Bradley BIM-Revit Resource Portal

Andersen Windows - Revit models were my first exposure to a Building Product Manufacturer (BPM) supporting the Revit - BIM process.

For several years I implemented clients' Autodesk ADT \ Autodesk Architectural Desktop -- with almost no BPM support. Basically, we had to create all of our BPM content for Desktop...which limited our implementations.

When I installed Revit 4.0 in 2002 and saw Andersen Windows Revit families, it grabbed my attention. A manufacturer supporting Revit!

The Andersen Window families shipped with Revit software and were included in the sample library.

Autodesk then moved the Andersen Revit families to what is currently the online Archived Revit Content Library. When Autodesk obtained the Manufacturers' Revit Library BIMWorld.com; they transitioned the site content into today's Autodesk Seek.

As Revit software evolved, Autodesk Seek was incorporated into the Revit software; as a convenient BPM Search Engine to Find and Download BPM Revit models.

Revit Implementations Value BPM Model Content

Integrating BPM Revit content into our clients' Revit implementations was an important cost saving process. We minimized our library modeling costs to setup our clients' standard Revit library and kick-start their first "Revit pilot project".

Looking back --Here are links to the 5 BPMs; that offered significant, pre-built Revit family content to kick-start my clients’ Revit implementations and library standards. 

#1 - Building Product Manufacturer (BPM) Website Hosts BIM Files

Typically, a Building Product Manufacturers' (BPM) Marketing Department creates BIM files to promote the specification of their products; within their clients’ BIM design projects.

While BIM files promote the manufacturer’s brand; successful pre-built BIM files provide real cost-savings to the BPM's design + contracting customers. BPM BIM files provide the manufacturers' distribution network with digital planning tools to assist designers + contractors' with their project product selection process.

Logically, a Marketing Department should choose the building product manufacturer's website as the first and best location for file-hosting of their BIM files.

1. Links to the BPM's digital design files (BIM, CAD, Specifications, Product Tech Data Sheets) should be prominently displayed on the front page of the corporate website

2. Indicate the BIM file-types of your products for your clients to download. (Revit, ArchiCAD, Vectorworks or Bentley BIM files)

3. Within the BIM Library, populate product images, contact links, product warranties, construction specifications and tech data sheets around your individual BIM files.

Fact: Designers expect to find and search for a BPM's BIM files on the BPM website, first. They assume the most current files are located on the BPM website with all supporting documentation.

Tip: Do not syndicate the BIM Files with BPM BIM File Library Websites or BIM File modeling service websites; until the BIM library is completely hosted on the BPM website.

For example, our corporate BIM Library website annually delivers more than 6 million Revit model downloads to our visitors. Collectively, four different BIM Libraries that host \ syndicate Bradley Revit models, achieve only 10% of our total annual website downloads. 

The Bradley BIM library was hosted on our corporate website for 18 months; prior to adding other BIM Library services. BPMs want the majority of ALL visitor traffic to come to the BPM website. Links to the BPM BIM library files, should NOT take their visitors to their BIM Library; that is NOT on the BPM website.

#2 - Know Your Client Market & Design Tools

Where are you selling the majority of your products? USA? Europe? UK? Middle East? China? Australia?

What BIM software are your design and construction clients using in your major sales market(s)?

My April 2014 Revit \ BIM article for Sourceable.net (Australia) reviews the potential savings from carefully selected, pre-built Building Product Manufacturers' (BPM) BIM content for BIM-based projects and office BIM standards.

Sourceable.net (Australia) Article

Pre-built Manufacturer BIM Content Can Deliver Savings

Excerpt: Leading Building Information Modeling (BIM) software packages such as Autodesk Revit, Bentley Microstation, Graphisoft ArchiCAD and Nemetschek Vectorworks provide libraries of free generic BIM content in their respective BIM file formats.

However; without reliable BIM content produced by Building Product Manufacturers (BPM), projects produced by designers with BIM software; will be greatly limited to create accurate construction documents.

Read Complete Article:

Pre-built Manufacturer BIM Content Can Deliver Savings

My thanks to Excel Engineering Inc in Fond Du Lac Wisconsin for their permission to use their CrossWay Church \ Germantown WI Revit project image for my Sourceable.net BIM BPM article.

Additional Building Product Manufacturer (BIM) Content Articles

My First 5 Revit Family Manufacturer Content Websites

Bentley AECOsim Building Designer Reads Manufacturer Revit Family Files

Bradley BIM Library Available for Vectorworks Service Select Members

Bradley Revit Family Secrets | LOD – Level of Development

Key Costs for Building Revit Families

Daniel Hughes, Bradley Corporation BIM Strategist will be a speaker and member of this panel discussion at Ecobuild America 2012 in Washington DC on December 5, 2012.

Session: S510: [session event page]

• "Optimizing BIM Constructability & Costs Using Building Product Manufacturer Content"

Session: T2W5 Bradley Corporation 2:30 - 2:50 PM - Dec 5

• "Revit Family Secrets Revealed | Bradley BIM Library"

Technical session reveals Bradley's Top 7 Revit Family Secrets (processes) that are applicable for every organization creating Revit family models. The Bradley BIM Revit Library contains 1000+ families created from scratch; using a proven, consistent guide of methods, standards and quality control to serve the entire AECO community.

Enjoy 15% Savings - Register Using Bradley's Speaker Priority Code: SPK12

• Register using our code to obtain FREE access to our session PLUS save 15% on any of the passport packages to the remainder of the conference.

