Category: BLOG

Structural engineering offices have an opportunity to take control of construction progress by delivering the industry reliable project certainty to mitigate risk for profit, projects and planet. Tekla software transforms information into insight to drive your project productivity. Time and cost overruns are regrettably normal in construction, and in 2020 McKinsey & Company reported that earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) are only around 5 percent despite the presence of significant risk in the industry. Engineers can deliver differently to drive common understanding with information-rich structural building information models [BIM] to enhance efficiency in every project phase. With truly constructible Tekla models the team from the design office, factory, and site can be united with shared insight into what needs to be done. Tekla Structural BIM software enhances understanding, anticipates issues, and enables clear communication. BIM delivering nuclear quality at Hinkley Point C At Hinkley Point C (HPC) in Somerset, EDF is building two new nuclear reactors, the first in a new generation of nuclear power stations in Britain to provide zero-carbon electricity. https://youtu.be/DbzzG68_jNw   To drive project efficiency, EDF created a special Tekla team to control and optimize a truly constructible cast-in-place reinforced concrete building information model complete with detailed rebar. The Civil engineering design was shared between ICOS (EGIS, Tractebel and SEEC) all based in France and ATKINS in the UK. ICOS had responsibility for the central part of the project. ATKINS contracted to provide the detailed design of a number of work packages. As part of these design packages ICOS and Atkins created a fully integrated 3D reinforcement model with Tekla Structures which was provided to EDF and BYLOR. Significant efficiency achieved in Combined Cycle Power Project Using Tekla Structures, engineers at @ Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T) - Sargent & Lundy Lrd were able to create a truly constructible model of an entire power plant. The complexity of the design required a much higher initial investment in its construction. The accurate 3D model helped them to identify and resolve clashes in the design phase, and plan the construction process in detail. With truly constructible Tekla models, the team from the design office, factory, and site can be united with shared insight into what needs to be done The tallest building in SEA Finished ahead of schedule From precise and flexible rebar detailing, creating and managing 3D models, to vastly improved collaboration throughout the entire construction workflow. We used Tekla as it was the ideal choice that provided numerous benefits throughout our BIM process - Ho Van Thao, Project Director at construction firm Coteccons. Designed by British firm Atkins, Landmark 81 project in Vietnam; the tallest building in South East Asia, measuring in at 461 meters (8 meters higher than previous title holder Petronas Twin Towers) was completed 45 days ahead of schedule. Coteccons is one of Vietnam’s largest contractors specializing in sustainable design and build services. The Coteccons team is steadfast in its belief that BIM and Tekla Software were key in making their project a success. Article from: www.tekla.com

Digital twins are emerging as an essential tool in construction and the built environment.  In fact, Las Vegas unveiled a digital twin of a 7-square-kilometer section of its downtown in January 2022. And the U.S.'s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021 specifically calls out investment in digital construction tools, including 3D modeling and digital twin technology. So what are digital twins and how are they used in the construction industry? What is a digital twin? A digital twin, also called data twin, is a digital representation of a real world object. Digital twins have many applications outside the built environment, and are used in the automotive, healthcare, systems engineering, and aerospace industries. For example, digital twin technology has been used to improve performance in Formula 1 racing and to improve care during surgery.  In fact, the first data twin was used in 1970 during NASA's Apollo 13 mission. When oxygen tanks exploded early into the mission, endangering the lives of the astronauts and the entire mission, it was a digital twin that helped Mission Control diagnose and solve the problem of the leaking tanks from 200,000 miles away.  In construction, a digital twin is an exact digital replica of a construction project or asset: A building or group of buildings, a bridge, a highway, a city block, or even an entire city. Digital twins in construction can also be called data twins, virtual models or even next-generation as-built drawings.  How are digital twins for construction created? Digital twins are created by gathering and combining real-world information about the building or structure using technologies such as 3D laser scanners, drones, sensors, cameras, and other IoT-related devices. When supported by IoT and AI, a digital twin is able to learn from multiple sources and automatically update to reflect adjustments made to its real-world counterpart. Since a digital twin delivers information on the object’s properties and states, information can include physical orientation (such as shape, position, gesture or motion), as well as insight into other statuses, interactions and updates -- such as stress loads due to traffic or wind, or leaking pipes. How are digital twins for construction accessed? Digital twins can be accessed through specialized software, such as Trimble Connect, Quadri, Agile Assets, or Tekla. These systems give project stakeholders a centralized, single source of truth for digital twin storage and sharing. How are digital twins for construction kept current? Digital twins are kept in sync with their corresponding physical assets through BIM and 3D modeling software, scanning, and point cloud data, surveying data, and any number of IoT sensors and devices that send information back to the twin in real time. Digital twins offer a crucial, analytic edge to BIM activity. By amassing data from several sources, and integrating that information into a 3D model, construction teams are able to gain acute insight into every component. With the aid of digital twin capabilities, BIM models are evolving to become “living,” automatically updated representations of the physical assets they represent. Digital twins align the real world with the virtual world and help illuminate the impact the environment has on a given physical asset.     