First Look: Reconstruct > ENGINEERING.com

A still image from a Reconstruct project that shows both point cloud and BIM data. (Image courtesy of Reconstruct.)

A still image from a Reconstruct project that shows both point cloud and BIM data. (Image courtesy of Reconstruct.)

4D building information modeling (BIM) has become a popular buzzword lately, and one platform is aiming to make a viable product out of that buzz. Reconstruct is a browser-based platform that integrates point cloud, BIM and scheduling to give users an accurate portrait of building sites across time.

Read on for engineering.com’s First Look at the platform.

Time Warp


The timeline slider (bottom) lets users select what point in time they want to look at. (Image courtesy of Reconstruct.)

The timeline slider (bottom) lets users select what point in time they want to look at. (Image courtesy of Reconstruct.)

The browser window overlays point cloud data on BIM models, and allows users to control the opacity of both layers with a toggle. The point cloud images allow you to see the physical reality of the site, while the BIM layer allows you to look at its functionality.

One of the platform’s main selling points is the way it uses scheduling data to allow users to “time travel,” looking at both the BIM and point cloud layers at different stages of a project. If you’re interested in “traveling” back through the project to look at previous stages of construction, a slider at the bottom of the display lets you review these earlier stages of the project.

Users can upload project schedules directly from Oracle Primavera P6 or Microsoft Project management software. The platform translates written schedules into visual information, so users can see which…

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