BIM (Building Information Modeling) Perhaps you’ve heard of CAD (Computer Aided Design).  CAD quickly replaced hand-drafting when the benefits of using the computer began to be realized.  However, CAD was basically just using the computer to make drawings in the same manner that they were drawn by hand.  Only basic benefits at first were realized by the ease in manipulating the graphics within the computer. BIM represents a tremendous leap ahead of CAD.  BIM involves building a virtual model of the project in the computer and then extracting information from that model.  Elevations, sections, floor plans and so on are just views of the 3D computer model with annotations and dimensions added.  What benefit does this offer the home owner and the builder? • Better design communication - Because a 3D model of the house is constructed in the computer, we can view this model from any angle, we can add materials to the surfaces of the model and even see what the sunlight at your site location will look like at a certain time of day and time of year.  A 3D view can be rendered achieve an image of the model that rivals a photograph. • Reduces errors - Since the model is being virtually built, many common mistakes are easily avoided. If we delete a window on the floor plan it is automatically and simultaneously deleted from all elevations, sections and window schedules. 'Clashes' of building elements are easily identified and corrected. Building the home correctly with the computer will make building it on site a smoother process. • Design Options - The 3D model can quickly be edited to show several design variations.  Different materials can be applied and renderings of these variations can provide virtual photographs of different looks to choose from. • Material Take-offs - By building a virtual model of the home, a list of the materials in the model and the amount of each can be derived.  Changes to the model are instantly reflected in this materials list.  While considerable additional time is involved in modeling every small detail and setting up these lists, this can be very valuable to builders that build models repeatedly and want to control costs.