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 🙂   Show More

Get an AI chat bot into the software that can use our human words expressing what we want to change our detail styles to look like. Have each installation communicate with each other to share experience model. Eventually the bot would learn what we want to see our details look like and I would be much happier. The AI can also have access to my anchor database and correct all the Hilti to be up to date. I could ask it to size bar grate based on the span and load requirement. If it didn't have the data req'd. to make the decision it would go out and find it and calculate.   I basically want an AI chatbot built into AS that I can literally tell what to do. Imagine the possibilities!!    OK Rudy here's what I want.. Go over to Hilti.com and scrape the database for new anchor products and update my database.    Autodesk, you really want to leave Tekla and SDS2 in the wake of your turbulence?, Get on the AI wagon.   Show More

Hi again 😉, As projects become more complex, it would be great to have more tokens to further customize the HYPERSTEELPAGEHEADER, aka Title Block in Advance Steel.   I would like to see more added User attributes to the Project settings in Advance Steel. For the moment,  there are only 5 local attributes that are Project Specific. I would like to see at least 12.  USERPROJATTR1 Project user attribute 1 USERPROJATTR2 Project user attribute 2 USERPROJATTR3 Project user attribute 3 USERPROJATTR4 Project user attribute 4   USERPROJATTR5   Project user attribute 5 🙁More please  Please see PDF, for clarity. This is a much needed enhancement I hear from clients time and time again. Juss sayin 😉 Kind regards, Janet Graitec CANADA Show More

Hi again😉, I  would like to add a weld prep all the way around the curved edge of a plate.   When I add the weld preparation (Bevel Cut) to the straight edges it works perfectly, however when I add it to the curved edge it will not allow me to make the cut.   This is something we intend to do quite a lot, so an easy workflow to getting this done correctly would be very helpful.   I have used the Spline/ Decurve option, but this way seems too time consuming when you have hundreds of plates.🙁 Please see PDF, regarding the Spline/ Decurve option.   Please review video of my workflow below.   https://www.screencast.com/t/hkPt9RMe   I have also attached the model structure.   Is it possible to make a cut like this in Advance Steel? This would make a fantastic future enhancement!   Juss sayin😉 Best regards, Janet Graitec CANADA   Show More

There is the good tool - Store used data (command ASTORPUSHUSEDDATATOMODEL), thas allow to exchange model with objects based on customized database. However bolts are not stored - please improve the tool and store also bolts used in Advance Steel model. Best regards Robert Krnavek, Graitec CZ Show More

Please add the feature in Advance Steel to set tolerances on dimensions, as AutoCAD. On AutoCAD the properties panel of the dimension allow to add Tolerances. Picture: 6_AutoCAD_Tolerances.png But the Advance Steel Parametric Dimensions are unable to have tolerances. Not possible in Properties panel or Advance steel Dimensions panel. Picture: 6_AdvanceSteel_Param_Dimension.png Show More

It would be nice if Advance Steel can associate MP with an alpha character or even numbers during the Numbering - identical part detection and then have the alpha characters and numbers go in sequence thereafter, when BOM's are generated.  Also, to have the capability to reverse the MP and SP.  I have attached an Illustration for an example to see. Show More

Currently, you can "Copy" an existing prefix config. between profiles and the copy will also be under “Any object type” if the original one was. However, if adding a "New" prefix configuration, the “Object type” drop-down list does not contain “Any object type”. This just seems like an accidental omission that needs to be corrected.   ...so the request is that it would be useful to see “Any object type” in the “Object type” drop-down list when adding a NEW prefix configuration.   BTW, you can currently work around this by manually editing the AstorAddIn>NumberingPrefix table and setting object type to “0" for it to appear and work for “Any object type”. ...but it should really be a simple case of having the option in the dialog box! Show More

I have been trying to get this added in manually with the assistance of Graitec support and Autodesk support and it is overly complicated. Please add gauge thicknesses under the "Thickness" pulldown when creating plates. I want to be able to pick "11ga, 12ga, 16ga....etc" from the list and have the assembly/part details display "11ga, 12ga, 16ga....etc" as the thickness and not a fraction.    Show More

Hi again:    The issue is I cannot detail the special part on any drawing.  If the special part is welded / bolted to a native model part, then yes it shows up on an assembly drawing.  However, I still cannot select it. It would be great if I could use the Drawing Process to detail the special part and have it detailed on a part drawing, so someone can fabricate the item. I can use cameras and use the drawing process to create a drawing of the special part, however it would be just peachy if I create a “Solid” detail style for both MP assembly and SP drawings so in the future I do not need to do hacks to get something on a drawing?   Juss sayin: Best regards, Janet Graitec CANADA Show More

