Table of contents WELCOME TO ADVANCE STEEL 2014... 5 USER INTERFACE ENHANCEMENTS... 6 User interface 1: Customizable tool palette... 6 User interface 2: Collision check results... 7 User interface 3: Steel checking results... 8 User interface 4: Search filter results... 8 User interface 5: New GUI for Connection vault... 9 User interface 6: Building generator tool palette... 10 User interface 7: Model browser enhancements... 10 User interface 8: View & visual styles controls for easier access to display tools... 11 MODELING... 12 Modeling 1: Unique group for the Features... 12 Modeling 2: Features extended to make them work for plates & beams... 12 Modeling 3: Extended possibilities for some features... 13 Modeling 4: New beam representation available... 13 Modeling 5: Enhanced Standard representation type for plates... 13 Modeling 6: Weld preparation for beams... 14 Modeling 7: Flexible & powerful new command for tapered beams... 15 Modeling 8: Automatic joints on tapered beams... 16 Modeling 9: Tapered beam files for fabrication... 16 Modeling 10: Compound & welded beams enhancements... 17 Modeling 11: Command to create holes/bolts/shear studs along a CAD entity... 17 JOINTS... 18 Joint 1: Custom connections enhancements... 18 Joint 2: New defaults & layers for elements created by joints & macros... 18 Joint 3: Stair macro enhancement... 18 Joint 4: Railing joint handrail enhancement... 19 Joint 5: Bracing macro enhancements... 19 Joint 6: Truss macro enhancements... 19 Joint 7: New overlapping bolted purlin joint... 20 Joint 8: Shear plate joint enhancements... 20 Joint 9: Base plate joint enhancements... 21 Joint 10: Tube base plate joint enhancements... 21 Joint 11: Binding plates joint enhancements... 21 Joint 12: Platform plate joint enhancements... 21 NUMBERING... 22 DRAWINGS... 23 Draw 1: Define your own detailing direction... 23 Draw 2: Switch off the display of folding lines in views... 23 Draw 3: New hole symbol presentation... 24 3
Draw 4: Camera presentation with extended possibilities... 24 Draw 5: Enhanced smart dimensions... 25 MISCELLANEOUS... 26 Misc. 1: AutoCAD 2014 compliancy... 26 Misc. 2: Mapped plates in BOM... 26 Misc. 3: New Site bolt location list BOM template... 26 Misc. 4: Export a DStV XML file for welding robots... 26 Misc. 5: Export to a 3D DWF file enhancements... 26 Misc. 6: Export to a GTCX file enhancements... 27 Misc. 7: Export to an IFC file enhancements... 27 4
Welcome to Advance Steel 2014 Advance Steel 2014 has a full set of great new features and customer enhancements in several areas: AutoCAD 2014 compliancy Tool palette customization options Speed improvements when creating PDF files New Render module User interface enhancements New GUI for the Connection vault More powerful features tools Tapered beams & PEB market Extension of existing connections to work on tapered beams Connections & macros improvements Automatic detailing enhancements Cameras presentation with extended possibilities BIM exchange with other software Creation of DStV XML file for welding robots 5
User interface enhancements User interface 1: Customizable tool palette A new tool palette containing the frequently used commands was introduced the new Advance Steel 2014 release provides different options to customize this tool palette according to your requirements. On the top-right of the tool palette, users can find a new button called Settings which opens a new dialog box which includes the following options: Opacity and colors can be changed Category and item height and width can be adjusted Number of icons per columns can be set from 1 to 4 The icons displayed in the tool palette can be reorganized with a long right-click on the palette which provides access to the customization. The following manipulations are then possible: Tap the top-right red cross to delete the icon Drag & drop an icon in same or different group It is also possible to customize the organization of the groups defining the tool palette by clicking on the + symbol which appears on the top-right of the tool palette. 6
The user has then access to additional functions: Move a group or create a new group Insert a new icon with the Command option Add a separator with the Separator option Insert a row ender (separator) with the Row ender option When adding a new icon with the Command option, users can combine multiple commands in one button. The customized tool palette can be shared between different Advance Steel users; the GrPaletteData_User.xml file containing the Advance Steel 2014 tool palette user customization can be found at C:\ProgramData\Graitec\Advance Steel\2014\Steel\Support\Toolbars. User interface 2: Collision check results Advance Steel 2014 displays the collision check results in a new design similar to the Tool palette. There is no need to enter the collision number one by one like it was in the past, the results are displayed in such a way that double-clicking on a line zooms directly to the collisions. A new option to directly ignore found collisions is also available (and with the option to reset temporarily ignored collisions). 7
