Autodesk Seek Steps Out From Behind the Curtain

I've spoken about the need for BIM content before, and I'll be speaking about it for the foreseeable future, it's just that big of a need for the marketplace.  In order to design a building using the BIM process, one must have intelligent content.

We at Autodesk have developed a strategy to create a Content Ecosystem for our products, so that the content needed for success is at the fingertips of the people that need it.  There are a number of angles to this strategy, but today I'm going to focus on the Distribution component of the strategy.

Autodesk Seek
When we last discussed this subject, Autodesk Seek was still an alpha and temporarily named Content Search.  The technology has continued to develop, and with the integration into our 2009 family of AEC Design products, Autodesk has formally released itself to the world, in the form of a press release.  I highly recommend that you give it a read and tell your friends.

Now this formality is not the only thing up our sleeve, we are actively working to populate Seek with high quality content to meet the needs of the marketplace.  Without naming names, I can say that we've had some great success working with Manufacturers and 3rd Party Aggregators to develop content for our design applications, and using Seek as the distribution mechanism.  You will hear some more specifics on this subject in the coming weeks.

Still though, there is still need for more participation, and that's where YOU come in.  Yes, you, the dedicated reader of Inside the System.  Last time I checked, Autodesk was not a major specifier and buyer of Building Products.  You all in the design and construction markets are exactly those people, and thus have the largest influence on manufacturers.

So, when the Sales Rep swings by next time to make their office visit, be sure to let them know that you would specify and buy more of their products if they provided you with BIM content.

Here's to being part of the solution.

Comments

[Peter (Australia)]

Wow Kyle, we can tell our manufacturers to get their BIM on here and they will be prefered by many the world over. This should get them a little excited. The format looks great.

[Tomislav Zigo]

Kyle, this is a great step toward a comprehensive BEM resource. One question. Who is having the final word when determing minimum level of techincal accuracy as well as univormity of content related information?

Regards,

Tomislav

[Jarrod Baumann]

While it will be great to have a central location for a variety of products, it seems that in the long run we should be relying on the manufacturers to keep their own product lines up to date. How does a manufacturer keep control of the products listed on your site?

[Kyle B]

Jarrod,
I agree that this is the way to go in the long run. The way that Seek is architected, Manufacturers can still host the content themselves, it will just be searchable on Seek. That way they are free to update the content as product revisions.

There are also options to have us host the content, although we are creating feedback mechanisms for updates if needed.

In the end we are not building this content for manufacturers, so it's up to them and you in the community to enforce updates and quality.

Cheers,
Kyle

[Kyle B]

Tomislav,
We have an internal content team that works with manufacturers to post content to Seek, and are also developing some model documentation.

Ultimately it will be everyone in the community that will be the judges of the content. We are exploring mechanisms for users to rate content and provide feedback. That mechanism should become an intricate part of quality assurance efforts on the site.

I think that the value for manufacturers is to get their products used in Revit models. If users are not satisfied with the quality, then there is an incentive for them to improve that quality.

Cheers,
Kyle