Community
We had some great questions during our last webinar, so many, in fact, that we've consolidated the answers for our beta participants and selected some key ones to publish here.
Please read the complete list of questions related to the Revit Plugin and other beta features by joining our Insider Lounge here.
Beta Community Questions (Full list can be found on the Insider Lounge)
- I have tried to use the Revit add-in, but it is giving me an error during installation (the add-in requires Revit 2021 or above), which I have installed.
A new beta version is coming soon and will support the latest Revit versions of 2024, 2023, and 2022. - Does Tandem recognize fabrication content in addition to Revit family content from Revit models?
It allows you to transfer data as long as it's a mapped parameter in Tandem. If we are able to see that parameter in Tandem, we can transfer it back to Revit. - Can Tandem handle massive heavy industrial models? Or is it better suited for mid-scale commercial?
Today, yes there are some really large building projects in Tandem. However, there is work to be done to improve the experience for industrial models. Current performance of the viewer is focused on handling lots of geometry and lots of large models, but that data model and how we think about asset information model for that structure is geared towards buildings —rather than linear infrastructure.
We have the Navisworks Support, which we encourage and welcome users to test through our beta community. Join the beta here.
APIs & Streams
- For a team just starting to explore Tandem, what is the best interface at this time to perform API testing through - Azure or through your JavaScript API?
For more info on getting started with our API, check out these resources:
- How do you interface with Honeywell and other systems management software?
Tandem’s Streams feature has an open API, which can receive numerical data thus a source system configuration that can push data to Tandem is currently required. For example, in our own Autodesk facilities, we've connected directly to our BMS system via BACnet by hosting custom code on an edge device that runs inside the building. Knowing that custom solutions like this may not be achievable for everyone, we have a few other things in progress. We are working with different partners that know how to connect to these systems with hardware that can be deployed in the building to surface data or cloud integrations. Then, as we identify ones, we feel are good fits and work well, we will recommend them in a partner eco-system and possibly provide seamless connectivity options, as we currently do with the Azure IoT Hub integration.
We also recently acquired a middleware component for system-to-system integration from Reekoh. View the announcement here and stay updated on Tandem by subscribing here.
- Can asset data be imported into Tandem using streams?
No, Streams are specifically for polling numeric data, e.g., from an IoT device, BMS device, etc. Our general-purpose APIs can be used to push in asset data if required. See the Streams Resource forum post for more information on our APIs.
- Do you have plans to integrate with AWS IoT services?
We started with Azure because of customer requests. We are certainly considering streamlining integrations with AWS and a few other vendors. Product development is based on customer feedback. Submit a product request here. - Can the asset management tool be set to trigger automatic warnings if a discrete asset set (for example, fire door hardware in a tower stair) is being episodically replaced due to failure?
Currently, we are receiving values for a particular measurement. In the future, we will explore how to configure more general-purpose analytics on the data in the twin and when to notify users of a potential issue. Further, we would focus on alerting and navigating that user to a particular piece of equipment or room that is of concern. - Is it possible to create fictional sensors? i.e., during the design phase, have current sensors and temperature sensors, and once handover is completed, these fictional sensors are replaced with the real sensor?
This is possible. The Streams feature is flexible for creating any endpoint for time series data that fits your use case. You can leverage the classification + facility template workflow to differentiate the fictional versus real, or a single Stream could host test data in an initial date range. Then, the integration to that Stream could transition to sending the real data once the building is live. Please see the Creating virtual/fictional sensor forum post here. - Do the assets have the ability to dive down to their “history”? i.e., an air-handler unit with an 8-year life span and X(1000’s) of hours…how long since installation, hours cycles, etc.
There are a few ways to view history in Tandem:- Open the history panel to see the full facility history and drill down by asset property or specific contributor.
- Select an element, open the properties panel, and then from the properties panel, open the history to display all changes to the asset data over time.
- View historical trends or usage information in the Charts if operating hours/cycles have been tracked over time with the Streams feature.
