Better integration between Forma Site Design and Building Design

[m_almsaafeh]

Hi Forma team

I would like to suggest improving the workflow and data continuity between Forma Site Design and Forma Building Design

Our typical early design workflow starts in Site Design, where we create the overall massing, study building areas, compare options, and run site-level analyses. As the project develops, we may need to take one or more buildings into Building Design for more detailed space planning while still keeping the overall project in Site Design

Currently, I see a few limitations in this workflow:

1. 3D Sketch to Building Design

We often start with basic masses in Site Design and then convert them to 3D Sketch to develop the massing further

However, once a building becomes a 3D Sketch, it seems that we cannot continue the workflow by taking that developed building into Building Design

It would be very useful if a 3D Sketch could be transferred or converted into a Building Design model while preserving its geometry and basic information

2. Preserve Building Design area data in Site Design

This is probably the most important issue for our workflow

For example, a project may contain several buildings. I may want to develop only one of those buildings in Building Design while keeping the rest as Site Design models

After developing that building and defining its spaces, areas, units, floors, and other information in Building Design, I still need Site Design to understand that data

Ideally, Site Design should be able to read the Building Design model's area and program data so that project-level calculations and analyses can include all buildings together, regardless of whether they are Site Design or Building Design models

For feasibility studies especially, maintaining continuous area data such as GFA and program distribution across the entire project is very important

3. Bidirectional editing between Site Design and Building Design

It would also be very useful if transferring a building to Building Design did not make the workflow one-directional

Sometimes after developing a building in more detail, we still need to return to the overall site and adjust its massing, footprint, position, orientation, or other early-stage parameters

Ideally, Site Design and Building Design could remain connected, allowing us to make appropriate changes from either environment while keeping the models synchronized

In general, I think a more connected workflow between

Site Design → 3D Sketch → Building Design → Site Design

would be extremely valuable

The goal is not necessarily to have every Building Design feature available in Site Design, but to maintain geometry and data continuity throughout the design process

This would allow us to start with site feasibility and massing, develop selected buildings in more detail, and still return to the overall project to analyze all buildings together without losing information

[kevin_vong1 · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Thanks for the detailed writeup, this maps closely to how the connection between Forma Site Design and Forma Building Design works today, including its current gaps. We will take your suggested as detailed feedback and I will forward these to the relevant teams. To confirm the current gaps in SD and BD, below is a summary. 

On point 1, converting a 3D Sketch building into a Building Design detailed building is not currently supported. Basic buildings and Line buildings (once released to Basic) can be brought into Building Design as detailed buildings via the Layers menu, but 3D Sketch buildings are excluded from that conversion path today. More detail here: https://help.autodeskforma.com/en/articles/14182447-workflow-between-forma-site-design-and-forma-bui...

On point 2, combining area metrics such as GFA between Forma Site Design and Forma Building Design is also not yet implemented, so a project with some buildings in Site Design and others developed in Building Design cannot currently roll those up into one combined calculation.

On point 3, the current workflow moves a building from Site Design into Building Design as a one-way conversion into a detailed building rather than a live, synchronized link, so there is no built-in way today to push massing, footprint, or position changes back to Site Design after that conversion.

If this answered your question, please consider marking it as the solution. It helps others with the same limitation find the answer more easily.

Best,
Forma Design

[m_almsaafeh]

Thanks for the clarification

This answers my question regarding the current workflow and confirms the limitations I was experiencing

My main intention with this post was also to submit these three points as feature requests, especially the ability to maintain and combine area data between Site Design and Building Design, as this is very important for multi-building feasibility studies

I appreciate you forwarding this feedback to the relevant teams