View and Data API Intro for BIM Programming

We successfully completed the European Munich DevDay conference and the subsequent four-day abbreviated Autodesk Cloud Accelerator.

Here is the last snapshot of the frosted trees and blue sky from the train station platform in Harras, before leaving Munich to embark on the voyage back home through a mostly foggy winter landscape:

The most exciting project there for me personally was the implementation of the Revit BIM database and element modification tracker.

Next on my rather busy January agenda is the BIM Programming Workshop in Madrid.

As its name implies, it is focused on architectural programming and dives into both desktop and web based aspects, including hands-on workshops exploring the Revit and View and Data APIs.

The detailed agenda and registration page is provided at bimprogramming.com.

Here are some of the web oriented things I am looking forward to discussing there, mostly related to WebGL and the View and Data API web site:

• Jaime's presentations and samples
• View and Data API demo sites
• Slack team collaborations

Jaime's View and Data API Presentations and Samples

I will run through an introduction to the use of WebGL for widely sharing and collaborating on BIM projects, e.g. based on these two English and Spanish language versions of my colleague Jaime Rosales Duque's recent View and Data API presentations, both using reveal.js and hosted on GitHub:

• London AEC Hackathon meetup repo and slide show
• Spanish Colombia JsConf meetup repo and slide show

Jaime also pointed out a couple of particularly impressive pure WebGL samples:

• Water simulation
• Pearl boy rows and dives
• How does BB-8 work

Many thanks to Jaime for sharing these!

View and Data API Demo Sites

Here are some other View and Data API samples that may be of interest:

• The A360 viewer enables you to drag and drop a file and view it immediately with no installation or even login whatsoever.
• Logging in and uploading a model to your own A360 account enables viewing, sharing and retrieving an iframe to embed the viewer, so you can embed it into your own web site with just one line of code (click to try):
  

  <iframe src="https://myhub.autodesk360.com/ue29d734b/shares/public/SHabee1QT1a327cf2b7a0d36d79335a1cae5?mode=embed" width="400" height="300" allowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true"  frameborder="0"></iframe>

• Animated 3D assembly instructions – imagine replacing all the confusing DIY paper manuals – how my head-scratching and ripped-out hair could be saved!
• LMV NavTest with Urban House – an architectural sample integrating 3D and plan views with reporting.
• Embedded in a Russian University web site
• A Dutch architectural gallery provided as a service for other architects.
• Hydraulic and air stream simulation, e.g., taps, valves, airing, air conditioning, fire, etc.
• Pier 9 IoT Viewer – Internet of Things sample
• Official application examples on the View and Data API web site
• Direct link to the AEC application example –
• View and Data programming sample repos on GitHub.

If these sample have whetted your appetite for more, check out the step-by-step hands-on tutorial showing how to quickly and easily create your own node.js-based View and Data API web site!

Slack for Hackathon and Other Team Collaborations

Lots of recent hackathons focused on 3D on the web, so I'll also mention one cool team collaboration tool that may come in handy for you there: Slack provides a powerful messaging, file sharing and notification platform for team collaboration.

It is cloud based with fully native apps for iOS and Android, hence ubiquitously accessible; whatever you do on one device is reflected everywhere, always in sync; your place is kept, so you can always pick up wherever you left off.

It includes indexing and searching within PDF, Word documents, Google docs, and more.

It can notify team members when documents change.

It supports channels for organising team conversations, both open and private, and direct messaging for one-on-one contact.

Thanks to Jaime for pointing out that as well.

Now I'm off to board the plane to Madrid and the BIM programming conference...

Hope you can make it there as well   :-)