InsiteVR, the popular virtual reality meeting software for architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) announced a new product , Resolve, to further enable large construction projects to review building information models (BIM) on the Oculus Quest. Resolve introduces a new model loading engine, making it the first commercially available solution capable of opening complex building models with hundreds of millions of polygons on the wireless Oculus Quest virtual reality headset.
Resolve provides a collaborative virtual environment for teams to review and interact with building models at full scale – decreasing the number of expensive field errors and late stage changes.
Resolve Introduces a New Model Loading Engine for Standalone VR Devices
Resolve is made possible by a proprietary model loading engine, built in-house. The custom engine can take an arbitrarily complex BIM model and programmatically render high detail content in your field of view while managing the hardware constraints of the Oculus Quest. For maximum comfort and ease of use, Resolve does not rely on a connection to a computer or video stream.
“Resolve harnesses the power of intelligent building models, standalone VR, and cloud connectivity to enable teams to review multi-million dollar construction projects on a $400 wireless VR device. It’s the first of its kind,” says Angel Say, CEO of InsiteVR. “The Quest accounts for over 50% of usage in our software today despite its limitations. Resolve focuses on enabling AEC teams to integrate accessible VR devices like Quest into their risk mitigation strategy.”
Resolve Removes a Critical Barrier to Entry for AEC Teams
Traditionally teams interested in using the Oculus Quest have had to dedicate hours to manually sectioning and simplifying complex models. Resolve enables teams to continuously review projects in VR without worrying about model size. With just a few clicks, teams can virtually review their project together, from anywhere in the world, with no extra work.
“Before everyone started working from home, we were already seeing a surge in meetings due to the ease of use of the new Oculus Quest,” says Russell Varriale, COO of InsiteVR. “Teams seeing the largest ROI from VR meetings have been those where each participant exclusively uses a wireless headset to join a group VR review. That’s really only possible with the Oculus Quest. Resolve unlocks this same ROI for the rest of the industry, no matter the project size.”
Customers with beta access to Resolve have opened files ranging from 1.6 GB Navisworks files to 10 GB Revit files on the Quest.
The Complexity of VR Collaboration
Buildings contain a multitude of systems spanning mechanical, electrical, structural, and architectural designs which require careful coordination to ensure construction is completed on time and within budget. To prevent mistakes on the jobsite, teams have turned to VR meetings to review BIM together before anything is built.
Recent InsiteVR case studies report teams saving upwards of $7,000 for every hour spent reviewing together in VR before construction starts. Each participant joins the meeting using a wireless VR headset to review models together at full, human scale. With Resolve team design reviews don’t have to rely on screen sharing or screenshots which can lead to miscommunication and wasted effort.
Resolve provides teams meeting in VR with a suite of powerful tools including logging issues via speech-to-text, measuring, sketching, and inspecting BIM properties. Resolve Integrates Directly with Industry Collaboration Workflows
Resolve connects directly to Autodesk’s Construction Cloud so teams can easily bring model data into VR and sync issues. Resolve can be used to review Revit, Navisworks, and 70 other file formats supported by BIM 360 Docs.
Resolve is available in early access. Resolve is compatible with the Oculus Quest and has a PC companion app to see what others are seeing in VR. Project teams interested in trying Resolve can request access at https://resolvebim.com.
Autodesk, Construction Cloud, and BIM 360 are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
About InsiteVR
InsiteVR builds immersive VR communication software for the AEC industry to improve project delivery and reduce errors. The company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Brooklyn, NY.
