BIM

GRAITEC Advance 2013 – Official release of Advance CAD 2013

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Launched at the end of February 2013, BIM GRAITEC ADVANCE is the global CAD / Analysis & Design solutions for the construction engineering field. Advance CAD is part of the GRAITEC structural BIM solution and a newcomer in the GRAITEC Advance suite.

GRAITEC’s Advance CAD is fully compatible DWG® CAD software. It provides its users a simple, natural and economical solution to the frequent requirements of drawing creation and modification. Advance CAD creates all 2D entities (lines, poly-lines, arcs, circles, polygons, etc.) and associates all desired colors, line styles and shading. Concepts such as “layers”, “snap points”, “windows” are available as well as all navigation features (zoom, pan, orbit, etc.). Advance CAD can also create and handle 3D solids (cubes, spheres, cylinders, etc.) and perform Boolean operations.

GRAITEC Advance 2013 – Official release of Advance CAD 2013

In the complete 2D/3D CAD environment of the software, you can find all the common CAD tools and features, several innovative features meant to enhance user productivity, but also 3D modeling tools for drawing 3D solids, functions that allow face editing for 3D elements, all these wrapped up in a user-friendly, simple and intuitive interface.

The user interface is designed to get you familiarized fast with all the software elements and functionalities: quick access toolbar manager, ribbon tabs, customizable menus, keyboard shortcuts, auto-completion of commands, selection filters. It also offers you the possibility to customize general settings such as display, paths/files, user preferences, crosshairs or profiles.

GRAITEC Advance 2013 – Official release of Advance CAD 2013

Advance CAD provides full compatibility with AutoCAD®, using most of the same file formats including those for drawings (.DWG files), commands, line types, hatch patterns, and text styles. Advance CAD reads and writes .DWG files in their native format without data loss, from AutoCAD® 2012 and going all the way back to Version 2.5, including AutoCAD LT®. Because Advance CAD uses Autodesk® DWG™ format as its native file format, no conversion is required.

Advance CAD offers users all the professional 2D and 3D modeling tools and functionalities and at the same time it is cost effective.

You can download the DWG sample files from here.

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GRAITEC launches GRAITEC BIM Connect 2013

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GRAITEC BIM Connect is a software add-on for Autodesk REVIT and part of the GRAITEC BIM solution. With GRAITEC BIM Connect, Autodesk REVIT users can quickly connect their REVIT models to the GRAITEC Advance suite and then optimize the design of their structures in accordance with U.S. and EUROCODE standards, produce effective and error-free general arrangement drawings, fabrication drawings, BOMs, and NC files both for steel and concrete structures.

With version 2013, important features have been added:

  • Automatic installation from ADVANCE Setup;

GRAITEC launches GRAITEC BIM Connect 2013

  • New GTCX file format;
  • Export of the folded plates and poly-beams;
  • 6000 profile mapping lines, including profile rotations added for North America and UK;
  • New specific ribbon tab added in Autodesk REVIT, to include all commands (Export, Import, Synchronization, Settings and About).

GRAITEC launches GRAITEC BIM Connect 2013

Many new improvements have been included to speed up performances and allow more response for handling big projects:

  • Time decrease for model import into Autodesk REVIT, regardless of the number of plates;

GRAITEC launches GRAITEC BIM Connect 2013

  • Correct import and rotation for curved beams and curved foundations;
  • Import of bent or curved walls, regardless of the format;
  • Automatic recognition of concrete sections, regardless of the file format and with no mapping required.

Using GRAITEC BIM Connect 2013, you can also import/export to other BIM file formats such as IFC, SDNF, CIS2 (already certified), PSS and KISS.

You can read here the full documents of new features and improvements for GRAITEC BIM Connect 2013. Please feel free to give us your feedback to help us improve other functionalities of the software.

Get your FREE copy of GRAITEC BIM Connect 2013 from here

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AceCad collaborates with GRAITEC for True BIM

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Following our mutual longstanding development work with GRAITEC, AceCad Software is delighted to announce a new model link to the GRAITEC platform.

