3D data is more realistic, easier to interpret, can capture more attributes and allows the structure to be portrayed in its environmental context.

Click here for a 2 minute animated presentation of 3D model benefits.

Advances in software have made the creation of 3D models more affordable with reduced data file sizes.

Furthermore, with Autodesk’s free Design Review viewer, 3D models can be easily visualized and interrogated by anyone regardless of skill level.

Models are powerful tools for understanding complex, real-world systems.

They are used to visualize attributes and physical relationships, as a tool to enable “what if” deliberations when attributes or relationships change, and to communicate key characteristics to various stakeholders.

In the A/E/C/ industry, models are increasingly being used both as a precursor to new construction and to understand as-built conditions prior to adaptive re-use or rehabilitation.