UK Data Sources - Zmapping

[Chris_D_UK]

Can we please have access to better context modelling in the UK. The Open Street Map modelling is very poor, with most buildings just crude 3m extrusions, that aren't even snappable (or editable) when transferred to Revit.

We typically use ZMapping (or VU.CITY for some cities) which has much better context data for the whole of the UK. We'd be happy for this to be available as a paid data source, but even happier if it were a free data source! (Heck, looking at their accounts, Autodesk could buy Zmapping Ltd for next to nothing and turbocharge take-up of Forma in the UK).

Comparisons attached of a typical site (Nottingham, UK) in OSM and in ZMaps - no parallel in quality.

[dmacepa]

Agreed. The UK OSM data is not usable in a professional environment

[averylin · Accepted solution]

Hi~

Buildings from OSM can be edited in Forma.(see below)

[Chris_D_UK]

Thanks, that's useful to know - I was referring to editing the imported context objects in Revit, which I don't believe you can do, but this is an option I suppose. It's a lot of work though, and I'd much rather have Zmapping available...

[samarvir_singh_bhayana · Accepted solution]

Hey,

My name is Samar, I am Product Manager in Forma and one of the people working on contextual data. 

First of all , Thanks SOO MUCH for the feedback!

I have heard about this need in UK and We are currently looking into contextual data sources in UK.  :))



Best,

Samar

[Chris_D_UK]

Thanks Samar, that's good to hear. Let's hope the development speed of Forma is much quicker than it is in Revit!

[dmacepa]

Thanks Samar

Good to know. It's great that the OSM data is an option but we do need other options in most cases for contextual data.

[kevin_fielding · Accepted solution]

Chris,

As a crude workaround the following workflow is possible.

1. Link/Import the DWG inside an in-place Site family in Revit.
2. Hide the layers you don't need using visibility and graphics.
3. Export the geometry as an IFC using Shared coordinates.
4. Import IFC into Forma.

Hope this helps.

To Autodesk - Better quality context mapping provides better quality solar analysis. Please allow the ability to import DWGs to a coordinate system inside Forma.