Trane Trace 700 & Vari-Trane Duct Design

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have experience using these programs with MEP 2008? We have usd the Trace 700 programs for about 18 months but feel that we are not maximizing the productivity by interfacing MEP 2008 and Trace 700. I am just looking for some comments on others experience with these programs.

Cvanoverbeke

[kchris89]

I am currently looking into importing data from ABS 2008 to Trane Trace. Our company has used Trace for many years, but we are just now aggressively pursuing gbxml. I have been able to fairly quickly and accurately create spaces in ABS and export them to gbxml and then import the spaces into Trace. The only properties/info that I have had consistent success in is getting the room names, areas, exterior walls, glass/doors, no. of people and lighting/equipment loads (only in w/sq.ft. based on space styles for the loads).

If the architectural file you are working with is an AEC 3d plan, the spaces can be automatically generated and they will enter windows and doors also. A basic 2d dwg forces you to create the spaces manually which is a little bit of work, but still saves time when putting in the rooms for Trace. The zones that are set up also transfer into Trace and has the rooms assigned which is nice too.

So far it isn't perfect, but they are getting there. It definitely speeds up entering the room into Trace, but seems limited, at least without lots of tweaks, as to the technical data that can be transferred from ABS to Trace. If I get it working better I will post again.