How to use digital twins in construction The main benefit of digital twins within construction is that they help improve the analytical capabilities of building information modeling (BIM). Digital twin technology adds a new level of sophistication to BIM models, so that stakeholders can visualize the real-time status, working conditions, and position of physical assets. Thanks to digital twins, facility owners and managers are able to reconstruct every metric from a physical structure in a digital environment. Project teams can also experiment digitally and analyze expected outcomes before they make changes that impact the actual physical building, structure or work site. Other benefits of digital twins in construction include: Resource Management: Digital twins make it possible to create an information pipeline between the office and the field. With the aid of automatic data delivery, project stakeholders can predict allocation issues and help balance labor costs with budgets. This helps the jobsite run more efficiently and affordably. Connectivity: Digital twins deliver information in a centralized platform. This technology takes BIM a bit further by automatically updating 3D models with constructible data. Component dimensions, model details, working conditions, and more can be added to content-enabled models. This way, no details get lost as a model evolves with the building over the years. The benefits of digital twins don’t end when the initial construction is complete. They continue to offer smart solutions to everyday asset use. Value-added deliverable: Digital twins can be handed over to the project owner to help support ongoing structural enhancements. Their insight can help inform future decision-making and offer invaluable insight into day-to-day operations. A digital twin can also be a value-added asset for clients looking to leverage data in future optimization projects. Streamlined facility management: Digital twins can offload much of the burden of asset management. For example, when a repair is needed, a digital twin can pinpoint problem areas and share necessary specs with techs. It can even keep track of who to bill for the work. Ongoing improved efficiencies: To truly increase efficiency, you need to know how the facility is being used. KONE recently used digital twins to analyze how people are using elevators. Sensors were used to track how people moved through buildings. The goal: cut down elevator wait times, especially during busy mornings. Solving top challenges with digital twin use in construction projects  Digital twins are complex. They rely on communication, collaboration, up-front work and real-time updates to be successful. It is well worth the time investment to avoid potential challenges. Here are some common digital twin problems and solutions. Problems Lack of connectivity: Digital twin methods help elevate BIM to something more than CAD display. Unfortunately, BIM models are often created without use of as-built data. This results in a digital representation that isn’t a true twin — one that can’t be connected to the internet of things (IoT). Outdated information: Too often, contractors don’t update design models with change orders. Without accurate, real-time data, a digital twin can’t work as intended. Solutions Monitor progress: Collect and share data across the entire construction workflow by using tools such as managed content, project management software and a common data environment. A consistent flow of information helps ensure important details don’t get lost in translation as a model progresses. Align data: Compare design models with as-built structures to discover discrepancies using a 3D laser scanner and point cloud data. Use this information to inform future decisions and adjustments. Future of digital twins Digital twins are expected to keep transforming the construction industry. A 2020 study predicted the market for digital twins will increase to $48.2 billion by 2026. Emerging technologies are making it possible to create more accurate digital models. Brian Ringley, construction technology manager from Boston Dynamics and a product manager for Spot the Dog, says construction automation and robotics will continue to evolve and be adopted by the industry. He sees digital twin starter sets as a possible money-maker for contractors. Digital smart asset systems will employ more mobile scanning robots (such as Spot) to capture real-time data — vital for successful digital twins. Digital twin technology is also growing popular in urban modeling. Cities and municipalities are using digital twins to create smart cities. An entire city is digitized for planning purposes, including population growth and climate change modeling.  No matter how the technology is used, one fact remains: Digital twins enhance BIM capabilities by allowing truly constructible processes. Models that can track, store, and display complex data on-the-fly help deliver valuable, actionable information to all construction phases — and for years to come. From bidding to building, digital twins are the future of getting the job done.   Article from: www.tekla.com

