Advance Steel 2020 is now available

[Gernot.Jeromin]

Hi,

Advance Steel 2020 now available.



Please check out our YouTube videos about "What's new in Advance Steel 2020":

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY-ggSrSwbZp8LRjgH-WoV6Oe6fOVuFb6

Here a list of what is new, besides other news and enhancements:

- Propagation of steel connections

- High DPI display support

- Better display in dialog boxes with sidebar

- Dynamo Extension for Advance Steel 2020 (separate download)

- Enhanced labels placement on drawings

- More control on hole labels

- Cut views enhancements

- Enhanced interoperability with Revit 2020

- More local content for US English

- Installation in Czech language

Gernot

[Gernot.Jeromin]

Here a link to the release notes of Advance Steel 2020:

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/advance-steel/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2020/ENU...

Gernot

[acbsdesign]

@Gernot.Jeromin 

Well done, thank you for implementing some of the ideas posted on the idea station.

[markhubrich]

Still no bolts or anchors?

• Fixed an issue for the KISS export which manifested by losing the drawing number after renaming the drawing number to contain letters.

[bukko]

WOW!!

We'll take what we can get.... but holy craap....... the total amount of updates and new features added for the "new" version is DEPRESSING to say the least!

Are you seriously telling me that this is the best that MANAGEMENT is willing to do with Advance Steel development after ONE FULL YEAR?

*The DOCUMENT MANAGER is still LAME and needs a rework..... (At the very least a "freeze command for release drawings and some kind of User created folder arrangement for organizing larger projects - not the "oh just explode or deregister the drawing when finished---And lets not forget the incredible usefulness of the UNKNOWN FOLDER)

        The doc manager is supposed to be the "One Stop Shop for Advance Steel Output coordination" Bring it up to world class standards like so many of the other components of Advance Steel already are!

THE DOCUMENT MANAGER IS THE "ACHILLES HEEL" OF ADVANCE STEEL.

Look at all of the work that Tekla has put into their doc manager and you'll see what I mean.

*Anchor bolt macro??? CMON PEOPLE.....!!! 

*Automated Camera/model view symbols that make sense!!!  (currently a haphazard manual mess)

 I use this software 10hrs a day 5-6 days a week. 

I'm responsible for 3 newly added seats this year alone because I believe in the program

There are literally about 10 items that we need as misc/structural detailers that would make a WORLD OF DIFFERENCE and put the Advance Steel output capabilities up there with Tekla and SDS2

We all know that the Advance Steel modeling environment is the easiest use and the most flexible in the industry.

Many BUGS have been eliminated----- A HUGE THANK YOU FOR THAT!!!!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GET TO WORK ON THE WEAK POINTS OF THE PROGRAM!

THE TIME IS NOW.... not 2021. We  need several yearly updates that actually introduce features!

CMON AUTODESK..... Stop milking your loyal customers to death

Regards

Craig 

[acbsdesign]

---

@bukko wrote:

WOW!!

We'll take what we can get.... but holy craap....... the total amount of updates and new features added for the "new" version is DEPRESSING to say the least!

Are you seriously telling me that this is the best that MANAGEMENT is willing to do with Advance Steel development after ONE FULL YEAR?

*The DOCUMENT MANAGER is still LAME and needs a rework..... (At the very least a "freeze command for release drawings and some kind of User created folder arrangement for organizing larger projects - not the "oh just explode or deregister the drawing when finished---And lets not forget the incredible usefulness of the UNKNOWN FOLDER)

        The doc manager is supposed to be the "One Stop Shop for Advance Steel Output coordination" Bring it up to world class standards like so many of the other components of Advance Steel already are!

THE DOCUMENT MANAGER IS THE "ACHILLES HEEL" OF ADVANCE STEEL.

Look at all of the work that Tekla has put into their doc manager and you'll see what I mean.

*Anchor bolt macro??? CMON PEOPLE.....!!! 