User interface 3: Steel checking results Advance Steel 2014 displays the steel checking results in a new design similar to the Tool palette. There is no need to enter the steel checking number one by one like it was in the past, the results are displayed in such a way that double-clicking on a line zooms directly to the result. A new option to directly ignore found steel checking results is also available (and with the option to reset temporarily ignored results). User interface 4: Search filter results Advance Steel 2014 displays the search filter results in a new design similar to the Tool palette. To get this new display, the user has to select the (new) Show result in dialog option available in the Search and mark objects dialog box. Double-click on a line in the search filter zooms directly to the result in the 3D model. 8
User interface 5: New GUI for Connection vault Advance Steel 2014 displays the Connection vault in a new design similar to the Tool palette. With this new User Interface, the Connection vault stays open and can be minimized for higher efficiency. The Joint group classification has been reviewed and enhanced. The Connection vault can be customized by the user with the (new) option to place joints in a Favorite group. 9
User interface 6: Building generator tool palette Advance Steel 2014 offers a dedicated tool palette for speeding up the modeling of industrial and commercial buildings. With this Tool palette, it is easy to create your 3D model with the different available groups containing the frequently used functionalities used for these structures: Group for Framing Group for Framing connections Group for Purlins & cold rolled connections User interface 7: Model browser enhancements With Advance Steel 2014, the Model browser dialog box can now stay open while creating the model. A new option, Refresh, is available to get the model browser content up-to-date. 10
User interface 8: View & visual styles controls for easier access to display tools View and visual styles controls are now available on the top-left of the application for easy access to the visual styles tools and to let the user change the viewpoints quicker. 11
Modeling Advance Steel 2014 provides a complete range of new functionalities and different enhancements to speed up the modeling phase, such as the possibility to easily create tapered beams and different connections to them. Modeling 1: Unique group for the Features All Features commands are now placed in a unique Features group in the Tool palette. Also, numerous commands to create features have been unified so that the same command can be used on a beam or a plate, which makes the use of the features easier than what it was in the past when there were dedicated features tools for beams and different dedicated features tools for plates. Features on beam & plates Features on beams Features on plates Modeling 2: Features extended to make them work for plates & beams In addition, different features have been extended to make them work for plates and beams: Shorten at UCS (for all objects) Bevel cut (for all objects) Corner cut (for all objects) Contour according to UCS (for all objects) 12
Modeling 3: Extended possibilities for some features Some of the features which were working only for beams now also work for plates: Miter joint Cut at object joint Modeling 4: New beam representation available A new representation type Exact with edge features is available for the beams, displaying: Beam corners Weld preparation on beams Modeling 5: Enhanced Standard representation type for plates The existing representation type Standard has been enhanced in order to display bevel cuts on plates. 13
Modeling 6: Weld preparation for beams The Bevel cut icon (from the Features group in the Tool palette) can be used to create weld preparations on the beam edges. This works on straight beams, whether they already have a shortening, which includes round and rectangular sections. The weld preparation length is based on the exact section which means that it takes into consideration the beam corners. Variable lengths (offsets) can be specified in the dialog box. The weld preparations are shown in the NC-DXF file as can be seen in the following Preview (available in the Document Manager) of a plate with a weld preparation: 14
Modeling 7: Flexible & powerful new command for tapered beams Advance Steel 2014 provides a new command to create tapered beams, with a properties dialog box offering many advanced possibilities: Can have up to 5 segments Possibility to specify Fixed lengths for some segments of the tapered beam Variable flange dimensions which can be parallel Variable web dimensions Flanges can be made of plate or flats (bottom and top flanges can be the same or different) Include weld preparation on the different elements of the tapered beams Many settings available for the welds definition New representation type Exact with edge features Option to create a tapered hollow box Search filter extended to find tapered beams 15
