Worth learning computation and automation with Dynamo and Python?

[Ivan B]

Good time of a day!

I have learned Revit (MEP part ) with a bit of Architectural. What drove me towards Revit and AEC BIM in general- is collaboration, innovation of engineering processes and the Data.
The data alone and its capabilities have an enormous prospect of disrupting how we implement design and make the most out of 1 and 0's.
Therefore most overlooked tool in the MEP environment - Dynamo has a lot of potential in bridging the gap between the model and the data analytics.
My question would be:
How do you think, will learning Dynamo and Python be beneficial for the learner, even if at the moment there is not much of demand in BIM designers with computational data intent?


Thank you

[Wanderer]

Moving this from BIM Management to the Dynamo forum, as it may be better served here.


Dynamo is a REALLY hot topic at my Revit User Group this past year, once they saw a demo, everyone has been asking for more, and we're setting up a half day workshop so people can bring in their laptops and get hands on. As someone who has always focused on data, it is exciting to me to see more accessible tools out there to help adoption and appreciation...
There are also some Dynamo-focused User groups forming, I think there are only a couple actually registered here on AUGI, but, I think there are more out there from the social media chatter I've seen.

[Ivan B]

Dynamo and Python go hand in hand forsure. It makes whole learning process a bit more complex, but opens up enormous possibilities of control. I am into data as well, this is why AutoCAD never appealed to me that much, but Revit tick all boxes. Dynamo just makes it even better. I see a day in a future where we will be able to align data from different AEC sources, Open data and big data alike. This makes me think the next big step for me would be a data science MSc or similar course in statistics.
I think I have found something I really enjoy.

[Wanderer]

Dynamo and Python go hand in hand forsure. It makes whole learning process a bit more complex, but opens up enormous possibilities of control. I am into data as well, this is why AutoCAD never appealed to me that much, but Revit tick all boxes. Dynamo just makes it even better. I see a day in a future where we will be able to align data from different AEC sources, Open data and big data alike. This makes me think the next big step for me would be a data science MSc or similar course in statistics.
I think I have found something I really enjoy.

I started in MEP in facilities, and that's what got me hooked on the data, and appreciative of Revit because it's so much easier to get data into and out of. Glad I'm not the only one who got hooked. lol.

I actually started an MS in Applied Analytics (they called it Organizational Informatics when they first started it), but, had to put it on pause when I was preparing to switch jobs. Fascinating stuff, though, both statistics and logical analysis. I thought about doing my thesis on topics surrounding that NIST study on interoperability and the billions of dollars of waste in the industry. That was a bit out of date even then, would be even worse by the time I can get back and finish, though and I doubt there are any decently comprehensive data sources to reference.

At any rate, back to your original query... there may not be a specific demand for data literate designers, however, I firmly believe having specific skillsets like that would make job candidates stand out.
Say 'analyzed project pitfalls that had cost X dollars on past projects and reduced that by 50% in future projects, saving company an estimated XX dollars per year for the next decade' or 'sped up as-built turnover by X% through automating corrections, saving an estimated X per project, Y per year.'
They don't know they need that data and likely never will know it, so you've got to frame it as something just as valuable as a degree or x years of design experience.

[Ivan B]

I think the best implementation of the cross-discipline data management lies in the BIM coordination domain. I see it as the command center of the AEC industry, where business processes, engineering, and operations are coordinated, based on the data analytics, automation, and predictive planning. BIM coordinator of the future will be able to direct information flows intra and extra-departmentally with the benefit of the seamless, waste-free delivery of the project up to the decommissioning, beyond 5D.
Any company with the right vision of the industry trends can become a champion and deliver sophisticated, customer centered, user-friendly projects with the best bang for the buck, constantly. This is why the real uniqueness of the current disruption of the industry leads us to the merge of the marketing, managerial, data analytics, and engineering skills which can be delivered either by promoting the matrix model of company organization or leveraging individual skills of the workforce.

AEC is the most exciting industry to witness at the moment, even more, disrupting than pharma and biochemistry.