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What on earth does BIM have to do with a load of shrubs? That may well be your first reaction when you look at the title, BIM for Lansdscape, but all of the principals and workflows that relate to BIM in construction can be equally applied to landscaping. This is the message that Jonathan Pickup is broadcasting in his series of ShortSharpManuals and online CAD movies, which look at the terrain modelling and landscape design within Vectorworks. The architectural design software contains a Landscaping module alongside architectural modelling, studio lighting and others.

The essential function of BIM, Jonathan says, is that information is attached to objects in addition to that displayed with the geometry of the model. A plant, for instance, has both 2D and 3D representations, but may also have plant data attached to it, from the amount of water needed for irrigation to a link to maintenance requirements. Hard landscaping might have embedded energy calculations for each square metre of concrete laid.

So, besides creating plans, sections and details for a landscaping project, information about plant populations, areas of soft and hard landscaping and other features are readily available.

BASIC LANDSCAPING TOOLS
Although landscape design is traditionally done in 2D, it may be easier and quicker to create plans, sections and elevations in 3D. This makes it easier to change or update plans and sections, and to import 3D objects with real sizes and volumes. Within Vectorworks there is a large number of different types of objects with specialist tools that facilitate their placement within the landscape model. Plants, for instance, can be placed singly or in multiple patterns, parking spaces have different configurations, landscape walls have arcs and bezels that can be incorporated into their design.

All objects, therefore, have data attached to them, with nothing other than practicality to limit the scope and amount of that data. As the purpose of BIM is to share that information with other professionals, there are standard file formats, such as IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) that allow architects using different design applications to import and use that information within their own models.

VECTORWORKS SITE MODELS
The initial information required for the Site Model, derived from 3D survey data, is used to create a hybrid object within Vectorworks, that can be displayed in 2D showing contours, or in 3D as a terrain model with contours extruded (placing the cursor at any point on a contour shows its height). The Site Model is used to place buildings, trees and other landscaping features and, when rendered, to provide more realistic visualisations for clients.

Because the Site Model will also include geolocation information you can use it to do solar studies for any building placed on it, BIM information having already been accumulated that can be used by the architect designing the building. Similarly, cut and fill calculations can be made to accommodate the building, or to site an adjacent car park. Any significant earth moving can be used to create reports that detail the area and total amount of cut and fill required, enabling civil engineers to both plan the operations and estimate costs.

SITE MODIFIERS
Vectorworks provides a number of tools that can be used as site modifiers. This allows features such as roads, hardscapes, landscape walls, stake objects and other objects to be created. Site modifiers, obviously, modify the terrain surface, but, as editable 3D objects, provide intelligent constraints that modify an object behaviour. They respond to features like Grade Limits, which prevents objects like garage driveways from being created if they would turn out to be too steep! Another feature, pads, shows how much of a site would be affected by creating a 3D site modifier.

PLANTS AND SHRUBS
Plants in Vectorworks, like other objects, come in three parts - the 2D and 3D components, and the associated plant data. Placing a plant makes all plant data available - to create a full report from the 2D representation, or to control the look of a 3D plant model - how it looks in different seasons and so on. Plants can also be inserted into a Landscape in a number of ways, by clicking on the Plant tool in the Site Model tool set and defining the plant settings before it is placed, and then clicking on the required location to place the plant - or by using the Poly-Vertex Placement Mode on the Tool Bar for placing multiple plants based on where you click. Each click places a plant like dropping seeds into a trench!

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