I have been steel detailing over 30 years, 3D modelling over 20 years and using AS for nearly 18 years.
I find it completely unsatisfactory that basic requirements for steel detailing software are still lacking due to being either missing completely or implemented badly.
The creation of accurate, easy to read 2D fabrication and erection drawings as *efficiently* as possible is the primary purpose of the software.
Without this, nothing gets built.
I started using Tekla (or Xsteel as it was back then) in 1996 and even then, it could do many fundamental things that AS still has problems with. Tekla was clearly built from the ground up by people with very good STEEL DETAILING experience.
NOTE: Engineers are NOT necessarily good or knowledgeable steel detailers - they don't have to be - that's why we have steel detailers.
...and also being a qualified structural engineer myself, I feel able to say that without being critical.
Why do the Advance Steel managers not listen to the people who know what they are talking about (and who effectively pay their wages)!
There are so many good ideas on here but so little being implemented.
AS2018 is frankly a joke (sorry, but it is). Just one mildly useful new function (call off views) but even that has been implemented badly. ...and on top of that, countless new problems costing users hours and hours of time. The dimension problems with drawing updates are as bad as they have ever been but are just one area of many issues.
On top of that we have a ridiculous waste of development time implementing things like the new drawing creation dialogs in AS2017, which even now are still lacking in functionality that we already had for years.
...and we are paying good money for this!
...if you get your pay check every month whatever then good for you, but many of us are self employed detailers and only get paid for what we produce.
Time is money - literally - and anything that affects our productivity gives us good cause to shout.
...and as for Revit connections - as a steel detailer, who actually needs that?
...and BIM in general? - yes a fantastic thing in theory, but in most cases a very poor take on the real world.
In my experience the whole BIM concept of the single model is flawed as no one wants to take responsibility for anything.
At the early design stages members may be modelled (in Revit or similar) on a near enough is good enough basis and stay that way. Fine for structural design where even half a metre might not make much difference, but we detailers are working to a millimetre.
In over 30 years of detailing I have NEVER had a *usable* model supplied by any engineer or architect.
Even as recently as my current project, the engineer used Revit but we were told we should not use his model or do so at our own risk - all setting out had to be to the architects given dimensions on his 2D drawings - we could not even rely on any 2D cad drawings.
Sadly this is the "normal" way of things and I can't see that changing any time soon no matter how much development goes into the whole "BIM" concept.
The buck stops with the steel detailer - the final link in the chain before it all gets fabricated and erected. We MUST get it right.
For now, forget BIM and adding more "Bells and Whistles" (that often don't even work properly).
What we need and want as steel detailers is solid, reliable functionality tailored to steel detailing so we can just get on with our job in the most efficient way.
Once we have that, you will then have a solid foundation on which to build other things - just get the fundamentals for steel detailing right first!
Rant over 🙂
