Talk to your BIM by Frame: Design analytics with AI in construction

Introduction: The Best Ideas Can Come from Anywhere

We believe the best ideas—and the identification of the biggest risks—can come from anywhere in your organization, not just the usual sources. A site foreman might spot a logistical issue that a BIM coordinator misses; a financial controller might question a material quantity that looks off.

However, these critical insights often stay buried. Why? Because the data is locked behind complex software that only a handful of experts can navigate. If you don’t know how to navigate a Revit model or build a complex Power BI filter, you are effectively blind to the data.

At Frame, we are changing that. We believe that if the ideas can come from anywhere, the data should be accessible to everyone.

How is AI Used in BIM Today?

Before we introduce our latest innovation, it is important to understand the current landscape. AI BIM technology has exploded in recent years, transforming how we design and build.

Traditionally, AI in construction has been focused on heavy-duty computational tasks for specialists:

• Clash Detection & Error Analysis: AI algorithms scan models to identify physical conflicts (like a pipe hitting a beam) between systems such as HVAC and electrical, drastically reducing rework.
• Generative Design: Using machine learning, AI can generate thousands of design permutations to optimize for sustainability, cost, or spatial flow.
• Predictive Maintenance: AI analyzes data to predict when building systems will fail, allowing for smarter facility management.
• Safety & Risk Analysis: By analyzing historical project data, AI can forecast potential delays caused by weather or supply chain issues and predict workplace hazards.
• Point Cloud to Geometry: New tools can take laser scans of existing buildings and automatically generate 3D geometry, speeding up renovation projects.

While these tools are powerful, they share a common trait: They are designed for experts. They require specialized training and powerful hardware.

Introducing “Talk to Your BIM” by Frame

What if you didn’t need to be a BIM Manager to get answers from your model? What if you could just… ask?

We are proud to introduce our first major AI feature: Talk to Your BIM.

This feature represents a shift in AI construction design analytics. Instead of clicking through endless folder trees, toggling visibility settings, or building complex query filters, you can now interact with your model using natural language.

Here’s a quick walkthrough of Talk to Your BIM in action:

How It Works: Precision, Not Just Conversation

We approached this feature with a focus on accuracy and context. Talk to Your BIM is an AI-driven engine that acts as a translator between natural language and your model’s database.

The process is designed for reliability:

1. Intent Recognition: You ask a question, such as “Show me the total volume of concrete walls by level.”
2. Structured Querying: The system does not guess; it generates precise SQL queries tailored to the specific schema of your file (Revit, IFC, or Navisworks).
3. Visual Verification: The answer is never just text. We generate interactive charts and, critically, we isolate the relevant elements in the 3D viewer.

The Importance of Visual Context

In construction, data without context is dangerous. An AI chatbot that gives you a number without showing you the source is insufficient for professional work.

That is why we engineered the system to maintain a strict link to the model geometry (via the external_id). If you ask for “All mechanical equipment costing over $5,000,” the system identifies those specific units and isolates them in the viewer. This allows you to visually verify the data immediately, ensuring that the “what” aligns with the “where.”

Why Design Analytics Matters

Design Analytics is the transition from viewing a model to interrogating it. It shifts the dynamic from passive consumption to active analysis. For Owners, it means instantly verifying if program requirements are being met without navigating complex software. For Estimators, it means validating quantities and scope changes rapidly. For Coordinators, it means identifying data quality issues, such as missing classification codes, by simply asking the system to find them.

By removing the technical friction, we enable the entire project team to make decisions based on the current reality of the project, not on the interpretation of a report.

Summary

Talk to Your BIM is an interface designed for the reality of modern construction projects. It delivers direct access by letting you query your model in plain English, bypassing complex filtering tools. It provides visual proof by backing every answer with isolation in the 3D model. It stays platform agnostic, working with Revit, IFC, and Navisworks data structures. And it enables stakeholders by allowing non-technical team members to retrieve their own answers independently.

Conclusion

The future of BIM isn’t just about more sophisticated authoring tools; it’s about making the data we already produce accessible and actionable. Talk to Your BIM is our step towards a more transparent, data-driven construction process.

Ready to explore your model data? Try the feature at Frame Homepage or review our analytics capabilities for Power BI.