- When are you planning to release a Tandem SDK that allows more customization and implementation of the plugin?
The Tandem APIs are in Beta now and can be accessed. There is no capability yet to add a plug-in to the Tandem product itself, so API usage must be triggered from your application. - What do you need in addition to Tandem? Revit? Azure? Navisworks? Do we need to keep current CMMS and CAFM systems?
We do rely on BIM, so we do need a collection of models to start. Tandem manages the data models. So, as you build out your requirements, what attributes are associated with Elements or Spaces can be managed in Tandem, and then for the sensor capability— it can be any kind of sensor that allows data to be sent to other systems. Most IoT systems have webhooks and other ways to get that data out. Regarding existing CMMS or other platforms, we are not looking to replace those. Tandem works in conjunction with those, exchanging data between our system and others. - Can we create custom JSON Payloads? Sometimes, using Tandem JSON payloads template is hard to integrate our time series.
Yes, absolutely. We do have some help content to support that process. Link is here. If specific roadblocks are being encountered, please reach out to support here. - Is there anomaly detection for the flow rates you just showed?
Not at this time, but this is something we are exploring.
New capabilities and features are prioritized based on customer feedback. Submit new ideas and feedback on intandem.autodesk.com and click + Submit Idea. Feedback on this site is sent directly to the product team. - Will the dashboard option be available for Stream data soon? It seems to be for assets currently.
We are considering this feature and exploring design options. Please share more on what capabilities you want to see in the feature when showing Stream data. Submitting an idea on our roadmap page is the best way to share this feedback with the Product Team: https://intandem.autodesk.com/our-product-roadmap/ - Is the piece that connects Revit and Tandem ACC? Or is it azure?
There are two answers to this question:- A user can load one or many models from Docs/ACC into a Tandem facility, and they remain linked. Subsequent updates to these source models are indicated as available updates in Tandem. When an update is brought into Tandem, we ingest the changes made from the previous version and keep a timestamped history of the changes.
- To push property data back to Revit, as Tim mentioned, there is a Revit Add-In that will be released to Beta shortly. The workflows, in this case, would be done within the Revit environment. To stay up on the latest updates on the Revit Plug-In, join the beta here.
Home Page (Coming Soon to a Digital Twin near you)
- Will there be a sample project included to help get a greater understanding of features?
Yes, there will be a sample project that will guide you through workflows and features. This sample facility is pre-populated with relevant data, so you can really experience the Tandem capabilities and features first-hand. - Is there a working Tandem model that can be used as a reference? Ensuring Streams, assets, etc., are set up correctly as the template?
With the upcoming new Home page experience, a sample facility will be available for all the feature guides. Each individual Tandem user will have a copy of this facility, providing the ability to explore and edit the facility for testing and learning purposes.
- Where can I find this Home Page? It's not available for me for some reason.
It will be released in the near future. Some of the features demoed in the webinar are not available yet, except search. - Are their tutorials for this software like there are for other Autodesk products like ACC
Find help here > https://help.autodesk.com/view/TANDEM/ENU/
Search
- Does the search also work for ID or IfcGUID?
Yes,
Systems (Not all features mentioned are available at the time of this posting)
- Can Tandem allow us to use some string data from our real-time systems sensors? Earlier version of Streams allows us only numerical data as input data?
At the moment, they must be numerical. We have this in our backlog and are exploring solutions for how to handle non-numerical data. - Does System Tracing work with Electrical systems as well?
Yes, it does. You can establish the system class in Revit or Tandem and then trace it in the viewer. - Could I model an IT network and then have the advantages of the System Tracing functionality?
Yes, if you model your IT network and establish a system classification. Then, you can trace the network by proximity and also review the critical assets. - Can this system be used to display a piping system for industries like paper mills?
Yes, it can display piping. Currently, we are supporting Revit files, and you will need the right classification for your system. Then, system tracing will work by proximity and relevant assets.
Additional Questions
- Is there a way to create a facility project to hold an entire site of different buildings? A client asked us if it's possible.
