Archive for the ‘Cloud Computing News’ Category
Get Your 3D CAD for the iPad
AEC businesses that are bringing iPads to the job can get a new, free tool for viewing and marking up large, complex 3D models. The CadFaster application for the Apple iPad®, is available for free in the Apple iTunes App Store. Raimo Kuismin, chairman, CadFaster says:
Our customers are using this app on their iPads to share their models with anyone, anywhere and improve their productivity while they themselves are on the go. We’ve listened to our customers’ feedback and have updated the interface and added support for new features so that it not only saves more time, it’s easier to use. Using our add-in software, compression ratios can be up to 20 times the size of the original model size.
According to the company, most 3D model viewers are generic purpose viewers, with navigation functionalities limited to 3D orbit, pan and zoom. CadFaster|Collaborate™ offers a “natural building explorer environment” which includes a new walk-through mode that allows inside point-of-views of interiors and design details and possible collisions with disparate design elements. For ultimate portability, the 3D models are highly compressed before they are exported and stored in a cloud database. The app also includes demo models to work with.
What’s New in the CadFaster iPad App:
- Walk-through navigation mode
- Turntable navigation model (Z axis lock)
- Fine-tuned user interface for 3D model navigation
- Support for landscape orientation in 3D views
- Support for model measurement during co-browsing sessions
- Various user interface improvements
A new alliance between Reprographic Services Association and PlanSwift brings together a range of construction solutions in the cloud. Architects, engineers and contractors can use the new offerings to view and print construction documents, perform online electronic takeoffs and do estimating, all in the comfort of the cloud.
At the very least, estimators can get the full power of PlanSwift without the upfront cost of the software. Sean Bernat, the partner integration manager at PlanSwift explained it this way:
PlanSwift is pleased to announce this new alliance with RSA and the release of our entirely new Online Takeoff in the ‘Cloud’ solution. Now in conjunction with RSA, PlanSwift’s takeoff and estimating software is being offered as a pay-per-use takeoff solution. Pay-Per-Takeoff can be utilized online in the “Cloud” or through our powerful desktop software. We’re extremely excited about all the possibilities of this partnership…and the reoccurring revenue stream it offers to RSA members!
The new solution marries PlanSwift’s estimating software with RSA’s PlanCommand, a document plan room with distribution options. Estimators use PlanSwift to do material takeoffs right on the computer screens using digital plans, so the need for digitizer boards and doing construction takeoffs manually is eliminated. Read more here.
Pacific Timesheet announced that on January 1, 2012 new SaaS Cloud Crew Timesheet pricing will be available to allow customers the option of paying for services using a variety of license options, including offline, supervisor, timekeeping licenses, time off request and timesheet signature licenses.
With this pricing schedule, only those users with direct access to the system will need to be licensed. However, if customers need field employees or other offline employees to verify and digitally “sign” their timesheets, or make time off requests for time off scheduling, these can be added with discounted licenses.
Jim Dickerson VP of Operations explained:
After testing this new pricing approach with key customer accounts, we have decided to make this pricing option generally available to all our construction and field services customers. The advantage of this pricing is that we allow customers to pay for a variety of licenses based upon access and use rather than just headcount. This will result in significant savings for our customers.
Pacific Timesheet holds a leadership position in the web-based construction and field services time tracking market by providing crew timesheets for employee and equipment. In addition, the company will be adding a variety of materials and activity-based tracking for crews during Q1 2012.
About Pacific Timesheet Enterprise - Pacific Timesheet is a provider of SaaS timesheet and SaaS time tracking, payroll time tracking, time off and absence management, time and attendance, time and labor tracking and project/job and work order time tracking software and services. Its main product, Pacific Timesheet Enterprise, is known for its ease-of-use, flexibility and reliability. Built on platform, database, and browser-independent and provided as a timesheet software as a service (SaaS) or on-premise timesheet software solution. Pacific Timesheet’s Time Management Systems are used across more than 40 industries and by some of the world’s leading organizations such as Applied Materials, Ceres, City of Albuquerque, FMC, Joy Mining, Openwave Technologies, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, NOAA, New Visions for Public Schools, Turner Construction, The Clinton Foundation, University of Massachusetts, University of Virginia, and many more. The Company has resellers in North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. If you need additional information about Pacific Timesheet go to http://www.pacifictimesheet.com, or in North America call 866-416-2061 ext. 1., from outside North America call +1 650-641-2760.
