Advance Steel

Advance Steel is a CAD software application for 3D modeling and detailing of steel structures and automatic creation of fabrication drawings, bill of materials and NC files, was developed by GRAITEC, but is now an Autodesk product.[1] The software is able to run on its own CAD platform as well on AutoCAD.

Features

The application supports all basic AutoCAD concepts and functions (snap points, grip points, copy, etc.). When running on its own CAD platform, the application provides the same capabilities as running on AutoCAD. Advance Steel CAD platform serves both as a graphic engine and an object oriented database. Compliancy is assured between versions of Advance Steel running on its own CAD platform and running on AutoCAD.

The Advance Steel information is stored in DWG format.

The application includes AutoLisp (enhancing standard AutoLisp to include Advance Steel commands) and COM (VBA, C++) programming interfaces. This means that users can create their own customized macros for specialist requirements.

Advance Steel imports and exports to the following file formats:

Detail views of a stair created using Advance Steel.

The main functions of Advance Steel concern:

Advance Steel provides instruments for modeling complex structures such as straight and spiral stairs, railings, ladders, etc. The program creates all necessary documents (including NC files) for the stair fabrication.

Specific features

Structure with connections, modeled in Advance Steel.

Parametric steel connections

Advance Steel has a library of more than 300 preset parametric steel connections to connect Advance elements grouped in the following categories: beam end to end joints, base plate joints, general bracing joints, cantilever beam to column joints, plate joints, clip angle joints, pylon joints, tube brace joints, purlin joints, stiffener joints, turnbuckle bracings, etc.

The user creates all connecting elements by a single operation. At the same time, the connected elements are processed (shortened, coped, etc.). The software allows users to customize the connections:

Joint Design engine

The software dimensions and checks joints according to Eurocodes 3 standards and AISC North American standards. A design report can be created.

Drawing styles

Based on a 3D-model, dimensioned and labeled 2D general arrangement and shop drawings can be automatically created using drawing styles. The drawings are created in separate DWG files; however they are linked to track changes. Thus, the drawings can be updated after any model modifications and the drawing revision can be managed.

The software has a variety of predefined drawing styles for the creation of general arrangement drawings and shop drawings for single parts and assemblies. A drawing style is a set of rules used to create a detail drawing and defines the elements that are displayed including labeling and dimensioning preferences.

Drawing styles provide the option to automatically create drawings and to modify the layout exactly to user requirements. Drawing styles are used in a similar way to AutoCAD dimension styles, line styles, etc. The predefined drawing styles are different for each installation and country. Custom drawing styles can also be defined.

Software compatibility

The application is compatible with:

Software interoperability

Advance Steel integrates GRAITEC's data synchronization technology, "GTC" (GRAITEC Transfer Center). This technology offers:

GTC is Graitec’s solution for CAD / Design software interoperability and integration specialized in creating and handling a BIM (Building Information Model).

Release history

Official name version release date of release
Version 2014 2013 11 September, 2013
Version 2013 2013 10 February, 2013
Version 2012 2012 9 February, 2012
Version 2011 2011 8 December, 2010
Version 2010 2010 7 September, 2009
Version 2009 2009 6 November, 2008
Version 8.1 8.1 5 December, 2007
Version 7.1 7.1 4 March, 2007
Version 6.1 6.1 3 December, 2005
Version 5.1 5.1 2 July, 2004
Version 4.2 4.2 1 July, 2003

See also

References

  1. "Autodesk Signs Agreement to Acquire Structural Fabrication and Detailing Technology from Graitec".
  2. "About KISS standard".
  3. "About CIS/2 standard".

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, March 03, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.