Advance Steel UK Drawing Styles update notes


As part of an ongoing project Graitec UK have been working hard to improve the drawing styles in Advance Steel to give better results in more situations. It is a fact that different users desire different things and would draw the same things in different ways. Therefore, some degree of compromise is always required when delivering a set of style for universal use. However, we believe we have now been able to produce a set of styles and related drawing processes that will give clearer drawings in the vast majority of cases meaning far less manual editing is required. Furthermore the process of creating the drawings can be streamlined.

Key Benefits / changes of these styles (in no particular order):-

  • Tried to reduce unnecessary views, including section views
  • Tried to remove duplicate dimensions
  • Tried to reduce unnecessary dimensions
  • Where possible added dimensions that were missing
  • Where possible, improved layout of dimensions to align with parts and not go across views
  • 2 Special styles for Rafters – By default the processes use the style without the top view but there is one with a top view that can easily be selected or set in the process instead
  • 3 Special FRAME styles – One dimensions the edges of beams and plates, one dimensions the system line for beams instead, one allows selection of extra cross-section views. The Assembly processes will use this style for any assembly where the main part has the model role FRAME. Thus things like whole balconies, plant rooms etc. can have a better automatic drawing
  • Special style for Eaves Beam Brackets – Used automatically by Assembly processes
  • Turned off Grid Reference in assemblies
  • Improved clipping and scaling rules to produce better results for parts and assemblies
  • New “All Assemblies A3-A1 Single – BOM” process to draw all assemblies without the need to preselect. (Don’t forget to set UCS for stair assembly views)
  • New “All Parts A4-A1 Single – BOM” process to draw all parts without the need to preselect
  • New Cameras processes – Versions for Anchor type, Overview type and All. Versions for each paper size. Can be used for any type of camera if you simply select the right type in the dialog that comes up after clicking USE in Quick Doc’s
  • New Process Suite for “Everything” that uses “All Cameras Anchor A1”, followed by “All Cameras Overview A1” then “All Assemblies A3-A1 Single – BOM, and finally “All Parts A4-A1 Single – BOM”. Thus with this one process and suitably prepared cameras in your model you get the entire set of GA’s, Assemblies and part drawings in one step without preselecting anything (Don’t forget to set the UCS for Stair assembly views)
  • New previews and descriptions in Quick Docs for the above items
  • Adjusted Cladding style to include end view

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Get the workshop drawings of a truss – Video


This movie shows a truss (created with the Advance Steel automatic macro) and explains how to run the numbering, control which parts are shop-welded, and then start the creation of single part and assembly drawings of the truss.

Advance Steel – Sheet and plate metal work


Folded plates of various shapes are widely used in various fields of steel construction: stair ramps for buildings, pipe connection, gas ducts in petrochemical industry, etc. Usually these elements are difficult to model without 3D view, also, obtaining the workshop drawings is a time consuming task.

With Advance Steel it only takes two clicks to create an element, for example, a conical shape from two CAD entities (circle, square, etc.) or between two profiles with different diameters or different sections. All necessary documents (including NC files) are created directly from the model with a simple click. All folded elements are displayed unfolded in workshop drawings which means great cost and time saving.

Below are presented some fragments of the article, to read it full please click here.

Various shapes created in no time!

Automatic tools are available to create plates of any shape. It only takes a few clicks to create a folded element.

All shapes are accepted and can be easily created using a complete set of intuitive tools.

  • Rectangular plates (with one central point, two or three points)
  • Polygonal plates (created from a polyline)
  • Any contour can be cut to get the desired shape
  • Holes can be created

Advance Steel: Automatic tools are available to create plates of any shape

Conical and twisted plates

Advance Steel: Conical and twisted plates

Just two clicks to create a wide variety of complex irregular shapes such as:

  • A conical shape from two CAD entities (circle, square, etc.) or between two profiles with different diameters.
  • Square – to circular folded elements
  • Twisted elements from two curves or splines

Easy to modify while working in 3D

Once created, the folded plate is treated as a single element.
It can be easily modified without loosing the relations between the elements.

Cut any contour

  • Create any type of contour cuts on any of the faces or on the folded line
  • Create holes of any type: round, slotted, countersink, etc.
  • Trim or split any of the joined plates

Add weld preparations
Weld preparations are frequently required for heavy plate fabrication.
With Advance Steel, any chamfer (straight or fillet) can be added to a folded plate edge for weld preparation.

