Aside from having thorough knowledge of BIM methodologies, BIM Coordinators must also have training in software and tools for Building Information Modeling to work on construction and manufacturing projects, specifically in areas of architecture and engineering. Skills required for working with BIM involve learning related software to perform a variety of functions such as architectural modeling, structural analysis, or aggregating data to keep construction and manufacturing projects on schedule, within budget, and energy efficient. This involves learning software developed by companies like Autodesk, Graphisoft, and Dalux that facilitate design, analysis, or working more productively with other BIM tools.

What is a BIM Coordinator?

BIM Coordinators are tasked with managing projects related to the construction industry. Their jobs typically involve developing strategies, coordinating modeling, facilitating collaboration among professionals like Architects and Engineers, and maintaining communication among those colleagues as well as clients. BIM Coordinators ensure that everyone involved on a project stays in lock step with responsibilities for creating, managing, and coordinating BIM modeling from the planning stages through construction.

BIM Coordinators have to make sure that proposed concepts are viable for construction by thoroughly analyzing designs to ensure that they are not only aesthetically pleasing but structurally sound and compliant with local codes and zoning regulations through applying BIM processes. Their responsibilities involve the geometry of a design revealed through 3D modeling for examining shapes, lines, and points with structural design for determining overall integrity.

Once a plan goes forward, BIM Coordinators are responsible for supervising 2D and 3D modeling involved with construction projects related to architectural design and engineering. This requires working with Architects, Engineers, and Project Managers to oversee models with an emphasis on structural design as well as MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) engineering.

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What Software Do BIM Coordinators Use?

BIM Coordinators manage and coordinate the digital technology involved with designing models used for construction projects. Among the requirements for working as a BIM Coordinator is being able to work with BIM software to ensure that construction projects are completed on time and within budget while maintaining high standards. BIM Coordinators help transform design concepts into 3D models that help others involved in a project understand architectural designs and engineering concepts to move forward and complete construction. With the emergence of digital technology and its influence on every aspect of life nowadays, skills for working with BIM software can open up a myriad of career options within the construction industry.

Autodesk Revit

Autodesk Revit is among the most relied upon BIM tools used in industries like construction by Architects, Engineers, and Project Managers who facilitate collaboration and documentation in architectural design. Revit helps professionals model shapes, structures, and systems using 3D modeling with accuracy and precision. Autodesk Revit streamlines projects by facilitating prompt revisions with planning, scheduling, elevations, sections, and sheets through 3D modeling that places Architects, Engineers, and BIM Coordinators on the same page when collaborating to get work completed. Professionals are able to collaborate using Revit through the Autodesk Construction Cloud to unify various tools and participants with the purpose of completing construction projects.

Autodesk Navisworks

Autodesk Navisworks offers software that helps enhance results on projects using BIM and helps BIM Coordinators collaborate with other design professionals as well as clients in visualizing and analyzing design concepts for construction projects. Navisworks merges design concepts with data into a unified model to move forward on construction projects. Navisworks helps identify and resolve clash and interference conflicts before a project even starts, which helps save time during construction and avoid expensive, unanticipated changes once a project is underway. A key benefit of working with Navisworks is that it allows professionals like Architects, Engineers, Project Managers, and BIM Coordinators to collaborate through the Autodesk Construction Cloud.

Graphisoft Archicad

Archicad is a BIM design tool used primarily by Architects for designing, visualizing, documenting, and completing all types of assignments related to building and construction. Archicad is a BIM program that provides architectural modeling along with design and documentation through a user-friendly interface that allows Architects to efficiently design building structures. Archicad is a visualization tool that not only provides design solutions but also helps improve project management workflows and collaboration among professionals on construction projects. Archicad functions for designing, visualizing, and documenting concepts in architecture as an algorithmic design tool that provides modeling support to help translate designs into detailed images for depicting building concepts that get clients and construction professionals on the same page. In this capacity, Archicad is an effective tool that facilitates collaboration among Architects, Engineers, BIM Coordinators, and Project Managers who include publishing workflows for complying with local BIM requirements.

Trimble Connect

Trimble Connect focuses on workplace collaboration by using BIM. Connect provides BIM Coordinators with a cloud-based CDE (common data environment) tool that facilitates collaboration among professionals designing and constructing buildings. Connect provides a secure environment for sharing and tracking data accurately in real time to keep professionals and clients informed and on the same page throughout a construction project. Connect also customizes workflows for working with other Trimble software. Organizations can use Trimble Connect to access, view, share, and apply data for completing tasks on construction projects.

Dalux BIM Viewer

The Dalux BIM Viewer is a free app available for download. The BIM Viewer works with Revit, Navisworks, Archicad, and other BIM tools for use in online browsers, smartphones, or desktop computers. The BIM Viewer provides users with access to their project information related to BIM through a variety of platforms. This includes mobile functions for navigating 2D and 3D modeling designs, measuring 2D length and area, point-to-point measurements, and laser measurements, and filtering based on models and element properties. Best of all, the application is free.

