Export from Advance Steel to Revit

[advandes]

I am not sure if this is an Advance Steel or Revit issue, but I thought I'd start here.

I have a structural model that I created in Advance Steel 2020. I exported the the file to Steel markup language (*.smlx). I then imported the smlx file into Revit 2019 using the default Structural Template. The result is quite bad. Does anyone know if this process is still under developed or am I missing something? You can see from the two attached screen captures there are a number of bad transfers issues in the Revit import, for example:

1. The column plates have been reversed from top to bottom.

2. No bracing (only a couple plates on one side)

3. Beams and columns were imported as metric

4. There are warning symbols that are unclear

5. I received a dialog of unknown types: Beam, Default, Compound2W (Not sure what this is) 

6. I received a message that 1 of 66 Non-Linear elements not supported

7. Railings are off center on one side of the stair stringer on both stairs because the stringer was reversed.

I am able to fix a few of the item within Revit, like items: 1 & 3

Other than these issues the model looks good, but unfortunately not usable in this state.

[johnjmbennett]

Hi,

i would not not try to go between different versions,  AS2020 to RVT2020.  The revit AS extension is different between the versions. 

again there have been a number of changes in the background to the mechanism.

the warnings triangles are possible to do with connections.

a trick we use to check is to explode the model to an acis solid ( a copy of the model that is) , you can use the revit import for CAD/DWG file to use as a reference.

i am not sure which country version you are in that can make a difference.

we have found some issues in our testing and some limitations in the current process, which have been reported to Autodesk.

[advandes]

I am in the US. Not sure why it would convert to metric. I will try and see if staying with the same versions helps. I just need the model to be in Revit 2019. Thanks for the reply. 

[advandes]

So I imported the 2020 Advance Steel export into Revit 2020 after checking to make sure I had all the latest updates, and many of the previous issues did not occur )good news). The only problems that did occur again were the bracing did not transfer and one side of each stair stringer was flipped. All others were okay. Does anyone have any idea of how these two items can be fixed in either Revit or Advance Steel? See attached screen capture.

Thank you!

[Adrian.Mangan]

Not sure if it helps but I believe if you created those stringers where the mirrored option was not used in Advance Steel they would come in the correct way around.

Good luck.

[Adrian.Mangan]

My own attempt AS2019 to Revit 2019, only problem being all beam came in in metric sizes it seams.

W10X22 can in as W250x32.7 etc. Need to figure that out.

[advandes]

With Advance Steel 2020 to Revit 2020 I did not have the problem with the beam designations. I am concerned about the fact that the bracing does not export.

[advandes]

I am not sure I understand your comment. I used the stair macro to create the stair and not only did one of the stringers flip, the clip angles at the bottom were completely flipped around on both sides. Is there even an option to mirror the stringers in the stair macro? I would like to just fix the problems in Revit if possible rather than re-exporting.

Thanks.

[advandes]

I am using the Graitec BIM Connect and was wondering what the Compound2W Class name is for. Any ideas? See attached. Thanks!

[Adrian.Mangan]

Not sure if the macro has mirrored them for you, maybe you would need to delete the box and check, I know it has been mentioned before that mirror objects do not transport well to Revit and that it un mirrors them so to speak

[Adrian.Mangan]

Did you create your own section and try import it? seems strange, I would try load in some section there and then see where it comes in and you will know what it is replacing. I am going to attempt to bring all of my models to Revit eventually so as I will hopefully in the future not have these issues unless I have created a user section.

[DMorton_Graitec_Mtl · Accepted solution]

Hopefully this helps.

1. The column plates have been reversed from top to bottom.

• Be sure to use baseplates, not endplates or other connection for base of column

2. No bracing (only a couple plates on one side)

• This is related to #5. When mapping the elements during transfer, the Compound2W is the back to back double angles. Select this family and the appropriate size and the elements should come in.

3. Beams and columns were imported as metric

• Not sure but I would check the mapping to see that the right shapes are being selected or the projects default units.

4. There are warning symbols that are unclear

• Not sure. Seem to be connection related. Verify that the connections are set up properly.

5. I received a dialog of unknown types: Beam, Default, Compound2W (Not sure what this is) 

• See #2 above.

6. I received a message that 1 of 66 Non-Linear elements not supported

• Not sure but elements still come across. perhaps someone more familiar with Revit knows this one. 🙂 

7. Railings are off center on one side of the stair stringer on both stairs because the stringer was reversed.

• There seems to be an issue with the stairs where the macro uses the mirror command for the second stringer. The export and import through smlx does not seem to recognize this mirror command. I would recommend saving the file as another name, and from here remove the stair macro boxes. You can then adjust the mirrored stringer by removing the mirror option, rotating 180 degrees and selecting the other corner as the insertion point. This should create the stringer the same way but without the mirror option and it will transfer correctly.

Hope this helps.

[Adrian.Mangan]

Helps me, thanks.