Secure modeling

At any moment it is possible to check if the created plate can be developed into one sheet of material. This insures a correct modeling – very important as Advance Steelcreates automatically the workshop drawing directly from the model.

The unfold representation can be displayed also during modeling.

Advance Steel: The unfold representation can be displayed also during modeling

Accurate drawings created automatically!

Advance Steel automatically creates workshop drawings of all folded plates! All necessary information is included:

  • The unfolded representation
  • Folding line
  • Bending direction
  • Folding angle
  • Dimensions

Bend allowance calculation

The end-user can control the bend allowance calculation when getting automatic workshop drawings with the representation of the part unfolded.

Advance Steel: Bend allowance calculationThere are different available choices:

  • By inner contours
  • By outer contours
  • By pure median line
  • By DIN
  • By table

Click here to read the entire article

Brentwood School Sixth Form Centre – awarded at RIBA 2012


Brentwood School Sixth Form Centre designed with Advance Steel was awarded at RIBA 2012

Brentwood School Sixth Form Centre designed with Advance Steel was awarded at RIBA 2012

Brentwood School’s new Sixth Form Centre has won the 2012 RIBA Award from the Royal Institute of British Architects. The new Sixth Form Centre, designed by architects Cottrell and Vermeulen, took almost two and a-half years to build and was completed in August 2011. Although, it has been used by students since the beginning of the new academic year in September, the Sixth Form Centre was officially opened in November 2011 by His Royal Highness, Prince Edward.

RIBA judges were very impressed by this project, stating that the three buildings which make up the centre (the remodeled Victorian vicarage, the classroom block and the Wessex Auditorium) “celebrate the spirit of education, unfolding as a sequence of spaces for learning, socializing, and gathering: a new sixth form block, a remodeled Victorian vicarage and a new assembly block. Drawing inspiration from the existing Victorian vicarage, the new design is expressed in a language that is both contextual and contemporary. The sculpting of the roofs creates non-standard, domestic-scaled classrooms filled with natural light, reminiscent of the gabled roofs of the Victorian vicarage, but with an added measure of playfulness.”

Brentwood School Sixth Form Centre designed with Advance Steel was awarded at RIBA 2012The project consists of the three buildings which make up the centre – the remodeled Victorian vicarage, the classroom block, made of a steel/concrete hybrid design, with a very complicated roof and the Wessex Auditorium, an assembly hall with a complex box section truss design.

Facilities include common rooms and private study areas; 16 additional classrooms equipped with up-to-date teaching aids, interactive whiteboards and the internet; a dedicated computer suite and the multi-purpose auditorium, with 400 seats. The rooms are heated by a ground source heat pump which draws water from 15 vertical pipe loops penetrating 100 meters below the ground. A sophisticated building management system allows the temperature in the building to be controlled remotely and windows opened or closed automatically.

Adrian Betts, from the TSI Structures LTD design office, explains why Advance Steel was the best solution for the completion of this project: “The ability to import AutoCAD drawings and convert these lines into Advance Steel objects was essential. Without this command many extra office hours would have been spent modeling the new concrete steel structure and the existing building.”

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How Advance Steel can help your business profitability


In 2010, an article written on www.submityourarticle.com stated that the ultimate aim of specialized steel detailing software is to increase a company’s bottom line profit. But in 2012 what was a concern for steel fabrication businesses, steel engineering companies and even self-employed steel detailers has now become a fact. Those who have the most competitive steel detailing software solution are the ones that are the most profitable on such a dynamic market.

In short, investing in a steel detailing software helps you save time, optimizes your resources and reduces costs with materials and labor. A good example is given by one of our customers, Nial BALL from Westbury Park Engineering which worked with ADVANCE Steel for a boat mold structure (35-40 m long steel structure for fiberglass bouts). He states: “With three days to go before ‘D Day’ our TWO men arrived on site with the pre-fabricated assemblies and in TWO days the structure was erected and we were home in time for tea with a day to spare. Thanks to ADVANCE Steel, we knew the structure would fit long before we arrived on site.”

Stairs and platforms for Arcelor Mittal Steel Plant, Galati, RomaniaOff course, not all projects can be finalized in two days using just two men, but reducing the time spent on a very complex project from maybe three months to three weeks is not that bad either. Gheorghe CEPRAGA, engineer at UZINSIDER ENGINEERING, has been working with ADVANCE Steel at his most recent project – assembly of new elements (stairs, railings and platforms) on an existing structure in the ArcelorMittal steel plant. For him,the decision was clear: I have been working with AutoCAD, especially in 3D view, for a very long time now. I think it is safe to say that it would have been very difficult for us to model the entire structure in AutoCAD. Without ADVANCE steel, the execution would have taken too long”.