This new model link connection enables the round tripping of information from GRAITEC products into BIM Review and StruM.I.S with feedback into the GRAITEC authoring product. Thus a true circle of information can be completed to the benefit of all in the construction supply chain and facilitates true Building Information Modeling (BIM).

AceCad collaborates with GRAITEC for True BIM

This alliance will allow greater flexibility with our mutual clients for data sharing, facilitating amongst many other exciting possibilities – Entity Face Clash Detection and 4D Planning and Progress Feedback with StruM.I.S. Furthermore, this development will offer an easy and adaptable multiple data sharing system enabling significant time savings through labour and error minimization.

Alexandre Tartas, GRAITEC Group COO commented: “We are very pleased with our recent development venture with AceCad as it provides improved flexibility to our reciprocal clients in data sharing and the multi model merging process; it will save users valuable time handling and managing key operational data through multiple fabrications solutions. This partnership will enhance our products functionality and will strengthen our position in the dynamic and ever changing AEC market providing increased competitive advantages.”

Technical Director for AceCad Software, Mr Simon Inman, commented: “This great achievement is once again a result of our longstanding partnership with GRAITEC. This exciting collaboration will reinforce our continued outstanding relationship and it will prove to be beneficial to our mutual clients in delivering exceptional business efficiencies.”

About AceCad Software
Established in 1986 AceCad Software Ltd, a member of the international RDS Group is a leading supplier of advanced software solutions to the international construction industry, delivering sustainable and advanced competitive advantages to our valued international clients. AceCad develops a range of software for BIM collaboration, design to construction project management and dedicated steel work fabrication. AceCad products have consistently transformed its customers’ business in the construction supply chain. With core business areas in the AEC Building and Construction and Industrial, Process and Plant sectors, AceCad has international operations in ten countries and provides software to customers around the world.

Lantek expands its technological partnership base with GRAITEC

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Lantek, a world leader in sheet metal and structural steel manufacturing solutions, and GRAITEC, specialists in BIM (Building Information Modelling) are collaborating to integrate their software solutions to provide a seamless design and manufacturing solution for the structural steel industry. Furthermore, the partnership will allow both companies to expand and consolidate their businesses in new markets.  

Lantek expands its technological partnership base with GRAITEC  Lantek expands its technological partnership base with GRAITEC

Lantek develops and markets world class CAD/CAM/MES/ERP software solutions for the sheet metal and structural steel industry and, with the announcement of the signing of a collaborative agreement with GRAITEC, aims to develop its extended technical innovation programme. The alliance will enable both companies to offer clients a single, integrated and technologically advanced system. The partnership signifies the start of a professional relationship for the two companies, enabling them to consolidate their position in the sheet metal and steel construction industry at an international level.

Lantek expands its technological partnership base with GRAITEC

GRAITEC  is a pioneer in the development and marketing of software dedicated to structural design and engineering for the construction industry.

It has more than 25 years of experience in this market, 12 branch offices dotted around Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, a team of 260 employees and more than 40,000 users worldwide.

With a turnover of more than 25 million Euros in 2011, GRAITEC is currently the only supplier able to offer a complete and integrated range of design and structural analysis solutions for the steel, concrete and wood construction industries.

GRAITEC offers innovative BIM technology, which increases productivity and safety through automation, integrated design and process control. Its software has the capacity to intelligently exchange data, making collaboration between professionals in construction design and those in the construction sector simpler and more flexible by facilitating sound, intelligent and fluid communication.

Lantek expands its technological partnership base with GRAITEC

As part of the collaborative agreement, the two companies are working on a bi-directional integration process between the GRAITEC Advance BIM software and the Lantek Steelworks solution. This will bring together both technologies, by sharing the models designed in GRAITEC Advance Steel. As a result, a structural steel project will be able to be managed in Lantek Steelworks and its progress fed back into Advance Steel, providing users with a flexible and simple management process. The benefit is a more powerful and rapid solution, which makes it possible to dynamically generate and manage structural project information, substantially reducing the time and resources spent on design and construction.

