Sort of announced at this years YII 2017. See 'Digital Workflows for the Digital City', about 23 mins in.
I wonder how much is different or new, compared to vanilla Aecosim.
How much integration is there with OpenRail ConceptStation, the new OpenRail Designer, OpenRail Components Center, Station and Platform Design and Analysis and Construction Sequencing etc?
Potentially very exciting news for Aecosim users.
1. Aecosim uses the Data Group System, but I think OR CS, OR D, OR CC etc will probably be on Items. Will Aecosim SD be used as the test bed for a move to Items? Ditto for F&P to Element Templates?
2. Paramteric modeling: I suspect that the parametric modeling tools in OR ConceptStation are based on OpenBridge Modeler, while OR Designer is probably based on OpenRoads Civil Cells' constraints/rules-based modeling and Roadway Designer's parametric sections. I wonder if the parametric tools can be adapted to support more non-bridge or roadway design elements. Civil Cell's view-dependent display handlers being one possible tech transfer opportunity. Parametric Content Modeler to be based on OBM? I can see the rules/constraints-based approach used by CivilCells and OpenRoads being used to design tunnels without too much additional work. In conjunction with GC?
There might even be an opportunity to adapt some of OpenRoad's terrain modeling tools for use by landscape architects... that will be part of any station / corridor design team. Context Capture, Lumen RT / Vue are already waiting in the wings for those essential landscaping renders and animations for stakeholder approvals and public examinations.
3. Signaling and signage / wayfinding design. This is a big deal for station design. It would be good to see if Aecosim SD can provide some tools here. Signaling, OHLE and other railway systems elements will probably be done in OR Designer / Power Rail, using a library of Functional Components stored in OR CC. Station signage and info screen design will usually be done by the architect/wayfinding consultant; but I can see this also being modeled in OR Designer. The OR Designer user would just activate or exchange to the architectural model and move or mod the element, verify the problam is solved and return to his model.
I suspect that the linear track view-based animation tools developed for OR Designer would be easily transfered to Aecosim. Actually, it would also be good to allow Aecosim users to borrow Descartes' advanced sections and synchronised view tools... without having to load Descartes fully as a Companion. A lot of the design will be based around verifiying sightlines, CCTV camera coverage being one example. Decartes' 3d photo browsing and retrieval system would be pretty helpful to have.
4. Pedestrian flow: This is the key driver for station design. Maybe Bentley should talk to Legion, and create an ISM or bridge app between Aecosim and Legion. Probably a great opportunity for cloud-based processing. ProjectWise Legion Services? Legion models take a lot of time to set up and run. It would be good to be able to make this much less painful. Ped modeling is currently very / too expensive. Aecosim Pedflow Simulator? This kind/level of modeling is not normally needed for most building types, typically only for transport, sports and other assembly-type buildings. OTOH, means of escape/ life safety design being a lot easier and prescriptive, can be provided as a byproduct. Vectorworks, a much more modest app, and Simtread seems to have managed it?
5. Common Design Elements for stations: Vertical Circulation Elements (escalators, stairs, lifts), AutomaticTicket Gatelines (ATG) and screens/balustrades, gates and doors, Cable Management Systems (CMS), signage etc could used as spur to update the existing tools in Aecosim. Both ArchiCAD and Revit have released major improvements to their stair/railing tools, for example. Time for a shot in the arm for these tools in Aecosim. Car parking design via SITEOPS?
6.??