Duscussion about model customisation

[LukeSelvon]

I work for a house builder in the UK, and I figured out a way to let the house buyer customise the revit model using a proprietary url configurator (this is where the customer selects the optional extras they want). Once they have picked what extras they want the model is automaticaly configured to their selection, with dimensions specific to the customisation (which was the really tough part) and the PDF sheets are created and issued to site with the plot number.

Its been in development for about a year now but we have it working.

I was wondering if anyone else had tried anything similar?

For obvious reasons I dont want to go into details about how I managed it but it would be good to hear other peoples thoughts and experiences.

Thanks

[barthbradley]

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@LukeSelvon wrote:

I work for a house builder in the UK, and I figured out a way to let the house buyer customise the revit model using a proprietary url configurator (this is where the customer selects the optional extras they want). Once they have picked what extras they want the model is automaticaly configured to their selection, with dimensions specific to the customisation (which was the really tough part) and the PDF sheets are created and issued to site with the plot number.

Its been in development for about a year now but we have it working.

I was wondering if anyone else had tried anything similar?

For obvious reasons I dont want to go into details about how I managed it but it would be good to hear other peoples thoughts and experiences.

Thanks

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let the house buyer customize the Revit model?  Do you mean let the house buyer pick from available design options - such as an elevation/facade option, a bonus room option, a den option, a 3-car garage option, etc.? If so, why would that involve access to the Revit Model?   Aren't those configurations already fully planned?    

[LukeSelvon]

yes they are. What the automation is doing is allowing us to automate the exact combination of options (combination being the key word because there are infact millions of unique combinations of options that could in theory be chosen) on a single plot specific set of drawings. We could issue the details of every individual option to site and have an administration process in place to convey exactly which options are on which plot, which is what we used to do (and what other UK house builder do) but now we can fully automate that process and eliminate mistakes from multipal conflicting drawings.

[RSomppi]

Can you show us an example of how the process works?

Is it live now?

[ToanDN]

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@LukeSelvon wrote:

I work for a house builder in the UK, and I figured out a way to let the house buyer customise the revit model using a proprietary url configurator (this is where the customer selects the optional extras they want). Once they have picked what extras they want the model is automaticaly configured to their selection, with dimensions specific to the customisation (which was the really tough part) and the PDF sheets are created and issued to site with the plot number.

Its been in development for about a year now but we have it working.

I was wondering if anyone else had tried anything similar?

For obvious reasons I dont want to go into details about how I managed it but it would be good to hear other peoples thoughts and experiences.

Thanks

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My thought is you have done an excellent job.

[barthbradley]

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@LukeSelvon wrote:

 there are in fact millions of unique combinations of options that could in theory be chosen

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MILLIONS!  Okay, I'm totally not getting it -- and it is not for a lack of knowing production homebuilding.  That's my wheelhouse.   So, I'm all ears if you want to elaborate further.      

[Jackie_Balasubramanian-BGL]

@LukeSelvon  Wow , this is something amazing. Can you please show us - how are you currently do it in your company?

[LukeSelvon]

So I'm talking about unique combinations of options. So all the lighting fixed funiture and mechanical options. So if I were to make a drawing with every combination of options that is possible there would be millions. I hope I've explained this, kind of struggling without starting to go through listing combinations.

Sorry if that is a rubbish explaination.

[LukeSelvon]

I'm not currently under an NDA but I'm pretty sure that is on the cards.

What I can do is share a sand box version once it gos live so you can see it working, although all the cever stuff happens behind the scenes so you wont see much on that.

[L.Maas]

I know of companies in the Netherlands who use something like this. Basically a web frontend with configuration options. The client can pick the provided options. With rules in the back end that avoid illegal choices/combinations.

When configuration is complete the data is send to other systems (e.g. ERP, Revit, Word, Excel, Inventor) to create other documents (e.g. quotations, drawings, brochures/datasheets). It is used in many different markets including housing.

Search for (product) configurator software on the internet and you will different companies making this kind of software, one more sophisticated then others.