Can it be that simple? Sometimes, time saving leaves room for errors. Not a problem because ADVANCE Steel drastically increases productivity and drawing quality even for the most complex and unusual projects, while reducing the risk of errors.

Bregenzer Festival Stage, Bregenz, Austria

For the Bregenz festival in Austria, Bregenzer Festspiele fascinated with a spectacular stage engineering, resulting in the biggest sea stage in the world (17m long, 15m wide and 15m high),portraying Jean Paul Marat, one of the leaders of the French Revolution. The construction of the head was connected to a steel construction which was already located at the sea stage.

Although, ultimately, the best steel detailing software is the one that addresses the business’ needs and issues, ADVANCE Steel can efficiently accelerates the design phase (either single or multi-user mode) by offering an extensive library of smart and efficient objects, automatic joints and specific tools for creating standard structures, stairs, railing and miscellaneous steelwork. For the renovation and extension of  TIGNESPACE Center, a sports complex equipped with modern multipurpose structures, Thierry Depollier, Eng, at Ets BOUCHET states: “The ability of ADVANCE Steel to work in realistic mode together with 3D navigation have greatly facilitated our work and have improved the efficiency of our weekly meetings with the other disciplines. It is worth mentioning that the fabrication of the welded beams at workshop was simplified with the high-quality drawings automatically created “.

Renovation and extension of the TIGNESPACE center

Functionality-wise Advance Steel detailing software has everything you would expect from a specialist structural steel detailing package. Ultimately, what makes ADVANCE Steel special is its accessibility to any type of company which is interested in investing in steel detailing software.

Advance Steel for StruCAD users


Advance Steel for StruCAD users

Advance Steel, the alternative solution to StruCAD

GRAITEC Products: CAD and Design Software for the Construction Industry

  • Proven track record with more than 10,000 seats worldwide: Trusted market confidence
  • Rapid adoption rate resulting in +50% growth in licenses in 2011: Tried and tested solution
  • Increased functionality / productivity: Tools for all market sectors: BIM, Structures, Off-shore, Bridges, Architectural, Sheet-metalwork,…
  • Works as a standalone application or with AutoCAD: Flexibility for users to choose platform to that suits them – no need to have AutoCAD
  • Low initial financial outlay: Best value system on the market
  • Lower on-going cost of ownership: Premium support & maintenance less than half the price of other systems
  • Easy to use and short learning curve: 5 day foundation training course; 3-days transition training from Strucad, includes full training manual
  • Quick and easy deployment: Set up company drawing borders in minutes
  • Interoperability: DSTV NC files in all versions, IFC, SDNF, CIS2, Graitec BIM, KISS, PSS, …
  • Support and Helpdesk service rated 98% excellent or good by our users: Dedicated team ready to help you by phone, email or remote assistance

Advance Steel 2012 videos

Advance Steel 2012 – Easy and efficient modelling tools
Advance Stel 2012 – Easy  and efficient modelling tools
Advance Steel is a complete 3D BIM steel detailing software providing automatic and user-friendly tools for creating the 3D model of your building in the best time.
From the creation of the portal frames to the generation of all cladding profiles, Advance Steel comes with numerous easy-to-use tools for purlins, side rails, automatic connections, stairs, railings and much more!
Advance Steel 2012 – Navigation through a 3D model
Advance Stel 2012 – Navigation through a 3D model
See how user-friendly and powerful Advance Steel 2012 is to navigate through a complex pedestrian bridge (model courtesy of PKD, Czech Republic).

Customer Projects

Advance Steel CIS/2 interface Advance Steel CIS/2 interface
Coke oven gas desulphurization done by
Hutni projekt Frydek-Mistek a.s with Advance Steel
New Valenciennes stadium done by
ETI with Advance Steel
Advance Steel CIS/2 interface Advance Steel CIS/2 interface
U2 “360° concert” stage done by
Stageco with Advance Steel
Steam cracking furnaces done by
Heurtey Petrochem with Advance Steel

More doors open to Advance Steel


With the shocking Strucad announcement, Strucad users are now faced with a difficult decision – or is it?
For anyone involved in Structural Steelwork, the way GRAITEC UK sees it, there is a clear and easy choice, Advance Steel 2012!