Modeling 8: Automatic joints on tapered beams With Advance Steel 2014, many automatic connections have been extended to work for the different situations with tapered beams: On a tapered beam (e.g. base plate, cap plate, stiffeners) Between 2 tapered beams Between a standard section and a tapered beam Modeling 9: Tapered beam files for fabrication Advance Steel 2014 has been extended in order to get accurate documents for the fabrication and the delivery of tapered beams at site. The following are some of these extensions: Specific name for tapered beams displayed on documents Automatic workshop drawings with dimensions & labels Enhanced Compound beam BOM DStV-NC files created for separated elements or (new) for the complete beam (if its shape is an I section) 16
Modeling 10: Compound & welded beams enhancements Some new options are available when creating a compound or a welded beam: New Delete button available to delete existing entry New Asymmetric hollow shape available Same as first option for compound sections Settings (layer, material, etc.) are kept if switching the beam status Option to set model role for each individual element Disassemble compound sections transfers parameters Display connected objects and Display connection means can be applied Name field and new token for lists/drawings Weld type, surface and preparation information Modeling 11: Command to create holes/bolts/shear studs along a CAD entity A new command to create holes (or bolts or shear studs) along a selected line/arc/spline is now available. 17
Joints Advance Steel 2014 provides a library of new automatic connections and various enhancements in existing joints in order to respond to local requirements. Joint 1: Custom connections enhancements Advance Steel 2014 extends the usage of custom connections with various enhancements: Special parts are supported by custom connections (e.g. a ball in a railing) Save custom connection can be done by single joint object selection Height reference settings available in the Plate brick New Hole in beam reference to a beam brick available New Galvanizing hole brick available The user can now control the custom connections box visibility with the new Show custom connections box default available in the GRAITEC Advance Manager 2014. Joint 2: New defaults & layers for elements created by joints & macros Advance Steel 2014 provides new defaults to control the visibility and the layer of joints and macros. New default Show joint box to control the box visibility New default layer for joint boxes New default layer for structural element frames Joint 3: Stair macro enhancement Advance Steel 2014 provides a new method to create stairs with the stair macro. Its definition can be specified by length and angle both at creation and after the creation. 18
Joint 4: Railing joint handrail enhancement Advance Steel 2014 provides the option to individually specify the welds between the different elements created with the railing joint handrail. Joint 5: Bracing macro enhancements Advance Steel 2014 provides more flexibility for creating bracings with additional options available in the Bracing automatic macro: Bracing section offsets Available sections can be added by the user Joint 6: Truss macro enhancements Advance Steel 2014 provides more flexibility for creating trusses with additional options available in the Truss automatic macro: Additional offset options (top chord, bottom chord, diagonals) Rotated chord options for curved type New roof pitch option Available sections can be added by the user 19
Joint 7: New overlapping bolted purlin joint Advance Steel 2014 provides a new automatic connection for connecting two purlins on a rafter with bolts both on the purlins and on the rafter. Joint 8: Shear plate joint enhancements Advance Steel 2014 provides more options in the shear plate joint: Improved marking option Variable column stiffener placement (new outside chamfer option) New sloped bolt alignment Stiffeners values (width and corner size) are read from defaults 20
Joint 9: Base plate joint enhancements Advance Steel 2014 provides more options within the base plate joint: Space between base plate and leveling plate New option to remove the center anchor New galvanizing hole options Joint 10: Tube base plate joint enhancements Advance Steel 2014 provides more options in the tube base plate joint: New 2 holes diagonal galvanizing hole option Galvanizing holes arrangement 4 holes enhancement Stiffener quantity and rotation options (if base plate is round) Joint 11: Binding plates joint enhancements Advance Steel 2014 provides more options in the binding plates joint: Plate arrangement from physical beam end Works also for star angles (4 angles) Joint 12: Platform plate joint enhancements Advance Steel 2014 provides access to all weld types to define the welds between the endplate and the attached beam on one side, and the other endplate and the main beam on the other side. 21
