BIM Blog

9 Ways to Improve the Quality of Your MEP Documentation & Save Time in Revit

Generating drawings and completing other project documentation can take a good chunk of time even when you have a well-prepared Autodesk® Revit® model. Placing dimensions and tags, marking elements, creating legends, generating views and sheets can all be automated with AGACAD’s newest product – Smart Documentation.

As an MEP engineer, I know how time-consuming it can be to properly document a Revit model. So, in this blogpost I’m going to show 9 ways you can speed up the project documentation process and improve the overall quality of your Revit projects.

But first, a short intro about the productivity toolset itself.

Maximize Precast Concrete Project Design Productivity & Precision [WEBINAR]

When it comes to designing precast concrete projects in Autodesk® Revit®, hundreds of families have to be placed accurately for every element (Wall, Beam, Column, Slab) in the 3D model. And shop drawings for each element must be made with the requisite dimensions, notes, and other annotations according to various standards.

While all of those tasks can be done in native Revit, it’s tedious, time-consuming, and laden with chances for mistakes to creep in.

That’s why we set out a few years ago to streamline the process. The result was our Precast Concrete suite that eliminates repetitive tasks and minimizes the possibility of error in precast projects in Revit. Tune in to our free webinar on October 13th during which our BIM expert will show how to improve your workflow by adding not only automation but also flexibility.

Long-term Solutions to Design & Manufacture Timber Buildings [WEBINAR]

Interested in finding a framing solution that you can use in Autodesk® Revit® projects, confident that it will keep up with and bring lasting value to your business years into the future? One that covers all the bases, from modeling and documentation to CNC export and panel logistics? Then you’ve probably found what you’re looking for.

Tune in to our free webinar on October 6th. You’ll get a high-level view of the typical (a.k.a. time-saving and cost-slashing) workflows used with our Wood Framing Wall / Floor / Roof applications for Revit, as well as the accompanying Wood Framing CNC Exporters and Panel Packer add-on.

Additionally, our BIM expert will show what can be done using our Wood Framing CLT, Wood Framing SIPS, and Wood Framing OAK solutions. Along with the results you can achieve, you’ll also see the new Wood Framing sample project that’s available for free download. A veritable timber framing smörgåsbord awaits you during this webinar. Don’t miss out!

BIM & Classification in the AEC Industry

Structuring data – classifying it – is key to unlocking the full value of BIM. It’s about clearly communicating design intent in order to more accurately budget, plan and build an asset (and then more efficiently manage it over its lifetime). Without classification, data is easily misunderstood and sometimes just not usable. Well-classified data has increasing value.

In the past the classification of building information was both less important and more difficult. It cost a lot of time and effort but often yielded little value. That has changed. Classification is becoming ever more important. More valuable. And easier.

Projects today generate more data. And AEC increasingly relies on that data to automate processes, make better decisions and operate devices. Look at all the add-ons for Revit and other platforms, the CNC machines, robots and VR/AR devices. The Internet of Things.

Moreover, the teams that undertake building projects are becoming more complex. Architects and engineers are creating models for use by cost estimators, consultants, contractors, fabricators and so on in multiple other organizations and countries.

In each case, all the actors – people, software, equipment – need a common language, an agreed-upon data structure. It could be international standards. Or national classification systems. Or custom ones. That depends on the project. But if BIM managers don’t decide on classifications and model creators don’t implement them, everyone suffers. In fact today many projects do suffer from mistakes and delays due to a lack of classification. Instead of a valuable “common data environment” they have a costly “chaotic data environment”.

We’re talking about effective data exchange. Harmonization. Interoperability.

So what’s the value created by classifying BIM data?

Classify BIM data like a Pro [WEBINAR]

What do you do when your client or project partners request that BIM project content should be classified? Do you know the most efficient way to classify all BIM objects?
And what if you need to create custom classifiers, share them, store them in the cloud, and compare different classification systems to each other?

If you want to efficiently classify BIM project content, we’ll show you how all that and more can be done in Revit®, Navisworks®, and Tekla® using our BIMAXON ICS (Integrated Classification System) cloud-based system. Sign up down below for our free webinar on September 22!

Global BIM Survey: Poland’s public sector has been a drag on digital construction 

Poland is our next case study as we continue to review BIM use around the world with the help of our well-placed international partners. This analysis is based on an interview with Arkadiusz Leśko, a BIM expert at Arkance Systems Poland.

Procurement link is weak

Architecture, engineering and construction companies in Poland know a lot about building information management and modelling (BIM). They just have not had much opportunity to use that know-how. That’s because public sector building projects, which play a major role in this the European Union’s sixth biggest economy, still rarely offer space for digital construction techniques.

Indeed, ever since Poland joining the EU in 2004, the bloc has promoted and helped fund numerous very large projects for modern transport infrastructure and public facilities of all kinds. But “when it comes to the use of BIM in public tenders, it is not common. It is in fact rare,” says Arkadiusz Leśko, who as Technical Director for AEC and Infrastructure at Arkance Systems Poland advises stakeholders on both government and private-sector projects.

AGACAD Advances | Mid-Year 2022

The latest edition of our newsletter AGACAD Advances has several items of interest, including the Japan installment of the Global BIM Survey we began last year and two client success stories focusing on wood framing in Revit.

Here are some highlights:

• Global BIM Surveys about Japan
• New product released: Smart Documentation
• Success stories from clients who use Wood Framing out of the USA and the Czech Republic
• Upcoming webinar season kick-off
• MEP Hangers enhancements

Read on for more!

Join our mailing list to get newsletters and webinar announcements delivered right to your inbox.

9 easy steps to faster project documentation in Revit [WEBINAR]

Accompanying the launch of Smart Documentation, our newest add-on for Revit, we hosted a webinar to introduce the app to architects and engineers who want to complete drawings and schedules faster.

Since launching Smart Documentation, we’ve received a variety of questions about this toolset. So, we’ve decided to hold 3 specialized webinars in September: one geared toward architects, one for structural engineers, and one for MEP engineers.

In those webinars, we’ll show how you can generate 2D documentation from 3D models better, faster, and easier in Revit using Smart Documentation in each of those disciplines.

Framing CLT panels in Revit: Tutorial #1 [VIDEO]

As we recently announced, our Wood Framing CLT add-in for Revit is available for the first time ever as a free trial.

To make using the software as smooth as possible, we developed an improved workflow for designing CLT walls, roofs, and floors. And we’ll be releasing a series of tutorials to make it even easier to follow along.

Without further ado, here’s the first tutorial. Stay tuned for subsequent CLT videos!

CLT Panels in Revit: Tutorial #1

Custom marks for rebar in Revit

Reinforcement in Revit has several parameters (rebar number, type, diameter, etc.) that can be included in tags and used in documentation. But standards governing reinforcement marking are sometimes fancier than the options provided by Revit, so different add-ons are created to perform specific tasks. In this case, we’ll take a look at our Sort Mark tool, which has gotten some new options in the latest update that make making custom marks even easier.