These two concepts allow the structure and the functionality of the model to be changed at runtime. An added advantage is that a knowledgeable user can do this himself. Changes to the models can easily be incorporated in the integration framework, so their future development is not limited. This has the advantage that the information content of the various applications does not have to be pre-determined. It is acknowledged that a specific solution is required for each integration model; however the user still has full control to expand his model to the complexity of BIM-type models. Furthermore, if new software models are developed to incorporate the proposed structures, even more seamless and flexible integration will be possible. The proposed framework is demonstrated by linking a CAD application to a cost-estimation application for buildings. A prototype implementation demonstrates full integration by synchronising selection between the different applications.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University