The collaboration will facilitate easy energy modeling and sustainability analysis for Vectorworks architect users.
COLUMBIA, Md. – Nemetschek Vectorworks, Inc., a provider of intuitive, powerful and practical CAD and Building Information Modeling (BIM) software solutions, and
Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES), a provider of integrated performance analysis software and consulting services for sustainable building design and operation, have formed a partnership that will allow for the collaboration of Vectorworks Architect and IES Virtual Environment software (IESVE).
“The partnership between Vectorworks and IES will result in the first significant energy modeling and analysis solution for a major architectural BIM program using the IFC file format,” says Sean Flaherty, CEO of Nemetschek Vectorworks. “It reinforces our support of the Open BIM movement, as true interoperability allows our customers to work with the best products in each category.”
Nemetschek Vectorworks and IES began collaborating on practical workflows at the early stages of this partnership and have established an effective connection between the two programs using the IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) file format, the preferred Open BIM data model of buildingSMART International. Additionally, since the release of Vectorworks Architect 2013, data can be exchanged via gbXML.
In order to maximize the quality of models being used for green-building analysis, the IFC connection implements a geometry transport of “thick-wall” models for energy analysis (via SpaceBoundary elements) with shading surfaces.
“Interoperability between sustainable analysis tools and architectural BIM is an extremely important part of creating truly sustainable architecturally aesthetic buildings,” says Dr. Craig Wheatley, Director of IES. “The IFC connection, the first of its kind, between Nemetschek Vectorworks and IESVE leverages the power and detail availed by the IFC format.”