Yes, it is possible to add multiple facilities/models or group them together as a single facility/one model. We've seen different customers leverage Tandem to bring together multiple models across an airport and campuses. We will have future capability to aggregate multiple buildings as part of a portfolio or campus.
New capabilities and features are prioritized based on customer feedback. Submit new ideas and feedback on intandem.autodesk.com and click + Submit Idea. Feedback on this site is sent directly to the product team.
- Will this be hosted by Autodesk in the cloud for real-time speed and performance? So, one does not have to have multiple, costly hardware hosting?
This is already hosted in the Autodesk cloud infrastructure. - When the corridor was selected, was that a space or room?
Spaces in Tandem are rooms imported from Revit. More info here https://help.autodesk.com/view/TANDEM/ENU/?guid=tandem-spaces - Where can I find the "Asset number"? Or where in asset properties and Identity Data can I assign an "Asset number" for the piece of equipment?
Asset Number would need to be defined in your Parameters and Facility Template according to the data requirements for the specific facility. The workflow starts by adding Asset Number as a Parameter in the Manage page. Then, it needs to be assigned to appropriate classification codes in the Facility Template you will use for a facility. Once the Facility Template is assigned, individual assets can be classified according to the template. This will populate your Asset Number parameter as an available property for only those assets where it is relevant.
Jessica Smith
Content Marketing Specialist, Autodesk Tandem
Autodesk Tandem | Subscribe Now! | Autodesk Tandem Resources
We had some great questions during our last webinar, so many, in fact, that we've consolidated the answers for our beta participants and selected some key ones to publish here.
Please read the complete list of questions related to the Revit Plugin and other beta features by joining our Insider Lounge here.
Beta Community Questions (Full list can be found on the Insider Lounge)
- I have tried to use the Revit add-in, but it is giving me an error during installation (the add-in requires Revit 2021 or above), which I have installed.
A new beta version is coming soon and will support the latest Revit versions of 2024, 2023, and 2022. - Does Tandem recognize fabrication content in addition to Revit family content from Revit models?
It allows you to transfer data as long as it's a mapped parameter in Tandem. If we are able to see that parameter in Tandem, we can transfer it back to Revit. - Can Tandem handle massive heavy industrial models? Or is it better suited for mid-scale commercial?
Today, yes there are some really large building projects in Tandem. However, there is work to be done to improve the experience for industrial models. Current performance of the viewer is focused on handling lots of geometry and lots of large models, but that data model and how we think about asset information model for that structure is geared towards buildings —rather than linear infrastructure.
We have the Navisworks Support, which we encourage and welcome users to test through our beta community. Join the beta here.
APIs & Streams
- For a team just starting to explore Tandem, what is the best interface at this time to perform API testing through - Azure or through your JavaScript API?
For more info on getting started with our API, check out these resources:
- How do you interface with Honeywell and other systems management software?
Tandem’s Streams feature has an open API, which can receive numerical data thus a source system configuration that can push data to Tandem is currently required. For example, in our own Autodesk facilities, we've connected directly to our BMS system via BACnet by hosting custom code on an edge device that runs inside the building. Knowing that custom solutions like this may not be achievable for everyone, we have a few other things in progress. We are working with different partners that know how to connect to these systems with hardware that can be deployed in the building to surface data or cloud integrations. Then, as we identify ones, we feel are good fits and work well, we will recommend them in a partner eco-system and possibly provide seamless connectivity options, as we currently do with the Azure IoT Hub integration.
We also recently acquired a middleware component for system-to-system integration from Reekoh. View the announcement here and stay updated on Tandem by subscribing here.
- Can asset data be imported into Tandem using streams?
No, Streams are specifically for polling numeric data, e.g., from an IoT device, BMS device, etc. Our general-purpose APIs can be used to push in asset data if required. See the Streams Resource forum post for more information on our APIs.
- Do you have plans to integrate with AWS IoT services?
