This article explores the interoperability between Autodesk Revit and Autodesk Advance Steel software - including recommended workflows, best practices for steel connection modeling, and the details of data exchange between the solutions.
Create a Detailed Design Model with Steel Connections in Revit
Structural engineers typically use Autodesk Revit for the design of steel structures.
You can model steel frames in the Revit environment using structural steel families available out of the box.
You also have access to a comprehensive library of 125+ parametric connections to help you model steel connections quickly.Here, you can find a variety of simple and complex parametric connections. You can also create and save your own custom connections.
Tools such as Copy or Propagate may be used to automate the process of inserting the same steel connection in multiple locations in Revit.
With Revit, you can model to a higher level of detail, creating better-coordinated and more accurate models that connect steel design and detailing.
Export the Detailed Design Model from Revit to Advance Steel
Structural engineers and steel detailers can use a bidirectional link between Autodesk Advance Steel detailing software and Revit to collaborate on the same 3D model, saving time and minimizing errors.
When exporting a Revit model to Advance Steel, you can set up your preferred import and export options or synchronize model changes between the two products.
The Advance Steel Extension for Revit enables you to import both the structural members and steel connections into Advance Steel.
The engineer’s Revit model can be a great asset to help you detail your projects more accurately and quickly in Advance Steel.
Create Shop Deliverables with Advance Steel
Once the detailed design model has been transferred from Revit to Advance Steel, you can use Advance Steel to generate shop drawings and other deliverables directly from the imported 3D model.
You can use out-of-the-box templates in Advance Steel to create shop drawings—for both single parts and assemblies—automatically.
Drive steel machines in the shop using Advance Steel. The software offers dedicated commands to automatically generate CNC data with NC-DSTV files for steel elements, NC-DXF files for plates, and XML files for driving welding robots.
To view all workflow tutorials in this series, please visit this post on the Revit Blog. The videos are also available on YouTube as "1-minute snippets" and "3-minute demos". Thank you for taking the time to explore these workflows for buildings enabled by the Autodesk AEC Collection!
