Those using Autodesk Advance Steel will soon have a tool to help model buildings in much less time. The company’s most recent app, Steel Structure Designer, is set to join the likes of the Ball Post Railing Designer in GRAITEC’s Advance BIM Designer Suite.
GRAITEC claims that models can be drafted in a matter of minutes and tries to prove that in this video, though the operator seems to have had a bit too much coffee.
Still, you get the idea: an entire draft can be created quickly from start to finish.
Tools for Building Steel BIM Models
So what can users expect from Steel Structure Designer?
- Building definition: The user can select the number of levels and the number of bays in X and Y directions to define the structure’s type.
- Bay definition: The user can specify uniform or non-uniform spacing between bays along the X axis and edit later as necessary.
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Portals: The user can define bays along the Y axis, including level heights and roof type. This feature also enables editing at any time.
Steel Structure Designer lets users create models quickly with easily edited building attributes and copy-paste functions. (Image courtesy of GRAITEC.)
- Gable Posts: Users can build intermediate columns on gables and can edit the number of columns and spacing as needed.
- Purlins: Users can create “Purlin” spaced elements on structure’s rafters, which can also be edited at any time.
- Side rails: Users can create “Rail” spaced models on structure’s columns and can modify properties as necessary.
- Side bracings: Users can create vertical bracings on any side of a structure within a selected span. This includes X, diagonal, V and inserted bracings. Copy options let the user edit these bracings simultaneously.
- Roof bracings: Users can create horizontal roof bracings, including X, diagonal and V bracings. These can also be edited simultaneously.
- Platforms: Users can create platforms inside the building and out. This tool can also add cantilevers, secondary beams and corner and marginal columns.
Steel Structure Designer is currently available as a free trial download here. For more information, check out the GRAITEC website.