Taking advantage of Building Information Models (BIM), Innovaya Visual Estimating performs cost estimating accurately, quickly, and intelligently by delivering objects from Autodesk’s and Tekla's BIM applications to MC2 ICE and Sage Timberline. Consequently, it can increase the efficiency of the project estimating process by more than 300%. Visual Estimating’s robust and interactive 3D virtual reality environment also effectively improves communication and coordination between designers, builders, and clients.

Automatic Quantity Extraction
Visual Estimating generates object quantities directly from a design model in a matter of seconds or minutes, depending on the approach selected. The quantities are extracted based on object types and their dimensions. Quantity extraction methods are easily customized and are reusable for multiple projects. The quantities can be organized and saved by different classifications such as CSI or Uniformat. The quantities are also automatically linked with the objects which can be viewed in 3D. Finally, these quantities can be used to create reports in MS Excel or to perform construction system, assembly and item takeoff within Visual Estimating using MC2-ICE or Timberline engines.

Intelligent Assembly/Item Takeoff
With Visual Estimating, the user can takeoff an assembly or item into a MC2-ICE or Timberline estimate. Object dimensions and quantities obtained from a building model can be dragged and dropped directly to constructiion system, assembly or item variables. Visual Estimating has also invented a unique feature that enables the construction systems/assemblies and items to remember which object quantities were dragged to which estimating variables. This allows automatic variable value assignments for all objects of the same type for future takeoffs. This feature reduces a great deal of effort in cost estimating with the potential to automatically perform estimating for the entire project in a few seconds.

Automatic Estimation for the Entire Building Model
With the intelligent variable mappings and automatic associations between MC2-ICE/Timberline construction systems/assemblies and items with design component types, every object can be automatically taken-off into a MC2-ICE/Timberline estimate. This means that all of the objects in a multi-million dollar project could be estimated in a matter of seconds. Once this process is completed, the user can review the estimate item details by selecting any building section or object. They can further refine their estimate using MC2-ICE or Timberline Estimating.

Completely Embracing MC2 and Timberline Estimating Technologies
The MC2 ICE or Timberline databases you use today can be opened and used directly in Visual Estimating. There is no need for any special configuration in order to use Visual Estimating's robust and automated construction system/assembly or item takeoff. MC2 or Timberline estimates can be opened or created by Visual Estimating. There are no intermediate data transformations required! This means, once object quantities have been taken off into estimate items from Visual Estimating, they can be refined, changed, and reported from MC2 ICE or Timberline Estimating using the various powerful tools it provides. Additional cost items can be taken-off into the same estimate with MC2 or Timberline takeoff tools.

Intelligent Change Management
Visual Estimating remembers which objects have been quantified and estimated. At any point, the user can easily identify which objects have been taken-off and which have not by viewing 3D objects in dedicated colors. Also, both quantities generated from the design objects and resulting estimate items are automatically associated with the objects. If the design is changed, Visual Estimating can display changed, new, and deleted objects using different colors, and the new quantities can be automatically updated into the estimate. The cost estimate can be easily adjusted because affected estimate items are easily identified. Our ‘what-you-see-is-what-you-estimate’ theme assures the accuracy of estimates and makes estimating a fun job to do. You really know what has been quantified and what has been estimated.

Interactive 3D Visualization
With our robust true 3D engine, users of Visual Estimating can enjoy the best performance of 3D building model navigation. Easy-to-use 3D user interface controls allow the user to do real-time walk-through and to examine object details. The 3D objects are highly interactive and selectable. Object visibility and transparency can be adjusted by building section or component type. All object properties can be examined. Special object information such as wall layers can also be inspected.

Support for Effective Team Communication
Visual Estimating not only integrates design and cost estimating, it also offers essential functions to assist communication between the project members. With tools such as Markup and E-mailing, Visual Estimating allows the user to enter highlighted comments directly onto a snapshot of the 3D design and send it as a picture, via e-mail, to project members. The powerful easy-to-use 3D navigation features are also useful for presenting design-estimating coordination issues in front of the project team.

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