How to choose the right BIM download platform?

For construction specifiers who need quality and functional BIM objects

Choosing the right BIM content download platform will have a significant impact on the projects of architects, designers and other building professionals.

While there are many platforms on the market, not all BIM content download platforms are equal. Choosing a less efficient platform can cost you a lot of time, money and quality in your renderings.

For these reasons, it is important to have a solution that meets your needs in terms of functionality, security, cost, and ensures effective use of BIM technology.

In this sense, how can you identify a good BIM object upload platform, as opposed to a less efficient solution? This is what you will discover in this article!

10 elements of a non-efficient BIM content upload platform

Some things to avoid…

To get you started, here are the elements of a bad BIM object platform to avoid:

1. The items available are of poor quality and have no certification. They may look good, but are they functional? Ask yourself this question.
   
   
2. The data related to each object is non-existent or difficult to understand.
   
   
3. BIM content appears in a disorganised manner, and it is difficult to find your way around. Especially when the platform contains several thousand objects.
   
   
4. Compatibility of BIM objects with commonly used BIM file formats is limited.
   
   
5. The platform does not facilitate collaboration with other users in real time.
   
   
6. Analysis and visualisation tools for 3D models are not very powerful.
   
   
7. The level of data security of BIM content is too low.
   
   
8. Interoperability with a multitude of modelling software (Revit, Rhino, ArchiCAD, etc.) is poor.
   
   
9. The cost of the platform is high. You should know that downloading BIM objects can be free depending on the solution you choose!
   
   
10. Once hundreds or thousands of objects have been uploaded, the chosen platform does not lead you to a BIM content management solution, nor to a team that will support you in its deployment and use.

This long list can be scary. But don’t worry, because the ideal BIM content upload platform does exist! Let’s find out what criteria it should consist of.

10 elements of a great BIM content upload platform

Be on the lookout for specific elements

To choose a quality, reliable and efficient BIM download platform, you only need to look out for a few things. BIM&CO‘s solutions have the following 10 qualities:

1. The bimandco.com platform provides architects, design offices and construction companies with a wealth of high-quality BIM content. Some of these BIM objects are certified by Eurovent Certita Certification. All objects are not only qualitative and aesthetic, but also functional and easy to use.

2. Downloading objects is free of charge for all users of digital mock-ups. Architects, engineers and designers: work with quality objects for free!

3. 3D or 2D BIM objects are available in various formats such as .rfa, .skp, .ifc, and many more!

4. The content available on the platform is interoperable with other CAD software. Whether you use Revit, Rhino, Revit, Archicad, elec calc, BIMData, or Excel, BIM&CO objects are easily integrated.

5. The public platform simplifies real-time collaboration with other users. Construction manufacturers and users of 3D objects are more easily connected.

6. You benefit from easy-to-use and reliable model analysis and visualisation tools.

7. Searching for and downloading BIM content is fast, thanks to a content search bar, filters and tags, and the organisation of objects into collections (Hospital, Construction Site Objects, CadatWork, ECC certified objects).

Discover the most downloaded object collections!

8. After downloading BIM objects and their data free of charge, you have the possibility to centralise them. And above all, to manage them simply via a BIM object library. A bargain for saving time and improving your ROI. Reduce your object search time by a factor of 6 via the Onfly solution, vs. via your local server!

9. You become the master of your data, which is secure. Onfly for Construction Manufacturers puts the power back in the hands of manufacturers. They have access to a centralised and synchronised product information management space. Manufacturers stay connected to their customers throughout their projects.

10. If you opt for the BIM content management library solution, you will be supported by a team of BIM managers, building engineers, architects, specialists from the world of manufacturing, developers, etc. We advise you in your construction projects to save time and productivity.

Rely on the behaviour and opinions of other users

One way to best guide you to a good BIM object upload platform is to look at what other construction professionals like you are doing.

Every month, more than 3,000 new building professionals register on the bimandco.com platform. They upload high-quality and functional BIM objects.

HVAC, Elec, Carpentry objects… the multitude of object categories will allow you to personalise each of your projects. Choose from digital objects from manufacturers such as Parker Transair, Manitou, ArcelorMittal, GREE, UFME and many more!

On the other hand, when it comes to managing these objects, many key players in the construction world are already using Onfly. Companies such as Kardham, EDF, and Sanofi use the centralised library solution to manage their BIM content.

Testimony of Amelia Hicks, BIM Coordinator at Kardham

The French group Kardham assists public and private organisations in their construction, rehabilitation, development and consultancy projects.

Amelia Hicks, BIM Coordinator at Kardham Group, talks about using Onfly:

“Onfly is a great advantage for the mass management of our Revit family files. Adding items to the database is simple and can be done in many ways. The Smart version we use allows us to rename parameters directly in the family without opening it and in mass. This makes standardisation quick and easy.

Onfly makes it possible to gather model families but also system families (walls, floors, roofs, stairs, railings). These are impossible to classify in a classic Windows-type library, which facilitates capitalisation and research.”

Are you a construction professional who wants to accelerate and simplify your projects with a good BIM content management and upload platform? Our team of digital construction enthusiasts will be happy to assist you in this process.

At BIM&CO, we help the construction industry to perform their projects with more precision and comfort. Contact us now!

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