It's no secret that we are in the midst of the BIM era, where the question is no longer whether or not to use BIM. BIM is here to stay So today, the question centers on the variety of BIM software programs available on the market. How do we choose the BIM software we'll use for our projects?
This is the first question we should ask ourselves when venturing into the world of BIM for the first time, since learning to use software—in any field—is a significant investment of time and money. This doesn't mean we can't switch from one program to another, but specializing in a program is something that requires experience and hours of use to streamline and optimize workflows. On the other hand, there are cases where the decision is not up to us, such as when the decision is made at the company level.
But when the decision does depend on us, we must consider several factors when choosing the software in which we’ll invest a significant amount of time and money to learn. The first step is to identify the area in which we want to work—that is, what we want to focus on within the BIM world, also known as the 7 dimensions BIM:
- 3D Modeling
- Construction Scheduling (4D)
- Measurement and Budget (5D)
- Environmental and Energy Management (6D)
- Facility Management (7D)
Or a more specific trade:
Next, in general, we must take into account a number of criteria that will significantly influence the choice of a BIM program, namely:
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- Types of Projects to Be Carried Out: Designing a single-family home is not the same as designing a hospital, a bridge, or a skyscraper.
- Professional Environment: As we mentioned earlier, the choice of software may be dictated by our company or by our client's requirements.
- Prerequisites: If you have previously worked with a software company specializing in engineering or architecture, you will find it more intuitive to use BIM software from the same company.
- Hardware Availability: This can be a limiting factor when choosing software, although if you want to pursue this professionally, it's very important to invest in good hardware.
- Budget: This is definitely the biggest drawback, since licenses for this type of software are not cheap.
BIM Program: Options
Today, the list of software programs within the BIM environment can be endless, and choosing the most suitable one will depend on the criteria mentioned above, as well as the specific nature of the work we need to carry out. So, to make things a little easier, we’ve grouped the options by the leading software developers, since it’s always a good idea to use well-known software when looking for job opportunities and to ensure that information can be shared without significant loss.
Autodesk
The industry leader—and therefore our top choice. It has been developing software for architects and engineers for nearly 40 years, so it offers a wide range of BIM-compatible products, including its flagship product and the cornerstone of BIM: Revit. A very versatile program with many available plugins that allow you to work with any aspect of BIM, regardless of your specialty, and it also offers the most extensive training resources. This also makes it the most expensive option.
Graphisoft
A contemporary of Autodesk, it is one of its main competitors and also offers a wide range of software programs, though these are more focused on architecture than those of its competitor. Its leading BIM product is ArchiCAD, and it is also recognized as the first software dedicated to BIM. There is a wide range of training resources available on the market, and if you work on small- to medium-sized projects, it may be the best option.
Local Options
Apart from these three major international companies, there are software providers that are widely used locally in each country, such as Nemetschek, which is very popular in the German market, and ACCA, which has a strong presence in Italy and the Iberian Peninsula. For this reason, when choosing a BIM program, it’s advisable to first look at the most widely used local options, which can be a good choice at a lower price but still offer good career opportunities.
Structuralia is accredited ATC (Training Center) granted by the Autodesk Certification Center, which authorizes us as an accredited center to offer online courses on Autodesk software products, ensuring that all of our instructors have been certified and endorsed by Autodesk to teach our training courses on their software.
