System and method for modeling buildings and building products

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes causing a building model for a modeled building to be presented on a client computer. The building model includes a three-dimensional scene. The three-dimensional scene includes an individual rendering of at least selected building components for the modeled building. The method further includes permitting a user of the client computer to perform a virtual walkthrough of the three-dimensional scene. In addition, the method includes receiving a user change to the three-dimensional scene via a graphical user interface (GUI) component. Furthermore, the method includes dynamically changing the building model in accordance with the user change. The dynamically changing includes individually modifying an appearance of at least one building component of the at least selected building components in the three-dimensional scene.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method at a computer server of providing building product models and analytics, the method comprising:
 obtaining a computer file comprising a building model for a modeled building to be presented in a three-dimensional visualization on a client device, the building model comprising an initial building product;   determining modeling properties for the initial building product and each of one or more alternative building products wherein:
 for the initial building product and each of the one or more alternative building products, the modeling properties indicate how the respective initial building product or alternative building product should appear when the building model is presented in the three-dimensional visualization on the client device, 
 the modeling properties are based on one or more product attributes, wherein the one or more product attributes of the one or more alternative building products are different than the one or more product attributes of the initial building product, and 
 the modeling properties are additionally based on one or more building-site attributes, the one or more building-site attributes comprising one or more attributes specific to a geographic location of the modeled building; 
   causing the building model comprising the initial building product to be presented in the three-dimensional visualization on the client device via a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows a user to modify a view of the building model;   in response to user input received via the GUI, causing the three-dimensional visualization presented on the client device to replace the initial building product in the building model with at least one of the one or more alternative building products; and   changing an analytical model for the modeled building, wherein:
 the analytical model is used to provide an analytical visualization providing a comparison of selected building products relative to one or more building properties on the client device, and 
 the selected building products are selected by the user from the initial building product and the one or more alternative building products. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the computer file comprises a Building Information Modeling (BIM) file. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more building-site attributes comprise:
 sunlight direction at the geographic location,   sunlight brightness at a geographic location,   an orientation of the modeled building, or   any combination thereof.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 obtaining geographic coordinates of the geographic location of the modeled building, and   determining at least a part of the one or more building-site attributes based on the geographic coordinates.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the analytical model relates to:
 a solar study,   a shadow study,   a wind study,   a renewable-energy study,   an acoustics study,   a natural-ventilation study,   an energy-model study,   a daylight study, or   any combination thereof.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more building properties comprise:
 energy usage,   energy cost,   capital cost,   simple payback,   heating capacity reduction,   cooling capacity reduction, or   or any combination thereof.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the GUI allows a user to modify a view of the building model by selecting from among a plurality of different views. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of different views comprises a plurality of virtual rooms. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the analytical visualization comprises:
 a chart,   a graph,   an animation,   a three-dimensional scene, or   any combination thereof.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the GUI further allows a user to adjust lighting in the three-dimensional visualization presented on the client device. 
     
     
         12 . A computer server comprising:
 a communication interface configured to communicate with a client device;   a memory; and   a processor communicatively coupled with the communication interface and the memory and configured to:
 obtain a computer file comprising a building model for a modeled building to be presented in a three-dimensional visualization on the client device, the building model comprising an initial building product; 
 determine modeling properties for the initial building product and each of one or more alternative building products wherein:
 for the initial building product and each of the one or more alternative building products, the modeling properties indicate how the respective initial building product or alternative building product should appear when the building model is presented in the three-dimensional visualization on the client device, 
 the modeling properties are based on one or more product attributes, wherein the one or more product attributes of the one or more alternative building products are different than the one or more product attributes of the initial building product, and 
 the modeling properties are additionally based on one or more building-site attributes, the one or more building-site attributes comprising one or more attributes specific to a geographic location of the modeled building; 
 
 communicate with the client device, via the communication interface, to:
 cause the building model comprising the initial building product to be presented in the three-dimensional visualization on the client device via a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows a user to modify a view of the building model; and 
 in response to user input received via the GUI, cause the three-dimensional visualization presented on the client device to replace the initial building product in the building model with at least one of the one or more alternative building products; 
 
 change an analytical model for the modeled building; and 
 communicate with the client device, via the communication interface, to cause the client device to provide an analytical visualization based at least in part on the changed analytical model, wherein
 the analytical visualization providing a comparison of selected building products relative to one or more building properties, and 
 the selected building products are selected from the initial building product and the one or more alternative building products. 
 
   
     
     
         13 . The computer server of  claim 12 , wherein the computer file comprises a Building Information Modeling (BIM) file. 
     
     
         14 . The computer server of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more building-site attributes comprise:
 sunlight direction at the geographic location,   sunlight brightness at a geographic location,   an orientation of the modeled building, or   any combination thereof.   
     
     
         15 . The computer server of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 obtain geographic coordinates of the geographic location of the modeled building; and   determine at least a part of the one or more building-site attributes based on the geographic coordinates.   
     
     
         16 . The computer server of  claim 12 , wherein the analytical model
 relates to:   a solar study,   a shadow study,   a wind study,   a renewable-energy study,   an acoustics study,   a natural-ventilation study,   an energy-model study,   a daylight study, or   any combination thereof.   
     
     
         17 . The computer server of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more building properties comprise:
 energy usage,   energy cost,   capital cost,   simple payback,   heating capacity reduction,   cooling capacity reduction, or   or any combination thereof.   
     
     
         18 . The computer server of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to communicate with the client device, via the communication interface, to cause the GUI to enable a user to modify a view of the building model by selecting from among a plurality of different views. 
     
     
         19 . The computer server of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of different views comprises a plurality of virtual rooms. 
     
     
         20 . The computer server of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to communicate with the client device, via the communication interface, to cause the client device to provide the analytical visualization at least in part by causing the client device to display:
 a chart,   a graph,   an animation,   a three-dimensional scene, or   any combination thereof.   
     
     
         21 . The computer server of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to communicate with the client device, via the communication interface, to cause the GUI to allow a user to adjust lighting in the three-dimensional visualization presented on the client device.