There are numerous online object libraries but the quality and value of their content varies enormously. Some are file sharing sites with little obvious quality control. The sites listed in this article generally exercise editorial control of over quality and include content created to consistent standards. Each site has its own modelling standards – there are currently no standards that have been widely adopted across the industry.
Australian and New Zealand Object Libraries
Design Content run by A2K Technologies seems to be the most prominent Australian object library at present www.designcontent.com.au/
Rubysketch offers free model objects of Australian products in a number of CAD and BIM formats including Archicad, Revit, Sketchup, and IFC. http://rubysketch.com/
Productspec is a New Zealand based library www.productspec.net/
Larger manufacturers have object libraries of their products on their sites.
Bluescope Steel: www.steelselect.com/index.php
Britex stainless steel sanitaryware: www.britex.com.au/
Unifi is not an object library per se but they create content to standards such as ANZRS, and host and manage libraries for organisations: http://unifilabs.com/
NOTE: The following international sites are included for reference purposes. They include many products and/or product models which may not be available in Australia and New Zealand.
European Object Libraries
BIMobject. CAD and BIM formats include Archicad, Revit and Sketchup: http://info.bimobject.com/
UK Object Libraries
The NBS National BIM Library has content designed to complement NBS Create Specification-model linking software. It provides generic and proprietary model objects in a number of CAD and BIM formats including Archicad, Bentley, Revit and IFC: www.nationalbimlibrary.com/
Bimstore: www.bimstore.co.uk/
US Object Libraries
ARCAT includes a large number of model objects in various CAD and BIM formats, product information and specification clauses: www.arcat.com/
SmartBIM includes content by a large number of manufacturers. Reed Construction Data is a significant shareholder in SmartBIM and works in partnership with them: www.smartbim.com/
ArchiCAD Object Libraries
BIMcomponents: https://bimcomponents.com/
Revit Object Libraries
The content originally found on the Autodesk Seek website, and more, is now hosted on the BIMobject cloud. http://bimobject.com/en-us
Articles on Object Libraries
An article on BIM objects by Reed Construction Data: 10-questions-to-ask-about-bim-objects
National BIM Object Library Report
This report summarises the results of an international survey on national object libraries conducted by NATSPEC in conjunction with Konrad Stuhlmacher of Dr. Schiller & Partner GmbH. The survey is part of the research for a project to develop a National BIM object library for Australia.
National BIM Object Library Report PDF [366 KB] Download
