by Alexey Ershov
Viewing 3D models in Web browsers became popular in the mid-2010s with the introduction of WebGL that allowed the display of sophisticated graphics. New Web protocols and JavaScript then made it possible to build 3D Web applications with advanced logic and interactive user interfaces.
Cloud-based BIM (building information modeling) became a primary target for development, thanks to the big data volumes that are typically generated by BIM projects. Big data requires big storage. As well, BIM involves collaboration between designers working on specific areas and layers of buildings, bridges, civil, and industrial projects. These requirements correspond well with the capabilities of the cloud from established large-scale platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Added to this, there are only a small number of competitors in the BIM software market (as compared to the MCAD market). All this propelled interest from established companies and startups to develop brand-new BIM-in-cloud software services and platforms.
LEDAS immediately became involved in complex 3D Web projects. Our first client asked us to develop a BIM cloud product that combined architecture, structures, mechanical, engineering design, and related modules. The product focused on providing wide support for BIM entities typically found in Autodesk Revit and Solibri Model Checker, an IFC-based quality control solution. By using a 3D modeling kernel, we made it possible for the BIM product to have all the capabilities needed for users to create and edit sophisticated shapes.
To meet additional requirements, such as fire prevention, ventilation, and accessibility, we developed a dedicated BIM verification module for the 3D BIM application. The verification module also took care of collision detection. Thanks to integrated 3D scanning and point cloud data management, we covered the later stages in a BIM lifecycle, including dynamic construction control and maintenance of buildings and constructions.
The solution we developed was a fully functioning 6D BIM application, with detailed planning for costs, resources, tasks, workers, and dates.
Our Platform for 3D Web Projects
Following this, we decided to meet the need of the contemporary CAD market by developing our own 3D browser platform, with BIM and MCAD as the primary targets. So we created LEDAS Cloud Platform (LCP), a multi-user 3D-on-Web system that includes collaboration and supports many files formats. You can get more details about LCP on its dedicated page.
Since then, several companies have licensed LCP to speed up their Web BIM product development. Some of them are focused on civil BIM projects in the cloud, while others were more interested in using the 3D Web for industrial systems and applications.
LCP is just a good start for the licensees. As most of them want to provide a richer set of functions to their customers, they ordered additional 3D Web development services from LEDAS. The goal for them is, by adding new functions and features, to shape the BIM products according to their vision. We fulfilled their requests by writing code in Javascript on the client side, and in C++ and Python code on the server side.
For example, one of the products is focused on large industrial models that are hard to visualize in 3D Web environments due to memory limitations. To solve this problem, we at LEDAS added LOD (levels of detail) technology to our 3D Web offering.
Alexey Ershov is CEO of Ledas Group
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