Welcome to Autodesk Civil 3D 2026, the newest release to help you improve project timelines, increase accuracy, deepen collaboration, and make data-driven decisions with greater precision. Take advantage of the new features and capabilities—many of which were suggested directly by Civil 3D customers—to transform how you design, collaborate, and deliver more resilient infrastructure. Let’s take a deeper look at the enhancements now available. https://youtu.be/f-S5o5hZqZ8 Automate drainage design With the integration of Dynamo, Civil 3D 2026 revolutionizes drainage system design. New nodes for catchments allow you to automate catchment group management, create catchments from boundary geometry, and configure catchment flow path data effortlessly. The new FeatureLine.ByPoints node enables seamless automation in creating basic feature lines across diverse domains. Experience unparalleled efficiency, precision, and control with intelligent automation at your fingertips. Manage design complexity for rail modeling projects Elevate your rail projects with advanced enhancements in Project Explorer. This central hub simplifies the review, validation, reporting, export, and editing of complex civil engineering design elements. With support for new RailCANTInfo values and AutoCAD Command Line integration, rail designers are able to address curves as a combination of Speed, Curvature and CANT. With these enhancements, navigating intricate rail projects has never been easier. Save time with data references Civil 3D 2026 refines its data shortcut capabilities to enable you to reference and utilize only the surface data you need. In this release, you can define an area of interest and reference only the surface data in that area. This reduces the size and increases the performance of the consumer drawing by eliminating the need to reference an entire, large surface when you only need a portion—saving you time. Enhancements to the operational Coordinate System Transformation tool Enhance your project precision with new coordinate systems and an improved Coordinate Transformation tool. Seamlessly change the coordinate system of objects in your drawings for enhanced accuracy, reduced rework, and minimized errors. Optimize workflows with 3D visualization Revolutionize your design experience and review with the innovative 3D Model Viewer. This high-performance tool enables effortless 3D review within Civil 3D, providing immediate visual feedback and better context for complex objects. Streamline your workflow and enhance your design review process with intuitive 3D visualization. With this modeless window, you can keep the 3D model view open at all times. Toggle what’s displayed in the viewer easily along with viewer updates to reflect changes in the design space. Integrate analysis into drainage design workflows The Drainage Analysis for Civil 3D extension enables you to leverage the powerful InfoDrainage analysis engine directly into Civil 3D without having to install InfoDrainage, now providing a simple, connected workflow. Experience advanced drainage design workflows for ponds, channels, and underground storage, all within the familiar Civil 3D environment. Analyze drainage systems with a variety of methods and validate results before applying them to your model. The extension enables users to design drainage elements and connect them to other elements (pipes, catchments, etc.) of a drainage system already designed in Civil 3D. With the ability to launch a cloud-based analysis from within Civil 3D, InfoDrainage can analyze the system, and the results of the analysis are returned to Civil 3D where the user can verify the results and then apply them to the objects in the drainage system. Drainage Analysis for Civil 3D is currently a technology preview with the opportunity for Civil 3D customers to try new functionalities and provide additional insights. https://www.autodesk.com/blogs/aec/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/Civil-3D-2026-Whats-New-Drainage-Analysis-TP.mp4   Connect design reviews and collaboration Connect your Civil 3D designs to the Autodesk Construction Cloud. Manage your design data across projects with the new Civil Tools in Autodesk Construction Cloud. These tools modernize infrastructure design review by enabling seamless model viewing, improved issue tracking, and efficient design validation. Experience better collaboration and improved design quality with real-time communication and intelligent model details accessible from the cloud. Innovative reality solutions to quickly gather existing conditions for your infrastructure projects Be sure to explore the latest capabilities rolling out from ReCap Pro 2026 for capturing existing conditions of your infrastructure projects. Significantly reduce time spent managing large point cloud files with the powerful ReCap Viewer supported by the Autodesk Construction Cloud. Also, gain a unified workflow experience by processing photos directly within ReCap Pro (you no longer have to install ReCap Photo separately). Partner Spotlight: New plugins now available Autodesk is also excited to share two new recent plugins available in the Autodesk App store that enhance sustainable design practices and geotechnical analysis. Reduce embodied carbon with ORIS for Autodesk According to Autodesk’s State of Design and Make report, 97% of organizations are taking steps to improve sustainability. The ORIS for Autodesk plugin allows civil engineering organizations to perform carbon assessments for roads, highways, and rail projects directly in Civil 3D. Compare low-carbon material alternatives and prevent costly rework with ease. Make informed design decisions with GeoDin Ground Understanding underground conditions is crucial for building strong designs. The GeoDin Ground plugin for Civil 3D enables seamless integration of geological data, providing clear visualizations of borehole data directly within Civil 3D. Make more informed decisions with a deeper understanding of subsurface conditions. If you are not yet using the official version of Civil 3D, what are you waiting for? Contact us, start working in the licensed program, and experience all the above-mentioned improvements for yourself.

Steel anchoring has always been a challenge. It has been tossed back and forth like a hot potato between steel designers and concrete designers. Standards and other guidelines provide us with possible ways to approach anchoring, but they come with too many limitations and conditions that are difficult to follow in today’s creative world. One could say, "Just design what the standard explicitly allows us." But let’s do a reality check: that’s simply not how it works, whether for the tight spaces or technical and architectural requirements. And so, anchoring that could be considered "on edge" (figuratively) – or better said, specific types of anchoring – can be seen all around us. Many cases are precisely calculated and verified with more advanced methods (even if it may have taken an excessively long time). However, many cases have probably not been assessed as thoroughly as they deserve. IDEA StatiCa has been changing and pushing forward the design of steel connections, steel and concrete members, and concrete details for some time now. It's not about simplification of the workflow through computerized calculation, it's mainly about the innovative methods that allow us to design the previously unthinkable. Whether you belong to the group that struggles with anchoring designs for days or relies solely on experience but then doesn't sleep soundly, read on. Doors to new possibilities If you are involved in anchoring structures, you can probably think of several cases that have given you a hard time. Here are a few examples that we have recently identified as very difficult to design using only standard practices. But, with the help of our tools IDEA Statica Connection and Detail, it is becoming possible to design in a relatively reasonable amount of time. Figure 1: Multiple anchoring into one concrete block Anchoring near the edge – Anchoring close to the edge is almost impossible to design without reinforcement due to the way concrete fails (cone failure and others). Assessing anchoring in reinforced concrete is labor-intensive on its own – see this article for more details: You no longer have to struggle with anchoring design. However, Detail (3D mode) is specifically designed for such cases – reinforced concrete. By adding reinforcement, we can prevent failure modes that would otherwise occur in plain concrete. At the same time, using an advanced FE method (3D CSFM) and implementing it in Detail makes a very complex task relatively simple. Figure 2: Examples of anchoring near to an edge in Connection (including steel members) and in Detail (including reinforcement) Multiple anchoring close together – The problem that we have with close anchoring is that the cones interact with each other. No guide can directly advise us on how to assess these cases. In the commonly used literature, whether EN or fib guide, we find more or less only conditions and limitations that we can conservatively consider. They simply advise us to use distances that allow us to assess cones individually. But as soon as we don't fit into these conditions, we're doomed. However, in Detail, since we have an advanced FE-based method, we can analyze the complex behavior. Figure 3: Multiple anchoring into one the wall Multiple anchoring in general (bridge support on a common foundation) – A typical situation caused by wind load, where one column of a truss support is loaded by tension and the other by compression. There is a mutual interaction between the concrete cone from the group of tension anchors and the compressive loading from the other column. For such a case, Eurocode does not offer a satisfactory analytical solution, not only because it is inherently necessary to reinforce the concrete foundation, so more advanced analysis such as Detail and its 3D CSFM must be used. Figure 4: Anchoring of a pipe bridge, designed by FEVIA s.r.o Consideration of existing reinforcement in renovations – Any renovations or extensions may be another interesting example of the use of anchoring in Detail, as, ideally, the existing reinforcement is included. Problems that arise To sum it up: Eurocode specifies failure modes for both tension and shear for anchors and concrete: Figure 5: Scheme of failure modes – Design of Steel-to-Concrete Joints Design Manual II   EN 1992-4 is specifically dedicated to the detailed assessment of plain concrete. Most of these concrete failures can be prevented by adding reinforcement, which is even necessary in some cases (see examples above). However, the standard no longer gives us clear guidance on how to deal with this. Another problem arises when concrete cones interact with each other – Eurocode and other literature (fib bulletin 58) only give conditions for when and how these cones can be checked separately. Figure 6: CEB-FIB: Bulletin 58 – Design of anchorages in concrete (2011), chap. 1.2   We know the issues that can occur during the design, but what to do about it? Give up or... ...find a solution. The solution Detail can solve the cases above very efficiently. It allows the assessment of the influence of reinforcement on the load capacity and also allows the assessment of the cases not covered by the standard. In combination with Connection, it is then possible to obtain comprehensive standard code checks for all types of failures. Much has already been written about both applications, but it certainly doesn't hurt to add a brief comparison and a few resources for a deeper understanding of the methods: IDEA StatiCa Connection – focused on assessing steel connections, including anchoring in concrete. The anchors are assessed according to empirical formulas in accordance with the standard. The concrete block is modeled using the "Winkler" scheme, so the possible assessment is for plain concrete only. IDEA StatiCa Detail – The model in Detail is from the final elements, including the reinforcement. Due to the basic assumption that all the tension is transferred by the reinforcement (in concrete, the tension is neglected), the solution is only suitable for reinforced concrete. Using 3D CSFM, we obtain the stresses of concrete and reinforcement/anchors, which are evaluated with limit values from Eurocode. In addition, we get a realistic idea of the behavior of the structure, such as stress flows and deformations. The 3D CSFM method included the effects of tri-axial stress. Figure 4: Comparison between Connection and Detail (input and models)   As said, a combination of both is needed for a complete assessment. For efficient work, an import from Connection to Detail is enabled, including additional parameters and loads. What are you going to do? 3D Detail (with CSFM) represents a significant step forward, enabling the design of more complex cases with confidence. While some may feel apprehensive about this progression, the technologies at our disposal allow us to achieve more than ever before – so why not embrace their potential? Progress is both natural and inevitable. At IDEA StatiCa, we see anchoring as just the beginning. It’s the first case we’ve fully verified, and we’re committed to expanding our focus to other challenges in the future. The question is: Will you adapt to these advancements, or will you resist change? Article from: www.ideastatica.com

AutoCAD is often considered a 2D CAD software product, but it also has an extremely robust 3D environment. Accessing it is as easy as switching to one of the two 3D workspaces included by default. But, like moving into a new neighborhood or going to a new school, one of the first things you need to do is learn how to get around, and the 3D world of AutoCAD is no different. You’ll be glad to know that zooming and panning in 3D work the same way as they do in 2D, so you’ve got a bit of a head start. You’ve probably already noticed some of the 3D viewing and navigation interface elements that bleed into the 2D world. They can be used there, but they’re really not very useful, so chances are you’ve ignored them. But, in 3D, they are useful, and they’re the subject of today’s post. Please refer to the image below. The widgets in the upper left labeled as #1 are technically called Viewport Controls. The #2 item is the View Cube, and #3 is the Navigation Bar (or NavBar for short). There are some other places to find these and other tools, but today, we’re paring it down to these three, along with some keyboard and mouse methods. Viewport Controls Let’s start with the Viewport Control tools. There are three parts to it, and it’s an extremely efficient way to interact with your 3D model. The left widget brings up your Viewport Controls, the center one contains your View Controls, and the one on the right lets you quickly specify your Visual Style. The following image shows the popup menu for each of the three widgets. As a 2D user, you probably equate viewport configuration to layouts. However, in the world of 3D modeling, setting up different views in Model Space can be pretty helpful. I wrote about it here on our blog as part of my Tuesday Tips series. In fact, I’m using the same model for this post as I did then (sometimes, the fine line between efficiency and laziness is a bit blurry with me.) The View Controls (middle) is an extremely efficient way to quickly switch to a preset view of your model. Setting one takes just two mouse clicks. You can choose between all orthographic projections or from four isometric views. The same can be said for setting a visual style. Depending on your model and workflow, you may want to change how it appears. Most of us modeling in 3D AutoCAD will have a favorite and just leave it that way. Experiment with each, and no doubt you’ll find a favorite also. Let’s set the top view of our model to be shown in the SW Isometric view and its visual style to be Shaded with Edges. When you set the view, some of the interface elements will change. I’ve either enlarged them or pointed to them in the image below. The Viewport Controls widgets will change to reflect the current setting, the View Cube will rotate to show the current view, the cursor will change into its 3D style, and the UCS icon will change. View Cube Let’s now consider the View Cube. It is yet another very efficient way to change your view to a preset. Without delving too deeply into how it works (that might be a future Tuesday Tip), let’s just say that it’s a more visual, interactive way to change your viewing angle. The cube itself is made up of tiles on the faces, edges, and corners that you pick with your cursor to set that view. You can also select one of the cardinal directions (N, S, E, W) or pick and drag your mouse along the circular compass below the cube. A home icon and a menu dropdown will also appear when you first hover over the View Cube. To change your “home view,” just right-click anywhere on the View Cube, and click “Set Current View as Home.” Navigation Bar Finally, there’s the NavBar, which shows up on the right side of the drawing editor and below the View Cube. I’m only going to talk about one of the tools within it. But it consists of – from top to bottom – the steering wheel tools (yet another full blog post of its own), pan and zoom, the Orbit tools, and, at the bottom, the Show Motion tool. Let’s focus on Orbit. Notice there’s a little drop-down arrow just below the icon. Clicking it will allow you to set your Orbiting to a constrained orbit, a free orbit, or a continuous orbit. Again, you’re invited to try all three, and no doubt one style will become your favorite. To read about the differences between these, go to the help page on the subject. Keyboard/Mouse Combos With all that having been said about the interface tools, in reality, you’ll be like most users, and you’ll do all of your navigating with either just your mouse or with mouse/keyboard combos. You already probably pan and zoom with your mouse (and if you don’t… why not?). When you’re in a 3D view, your depressed scroll wheel becomes the 3DORBIT command when used in conjunction with your Shift key. So, there’s no slowing yourself down by taking your eyes off your work to hunt down an icon. Your hands are already in place, so use them! Do you like to use Free Orbit? No problem, just add the Ctrl key, making it a Shift/Ctrl combo with the mouse wheel. Get Going With 3D Hey, it’s a 3D world out there, and if you’re still using AutoCAD as just a 2D tool, there’s probably a good chance you’ll be using a 3D workspace sometime soon. Now’s a good time to get familiar with your new neighborhood and to learn how to get around efficiently. All the methods I’ve discussed today are great to know. Try them all out and find your favorite methods. When you do get the call to work in 3D, you’ll be ahead of the game from the beginning.   Article from: www.autodesk.com

General Information The interface with Autodesk Revit is part of a wide range of formats for data exchange supported by Dlubal Software. Hence, if Autodesk Revit and the associated plug-in are installed in addition to RFEM 6 or RSTAB 9, the interface is available to you and you can exchange data between these structural analysis and CAD programs. Please note that the installation differs from that for RFEM 5 and RSTAB 8, where the interface with Autodesk Revit is automatically installed during the installation of RFEM or RSTAB. For RFEM 6 and RSTAB 9, on the other hand, manual installation of the plug-in is required. To do this, you need to navigate to the folder shown in Image 2 and run the .exe file to install the direct interface. Also note that a WebService license is currently required for communication between Revit and RFEM 6/RSTAB 9, but this will be freely available in the future. In this context, please make sure that you activate the option "Start the server automatically with the application" in RFEM 6 in the "Program Options & Settings" (Image 3).   Dlubal-Relevant Structural Objects in Revit Autodesk Revit offers extensive visualization options and special tools for creating an analytical model which once transferred to RFEM 6 or RSTAB 9 can be adjusted and optimized, and a structural analysis can be carried out. Since RFEM/RSTAB is based on an object-oriented structural model and Revit Structure is based on parametric structural modeling, the intelligence of the objects is not lost during data exchange. In this way, you get an equivalent object in both Revit and RFEM/RSTAB and not just a collection of lines or surfaces. The Dlubal-relevant structural objects currently implemented in Revit are shown in Image 4. This list is under construction and will include loads in near future. Dlubal Parameters in Revit Interface There are some parameters which are specific to RFEM 6/RSTAB 9 and do not exist in Revit by default. For this reason, the Revit objects can be supplied with additional information, which RFEM/RSTAB then reads out accordingly. This can be done via “Dlubal Parameters” in Revit, which are only enabled after activation in various dialog boxes (via "Add Parameters" → "Start"). In this way, the RFEM/RSTAB-specific information can be stored in Revit. When exporting from Revit to RFEM 6 or RSTAB 9, this information is then correctly interpreted in RFEM/RSTAB. Since this part of the interface is still under development, only the following Dlubal parameters can currently be defined (marked red in Image 5): "Member Type Truss", which corresponds to the member type “Truss” in RFEM/RSTAB and can be defined and saved in the analytical object properties “Member Type Tension”, which corresponds to the member type “Tension Member” in RFEM/RSTAB and can also be defined and saved in the analytical object properties However, the following Dlubal parameters will be available in future: "Without Tension", which corresponds to the "Without membrane tension" surface type stiffness “Surface Support", which creates a surface support with the specified spring constants in RFEM "Dlubal Name (Material)", which allows to directly assign the Dlubal material name (without using the conversion table) "Dlubal Name (Cross-Section)", which allows to directly assign the Dlubal cross-section name (without using the conversion table) Conversion Table If you are familiar with BIM and exchange of data between different programs, you may know that each software has its own specifications regarding the description of cross-sections and materials. Therefore, a conversion table for exporting information to Autodesk Revit and vice versa is offered (Image 6). Please note that compared to the data exchange between RFEM 5 and Revit, the conversion table is now offered in the Revit program itself for RFEM 6. The left side of the table (that is, the left column) controls the conversion for export from Revit to RFEM 6, while the right side (that is, the right column) controls the conversion for import from RFEM 6 to Revit. Each of these columns is divided on the one hand into material conversion and on the other hand into section conversion. The material and section conversion is then subdivided depending on whether you use regular expressions or not. Regular expressions allow multiple objects to be converted into one entry. This means that you can use regular expressions, for example, instead of listing all separate sections of a certain section type. If you are interested in creating regular expressions, the following link might be useful for you: https://regex101.com/ . Article source: www.dlubal.com

We’re excited to announce that Twinmotion 2025.1 is now available for download, and it’s a bumper release. Whether you’re working in architecture, automotive, consumer products, filmmaking, or beyond, Twinmotion 2025.1 has something new for everyone. https://youtu.be/C-4_MMDBm8A What’s new in Twinmotion 2025.1 Easy realistic exterior environments Whatever kind of storyteller you are, if your scene includes any element of an outdoor setting, you’ll welcome a slew of enhancements to Twinmotion’s environment features. First up, we’ve added the option to use true volumetric clouds in your scene. You can author your clouds’ appearance by adjusting their altitude, coverage, and distribution, and by fine-tuning their density, color, puffiness, and other settings. Volumetric clouds can be affected by wind, and will cast shadows. A number of presets enable you to choose different cloud formations as starting points; you can also save your own presets for reuse. If you’re looking to simulate an otherworldly setting—or simply to have more creative control over the ambience of your scene—you can now control the clarity and color of the dynamic sky via new settings for turbidity and atmosphere density. In addition, you can set the color or temperature of the sun (or the directional light in the case of HDRI skies). And finally, you can now set both color and the height of the exponential height fog, as well as its density. With all these settings at your fingertips, you’ll undoubtedly start authoring some mood treatments you’d like to use on more than one occasion. That’s why we’ve also added the ability to save and reuse environment settings as presets, enabling you to apply all the settings in the Environment panel in a single click. We’ve provided several default presets, including “Golden hour,” “Sunrise glow,” “Rainy day,” and “Mars horizon.”  In concert with this effort, we’ve redesigned the Environment panel to provide more logical groupings of settings, including making the distinction between dynamic sky and HDRI settings clearer. And you can now separately affect the season, precipitation, and leaf fall/color, enabling you to have fall colors with a snow shower, for example. Configurations More interested in what’s inside the virtual studio, design review, or showhome? A brand-new Configurations feature enables you to build interactive 3D presentations that showcase different variations of a project to your clients or stakeholders—great for new-build real estate sales teams, product designers, automotive manufacturers, and many more use cases. With a simple click on a trigger icon, you can instantly switch between the variations when using Twinmotion in Fullscreen mode or when viewing images, panoramas, videos, or sequences in local presentations.   Lighting and rendering enhancements With applications across industries, this release brings a number of lighting and rendering enhancements to extend Twinmotion’s capabilities and increase the quality of your real-time renders. Case in point: You can now project any image or video texture onto a surface with the new Projector lights—perfect for visualizing live events or installations, or for simulating effects like caustic reflections on the hull of a boat, for example.    Architects will be pleased to hear we’ve significantly enhanced real-time rendering of orthographic views in Standard and Lumen lighting modes; there’s now support for shadows, and the black outline around objects has been removed. This enables you to quickly produce high-quality plan and elevation views without using the Path Tracer, as well as facilitating more precise interactive object placement. Real-time orthographic rendering in Twinmotion 2024.1 (L) versus Twinmotion 2025.1 (R). See end of page for asset credits In another boost to real-time rendering quality, we’ve implemented an optional new method for rendering shadows in real-time rendering mode based on Virtual Shadow Map (VSM) technology. This method produces shadows that are more accurate than Standard shadows and that are more consistent with path-traced shadows. It is also faster in most cases; however, it is currently slower when using precipitation. This option is currently only available on Windows.  