Igloo Vision, a UK-based specialist in shared immersive spaces, has entered into a partnership with Singapore-based VRcollab, aimed at opening opportunities for companies to make better use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) software.
The partnership means that any company across the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector will be able to enhance the way it currently visualises, designs, collaborates, and engages using BIM projects.
Igloo Vision’s immersive technology is already used by a number of AEC enterprises. The Igloo Immersive Media Player integrates out-of-the-box with a wide range of industry-standard 3D design, visualisation, coordination, and planning tools. This frees models from paper plans and computer screens. Inside an Igloo immersive space, entire teams can walk around and manipulate a virtual model of their BIM projects.
VRcollab is a tool designed to empower both BIM users and non-BIM stakeholders. VRcollab integrates with a variety of BIM software — Revit, Navisworks, Rhino3D, Archicad, Sketchup — to take the 3D data from projects and create a virtual reality model with one-click exports. The 3D VR space created can then be accessed remotely from anywhere in the world. Crucially, projects become simple to understand and view for stakeholders unfamiliar with BIM models.
“What excites us is that VRcollab not only makes it easy to bring BIM projects into the Igloo space but that it can connect people from outside to join the virtual model,” said Colin Yellowley, founder and managing director of Igloo Vision. “And that’s what Igloo immersive tech is all about, shared virtual reality for collaboration. It’s possible to get entire teams inside a model at once, and that means it’s easier to explain, it’s easier to communicate. And with VRcollab, it can add people outside the immersive space to join the virtual model. You can use VR headsets alongside your immersive space, or your immersive space alongside your headsets. It’s simple to get your BIM data VR-ready and connectable for anyone.”
“Igloo Vision brings out our vision of making BIM accessible. Igloo’s immersive technology makes coordination meeting much more interactive for all project stakeholders. It adds a whole new dimension to how we visualize BIM,” said Gong Yiwei, co-founder and CTO of VRcollab.