• Tag: CTC Software

    Project Analytics with CTC Software

    Posted on by Rikki Kenzhebayeva

    Need for data analytics is growing rapidly within the AEC industry. I have clients that tell me about the work, effort, time and most importantly money they have lost because they did not understand the reasons behind a project or a model being corrupted.

    CTC Software makes tools to make sure these errors don’t occur. Specifically, a tool that logs data; Project Activity Logger.

    There are some challenges to become a data driven organization, and CTC has the solution.

    Common Challenges

    • Aggregating statistics and data of activity in on-going Revit projects
    • Detecting problems encountered as projects progress
    • Generating accurate and complete reports of current workflows, resources and expertise

    Solution – Project Activity Logger (PAL)

    • Lightweight background capture of key performance indicators for Revit projects
    • Real-time availability of data on work-shared projects
    • Data stored allows easy connection & visualization with popular business intelligence software

    Source of ROI – Return on Investment Realized

    • Flexible licensing & highly competitive pricing- get up and running with lower investment than similar products
    • Proactive and ongoing project analysis- make informed improvements before problems escalate
    • Optimize workflows, schedule resources and identify training opportunities for future projects

    If you are a data driven firm or looking to get there. Contact SolidCAD to assess your current Revit workflow and understand what other firms are doing in the industry to get ahead.

    Common Uses of Productivity Tools by Contractors

    Posted on by Rikki Kenzhebayeva

    Model Compare, in the BIM Project Suite. This tool can compare to iterations of a Revit model. Very useful to see “what’s changed” in very great detail. Thus if they are estimating, or looking for coordination issues, model compare is an excellent tool that many of our contractors use.

    Spreadsheet Link, in the BIM Project Suite. This tool can push and pull data to and from Revit and spreadsheets. Very useful in estimation processes, and also if they ever need to push commissioning/installation/facility management data back into Revit objects in a project.

    Fab Sheets, in the BIM Project Suite. This tool was actually created specifically for contractors who self-perform concrete work. If they do, or create any type of construction sequencing drawing/pour sets, this tool could be a huge time saver.

    Project Cleaner, in the BIM Manager Suite. This tool is free. It helps to clean up models coming in from other parties, blowing away things like working views, or “all views, not on a sheet” which is a common desire of general contractors. This solves a few things. One, it makes the Revit project file faster performing. Two, by blowing away all the “junk” the designers left behind, it makes navigating the project in Revit easier.

    Dim Checker, in the BIM Manager Suite. This is a really cool tool. It finds out where designers might be “lying” in a dimension.

    1. Sometimes designers and engineers do not feel they have time to properly coordinate modeled object positions
    2. Too frequently this leads to overriding dimension values in very dirty ways, mimicking the days of AutoCAD workflows
    3. Unfortunately, these are rarely found and more rarely repaired, and can cause HUGE headaches for contractors and increase risk.
    4. The DIM Checker allows these dimensions strings to be found and reports generated to allow the team to easily repair and coordinate these dimensions where appropriate

    Plotter & Exporter, in the BIM Batch Suite. This tool runs on a nightly, or specified schedule to do all your exports for you. NavisWorks, PDF, DWG, whatever else you might need, automatically.

    1. Sure, generating PDFs can happen from Bluebeam, but what about everything else
    2. DWGs, Navisworks files and others often must be exported for other consultants and partners
    3. Instead of doing this from multiple places, use Plotter/Exporter to single click export all the needed files
    4. Have them exported where you want, named how you want with the exact settings you want.
    5. Instead of manually triggering exports, try scheduling this so it can happen after hours and be ready for you when you walk in the office

    Last but not least:

    Import & Link Manger, in the BIM Manager Suite. Loading, and reloading links and imported files for coordination happens all the time. Waiting for Revit to link in everything, or to find where a link or import may, or may not be working is a pain.

    1. All too frequently files are improperly linked or imported into production models
    2. While Revit does allow minimal management of links, there is no easy way to find and fix imported AutoCAD files
    3. ILM is critical to the regular maintenance of models by finding and fixing imports and update link settings in a simple interface

    To watch our previous webinars on BIM Project Suite click here!

    Introduction to BIM Project Suite

    Posted on by SolidCAD

    In case you were unable to attend SolidCAD and CTC’s webinar last week here is what you need to know…

    Shawn Zirbes, a Guru for everything CTC, uncovered how the BIM Project Suite allows Autodesk Revit users to automate routine tasks, manage large numbers of content files, generate database information and much more in a lot less time, all within the Revit environment.

    BIM Project Suite is meant for everyday users of all skill levels and used by firms of all sizes. To learn more about the some of key functionalities of the suite, watch the full webinar on our YouTube Channel.

    Reconcile the Differences Between Parameters live in projects without Destroying Data

    Posted on by SolidCAD

    Let’s talk about Revit families. Are your Revit users pulling families from manufacturer websites, then having to spend project time individually reconciling the differences between the parameters used without destroying existing data?

    Downloaded Revit family content introduces shared parameters into a project that are often times different from the parameters used in the company’s schedule. These differences often cause schedules to display incomplete or inaccurate data requiring tedious, individual fixes.

    BIM Project Suite 2020’s Parameter Jammer uses a two-step process to swap the parameters in the family to reconcile the differences between the parameters without destroying your existing data, saving users time and headaches. The first step swaps parameters that can be safely identified as a match, while the second allows users to map, add or omit parameters that do not need to be swapped.
    Parameter Jammer is user friendly, and was designed so that Revit users who are unfamiliar with the family editor can successfully prepare a family to be scheduled; it also:

    • Uses the schedule to derive parameter needs; and
    • Allows the end user to push parameters into a non-standard family.

    Maximize your Revit project team’s time with Parameter Jammer and the entire BIM Project Suite 2020 by downloading a free software trial and scheduling a demo today.