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The Rise of openBIM: Why Interoperability Matters for Engineering Teams

By Dick Weisinger

OpenBIM is transforming engineering collaboration through its commitment to open standards like Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) and BIM Collaboration Format (BCF). This approach enables seamless data exchange across diverse software platforms, eliminating vendor lock-in and ensuring project longevity. As buildingSMART

BIM vs. CAD: What Every Document Manager Needs to Know

By Dick Weisinger

CAD (Computer-Aided Design) and BIM (Building Information Modeling) represent fundamentally different approaches to design documentation. While CAD focuses on creating precise 2D drawings or 3D geometric models (e.g., DWG files for floor plans), BIM embeds intelligence into objects, enabling data-rich

Engineering Drawings in the Digital Age: Managing CAD and BIM Files with Hyland Alfresco

By Dick Weisinger

Engineering organizations face significant challenges in managing complex CAD (e.g., DWG) and BIM files (e.g., RVT, IFC), where fragmented storage, version control issues, and collaboration barriers hinder productivity. Modern enterprise content management (ECM) platforms like Hyland Alfresco, augmented with specialized

The BIM Interoperability Illusion: Beyond IFC as a Panacea

By Dick Weisinger

The Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) format is hailed as BIM’s universal language, promising seamless data exchange across software platforms. Yet, beneath this ideal lies a fractured reality: lost metadata, conflicting implementations, and persistent workflow gaps that undermine its promise. The

From STEP to Smart Data: The Evolution of IFC in BIM

By Dick Weisinger

The Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) format has undergone a 30-year transformation from a niche interoperability experiment to the backbone of modern BIM workflows. Its journey mirrors the construction industry’s shift from fragmented CAD files to data-rich digital twins. The Timeline: