🏗 𝗜𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻? Today we see many teams focusing on creating links between closedBIM (closed CAD) and openBIM (open or semi-open CAD (BIM) solutions) - as if this is the key to solving all challenges in the construction industry.
🔓 But let's step back a bit and look at other similar examples. Remember what happened 20 years ago, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗱𝗼𝗯𝗲'𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗜𝗠𝗣. Then, as now, the efforts were aimed at building links between closed and open systems and interoperability between closed and open program parametrics, but....
💁🏻♂️ 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁, 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 - 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘁, 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮. Without unnecessary logic of layers, objects and parameters, just the right data, ready to use. As a result, in the imaging industry few people use in apps, on Facebook, Instagram or as content on any website - closed PSD or open XCF - most use cases use flat and open JPEG, PNG, GIF formats.
📌 Today in construction industry - USD, CPIXML, glTF, DAE, XLSX play the same role in building 3D models ! These formats are taking over interoperability, simplifying and speeding up work. And maybe that's why suddenly ADSK a year ago formed a new alliance AOUSD with Apple, Nvidia and Pixar.
📢 Most people don't need closed PSD formats or complex GIMP files with layer logic. They just want images of objects that can be used on Instagram, Facebook and any other platform.
📌 So it is in construction - 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝗙𝗖𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝘁. Users need flat formats such as USD, NWC, CPIXML, DXF, GLTF, DAE, XLSX that contain all the necessary information on elements, but at the same time these formats are not loaded with redundant logic of BREP geometry construction and internal classifications of this or that CAD and BIM product.
📌 In Germany, 𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗜𝗙𝗖 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻-𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗣𝗜𝗫𝗠𝗟 for their processes (which was also created by the experts who were behind the emergence of the IFC format. The simplicity and quality of CPIXML killed the need to use parametric IFC for demanding processes.
📢 Simplicity and accessibility wins. Everything else is secondary. ADSK and other CAD vendors are trying to come up with a new JPEG format - and in the end it seems that nothing better than USD format will be given to us in the near future.
🙋♂️ Do we need interoperability or do we just need data, that question - to which I don't have a clear answer yet....
17 December 2025