*Automated Camera/model view symbols that make sense!!!  (currently a haphazard manual mess)

 I use this software 10hrs a day 5-6 days a week. 

I'm responsible for 3 newly added seats this year alone because I believe in the program

There are literally about 10 items that we need as misc/structural detailers that would make a WORLD OF DIFFERENCE and put the Advance Steel output capabilities up there with Tekla and SDS2

We all know that the Advance Steel modeling environment is the easiest use and the most flexible in the industry.

Many BUGS have been eliminated----- A HUGE THANK YOU FOR THAT!!!!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GET TO WORK ON THE WEAK POINTS OF THE PROGRAM!

THE TIME IS NOW.... not 2021. We  need several yearly updates that actually introduce features!

CMON AUTODESK..... Stop milking your loyal customers to death

Regards

Craig 

---

@bukko 

Well, if you want something more to happen, you do not hide for one entire year and show on the release date.Keep posting.

Missed your input.

Edited by
Discussion_Admin

[bukko]

You are correct..... I must find the time to post here because there are things that need to be corrected. We need to keep bringing up these issues until they are acted upon by Autodesk.

[acbsdesign]

---

@bukko wrote:
You are correct..... I must find the time to post here because there are things that need to be corrected. We need to keep bringing up these issues until they are acted upon by Autodesk.

---

I will give credit to the devs, I know they work hard, it is just Revit taking most of the time.

What I want to see improved:

1. Sending section views, elevations and plans to a new dwg or to existing dwg to be numbered similar to section views when they are done in the same dwg

2. Running processes does not allow us to have E1, E2 dwgs if we have Mp dwgs 1 and 2. This should work same way as the dwg styles work. We have to number dwgs per customers' standards.

3. Document manager-added to the written above-output selected external lists-plot them to a destination folder all at once, not one by one. Currently (what a shame) if we change the thickness of one cap plate, and size of a clip angle, and the number of bolts in only one bolt pattern we have to do the external lists manually one by one.  The funny part here is we can "update" lists from DM, but we cannot print them from DM same way we print all documents. Revising model dwgs is taking less time than doing the external lists.

2020 is not that far, it may be cloudy with a 51% chance of rain.

[Anonymous]

.....I don't even know what to say anymore. Did you guys only work on this for a few months? Cause this is sad if this is the best you can do in 12 months. 

[Anonymous]

Let's have a look at the enhancements.

- Propagation of steel connections - this wasn't on our wish list and will be useful but could take just as much time to use when taking into consideration turning objects on and off to avoid incorrect propagation.

- High DPI display support - this is great but is a bi-product of Autocad getting this upgrade, I use high resolution monitors and the display is beautiful

- Better display in dialog boxes with sidebar - been asking for this fix since at least 2014, this is not a new feature

- Dynamo Extension for Advance Steel 2020 (separate download) - had this in prior releases so not new

- Enhanced labels placement on drawings - again something that has been wanted for awhile, but a great improvement on what we had

- More control on hole labels - nice

- Cut views enhancements - again nice

- Enhanced interoperability with Revit 2020 - meh

- More local content for US English - US are not the only users out there

- Installation in Czech language - feature? or new market

Let's look at the undocumented features of this release:

- Monowills handrail no longer works and crashes

- Wall handrail misbehaving

While I appreciate the effort and the time that the developers put into these releases, in previous years we got a new release in April and in October a full service pack with additional goodies, plus a couple of patches. In 2019 we got a patch after a relatively disappointing release.

Now that Autodesk have removed perpetual licensing users are committed to paying subscriptions to use the program and the developers can throw scraps at us. That kind of thinking is why so many people left Prosteel / Structures to come to AS.

[markhubrich]

If I wasn't on my phone I would have lots to say. Any programmers out there read this stuff? Want to make some money?

[Anonymous]

I did a more extensive review of the changes implemented in AS 2020 and I jumped the gun on this one. I see you guys did quite a bit of bug fixes and improvements and that's exactly what I asked for. So I apologies for criticizing so quickly.

