The Wild

For better project decision making in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, designers and contractors need to experience projects as more than just plans and paperwork. From the standpoint of  The Wild, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) hold the key to an experience that most closely replicates a finished project. The Wild enables stakeholders to experience building designs—before breaking ground—in data-rich, interaction-heavy 3D spaces. By bringing previously siloed data into VR and AR, The Wild helps people make decisions based on what they see, with the data they need at hand instantly.

The Wild’s integrations with Revit building design software and BIM 360 construction management software enable real-time, lifelike collaboration inside these specific Autodesk software-based models. In addition, a new integration launching soon will let any Navisworks user bring federated models into VR to review it with teams.

Challenge

Viewing project renderings in 2D and 3D is commonplace today—yet even these sophisticated tools have their limitations. AEC professionals can visualize finished projects from early designs, but stakeholders outside of these professional spheres may not have this capability. In addition, decision-makers may be physically far from a building site, yet still need to weigh in on options as a project moves forward. Data can pose its own limitations: The variety of formats, and the ability to translate data, slows down this critical decision-making process.

How The Wild solved it with Forge

The Wild is an immersive AR/VR design collaboration platform that the firm created with the Forge platform to bring data into BIM (Building Information Modeling) software systems. The Wild makes complex designs immersive through the use of standard, wearable VR hardware, such as Oculus Quest. As project participants virtually view and move around inside models and designs, they can make changes on the spot, all of which instantly update in the building model. The concept is that files and formats simply “fade away.” Viewers can focus on the design itself instead of wasting time on inefficiencies created by incompatible systems.

The Wild team harnesses the Forge APIs to do the heavy lifting of connecting The Wild for BIM 360 to Autodesk Construction Cloud, bringing data out of silos to increase project workflow efficiency. Using the Forge Model Derivative API, The Wild can seamlessly share designs and data in different formats, empowering project leaders to move ahead with necessary changes and decisions. The firm uses the BIM 360 API to replicate an intelligent model’s structure—another way The Wild platform can eliminate the need for data translation. The Webhooks API enables The Wild platform to receive notifications of changes to files.

The Wild’s upcoming integration—with Navisworks project review software—further streamlines the process of synchronizing clients’ content and pushing it into this immersive, collaborative VR/AR workspace. Navisworks users can export local model files to The Wild, and as changes are made locally in the Navisworks model, they update automatically within the cloud-based “building” where headset-wearing team members make more-efficient project decisions in real-time—regardless of their individual “real-life” locations.

Click here for additional reference materials on their BIM 360 integration or to request a follow-up from The Wild regarding other integrations.

Forge highlights include the following:

• Creates fully accurate 3D VR renderings of projects.
• Enables real-time design changes from within The Wild’s immersive platform.
• Reduces the need to build complex solutions in-house.

APIs and Services

BIM 360 API

Model Derivative API

Webhooks