Advance Steel 2012 offers:

– Proven track record with more than 10,000 seats worldwide

  •  Trusted market confidence

– Rapid adoption rate resulting in +50% growth in licenses in 2011 – 

  • Tried and tested solution

– Increased functionality / productivity 

  • New tools for all market sectors: BIM, Structures, Off-shore, Bridges, Architectural, Sheet-metalwork…

– Works as a standalone application or with AutoCAD – 

  • Flexibility for users to choose platform to that suits them – no need to have AutoCAD

– Low initial financial outlay 

  • A fantastic GRAITEC UK ‘Switch-offer’

– Quick and easy deployment

  • Set up company drawing borders in minutes

– Interoperability 

  • DSTv NC files in all versions, IFC, SDNF, CIS2, Graitec BIM, KISS, PSS…

– Support and Helpdesk service rated 98% excellent or good by users  

  • Dedicated team ready to help you by phone, email or remote assistance


The GRAITEC UK branch has never received so many phone calls and enquiries from people looking for an alternative solution to Strucad, and the feedback from those that have already moved to Advance Steel was “easy to use” and “very capable”.

If you have been affected and would like to see more about Advance Steel why not visit www.graitec.co.uk/advance_steel_2012.html or contact one of the Graitec UK team on 0844 543 8888 or email your enquiry to sales@graitec.co.uk

Advance Steel – Stairs and Railings


With its advanced feature set, Advance Steel supports the design of complex structures such as straight and spiral stairs, railings, cage ladders, etc. Advance Steel creates all necessary documents (including NC files) for the stair fabrication using a user selected template.

Quick and easyAdvance Steel: Stairs - Quick and easy
Once the user selects 2 points, the stair with its stringer and treads (including connection to the stringer) is created.
The tread distances are calculated using a standard formula for determining the ergonomic height and length of the step.

The stair can be modified using profile types for stringers, connection types between the treads and the stringers, lower and upper landing

Instant railings
Once the stringers are selected, the railings are created using the user defined start and end points.
Railings of any type can then be modified. Features include:

  • Profile types for posts, handrail and kickrail
  • Controlled positioning of posts, top handrail, middle handrail and kickrail
  • Connection between posts and stringers
  • And more…

If the stair length and width are modified the railing is automatically updated!

Spiral stairs
Using the Advance Steel advanced tools, with a few clicks defining the height, the tread width and direction, the entire stair can be created. Various options are available:

  • Large library of tread types
  • Treads can be welded to the central post or connected by a profile or a bolted plate
  • And moreAdvance Steel: Stairs - Spiral stairs

Cage ladders
All elements of a cage ladder are inserted by two points defining the height. The number of rungs can be defined or calculated according to the distance between the rungs. The user can modify then the shape and the size of the elements.

Easy to customize 
Stairs and railings can be customized through the Properties dialog box.
The tabs of the Properties dialog box are grouped in logical categories to simplify the use of this powerful feature.
The user can modify the parameters (dimensions, treads types, connection types, etc.) to get the required structure. All modifications are visible in the model as they happen.

Automatic drawings
Once the stair is modeled, the user may select a template for the workshop drawing. Advance Steel then creates all the necessary documents (including NC files) for the stair fabrication. The drawings are automatically labeled and dimensioned. The user can customize the drawing layout using the Drawing Style Manager.

Read full article

How does Quick Draw work


Starting with version 2010, Advance Steel provides a setting that, when active, will improve working speed while modeling in shade mode. This option is called Quick Draw and can be found on the Standard toolbar.

It has two settings:

  • Quick Draw OFF. This is the normal shade representation without any speed improvement. All objects or features will be represented normally.
  • Quick Draw ON. When this setting is turned on, Advance Steel will run faster when modeling in shade mode. This is due to two representation modifications made to AS objects, which improve the shade speed, specifically for large models. These modification are:
    • – Holes will no longer be visible on the element. The feature will still be displayed, but the hole will not. This does not affect the detailing, and the bolt even if apparently collides with the plate/beam, it will not, as the hole still “exists”, it simply is not displayed.

How does Quick Draw work

    • – Round surfaces on tubes lose the smooth curved surfaces appearance. See the comparison in the following figure:

How does Quick Draw work
Switching between the two representation of Quick Draw can be done by simply clicking the button, the model does not require a regen, which makes it possible to use this option for fast modeling in shade mode and then switching quick draw off to view the model at the maximum rendering capabilities of AutoCAD.