How to Learn BIM Coordinator Software

There are several ways to learn how to work with BIM-related software, including self-teaching. However, more formal training through on-demand or live online courses is highly recommended to learn skills to work with tools and procedures related to Building Information Modeling. Prospective BIM Coordinators can begin their BIM training through platforms such as LinkedIn Learning, which offers several free and reasonably priced tutorials for learning the basics of BIM design technology, including designing and managing 2D and 3D modeling concepts used in construction for building physical structures.

Although LinkedIn Learning offers a viable option for initial BIM training, the most practical approach to learning BIM software is likely through enrolling in live online or on-demand courses that can teach anyone interested in working in architecture, building construction, or structural design the necessary knowledge of BIM technology and procedures that promote efficiency and productivity in project completion. Noble Desktop, for example, offers training in BIM through on-demand classes available with VDCI. VDCI stands for the Virtual Design & Construction Institute, which is an authorized Autodesk training center that provides education and certification related to various software and technologies, including BIM. Training in BIM contributes to designing, developing, and managing projects while working as Architects, Engineers, Interior Designers, Project Managers, and BIM Coordinators in industries such as construction and manufacturing. BIM Coordinators in particular manage projects involving 2D and 3D modeling in construction and manufacturing, with responsibilities for handling costs, collaborating with other professionals, and interacting with clients.

Other Skills Needed to Become a BIM Coordinator

Working as a BIM Coordinator requires skills in digital technology for roles in construction and manufacturing. Skills for working with BIM can enhance career opportunities by enabling individuals to create 2D and 3D models for construction and manufacturing projects, thanks to the software’s modeling capabilities and its support for collaboration among colleagues such as Architects, Engineers, and Project Managers. BIM also assists in recognizing trends and forecasting weather before construction begins. Primarily, a BIM Coordinator is responsible for working with other professionals on construction projects and staying in touch with clients involved to ensure that everyone is appropriately informed.

BIM Coordinators must also manage schedules to ensure that models are translated into buildings and are responsible for overseeing a construction project from inception to completion. They manage modeling and design throughout a project’s lifecycle by providing status reports, updates, and revisions while keeping an eye on the calendar to meet deadlines. Time management is a stressful aspect of any project involving collaboration among professionals, and it is essential to keep Architects, Engineers, Project Managers, and clients aligned and satisfied by ensuring everything stays on or ahead of schedule.

BIM Coordinators must also possess quality assurance skills that involve ensuring that information and designs related to a project are accurate. Quality assurance in BIM includes tracking project status to keep all parties informed of any challenges and quickly identifying and resolving potential issues. This also means focusing on workflows to address problems efficiently before they escalate. It is also important to keep clients informed about a project to avoid misunderstandings or disputes in the future. BIM Coordinators are additionally responsible for handling any changes related to BIM.

Finally, BIM Coordinators must also have a knack for ensuring that design specifications related to modeling on a project are precise and accurate. The design, details, and data available through BIM technology allow BIM Coordinators to collaborate with other professionals to advance construction and manufacturing projects while also presenting visualizations to clients and stakeholders of what the final product or structure should look like.

Learn the Skills to Become a BIM Coordinator at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers training in BIM technology, software, and procedures through VDCI. VDCI is an authorized Autodesk training center that provides education and certification in various technologies, including BIM. BIM, or Building Information Modeling, is a digital process used for designing, developing, and managing projects while working as Architects, Engineers, Interior Designers, Project Managers, and BIM Coordinators in industries like construction and manufacturing. BIM Coordinators, in particular, manage projects by applying 2D and 3D modeling in construction and manufacturing, with responsibilities for handling costs, collaborating with other professionals, and interacting with clients.

VDCI offers a Revit Certification Training Bundle that is ideal for students looking to learn the broad strokes of BIM skills that aspiring professionals need to master. This course covers both introductory and advanced Revit skills, making it suitable for beginners and experienced designers alike. In addition, students enrolled in this course can take the Revit Certification exam as part of their tuition, making it a practical choice for aspiring professionals. VDCI also offers focused courses on important daily tasks in BIM projects such as the BIM Construction Documents I course or the BIM Detailing course.

Anyone considering becoming a BIM Coordinator may wish to enroll in a certificate program or obtain certification in BIM methodology or similar technologies. To clarify, certificate programs and certifications are not the same. Certificate programs provide hands-on training in BIM or related technologies for roles such as Engineer, Architect, or BIM Coordinator. Certifications, on the other hand, validate an individual's expertise in a specific area such as a programming language, software, tool, or methodology like BIM. Education providers like Noble Desktop also offer various AutoCAD-related certification training, including the AutoCAD Certification Program, a comprehensive program that prepares candidates for Autodesk certification exams. Training includes learning the fundamentals of technical drawing along with skills for drafting and creating 2D and 3D drawings using AutoCAD.

Achieving certification requires passing an exam administered by an industry-recognized organization. Ambitious BIM Coordinators can pursue certification through Autodesk, which offers several pathways based on career goals. The Autodesk Certified Professional (ACP), for example, confirms a candidate’s skills with AutoCAD, including the ability to solve complex problems with workflows and designs related to the software. BIM Coordinators can also pursue certification to improve their career options by mastering tools like Autodesk Revit, which is used in BIM modeling for designing and analyzing building structures. This may include completing the Revit Certified Professional certification program to gain expertise in creating and managing architectural models using Revit.