Introduction
Welcome to That Open Docs! Have you ever wanted to create your own BIM software, but don't know where to start? Here you will find everything you need to go from zero to hero! 🏢👩💻
Getting Started
What you can do
You can use all the libraries covered in this documentation to create your own 3D BIM software in minutes. All the technology is free and open source, so you are free to distribute and sell anything you create.
These libraries are written in JavaScript, so you can use them to build BIM applications for:
- 🌍 Web: using HTML, CSS and (optionally) React, Angular, Vue, etc.
- 📁Servers: using Node.js.
- 💻 Desktop: using Electron.
- 📱 Mobile: using React Native or importing them as iframes (e.g. in Flutter).
In terms of features, these libraries offer you a wide set of handy tools to create BIM software, such as:
- 🏢 IFC import, display, navigate, edit and export.
- 🌳 Import, display and navigate other 3D formats.
- 🚀 3D+2D modelling and editing (work in progress!).
- 📦 Store, process and distribute BIM models and files.
- 🔎 3D+2D navigation tools
- ✍ 3D+2D annotations.
- 📏 BIM models measurement.
- 📋 Documentation import and export.
- 🤝 Integration with data systems (e.g. Sharepoint, PowerBI, Google Drive, etc).
- 🌎 Integration with GIS systems (e.g. Mapbox).
Don't worry! You can check out the marketplace to see if someone has already done it. Many of the tools there are free, so don't forget to pass by! Additionally, all these libraries are made by a Components system that is extensible and allow you to make your own custom Components easily. 🚀
What you'll need
The concept BIM software has two words, and you'll need some familiarity with both before you can jump into the pool and have fun. 🏊♂️
BIM...
You have probably seen architects and engineers in movies drawing 2D blueprints and handling them to construction companies to make things like buildings and bridges. That's the way we have built for a long time, but now there's a better way: BIM.
BIM stands for Building Information Model. In a nutshell, instead of drawing each blueprint one by one, we make a 3D model (M) with information (I) of the object to build (B). We can then generate all the 2D blueprints automatically from that 3D model. This has many advantages: errors in the design can be detected earlier, the design process is more traceable, we can make simulations, etc.
Don't worry! You don't be to be an architect/building engineer to follow these docs and create BIM software, but keep in mind that this is the domain that we will constantly refer to. Feel free to get to our open community and ask around! We'll be happy to help. 🍻
...Software
Programming is a broad topic, so we can't just start from scratch. This documentation assumes some basic knowledge of web development technologies. You will need to be familiar with basic concepts like frontend, backend, server, library and debugging, as well as some familiarity with:
| Technology | Description |
|---|---|
HTML | Markdown langage used to define the structure of any web application. |
CSS | Styling sheets to define the appearance of all the HTML elements within a web app. |
JavaScript | Programming language of all frontend web applications, used to define their logic. Naturally, knowing TypeScript is even better, but it's not a requirement! |
NPM | Node Package Manager is the most popular repository to import and publish JavaScript libraries. |
Bundling | Tools used to pack the code in bundles. Examples are Rollup and Webpack. Alternatively, if you are familiar with a frontend library/framework like React, Angular or Vue, that's more than enough! |
Three.js | The most popular web 3D library in the world. |
If you have never programmed before, this might sound overwhelming, but it's actually quite easy to learn. Anyone can learn to code, and web programming is one of the best places to start. Look around for some tutorials, get your feet wet there first, and then come back here!
There are many free resources out there to learn to code for the web, although they are not specific to BIM or the construction industry. For that reason, we have made some courses that cover all these topics, starting from scratch and oriented to BIM software developer.
Navigating the docs
These docs are organized in 4 different sections. This is a lot of information and it can be hard to find just what you are looking for, so here's a short guide of where to go from here:
Components
Everything in these libraries are components. Here, you will learn the basics and how to import, use and even create your own custom components. You will also find some useful tutorial paths that will help you progress throughout these docs!
That open platform
To create BIM apps you need more than just code: authentication, databases, cloud processing, cybersecurity, etc. You could do all of this yourself, but many companies have whole software teams only for this. Luckily, you can find all these services plug-and-play in That Open Platform and add them to your apps in minutes!
You can also find our marketplace, where you can get components made by the community (many of them are free) and even sell your own components!
API
Here you will find all the description of the classes, properties, methods and interfaces of the libraries. It's automatically generated and corresponds to the docs that you will see in your IDE when using any of the libraries.
Tutorials
Step by step tutorials covering how to use different components, including a live application where you can see it in action. This is the best way to get your feet wet with the libraries. Check out the recommended tutorial paths! 🚀