sketchUcation

Like a pencil:

PlusSpec for SketchUp is the only BIM software that you can actually design with. If you don’t believe us, try it! 2D is not a natural way to view the world. The only reason we used 2D is because up until the advent of modern technology, it was the most efficient way to communicate. Everyone understands 3D, so start making full use of it.

How Design & BIM are supposed to be:

Intuitive, easy to learn, simple to teach, quick to master. Stop wasting your time on software that is expensive, difficult to learn, requires specialization, and does not even allow you to design as it will be built!

BIM (Building Information Modelling):

Every aspect of your model is smart & contains information, such as: quantities, pricing, product names & codes, specifications, warranties, and more.

It’s like magic:

All of our tools are parametric. Never redraw anything again. Simply change materials, heights, thickness and construction types, with a click of a button.

VDC (Virtual Design and Construction):

Design by virtually building your projects. Create 3D details to clarify complex conditions & better design and communicate your intent. The time that you spend validating and creating clear 3D details in the office will save you countless hours of time & vast sums of money (for you and your client) in rework and delays – and even your most inexperienced employees will understand construction.

Freeform:

Use the best of BIM (PlusSpec) and free-form (SketchUp) tools. Say goodbye to software specialization. You can create difficult forms with ease. Your imagination is your only boundary. Focus on design, not modelling!

Generic content is bad news. You need Real Products:

The use of real building products from manufacturers in BIM & Estimating, cannot be understated. You need to use real products from manufacturers so that ‘what you see is what you get’. Stop using generic content that inevitably leads to mistakes in the real world.

PlusSpec has material libraries to suit every region. Currently, we have material libraries for: Australia, USA and UK – with many more to come!

Although the material libraries are a very powerful feature of PlusSpec, we realize that it is simply not possible to have every product from every manufacture in the world. That is why we made it so easy to create, manage and customize your own libraries. Simply grab your phone or search the internet for the product that you are looking for. Take an image, load it into your material creator, and then associate thickness, brand, costs, and any other desired information.

Within a couple of hours, you can easily create every product from all of your favourite manufacturers. And once you have created a material, it will be saved into your individual material library and available for use at any time and in any project (past or future).

Site:

With PlusSpec for SketchUp, you can accurately place your project in Google Earth for schematic analysis, and generate automatic site contours from Google terrain (note: you will still need to have an accurate site survey conducted). You will also be able to easily conduct accurate sun study analysis. By understanding how the sun interacts and affects your projects, you will be able to build better sustainable outcomes – and your client will love you for it.

Combined with SketchUp Pro, you will be able to import accurate site plans from dwg files, and easily form contours from the drawing. Once you have your site modelled, you can easily modify it to suit your project.

Communicate:

When combined with SketchUp Pro, you will be able to communicate, collaborate & create professional 2D documentation, like never before. And when your model changes, so does your 2D documentation.

Tag Tool:

Communication is the key to success.

PlusSpec has taken Communication and Collaboration to the next level with the introduction of a powerful tag tool, which allows you to tag exact locations, products and details within the 3D model. As soon as you place a tag, it will automatically log a time and date stamp. You will then be able to attribute information such as, general notes, cost, urgency, status, and so on.

There are many different tags that you can choose from, representing different requirements, such as: Comments, Draw time, RFI, Suggest Revising, Client Approval, and many more.

Commutation and Collaboration just got made easy!

Total Software Customization:

You are not limited by components/families, or wall types. Every aspect of PlusSpec for SketchUp (3D and 2D) can be customized to best suit your project and your drawing style. PlusSpec has provided you with the ability to create your own products and materials with ease. Customization has never been easier!

How CAD for Construction is supposed to be:

Intuitive, easy to learn, simple to teach, quick to master. Stop wasting your time on software that is expensive, difficult to learn, requires specialization, and does not even allow you to design as it will be built!

VDC (Virtual Design and Construction):

Virtual Design and Construction will enable you to visually explain where and why costs are incurred – and illustrate how clients can get the most out of their investment.

Stand out from the crowd:

In today’s competitive market, you will be competing on each tender with 4-5 other builders/contractors. And to make things worse, you quote for free. PlusSpec will give you a point of difference, and you be able to quote 50 times faster than with traditional methods, whist minimizing error and oversight.

And for no extra work, you can impress your potential client with your 3D model. If they can see it built in 3D, they will be more confident that you have a thorough understanding of their project, and will be the best choice to build it for them in the real world.

Volume Builders:

Volume builders offer clients value for money because they buy in large quantities, and negotiate labour and material supply rates that boutique builders can never achieve.

However, Volume builders spend millions of dollars each year on show homes, and rely on up-selling products. They also need to ensure that they have a thorough understanding of cost from the earliest stages of a new design or upgrade, and minimize wastage on site.

