Explore 98 professional resources for drawing, BIM, simulation, materials and spatial analysis.
External professional resources complement GAD’s three calculators. The uses below are supported by publisher documentation, rather than GAD product tests. Access conditions, prices and suitability should be checked with each provider.
98 records · Page 3 / 5
IfcClash
Open BIM
Test IFC geometry for clashes within a documented model-processing workflow. Define which objects should be compared and what counts as an issue. Review the resulting intersections in context, since intended overlaps and missing model information can both affect a coordination report.
Where it fits
Investigate intersections in a selected IFC coordination scope.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Convert IFC geometry or information into supported output formats. The resource fits a specific handoff or visualization task. Check coordinates, included objects and representation differences after conversion; an output that opens successfully may still lack the structure needed by the receiving architectural workflow.
Where it fits
Verify a conversion before using it as project context.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Compare IFC models to identify changes between exchanges. It is useful when a team needs to explain what a revision actually altered. Define the comparison scope and inspect reported differences alongside source files, especially where object identifiers or export settings have changed between versions.
Where it fits
Reconcile an exchanged model against its previous revision.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Read, write and process IFC information through an open software toolkit. It supports custom model inspection and repeatable data workflows. Identify the schema and object relationships before scripting an operation, then compare the modified file with the original to make unintended changes visible.
Where it fits
Build a reproducible IFC inspection routine.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Apply documented transformations or repair recipes to IFC files. The resource suits a traceable exchange correction rather than silent model cleanup. Preserve the original file, identify the recipe and compare relevant objects afterwards so the change can be understood by the receiving team.
Where it fits
Correct a specific exchange problem with a repeatable recipe.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Author or read Information Delivery Specifications and check IFC models against them. The official documentation describes reporting options and different interfaces. Use a small, explicit requirement first, inspect the returned issues and retain the specification with the model so the exchange can be reviewed reproducibly.
Where it fits
Verify a stated IFC information-delivery requirement.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Read weather and environmental patterns within a design-oriented workflow. It is useful for defining climate questions early, including sun and seasonal conditions. Retain the source weather file and location assumptions, then connect observations to a specific envelope or site decision rather than a generic climate label.
Where it fits
Translate a weather dataset into early design questions.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Create and edit two-dimensional CAD drawings in an open drafting environment. It can serve a focused diagram or drawing-exchange task. Establish units, layers and the intended output first, then inspect dimensions and line conventions in the actual receiving or printing workflow.
Where it fits
Prepare a controlled two-dimensional drawing exchange.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Model building energy and control systems through a documented component library. It supports dynamic studies where component interactions matter. Define the system boundary and operating sequence, then check the selected component assumptions before applying the simulation to an architectural or facilities decision.
Where it fits
Investigate interactions in a defined building-system model.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Consult NASA's solar and meteorological data resource when preparing an environmental-design study. Its value lies in traceable input information. Check parameter definitions, temporal coverage and location before using the data in a building calculation, and distinguish modeled datasets from a measurement at the actual site.
Where it fits
Select documented climate inputs for an early building study.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Investigate multizone airflow and indoor contaminant transport with a defined building model. It supports questions about connections between rooms and environmental conditions. Record paths, pressures and source assumptions, and use qualified interpretation before applying simulation findings to ventilation or indoor-air decisions.
Where it fits
Study how room connections affect an airflow scenario.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Investigate room acoustics and auralization in a defined geometric and material model. Architectural use should begin with the listening or speech question rather than a desired visualization. Record source, receiver and surface assumptions, and involve acoustic expertise when interpreting results for a real venue.
Where it fits
Compare a room intervention for a defined listening use.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Organize building or product lifecycle assessment using quantities and environmental data. Its architectural value depends on a clear comparison scope and transparent material mapping. Check omitted items and data correspondence before comparing totals, and keep environmental assessment separate from aesthetic or technical acceptance of a design.
Where it fits
Compare options with the same lifecycle boundary and quantities.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Process image collections into mapping and three-dimensional survey outputs within an open photogrammetry ecosystem. It offers a route from capture to context information. Retain capture coverage and processing assumptions, and use survey controls when dimensional reliability matters rather than treating a completed visual model as sufficient.
Where it fits
Prepare an image-to-site-context reconstruction workflow.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Build lifecycle-assessment models in a dedicated software environment. The resource provides modelling capability; meaningful building comparisons still depend on suitable datasets, quantities and a consistent boundary. Inspect the selected data's license and correspondence to the proposed materials before reporting a project-level result.
Where it fits
Set up a material comparison with a documented lifecycle scope.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Investigate structural behavior through an open research-oriented simulation framework. It supports explicit models and repeated engineering studies. Architectural teams should interpret findings with the relevant engineering expertise, keeping material models, loading and the difference between research representation and approved design visible.
Where it fits
Run a controlled structural-behavior comparison.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Access OpenSees structural simulation through Python. The resource supports scripted engineering investigation and repeated studies. Architectural teams should define the comparison question with an engineer and keep model assumptions visible; a script's successful execution does not establish a safe structural design.
Where it fits
Run a reproducible structural sensitivity study.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Locate topographic and elevation datasets for a geographic study. The project publishes dataset coverage and access resources, but availability varies by place. Keep the selected dataset's origin and resolution with the design record, and verify whether it represents ground or surface geometry before importing it.
Where it fits
Prepare a terrain-source record before modelling a site.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Prepare and inspect glazing optical-property information for fenestration analysis. The resource fits a material-data workflow rather than a visual rendering task. Match the data to the actual proposed product and retain its origin before using it in another calculation.
Where it fits
Review optical inputs before comparing glazing assemblies.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Retrieve and analyze street-network information using a scripted geospatial resource. It is useful for understanding access and urban context around a site. Define the network scope and data assumptions, then inspect missing connections or restricted routes before using metrics to support a location decision.
Where it fits
Inspect walking or street-network context around a selected site.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Query OpenStreetMap features and inspect them on an interactive map. It can help gather contextual information around a site when the query is explicit. Preserve the query and map-data provenance, and verify important features independently before treating community-mapped information as a complete current site inventory.
Where it fits
Build a repeatable query for a selected site-context feature.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Develop paneling patterns on geometry through a documented modelling resource. It supports form and assembly exploration when pattern logic is explicit. Inspect edges, transitions and atypical cells, and separate a generated pattern from the fabrication and connection information required for a buildable system.
Where it fits
Investigate panel variation across a defined surface.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Translate, filter and inspect point-cloud data with a documented library and command-line workflow. It is useful when survey information needs repeatable processing. Preserve the original capture, record each operation and inspect a sample afterwards so processing does not silently remove features relevant to the architectural task.
Where it fits
Create a traceable point-cloud preparation sequence.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
Use this European Commission resource to explore solar-energy conditions and related climate inputs. It is useful before detailed photovoltaic design. Record location and chosen assumptions, and distinguish a resource estimate from an installed system's measured generation or a guaranteed financial return.
Where it fits
Check the solar-resource context for a roof-energy study.
External official resource. GAD has checked the cited description, not tested the software or verified project outcomes. Review current version, access, licensing and applicability at the source.