We started with Azure because of customer requests. We are certainly considering streamlining integrations with AWS and a few other vendors. Product development is based on customer feedback. Submit a product request here. - Can the asset management tool be set to trigger automatic warnings if a discrete asset set (for example, fire door hardware in a tower stair) is being episodically replaced due to failure?
Currently, we are receiving values for a particular measurement. In the future, we will explore how to configure more general-purpose analytics on the data in the twin and when to notify users of a potential issue. Further, we would focus on alerting and navigating that user to a particular piece of equipment or room that is of concern. - Is it possible to create fictional sensors? i.e., during the design phase, have current sensors and temperature sensors, and once handover is completed, these fictional sensors are replaced with the real sensor?
This is possible. The Streams feature is flexible for creating any endpoint for time series data that fits your use case. You can leverage the classification + facility template workflow to differentiate the fictional versus real, or a single Stream could host test data in an initial date range. Then, the integration to that Stream could transition to sending the real data once the building is live. Please see the Creating virtual/fictional sensor forum post here. - Do the assets have the ability to dive down to their “history”? i.e., an air-handler unit with an 8-year life span and X(1000’s) of hours…how long since installation, hours cycles, etc.
There are a few ways to view history in Tandem:- Open the history panel to see the full facility history and drill down by asset property or specific contributor.
- Select an element, open the properties panel, and then from the properties panel, open the history to display all changes to the asset data over time.
- View historical trends or usage information in the Charts if operating hours/cycles have been tracked over time with the Streams feature.
- When are you planning to release a Tandem SDK that allows more customization and implementation of the plugin?
The Tandem APIs are in Beta now and can be accessed. There is no capability yet to add a plug-in to the Tandem product itself, so API usage must be triggered from your application. - What do you need in addition to Tandem? Revit? Azure? Navisworks? Do we need to keep current CMMS and CAFM systems?
We do rely on BIM, so we do need a collection of models to start. Tandem manages the data models. So, as you build out your requirements, what attributes are associated with Elements or Spaces can be managed in Tandem, and then for the sensor capability— it can be any kind of sensor that allows data to be sent to other systems. Most IoT systems have webhooks and other ways to get that data out. Regarding existing CMMS or other platforms, we are not looking to replace those. Tandem works in conjunction with those, exchanging data between our system and others. - Can we create custom JSON Payloads? Sometimes, using Tandem JSON payloads template is hard to integrate our time series.
Yes, absolutely. We do have some help content to support that process. Link is here. If specific roadblocks are being encountered, please reach out to support here. - Is there anomaly detection for the flow rates you just showed?
Not at this time, but this is something we are exploring.
New capabilities and features are prioritized based on customer feedback. Submit new ideas and feedback on intandem.autodesk.com and click + Submit Idea. Feedback on this site is sent directly to the product team. - Will the dashboard option be available for Stream data soon? It seems to be for assets currently.
We are considering this feature and exploring design options. Please share more on what capabilities you want to see in the feature when showing Stream data. Submitting an idea on our roadmap page is the best way to share this feedback with the Product Team: https://intandem.autodesk.com/our-product-roadmap/ - Is the piece that connects Revit and Tandem ACC? Or is it azure?
There are two answers to this question:- A user can load one or many models from Docs/ACC into a Tandem facility, and they remain linked. Subsequent updates to these source models are indicated as available updates in Tandem. When an update is brought into Tandem, we ingest the changes made from the previous version and keep a timestamped history of the changes.
- To push property data back to Revit, as Tim mentioned, there is a Revit Add-In that will be released to Beta shortly. The workflows, in this case, would be done within the Revit environment. To stay up on the latest updates on the Revit Plug-In, join the beta here.
Home Page (Coming Soon to a Digital Twin near you)
- Will there be a sample project included to help get a greater understanding of features?
Yes, there will be a sample project that will guide you through workflows and features. This sample facility is pre-populated with relevant data, so you can really experience the Tandem capabilities and features first-hand. - Is there a working Tandem model that can be used as a reference? Ensuring Streams, assets, etc., are set up correctly as the template?