Many years ago, the bolt editor was very different. ...and mostly FAR BETTER than what we have now.   I have just had to create a load of new nuts (new Type) to use for some new bolt types. I now want to copy all these new nuts (still in the same Type) to be exactly the same but with a different grade. I would then just have to change the Part Name to reflect the different grade.  Everything else is the same. ...but I can't. You can copy a whole Type from the main list on the left, but you cannot copy whole grade sets or diameter sets WITHIN that Type. To do it in the bolt editor I would have to create them all again from scratch. Probably easier to copy them directly in the database using SQL, which is ludicrous when we have a user interface!!   In the previous bolt editor from many years ago this was already possible. The list on the left (for bolts, nuts or washers) showing the Type could be expanded to show the "tree" of what exists beneath it base on Grade, then Diameter, then length (for bolts). e.g. Type 1    + Grade 1        + 10ø        + 12ø        + 16ø            +30            +35            +40            +45            +50        + 20ø    + Grade 2        + 10        + 12        + 16        + 20   etc   You could select any level of this tree and copy it, making it easy to duplicate whole sets of nuts, bolts or washers with a different grade or to another Type etc.   Now it is a nightmare. The interface is clunky, confusing (to new users) and not very well thought out. It is not always clear what you are working on, easy to make errors while not at all easy to make new sets based on existing ones.   The only redeeming feature over the old bolt editor of years ago is the automatic calculation of bolt lengths that would be created by the rules.  ...and yes this one feature is a massive help over the old bolt editor, BUT what about all the other great functionality lost in being able to very easily copy and edit stuff???   This really could be (and needs to be) made so much more user friendly!          Show More

Add picture for plates in BOM list in Advance Steel. Curently there is only "Saw list pictures". Pleas add "Plates list pictures" and ""Saw & Plates list pictures". https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/advance-steel/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/It-is-possible-to-add-picture-for-plates-in-BOM-list-in-Advance-Steel.html Show More

When creating a new query rather than going through all the effort of selecting beams, plates holes or anything else in the tick boxes and having to select properties can you just add a select item/button which then automatically ticks all the boxes then you can just click save and give it a name job done. Similar to the one in the camera properties box. Show More

Hi When I work with a profile generated on polyline I have a powerful tool because a can work with a generic open profile like a profile. I want ask if it is possible develop an option to add or delete some point to change the shape of section.  In example I create an L profile and then change the shape in Z added a new point (like one can change the shape of the plate) Show More

I came across a project which has very long lean structures which is impossible to fit on a reasonable drawing format unless you want to show the structure in a small scale, making it practically unusable. I found a way to manually clip it with camera views, but doing so you can't dimension the structure between the camera views unless you type in the numbers manually and update them manually every time the structure changes. It gets impossibly time consuming if you bear in mind that there can be like tens of structures like this and each could have a couple of floor plans, three sections and a number of assemblies which would need to be updated manually in such manner when changes occur.   The general idea is to implement manual clipping of drawings, with which parametric dimensioning would work, either automatic or manual. This would come in  very handy in plan views, elevation views, assemblies... An option would also be to somewhat "link" the selected camera views and Advance Steel would then use selected points in a drawing based on 3D model behind it rather than 2D drawing to get the correct distance between the points, but actual manual clipping would be a much bigger time saver.   Below is a sketch to illustrate my idea. Of course, the real drawings would be much more representative and detailed and more dimensions would / could be involved. Show More

1.) Ability to select a specific part in the model and create a construction phase. 2.) Further, this phase needs to be locked and can no longer be numbered. 3.) Set the numbering only for the model that is visible on the screen so you don't have to constantly select the part you want to number.   Thank you. Toni Show More

Hi,   Most of the joint macros in AS (apart from a few) are missing a crucial factor - this being Galvanizing holes. If for instance I have CHS in my roof bracing and I apply a single/double Tube brace connection there is no option to create galvanizing holes. I could go ahead and manually create these but It takes up valuable detailing time and I can have well over 30 joints in my model with this type of connection.    The Railing macro is also missing this vital element. If for instance all my railing posts are RHS and my Balusters CHS there is currently no option for Galvanizing holes.   Please can you add Galvanizing holes to all Joints that are missing this option and the Railing macro.   Kind regards   Chris Show More