[acbsdesign]

@Anonymous 

Hi Stephen,

Agree.

I will give credit to devs due to the fact they work simultaneously on two packages.

If we will have to blame someone-he or she is not visiting this forum. 

There is an industry BIM management completely out of touch what is going on with Advance Steel.

One of them said a few years ago about labels moving and dimensions being not stable: "I thought these were fixed"

Simple, very basic tools are undeveloped or missing-send section views/call-out views to a new dwg, Number / re-number details in the new dwg automatically. Or a decent AB macro. Or having a token for the elevation of the middle point of the camera when creating a floor plan-Floor plan at Elevation X'-X", simple.

How difficult or time consuming is to improve these?

Maybe FAR LESS THAN the propagation tool that was not in the wish list (Probably was requested by Revit users)

Someone said yesterday-Autodesk doesn't have the passion for structural steel detailing, he was 100% right.

It is a large corporation hard to work with. 

Edited by
Discussion_Admin

[bukko]

Yes there have been some minor improvements.... 

but the most important parts of the software that will increase detailer output and organization, compared to Tekla and SDS2 have been unchanged for literally years now while the competition has made leaps and bounds to enhance document functionality. They need to focus their resources in the right areas. IMO they have not. 

Doc Manager is the weakest link!

Regards

Craig

[acbsdesign]

---

@bukko wrote:

Yes there have been some minor improvements.... 

but the most important parts of the software that will increase detailer output and organization, compared to Tekla and SDS2 have been unchanged for literally years now while the competition has made leaps and bounds to enhance document functionality. They need to focus their resources in the right areas. IMO they have not. 

Doc Manager is the weakest link!

Regards

Craig

---

BIM Management is one to blame. 

Shame, shame, shame.

[Anonymous]

I agree also, In no way do I blame the Dev's (even though it sounds like I do) . Im the one who creates our styles and processes and its a headache to deal with, I can only imagine the coding behind the curtain. Management needs to change because most of 2020 is bug fixes, this should have been released as a hot fixe and not relabeled as 'new content'. I estimate that 5 to 10% of the bullet points are new content, this doesn't justify a 3% price increase for the package. Now I hear that the railing macros are broken so we can only imagine how long it will take management to release a fix. Heck, we might be waiting till 2021 for this to be released as new content again. 

That being said, I am about to revamp our 2019 Styles and processes to increase efficiency and reduce clean up time. Has anyone transferred to 2020 yet, and how did the rules transfer over? Im skeptical to leave 2019 because we understand all the problems it creates and I'm worried about new problems in 2020.

Thanks,

Stephen L

[bukko]

We are going to hold off on using 2020 until they fix the wall rail macro..... we do ALOT of rails and the manual intervention needed to correct the current issues with the wall rail macro are unacceptable.

I also started a structural project on 2020 over the weekend and back out of it,, went back to 2019 because I'm also doing all the misc in the project and will not deal with the broken wallrail macro.

I spoke to a person at Autodesk dev team and they have escalated the wall rail macro issue..... hopefully a hotfix is coming soon.

Regards
Craig

[Anonymous]

Hi @Gernot.Jeromin ,

- Dynamo Extension for Advance Steel 2020 (separate download)

Where is to download it?

After installing Advance Steel 2020, I cann´t also find Dynamo in Autodesk Desktop-App.

Many thanks

Joe Patrick

[leslie.lees]

I've actually replied to GJ, but it's to all users really.

Hi Guys, I gave up on this software (a year and a half ago) for quite a few reasons, but the worst offender was the fact that the dialog windows couldn't be resized, and you couldn't read the text. Not to mention the document manager window never remembered it's layout settings, so every time you used it you had to drag it to a viewable size, very basic stuff which to me, made it little more than a beta.

So, in your opinions,  has the program actually got past beta yet? Is it worth the time & money investment. Any changes on "special parts".

[Anonymous]

Download the student version of the software, test it out on a model on your free time because you cant make money off the student version. Get a fell for it and good luck