Numbering Advance Steel 2014 extends the numbering with the option to add zeroes for the part mark (e.g. 0001, 0002 ). This option is available in the dialog box which appears when running the numbering. 22
Drawings Advance Steel 2014 provides several major enhancements for automatic drawing creation. Draw 1: Define your own detailing direction To decide how to represent the part on its workshop drawing, Advance Steel 2014 provides a new option so that the user can define the detailing direction of the selected object. The option (Show Assembly CS) to display the current direction of the picked object is available through the contextual menu. You can then rotate the UCS in your 3D model and after that it is possible to use the new Define object detailing direction option available in the Tool palette to set your own detailing direction. As an example, this gives more flexibility for elements such as railing or bracing which can be oriented exactly as required on workshop drawings. Draw 2: Switch off the display of folding lines in views Advance Steel 2014 provides a new option (available in the GRAITEC Advance Manager 2014) named Hides the folding lines in views which does not display the folding lines of folded plates and twisted folded plates within isometric views created on general arrangement drawings. 23
Draw 3: New hole symbol presentation Advance Steel 2014 provides the option to use symbol files for the holes representation on drawings. A new default, Preserve the symbol color from dwg file, is available in the GRAITEC Advance Manager 2014 to turn the behavior on or off. This has the advantage that the color and the line type from the symbol file can be used in order to get a very accurate representation of holes on the drawings. Draw 4: Camera presentation with extended possibilities A new presentation on drawing as circle or rectangle is available for cameras, which can be found as a new default, Detailing camera representation type, in the GRAITEC Advance Manager 2014. There is also a new token Camera description which can be used for drawing labeling and title view. The Camera properties dialog box includes a new option to define the Scale set to the camera. 24
Draw 5: Enhanced smart dimensions The Advance Steel 2013 release had the smart dimensions great new feature concerning the dimensions added by the user on drawings. A new osnap point named Preferred for manual dimensions was introduced in order to select valid points during the dimensions creation to get smart dimensions. Advance Steel 2014 extends this behavior by providing more osnap points automatically recognized: Grid intersections End point on contour features Also the smart dimensions support sloped dimensions with this new Advance Steel release. 25
Miscellaneous Advance Steel 2014 provides other great enhancements. Misc. 1: AutoCAD 2014 compliancy Advance Steel 2014 is compliant with AutoCAD 2010-2014 (i.e., the latest 2014 release of AutoCAD ). Advance Steel users will benefit from the enhancements of AutoCAD 2014 for higher productivity and any other AutoCAD 2014 related improvements. Misc. 2: Mapped plates in BOM Mapped plates to flat sections are shown in Beam group with other flat sections. Misc. 3: New Site bolt location list BOM template Advance Steel 2014 provides a new BOM template for getting a site bolt location list. The exact name which appears in this BOM can be controlled by a new default (available in the GRAITEC Advance Manager 2014) named Bolt assembly expression. Misc. 4: Export a DStV XML file for welding robots Advance Steel 2014 provides the option to export a DStV XML file for welding robots. This writes the assembly information (including location of attached parts and welding information) in the XML file, based on the latest commitment from the DStV group. Misc. 5: Export to a 3D DWF file enhancements With Advance Steel 2014, the export to a 3D DWF file includes compound beams and grating properties. 26
Misc. 6: Export to a GTCX file enhancements Advance Steel 2014 provides new options to include the following information in the exported GTCX file: Additional weld information Option to include drawings Misc. 7: Export to an IFC file enhancements Exporting a 3D model to an IFC file also contains twisted folded plates which have been modeled with Advance Steel. 27
Advance Steel, Advance Concrete, Autodesk, AutoCAD, DWF and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Graitec and Graitec Advance are registered trademarks of the Graitec group. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk, Inc. and its subsidiaries Graitec SA and Graitec GmbH, reserve the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and are not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. 2013 Autodesk, Inc., Graitec SA, and Graitec GmbH. All rights reserved.