I attempt to humanize the process of Building Information Modeling and Virtual Construction using the latest HI wetware. (Ver. 1.00.867.5309 Alpha-Gen's.)
Safely ignore the nonsense below, but this is the TLDR of many whitepapers. It is one of the main reasons why, in my humble view, that it can be so difficult to break into this industry, let alone quantify it.
Building information about what building information modeling is with information modelled about building the building information model!
What?
Valid. We (humans) build buildings, as seen by...the structures we occupy. We must do some planning, some agreement making, and certainly some digging. What does it mean to build buildings before actually doing the building activity on the real thing? We model information and agree on timelines of when to do more things. So then, is what we are doing worth doing it? Someone up the line who pays for it thinks so. In short, we make the things people talk about a lot while building a building. That is really it, we compile information in digestible servings of paper or phosphorescent color in the form of a computer monitor. Either way, we make it, other humans consume it, and then make things with which to make more things. Might be discussions, healing humans, might be widgets, but each prefers a building. My challenge is this: Is the payment for virtually building a building that won't exist until another set of people build it worth the actions of the Virtual Builders?
Where?
If we have information before the building exists, then WHERE is it? If it has been recorded to any media outside the head of the initial thinker, then it must be some format others can also read. Not always true, but it is typically the case.
Why?
Because if we don't write it down, no one else will likely see it. Well, nuts! We have to necessarily record the thoughts, the intent, and somewhat of the how-to, all at once!
Who?
The Few. BIM Technician... VDC Operator... Drafting Specialist... Trade Detailer... The titles mean mostly the same thing: Interface between 2 parties. One designed it, the other wants to build it. Play telephone! :D I feel that this pool of dedicated persons is small. They typically come out of maladaptive high performers. Oops, did I hit your nervy nerve? That is ok, it is just a nudge, not a full on whack like the next part. They are probably good at what they do because of the chaos they manage outside work... I will let that sit for a while.
There is a fun thing we also deal with in this work, which is the dichotomy of being both recognized and anonymous. For the former, I think it is more along the lines of "worth it" again. Other people saying something nice about our work after the building is physically real is a kind bonus- it is the goal, the reason. We build buildings so people can do other fun things in security and dryness, and at a decent temperature. Buildings allow for finer control of many other human endeavors! For every person that cares about what they do, there are probably 10 that do not. Well, that is what life feels like, but the reality is that most people care at least some about what they are doing, even if they don't like it.
When?
Sometimes we "bimitup" the day before a concrete pour. Sometimes we "bimogrify" the thing years in advance. Sometimes we bim for nothing, years or months in advance, only to have the project mothballed and never built. (Has happened to me several times.)
Flatten the Process
As seen thus far, we have used no specific media or software with which to define our "where and how". Some came here for a quick fix, those are not the audience. We, the very locked in, or the lost sheep, are looking for bigger answers to "Real Quick™". This is the slow down zone. Ponder stuff. We are in a time of slow, large movements, because most of the simple tools are built for us! We are wrangling them. Hearding these kittens of industry to do our will, we have purrfected the art of making due with what we got.