A 4D BIM platform for temporary works and improved interoperability were two of the winners in an innovation challenge led by Trimble’s SketchUp division.
The 0-60 Challenge invited entrepreneurs, early-stage startups and developers to use SketchUp to develop transformative technology solutions that solve common industry pain points.
First place went to ScaffPlan, which developed an extension that allows temporary works companies to create detailed drawings and documentation for scaffolding, formwork, propping and shoring projects in SketchUp. The solution solves the complex challenges faced by temporary works companies by optimising material use and enabling precise delivery scheduling to reduce waste and delays. It also facilitates accurate onsite installation, compliance with stringent legal requirements, and thorough identification and mitigation of safety hazards.
Second place went to Skema’s new integration that addresses the need for greater interoperability between SketchUp and Revit. The integration provides designers, developers, builders and owners with a seamless way to leverage SketchUp’s early design capabilities to develop digital models more quickly for project delivery. This process reduces data loss and minimises the need to remodel, allowing users to work more efficiently and confidently.
And in third place was a SketchUp plugin from Spacely AI that accelerates the creation of high-quality renders of interiors by auto-populating 3D spaces with the appropriate entourage. By populating and rendering stylised 3D spaces, the solution allows interior designers to reduce costs and explore greater creativity.
Classifying components in IFC4
Scene Intelligence, a SketchUp plugin created by Loci that uses AI models to classify components in SketchUp to IFC4 standard at the click of a button, won the Amazon Web Services ‘Scaled Thought’ Award. Extracting precise data from designs and manually labelling components is tedious and error-prone, often leading to incomplete or inaccurate data. Scene Intelligence makes it easy to filter and view critical elements such as furniture and structural components, and generate an accurate bill of materials in minutes rather than hours.
All features of these plugins are available to download and try on the SketchUp Extension Warehouse.
“The ideas and solutions that came to light through the SketchUp 0-60 Challenge are nothing short of transformative,” said Christopher Cronin, vice-president and general manager for architecture, design and education at Trimble SketchUp.
“We created the challenge to stimulate creative problem solving, encourage collaboration and connection, and help turn ideas into solutions that will have a real-world impact on workflows. Together with a talented third-party developer community, we are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and seeing how the integration of AI unlocks new levels of efficiency, interoperability and creative exploration for the SketchUp community.”
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