PlusSpec for SketchUp is the only software that accommodates the needs of Volume builders.

Basic, Better, Best:

PlusSpec models can contain endless variations of each product. Your sales team can simply click the product and illustrate the options that are available (eg. ‘good, better, best’), and your clients will be able to see what each option actually looks like in their home.

This makes up-selling easier and more convincing. Not only will you increase your chances of up-selling, but you will drastically reduce the time taken to do selections, and spend less time in the sales office.

This smart modelling process will also significantly reduce the chance of error; your sales team can only select from a pre-determined range.

Endless options/facades/fusions:

Volume builders typically generate ‘base builds’ or ‘master files’, which contain various options that clients can choose from. For example, each base build may have several street-facing facade options, varying floor plan layout options, a range of roof options, and many more.

PlusSpec models can contain endless variations within a single file, and each option can be activated or deactivated with the click of a button.

Site Logisitics & Project Sequencing:

PlusSpec for SketchUp allows you to specify a time sequence and location for everything that you need on your job sites: concrete mixer, bins, fences, cranes, etc. You can even represent the project schedule with a 3D sequencing animation that clearly illustrates every stage of the project.

Save yourself time, money and embarrassment, by making sure that every piece of equipment fits on site, before it arrives on site.

RFI’s (Request for Information):

Imagine if your supervisor or foreman, were able to use the 3D model onsite, to explain project sequencing, details and finishes – or to tag difficulties, or add RFI’s that can easily be sent to the office. Imagine if your on-site trades could get measurements from the model, that are unclear, or missing from the plans. Imagine if you could be notified if a variation request was made onsite.

PlusSpec will change the way that you run your business on site. And, you do not even have to spend a fortune on a state-of-the-art laptop, as PlusSpec runs efficiently on even the cheapest hardware.

With PlusSpec, your employees will be able to act as a cohesive team, whether they are on site, or in the office.

Client Variations:

We all know that variations are common. With PlusSpec, Site Supervisors, Foremen and Trades can use the Tag tool to enter variations in their exact locations in the 3D model, with all of the necessary information. After the variation has been tagged, it can be sent to the office, so that they can understand the variation, formulate the variation, raise a variation to the contract with the client, and then invoice the client, even before the changes have been made.

This will solve 70% of Client, Builder issues. The model can be emailed and opened by the client, and they will be able to visually see the variation, as well as access the information, such as: variation details, cost, time & date, completion status, and so on.

PlusSpec is the solution to your Quoting Nightmares

How Estimating is supposed to be:

Intuitive, easy to learn, simple to teach, quick to master. Stop wasting your time on software that is expensive, difficult to learn, requires specialization, and does not even allow you to design as it will be built!

Fast & Accurate:

With PlusSpec, you will be able to produce take-off’s faster than any other estimating software, and ensure that you are accurate.

Trace 2D PDFs/JPEGs or DWGs:

PlusSpec for SketchUp allows you to accurately scale and trace over existing drawings.

Generic content is bad news. You need Real Products:

Assign real products from manufacturers. Generic content inevitably leads to mistakes. By using the actual virtual products, you will ensure that your take-off and quotation is 100% accurate.

Feasibility Studies have been changed forever:

How often does a project fail due to costs far exceeding a client’s budget? For the first time, you will be able to be aware of project costs, throughout the design process.

Material take-offs can be completed with a single click of a button, and as the design changes, your material quantities and associated items (cost estimate) are updated automatically.

Construction cost estimates have been traditionally based on a sqm rate of the floor area. Working from sqm cost, instead of actual products is highly deceptive and misleading. However, PlusSpec can give you actual quantities of products that you have designed with, so that you can understand cost implications as they happen.

BIM projects should be made up of real building products. Architects, designers and builders spend countless hours designing with BIM software systems that are totally lacking the information for manufacturers. BIM Projects and product specifications have been incredibly difficult to coordinate and keep in sync.

The Solution

What if Architects and builders could design in real-time, with real-world building products, within their BIM Projects?

What if BIM projects were able to specify, cost and procure themselves?

Wouldn’t this provide the ‘I’ for building manufacturers in BIM projects?

But is this even possible – and moreover, can it be kept simple and easy to use?

The Answer

Rubysketch with PlusSpec is a new building, design, planning and estimating BIM software that allows manufacturers to publish entire product catalogues, which enables Architects and Builders to design in real-time with real-world manufacturers building products.

What if BIM projects were able to specify, cost and procure themselves?

PlusSpec allows for unprecedented communication between architect, supplier, quantity surveyor, client and builder.

Rubysketch is the warehouse, in which we build and store exact BIM objects of manufactures and suppliers building products. You are able to simply drag and drop real products into PlusSpec, which automatically stores and generates the product information and manufacturer information, contact details, warranties and specifications.