Sometime back in our youth we all played a game where we sat in a circle. One person wrote down a story then whispered that story to the person next to him.  That second person, in turn, whispered the story to the next person and so on.  The story was verbally relayed one by one around the entire circle.  It was always fun to hear how the last person told the “Original Story”.  Usually there was nothing remotely similar between the original story and ending story.    Well --- that scenario accurately depicts how 2d drawings function in a project.  

Let’s change the rules of this game somewhat.  In the new game, we will still write down the original story, but, we will hand this story to the next person.  The next person’s job is to write added detail to the story, but not change the story.  The story gains enhancements and details as it progresses to the end.   ---  This last game is how the 3d model and database works.    Nobody changes anything, they only contribute their information that comes from their unique perspective. 

  With this analogy in mind, let’s take for example, a lighting designer that would create a 3d light fixture and a 3d switch for that fixture in his design and model.  The modeled fixture and switch would each include all of their own pertinent information.  That information should contain specifications such as: Make, Model, Size, Finish, Location (Zone & x,y,z), Vendor, and Purchase Order.  The Lighting Consultant would forward his design model to the Architect.  There is no need for the Architect to redraw an electrical plan, it is merely merged into the building model.  The merged Fixture Information is then represented by the Architect in an Electrical Plan, Elevations, Sections, and Schedules which are distributed to the Client, the Vendor, the Electrician, the Interior Designer, and the General Contractor.   ---   One fixture, considered and drawn one time, represented in many ways to many participants.  The significance is placed on the originator.  If properly designed by the lighting consultant, the task will require knowledge, time, and consideration on his part, but its proper execution will eliminate the need for the task to be re-done or re-interpreted by multiple people multiple times.  The most important implication in this process is the elimination of error that is inherent in a process where multiple people relay information multiple times.