New Free Families BIMobject

This is a relatively new site I came across
It is from Sweden mainly European based and Multi Software
At the moment the Revit content is thin… but still check out the Furniture and Tork Dispensers
The Furniture is all modern and very usable the Tork dispenser get used quite a bit in OZ.
A word of warning thou, as usual with most manufacturers Families they are over-modeled and are in need of cleaning….Sill faster than starting from Scratch.

http://bimobject.com/ 

http://bimobject.com/Product 
 

OK Phil this is really cool "Zoom To Awesome"

Have a Beer on Phil Read who shared this awesome Plug.

http://www.architecture-tech.com/2012/09/zoom-to-awesome.html

New York City Sets BIM Standards

The New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) has issued building information modeling (BIM) standards for new public building design projects valued between $15 million and $50 million. The DDC hopes requiring BIM for these projects will establish framework for future construction.
DDC_BIM_Guidelines.pdf

LOD Managment finaly gone Sensible

The United States Army Corps of Engineers, Naval Facilities Engineering Command and the Civil Engineer of the Air Force have released the USACE BIM Minimum Modelling Matrix (M3)
It is the most sensible Document regarding LOD Management in BIM i have seen so far.
If the Matrix from the NATSPEC National BIM Guide or the Object Element Matrix from the VA BIM Guide simply scared the hell out of you.

Have a look at this
USACEBIMMinimumModelingMatrix


They also updated the USACE BIM Requirements
https://cadbim.usace.army.mil/

And if this is not enought for you, have a read throug all the links here
http://revitworx.blogspot.com.au/p/standards-guides.html

New Revit Content from Stonepanels

Stonepanels 
Makers of Light Weight Stone cladding have added Revit content
http://stonepanels.com/cad-bim/
http://www.virtual-strategy.com/2012/08/22/bim-technology-stone-panels-inc-offers-unparalleled-advantages

I added it to the growing list of Manufactures that supply Revit Content.

http://revitworx.blogspot.com.au/p/revit-family-links.html

IFC where it all started 1994 - 2012

What happened
Why does this great Idea of IFC remind me of Linux, Open GL, World peace....
Watch this promotional Video from 1994  its 18 years now what happened...
better what didn’t
Would IFC have truly happened with a capitalistic concept driving it.
Enjoy the video of a truly great idea from 18 years ago.

IFC - Where it all started - The End of Babel - Part 1/2

CASE Expands to the UK

David hinted on a change leaving HOK...
CASE Expands to the UK and Strengthens Role as BIM Educator
David Light will be Director of Implementation and head of a new London-based presence for the firm. Mark Green, who joined the firm in 2009, has taken on the new role of Director of Learning. The launch of the UK office and the firm’s recent appointments signify CASE’s commitment to leading technology innovation through education of the AEC industry.
“With the UK government’s recent BIM requirements on all publicly procured projects, the industry needs as much help as possible to achieve these goals. CASE’s presence in the UK will push these efforts forward.”

AEC (UK) BIM Protocols v2.0 now available

AEC (UK) has produced a good and well written set of standards covering BIM and Revit as well as other Softwares Protocols. Certainly there would be a need to adjust these Documents to other countries or adjust to the local procedures of the industry. But they are a great guide how a good set of documents should look like. 
http://aecuk.wordpress.com/

Navistools - Navisworks SQL database Link

Another interesting development in the spirit of BIM Link, Onetools, FM, Codebook
There are more and more Database plugins available.
BIM seems to move away from the One Database approach to specialised Database Integration, in my view, a commendable development.
Below what the developer has to say
Navistools

Navistools provides a visual portal to Navisworks allowing you to easily link
Navistools provides a visual portal to Navisworks allowing you to easily link, access and manage complete project data and documentation from a Navisworks model which can then be handed over or shared between project stakeholders throughout the design, construction, management and lifecycle phases.age complete project data and documentation from a Navisworks model which can then be handed over or shared between project stakeholders throughout the design, construction, management and lifecycle phases.avistools provides a visual portal to Navisworks allowing you to easily link, access and manage complete project data and documentation from a Navisworks model which can then be handed over or shared between project stakeholders throughout the design, construction, management and lifecycle phases.

ISO/TS 12911:2012 “Framework for building information modelling (BIM) guidance”

BIM Execution plans?

ISO/TS 12911:2012 “Framework for building information modelling (BIM) guidance” is now published and available for use.

Abstract 
ISO/TS 12911:2012 establishes a framework for providing specifications for the commissioning of building information modelling (BIM).
It is applicable to any range of modelling of buildings and building-related facilities, from a portfolio of assets at a single site or multiple sites, to assets at a single small building and at any constituent system, subsystem, component or element. It is applicable to any asset type, including most infrastructure and public works, equipment and material. BIM processes are applicable across the entire life cycle of a portfolio, facility or component, which can span inception to end-of-use. The main user of the framework is the information manager, who utilizes the framework to assist in structuring an international-, national-project- or facility-level BIM guidance document. The framework can also be used for BIM guidance provided by application providers.

Comments from the makers.
This standard was initiated in 2008 within ISO TC 59 SC 13 WG 09. We felt that it represented a missing link : a systematic way for executives, managers and users to share and re-use specific outcomes: it structures the strategic decision on a desired outcome, the managerial consequences, and the required ‘operator’ inputs. The Standard puts stress on the ability to merge such Guidance documents together (to define the BIM execution plan for a project, for example) and to express the requirements in a (potentially automated) testable format .

http://infostore.saiglobal.com

http://www.iso.org

Automated Feature Extraction of pipes now available for Revit

It promises substantial workflow savings of up to 85% 
ClearEdge3D announced the release of its latest product, EdgeWise MEP™ for Autodesk® Revit®. For the first time, users can bring extracted pipes, conduit and other cylindrical mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) elements directly into Revit. ClearEdge3D’s new MEP solution leverages the powerful feature extraction technology of EdgeWise to automatically extract pipe solids from laser scan point clouds.

 http://www.clearedge3d.com/

Autodesk Announces Autodesk Revit LT

Project Spark has been a technology preview at the Labs and has now become Autodesk Revit LT 2013.
It is a simplified 3D building information modeling solution.
The Pricing look reasonable for smaller Practitioners to jump on the wagon.
Read more here.
  news/autodesk-announces-autodesk-revit-lt
  revit-lt-is-announced