Blog Post 4: Project Outline

How Visual Programming Improves Upon BIM and What’s Next

The topic of my paper is going to briefly introduce what visual programming is and how it got introduced to the construction industry. It is interesting to think about because construction and programming historically haven't been related at all. I then will discuss some ways that visual programming currently improves upon BIM. The first use is programmed 3D modeling which allows users to change certain inputs into a program and a model will automatically be generated. This saves a lot of time and makes changes to a design simple which avoids headaches. Another benefit of visual programming is being able to transfer information between different software automatically. Taking data from an Excel sheet and manually inputting it into a different program or vice versa has been a very time-consuming process usually given to interns or new employees. However, with visual programming, the information can be transferred automatically once the code has been written. I will then discuss what the future looks like and what may replace/improve upon visual programming. One thing that could definitely replace visual programming is Generative Design which is AI that can generate many versions of a structure based on your parameters automatically. Architects will need to stay ahead of this so that they do not get phased out by the technology. 3D printing buildings could add to Generative Design in that buildings could eventually be designed and built completely with AI technology by just giving it certain design requirement inputs. Finally, I will summarize the points that I made throughout the report and give my personal predictions for what the future of the construction industry may be like.

Comments:

1. Albert Hanan
I like that you are trying to incorporate Dynamo in different, new ways that will improve your model and make it easier to work with. I think you should definitely take some time to research all the different ways you can improve the model like automatically inserting windows at certain dimensions throughout the building. You have a lot of time to incorporate new things into your project and it will be interesting to see how much more you can do.

2. Hanyan Chen
Your topic is very important for the future of sustainable design. It will be interesting to read the paper that you come up with by the end of the term. Hopefully, adaptable housing and sustainable design will become more and more popular. I am looking forward to hearing about the impact that BIM has on design style, sustainability, construction, and the real estate industry as a whole. 


3. Christian Tait
This is something that I am also interested in and I'm looking forward to hearing about your project at the end of the term. The applications that you mentioned are interesting and AR is already being implemented in other areas today that you could discuss. You may even want to discuss the pros and cons of VR vs AR and how each can benefit BIM in their own way.