November 7, 2001—Timberline is introducing two new software products that can cut construction project estimating time and update the estimate as the project evolves. According to Timberline, CAD Integrator, to be released later this year, enables near-instant takeoffs and cost estimates created directly from a CAD data file. It can cut project-estimating time from several days to a matter of minutes. CAD Integrator has been granted IFC certification for Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) Release 2.0 standards, which Timberline says is a first for a construction estimating software program, and Timberline is among only 13 firms worldwide to have received this certification. The International Alliance of Interoperability’s (IAI) IFC standards enable the interoperable exchange of data among IFC-compliant software applications, regardless of the purpose or origin of the program.
CAD Integrator is interoperable with Microsoft Visio 2002 and Graphisoft’s ArchiCAD 7.0. All three applications are also part of the Building Lifecycle Interoperable Software (BLIS) initiative, which was developed as a means to further the widespread adoption of IFC standards within the architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry.
Timberline has also released its Model Estimating software for conceptual estimates. With Model Estimating, an owner, developer, or estimator answers a series of interview-like questions, including type of building use, number of stories, exterior shell type, desired square footage, and others. Timberline says that, backed by volumes of detail, Model Estimating can then come remarkably close to the final estimate. And, with the model’s logic ability, the program immediately updates the estimate as the project evolves and early project assumptions are refined and specifications set. For additional information visit Timberline or call 800/628-6583.