With Textura Corporation’s acquisition of GradeBeam.com, the company has an excellent addition to its existing suite of collaboration products for the construction industry. Since 2004 Textura has developed collaborative industry solutions for construction payment management, Textura – CPM(TM), and for pre-qualification management, Textura – PQM(TM).
GradeBeam.com is a fully managed online communications network built by and for the construction industry. Since 2000, the Chicago-based company has served all of North America, providing a secure, online resource for the exchange of information. By using it, AEC professionals have been able to post, manage and access critical project information at a central location. GradeBeam.com simplified and expedited the massive information exchange that occurs in all construction projects, including invitations-to-bid (ITBs), drawing/specification distribution, corrections, addenda, requests for information and responses.
Adding GradeBeam.com enables Textura to further broaden its existing suite of products and services. Building on the success of PQM(TM) and CPM(TM), Textura’s partnership with GradeBeam.com will create new opportunities to serve the commercial construction marketplace through online bid management systems.
Leaders of the two companies said the combination will create an integrated platform covering the entire construction lifecycle letting the industry focus on building instead of on paperwork.
(Obayashi and Webcor Builders brought this nearly 3 million square foot headquarters to life for ORACLE in 1999. Obayashi expects future projects to get done quicker because of its move to cloud-based BIM. Photo Courtesy Obayashi)
The movement of Building Information Modeling to the cloud got a boost with the announcement that Obayashi Corporation signed an agreement on the joint development of a BIM cloud-computing platform with NEC Corporation and GRAPHISOFT.
GRAPHISOFT has been on the cutting edge of cloud-based BIM with its BIM Server(TM), the world’s first real-time BIM collaboration environment, and the GRAPHISOFT EcoDesigner(TM), the world’s first, fully-integrated building energy modeling application.
Now that a 120-year old major construction firm like Obayashi is doing a companywide rollout of BIM in the cloud the hand writing may be on the wall for wide scale leveraging of cloud advantages. Obayashi says customers will benefit by being able to check the status during design, construction, and completion of buildings, from anywhere and anytime on the web. Basically, it will be information on demand. Because all stakeholders will understand each phase beforehand, consensus can be garnered early in the design process. The company also says that by using BIM this way, each person involved in the building process can cooperate quickly and seamlessly, greatly reducing construction time.
NEC Corporation specializes in integrating IT and network technologies and will be the engine that brings everything together in this deal.
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Cloud News
- Document Capture Technologies-DCMT IP Initiative for Scanning and Cloud Computing Security - Yahoo Finance May 19, 2012
- NVIDIA Unveils Cloud GPU Technologies, Redefining Computing Industry for Third Time - Yahoo Finance May 19, 2012
- Cloud Computing: Google Moves to Get Around ‘Google’s Pet’ Issue - SYS-CON Media May 18, 2012
- Cloud Computing Forum & Workshop V Meets June 5-7 at the Department of Commerce - ThomasNet Industrial News Room May 18, 2012
- Cloud Computing Standards | CTO Power Panel at Cloud Expo New York - SYS-CON Media May 17, 2012
Construction Informer
- Untangling Those Fall Arrest Harness Lines May 15, 2012 dtcraig@constructioninformer.com (Duane Craig)
- Landscape Architects Report on Hot Outdoor Living Trends for 2012 May 9, 2012 dtcraig@constructioninformer.com (Duane Craig)
- Solar Generator Supplies Job Site Power With Plug-In Flexibility May 8, 2012 dtcraig@constructioninformer.com (Duane Craig)
- Prus Construction’s Poynter Named Craft Pro of the Year May 7, 2012 dtcraig@constructioninformer.com (Duane Craig)
- Calatrava’s Fluid Architecture Featured in St. Petersburg May 4, 2012 dtcraig@constructioninformer.com (Duane Craig)