As part of the collaboration the two companies will coordinate the innovation process and reserve the necessary technical and human resources to achieve their goals in such a way as not to affect their normal product development schedules. As part of this process, Lantek has implemented a training programme for its technical team in GRAITEC’s products to speed up and effectively manage the integration.

“Lantek intends to integrate with all structural design software applications on the market,” says Alberto Martínez, CEO at Lantek. “This initiative enables Lantek, once again, to manifest its desire to develop integral, dynamic and ultra-efficient solutions which are at the forefront of technology and adapted to the needs of users, enabling them to increase their competitive edge“.

“GRAITEC, just like Lantek, is an innovative and flexible company which focuses on globalisation and technical collaboration in order to enrich its solutions, particularly within the framework of structural construction,” says Alexandre Tartas, managing director at GRAITEC.

“We are very pleased about this initiative, as it means working with a company renowned in the industry. It allows us to enhance our Advance Steel solution from a functional and technical point of view, and gives us the means to respond efficiently to the challenges which face companies and structural engineers.“

In addition, the partnership between the two companies will give them both the opportunity to tap into new fast-emerging markets and increase their presence in other countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Asia for GRAITEC, and Canada and Romania, Eastern Europe for Lantek.

CAD Digest – review of GRAITEC Advance’s BIM Capabilities for Structural Design

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CAD Digest, one of the most popular online sources for CAD, CAM & CAE articles, reviews the capabilities of the GRAITEC ADVANCE suite as a complete solution for structural design.

The author of the review, Protim Banerjee  (with 15 years of experience in construction management, structural engineering and AEC software development) provides an overview of the GRAITEC ADVANCE suite, highlighting the pros as well as the cons for compatibility and data exchange with Revit Structures 2012.

GRAITEC ADVANCE and Revit Structures have been compatible since 2006, up to the present time. This integration has allowed engineers and design offices using software solutions from both suites to run their structure calculation and drawing creation quickly, without recreating the model and with a minimal risk of errors. As an Autodesk partner for over 10 years, GRAITEC offers an application for Revit Structures – GRAITEC BIM Connect – that ensures the compatibility of Revit models with the GRAITEC Advance suite and with industry standards, such as IFC and SDNF. With GRAITEC BIM Connect, data is imported and exported between applications, using GRAITEC’s own transfer file format – GTC files. The free Revit add-on is available for download here. This add-on generates GTC files for import into GRAITEC applications, and also works as a two-way transfer.

CAD Digest – review of GRAITEC Advance's BIM Capabilities for Structural Design

“The Revit add-on allows model synchronization, a tool very useful for comparing the original model with updated ones. The changes that are alerted include member additions (appended), member modifications (modified), and member deletions (deleted); the alerts are made by color coding and by tabulating them in the synchronization dialog. You can review the changes, and then decide whether to accept them” Protim Banerjee states.

CAD Digest – review of GRAITEC Advance's BIM Capabilities for Structural Design

GRAITEC BIM Connectt is, in fact, a concept which has constantly improved since 2009. Its key features include data synchronization with the GRAITEC ADVANCE Suite, IFC Interface (Import / Export), CIS/2 Interface (Import / Export), SDNF Interface (Import / Export), PSS Interface (Import / Export). The 3D model is imported from Autodesk Revit Structure (or Autodesk Revit Architecture) to the desired GRAITEC Structural Analysis or Detailing product. To complete the model, a structural analysis and design process is run to optimize the structure, and then synchronized with the Revit Structure model to include any modifications. The implemented elements are structural elements (columns, beams, wall, slabs), custom families containing an analytical model, supports and loads.

CAD Digest – review of GRAITEC Advance's BIM Capabilities for Structural Design

“GRAITEC has carefully conceived the overall BIM process with the use of its GTC file format. The concept of cross section mapping and synchronization of changes is certainly very innovative. GRAITEC scores good points when it comes to the software design”, Protim Banerjee concludes, stating also that the GRAITEC ADVANCE suite covers all aspects of structural BIM workflow.

CAD Digest – review of GRAITEC Advance's BIM Capabilities for Structural Design

You can read the full review here.