New Challenge
With the release of the updated book Autodesk BIM 360 Fundamentals for Docs, Glue, Build a new era is upon us. Our current offering is based on the "Next Generation" (Next Gen), where all modules are interconnected, sharing the same documents. In the previous "classic" versions of Glue and Field (Build's predecessor), the documents were all contained within the individual modules and sharing information was difficult.
The nature of BIM 360 is that it resides completely in the "cloud" and is "live", which means the traditional ways of conducting training needed to be reconsidered.
Traditionally there is a dataset which resides on the individual student's hard drives. As students complete various exercises, the data will update locally on their computer. However, when data resides in the cloud, it is shared (by its very nature). Thus folders in the cloud reside in BIM 360 "projects", which must be set up by "Account Administrators" prior to the students taking the class. This presents an interesting challenge.
Preparation
As in a conventional class, a dataset for the BIM 360 course is copied onto the students computers. Throughout the course the students will use these files to upload into their project in BIM 360. Therefore, an Account Administrator for BIM 360 must either set up the project prior to the class, or grant the students with administrative rights to set up their project themselves. This is covered in Chapter 1 of the course.
Fluid software
As well as the data, the actual BIM 360 programs (known as modules) resides in the cloud . Therefore, changes to the software can occur rapidly. The BIM 360 software does do a good job of informing us when changes have occurred; however, this also creates a further challenge in keeping courseware up to date in such a fluid environment.
We will monitor such changes on a regular basis and adjust the courseware as required.
Modular approach
BIM 360 is modular. There are a variety of modules currently available with more planned. The courseware focuses on three modules:
- BIM 360 Docs, covered in Chapters 1 through 4 and Chapter 8
- BIM 360 Glue, covered in Chapter 5
- BIM 360 Build, covered in Chapter 6 and 7
As more modules are launched, we will evaluate if more training content is required.
Conclusion
We are excited about the BIM 360 products and our current courseware. We anticipate that this excitement is reflected in the course and propagates to the students.
If you are interested in learning more about ASCENT’s offerings for the 2020 release, please watch our recent Webcast - https://youtu.be/yVEcM8ah-U8
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