With the upcoming new Home page experience, a sample facility will be available for all the feature guides. Each individual Tandem user will have a copy of this facility, providing the ability to explore and edit the facility for testing and learning purposes.
- Where can I find this Home Page? It's not available for me for some reason.
It will be released in the near future. Some of the features demoed in the webinar are not available yet, except search. - Are their tutorials for this software like there are for other Autodesk products like ACC
Find help here > https://help.autodesk.com/view/TANDEM/ENU/
Search
- Does the search also work for ID or IfcGUID?
Yes,
Systems (Not all features mentioned are available at the time of this posting)
- Can Tandem allow us to use some string data from our real-time systems sensors? Earlier version of Streams allows us only numerical data as input data?
At the moment, they must be numerical. We have this in our backlog and are exploring solutions for how to handle non-numerical data. - Does System Tracing work with Electrical systems as well?
Yes, it does. You can establish the system class in Revit or Tandem and then trace it in the viewer. - Could I model an IT network and then have the advantages of the System Tracing functionality?
Yes, if you model your IT network and establish a system classification. Then, you can trace the network by proximity and also review the critical assets. - Can this system be used to display a piping system for industries like paper mills?
Yes, it can display piping. Currently, we are supporting Revit files, and you will need the right classification for your system. Then, system tracing will work by proximity and relevant assets.
Additional Questions
- Is there a way to create a facility project to hold an entire site of different buildings? A client asked us if it's possible.
Yes, it is possible to add multiple facilities/models or group them together as a single facility/one model. We've seen different customers leverage Tandem to bring together multiple models across an airport and campuses. We will have future capability to aggregate multiple buildings as part of a portfolio or campus.
New capabilities and features are prioritized based on customer feedback. Submit new ideas and feedback on intandem.autodesk.com and click + Submit Idea. Feedback on this site is sent directly to the product team.
- Will this be hosted by Autodesk in the cloud for real-time speed and performance? So, one does not have to have multiple, costly hardware hosting?
This is already hosted in the Autodesk cloud infrastructure. - When the corridor was selected, was that a space or room?
Spaces in Tandem are rooms imported from Revit. More info here https://help.autodesk.com/view/TANDEM/ENU/?guid=tandem-spaces - Where can I find the "Asset number"? Or where in asset properties and Identity Data can I assign an "Asset number" for the piece of equipment?
Asset Number would need to be defined in your Parameters and Facility Template according to the data requirements for the specific facility. The workflow starts by adding Asset Number as a Parameter in the Manage page. Then, it needs to be assigned to appropriate classification codes in the Facility Template you will use for a facility. Once the Facility Template is assigned, individual assets can be classified according to the template. This will populate your Asset Number parameter as an available property for only those assets where it is relevant.
Jessica Smith
Content Marketing Specialist, Autodesk Tandem
Autodesk Tandem | Subscribe Now! | Autodesk Tandem Resources
hi @000853959 ,
Below are links to additional resources to get better acquainted with the product.
- Tandem's Autodesk Knowledge Network
- Helpful Forums
- Additional Resources
- Resources page on intandem.autodesk.com
- Autodesk Support
Additionally, Tandem's newly launched home page offers a getting-started experience, which provides a great starting point for new and returning users.
We always encourage users to post questions and comments in the forums, so don't be shy about continuing to post here.
Jessica Smith
Content Marketing Specialist, Autodesk Tandem
Autodesk Tandem | Subscribe Now! | Autodesk Tandem Resources
hi @000853959 ,
Below are links to additional resources to get better acquainted with the product.
- Tandem's Autodesk Knowledge Network
- Helpful Forums
- Additional Resources
- Resources page on intandem.autodesk.com
- Autodesk Support
Additionally, Tandem's newly launched home page offers a getting-started experience, which provides a great starting point for new and returning users.
We always encourage users to post questions and comments in the forums, so don't be shy about continuing to post here.
Jessica Smith
Content Marketing Specialist, Autodesk Tandem
Autodesk Tandem | Subscribe Now! | Autodesk Tandem Resources
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