• You will also get a FREE admission to the Keynote and Expo.

Ecobuild America 2012 Registration | Apply Priority Code 15% Discount:

• Go to http://www.aececobuild.com/registration and when prompted for a discount code at checkout, enter this Priority Code: SPK12

Daniel Hughes | Bradley Corporation BIM Strategist

Download the single-page Bradley Revit Resource Links | Reference Guide to take full advantage of ALL the Bradley BIM online resources.

The Bradley Revit Family Link Guide helps architects, engineers, contractors, facility owners easily find the key online Bradley BIM resource links.

• Download Bradley BIM Revit Library Resource Links Handout

Visit the Bradley Product pages from which the Bradley Revit Family Library was built.

Related Articles

• Bradley BIM Initiative | 3 Years Serving Architects-Engineers-Contractors-Facility Owners
• 1000 Bradley Revit Families + 90 Years of Global Project Installations
• Download Bradley Revit Family Library From Autodesk Seek Building Product Manufacturer Revit Library
• Daniel Hughes – New Corporate BIM Strategist for Bradley Corporation

June 30, 2013 marked 2 major milestones created by the Bradley Revit Family Library (1,000+ Revit Families);

1. the Bradley Corporation Bradley BIM Initiative celebrated its 4-year milestone of serving a global community of architects, engineers, contractors and facility owners with the Bradley Revit Family Library.
2. More than 2.5 million Bradley Revit family models were downloaded from the Bradley Revit Family Library from January 2013 - June 2013.

In June 2009, The Bradley BIM Initiative was launched to provide Revit family models of Bradley's plumbing fixtures and specialty equipment products.

The Bradley BIM Initiative has grown to address the needs and ongoing requirements of Revit BIM-based processes for design and construction organizations.

Here are several ground-breaking milestones achieved by the Bradley BIM Initiative over the last couple years.

January 2011: Bradley began soliciting review and feedback from several government-based entities that were driving BIM standards. This connected Bradley with the US Army Corps of Engineers and the evolving COBie and SPie Initiatives.

• COBie Parameters Coming With Bradley Revit Family Library 2012 Updates

• Visit Bradley Revit-BIM | US Army Corps of Engineers-ISC | Atlanta June 14-17

March 2011: BradleyBIM.com technical customer service blog was launched to;

1. Provide Revit BIM Managers a transparent review of how the Bradley Revit Library components were created
2. Inform and technically assist Revit users to leverage Bradley's lean and optimized Revit family library for their organization's project standards.

April 2011: Autodesk Seek started delivering Bradley Revit Models to Revit users from the Autodesk Seek website and through the Autodesk Seek toolbar within Revit software.

• Download Bradley Revit Family Library From Autodesk Seek Building Product Manufacturer Revit Library

January 2012: The Bradley Revit Family Library exceeded 1000 Revit Family models

• 1000 Bradley Revit Families + 90 Years of Global Project Installations

May 2012: Bradly kicks off a new partnership with e-SPECS to help designers auto-create their specifications as Revit family components are added to the Revit model.

• Bradley Revit Family Library Joins E-Specs Integrated Specifications Program

Bradley is grateful for the ideas we've received from the Revit users; that have provided feedback on their experiences with our Revit Families. Their feedback is documented on our Bradley BIM FAQ page.

Please use the Bradley BIM Contact Us Page to send your comments, ideas and suggestions.

Rick France | Revit Trainer-Consultant| Hagerman & Co - Atlanta, GA

"I have my Revit students create an office building in Revit. I use the Bradley Revit Toilet Partition Stalls to show my design and construction professionals how to download a Revit family from the Autodesk Seek Revit Family Manufacturer Library into their office layout.

They can see how Autodesk Seek works...and its an example of a pretty cool Revit Family...it shows them what they can do with Revit Families at some point in their future projects."

Rick called Bradley with Revit questions regarding the Bradley Revit toilet partitions. I asked him for his email address for our client care records. I recognized his email address belonged to an Autodesk Reseller-Consultant.

I asked Rick how he, as an Autodesk Revit Reseller-Consultant was using the Bradley Revit Family Library. He then shared the "short story" (above) of his training process.

Thanks for sharing your Revit training story Rick. I've provided several links to Hagerman's corporate website and Rick's Atlanta GA office web page for your review.

Hagerman & Company Inc Website

Rick France | Professional Bio and Credentials

Recipient of the Autodesk 2008 Americas ATC Instructor of the Year Award for North and Latin America.

• 6 Years Experience as an AEC and MFG Solutions Engineer with an Autodesk Reseller.

• 24 Years Experience in Design & CAD Supervision, Training, and Development; Networking, Installation and MIS / IT Management; Web Design, Development, Hosting and Integration.

• 32 Years of Experience as a Designer/Drafter in Process Plants, Mechanical, Piping, Electrical, Structural, Architectural, Facilities and Electro-Mechanical,.

• Autodesk Partner Services Certified. Training and Support with the following Autodesk Products: AutoCAD (ACAD), AutoCAD Plant 3D and P&ID, Inventor, ACAD Mechanical (AM/MDT), ACAD Electrical (ACE), ACAD MEP (AMEP/ABS), ACAD Architecture (ACA/ADT), Revit MEP, Revit Architecture and FM Desktop.

• Subject Matter Expert (SME) for 2008 & 2009 AMEP Autodesk Official Training Courseware (AOTC). Customizing and Automating; Database Integration; Programming; AutoLISP and VBA; Script & Shape Files; Macro's; Menu Development; Networking; Scanning; Supervision.

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