Low-Cost 4d Bim Modelling: A Comparison Between Freecad and Commercial Software

Abstract

Abstract. The paper aims to investigate the potential inherent in a FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) approach for the 4D BIM modelling using Freecad. In order to reach this goal it shows a comparison of Freecad features with those of commercial software, considering the evaluation of the effective application of this Open Source software in the professional environment, and highlighting the progress in the FOSS BIM area, that still represents an unexplored study field if compared to the vast publications related to BIM modelling that occurred in the last two decades. To this end, the study has been carried out on a singular case study, a steel canopy which has been designed for the urban renewal of a public space in Teramo. Despite its size, the canopy required the definition of complex details. Its structural system has addressed the study to compare Freecad with some software dedicated to steel structures or particularly suitable for the modelling of this specific structural typology: Tekla Structures and Sketchup. Starting from a concise historical reconstruction of the FOSS spread, the paper introduces a brief overview of the potential of Freecad in terms of BIM modelling - also proposing an operational modality to facilitate the drawing of BIM elements within the software - and finally reaching to the examination of three simulations which has been carried. This comparison can be useful to establish the current state of development of Freecad in the field of 4D BIM.

Semantic interoperability for cultural heritage conservation: Workflow from ontologies to a tool for managing and sharing data

“…It is a Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) that is currently found in some investigations on architectural heritage such as Diara and Rinaudo [32], Logothethis et al [56] with the particularity that, acting with an open source and accessible to Python modules and libraries, it can be adapted to the specific needs of the Cultural Heritage sector. Thus Donato and Abita [57] evaluated the properties of this free software against Sketchup and highlighted the ease of exporting files in IFC. It also highlights above all additional workbench available using the admin command or downloading it from the GitHub repository.…”