Forida Limited

Enables customized 3D-model viewing across mobile devices

AEC
Facility Management

Founded in 1993, Forida Limited, a Forge Systems Integrator, consults and develops software solutions for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry with a focus on CAD, geographic information system (GIS), and BIM (Building Information Modeling) software systems. The firm is based in Hong Kong where it is one of the biggest Autodesk resellers, an Autodesk Gold Partner, an Authorized Training Center, and member of the Autodesk Developer Network. Forida serves a variety of sectors, including government, commercial, and institutional, providing consulting, implementation, and training support throughout the Hong Kong and Macau region.

Challenge

In both the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) industry and facilities management (FM) industry, companies frequently struggle to locate and solve problems in the multiple internal systems and equipment that run throughout complex built environments and facilities. The inability to visualize data to pinpoint clashes, breakdowns, and failed functionality leaves stakeholders tackling problematic situations blind. This leads to ineffective management as well as costly, time-consuming, trial-and-error repair delays. While firms understand that digital advances are providing more and more tools to help industry stakeholders resolve this challenge, company leaders are reticent to invest in the customization of legacy systems due to perceived unreasonable cost and inefficiency.

How Forida solved it with Forge

In response to customer needs, Forida joined with FM and MEP systems specialist AFM Limited to launch the preliminary stages of developing a web-based viewer that could be easily integrated into customers’ enterprise systems. As an Autodesk Reseller, the company knew that Forge APIs could save considerable resources in place of the creation of an in-house viewer. 

The move was the right one. Forida finds it easy and quick to customize the Forge Viewer per clients’ needs, integrate it into their enterprise systems, and make 3D models available for browser-based viewing. Team members use the Forge Model Derivative API to extract data from models, and the Forge BIM 360 API helps to customize that data extraction according to clients’ requirements. The capacity of the Model Derivative to translate more than 70 file formats makes integration seamless. The Viewer API then retrieves the model data natively from the Model Derivative API and renders a lightweight, 3D model of the facility or built environment, making it viewable in any web-based browser across all devices, desktop or mobile. 

Now, when FM or equipment monitoring systems signal problems, Forida customers can quickly turn to the 3D visualization of the model for answers. Users can query the system database in the Viewer and pinpoint the location of the problem. Model navigation is straightforward, and users can create, update, and track the status of service requests directly in the Viewer. All of this can be done from any connected location, enabling stakeholders to use their mobile devices to study and address problems on-site.

For relatively low cost, Forida customers can keep their fingers on the pulse of their facilities and equipment without sacrificing enterprise systems and investing in additional training, hardware, and software.

Forge highlights include the following: 

  • Reduces development time and cost
  • Simplifies system integration process
  • Enables access to 3D project models across mobile devices

“We love Forge APIs that offer access and extend our data to a wide range of applications to further automate our work processes and workflows.” - Forida

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APIs and Services

Authentication
Authentication
BIM 360 API
BIM 360 API
Model Derivative API
Model Derivative API
Viewer
Viewer

Autodesk Products

AutoCAD
BIM 360
Revit

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