Camera animation enhancements Regardless of whether you’re previsualizing a film shoot or showing off your architectural, automotive, or consumer product project to its best advantage, extra controls over your camera animation are always a boon, and this release offers several. A new Orbit cam rig revolves the camera around its specified central pivot within the scene, making it easy to present a 360-degree view of an object or point of focus. You can set the start and end point and height offset. You can now also intuitively ease controls for speed adjustment and spatial manipulation to achieve smooth and controlled camera motion by selecting points on a camera path and adjusting their tangents. And you can precisely frame a shot on a specific moving target with the new ability to enable a look-at constraint for the Action cam. Features for automotive and transportation design This release offers a number of features with specific applicability to automotive and transportation designers. Case in point: There’s new support for importing surfaces in the Alias Wire file format, which is widely used in the industry. In the Import dialog box, you can set tessellation parameters for extra precision; Coarse, Low, Medium, and High presets are provided. Autodesk Alias needs to be installed for this feature to be enabled. There’s also a new Tire base material that textures and automatically creates UVs for flat cylindrical objects, such as tires. Four tire materials have also been added to the Library in the Materials category. In addition, we’ve added new controls for pearlescent scale, clear coat roughness, and imperfections (dust, fingerprints, and scratches) to the Car paint material, together with new Coated carbon fiber materials in the Metals category—all of which add to the realism of vehicle visualizations, and potentially other use cases. And there’s more! Rounding out these categories, there’s still more to discover in Twinmotion 2025.1 with a range of features designed to increase your productivity and make your work more enjoyable. There’s a new Measure tool that enables you to precisely measure the distance between any two arbitrary points. There are tools for mirroring objects across a plane, reversing face normals, and selecting and deleting faces. And there’s automatic level of detail (LOD) generation to enable you to maintain real-time performance when working with complex imported meshes. The list doesn’t end there. You can now multi-select media and adjust any of their Ambience settings simultaneously, while keeping other settings different. For example, you could adjust the time of day or weather, turn Lumen on or off, or apply color grading effects across a range of media at once. You can also multi-select items in the Import dock for deletion. And finally, what’s a release without a celebration? Bring on the new confetti particles! As well as a range of provided presets in the Twinmotion Library, you can save and reuse your own. It’s a glimpse of things to come. In case you missed these… Since our last major release, we’ve also sneaked in some extra goodies to our dot releases. If you missed them, be sure to check out the UV randomizer for breaking up repetitive texture tiling; more realistic wind animation on vegetation, and the ability to simulate wind on draped fabrics like curtains that debuted in Twinmotion 2024.1.1.    We also added a new collection of 62 photorealistic growable tree species from different parts of the world—including North America, Japan, Oceania, tropical regions, and Europe—to the Twinmotion Library. Each tree comes in three stages of maturity, giving a total of 186 new trees. Not to be outdone, Twinmotion 2024.2 added triplanar mapping to help you fix those pesky messed-up or missing UVs; a new clear coat effect on the Standard base material; and texture and mesh management sections to the Statistics panel, where you can find and filter information about size, resolution, and triangle count to identify resource-hungry elements in order to optimize scene performance. So that’s a round up of the highlights of what’s new since Twinmotion 2024.1. Take a look at the release notes to get more details on all the updates and enhancements in Twinmotion 2025.1.

As Revit 2026 is finally here, architects and designers worldwide are eager to explore its latest advancements. But the real question remains: does this version deliver the groundbreaking improvements users have been waiting for? From streamlined workflows and smarter automation to long-awaited customization options, Revit 2026 brings several new features that will undoubtedly enhance architectural design and documentation. Many of the updates align with what Autodesk outlined in its roadmap, addressing common user requests and refining existing processes. But is there anything unexpected in this release? A lot of anticipated features have made it into the final version, but there’s one major surprise that might leave some users disappointed. A feature that promised to redefine how Revit handles graphics and performance is included—but not in the way many had hoped. What is it, and how does it impact your workflow? In this article, we break down the top ten new features of Revit 2026, exploring what made the cut and what’s still a work in progress. Is this update worth the investment, or does it fall short of expectations? Read on to find out. Accelerated Revit Graphics Accelerated Revit Graphics (ARG) represents one of the most ambitious enhancements in Autodesk’s ongoing efforts to modernise Revit’s performance. Based on the 2024 November Preview Release documentation, ARG is designed to leverage the full power of modern GPU hardware, promising a dramatic 4x to 5x improvement in navigation performance. This is achieved by rearchitecting the graphics engine on Autodesk’s latest Graphics Platform components, enabling smoother display and manipulation of 3D geometry—including complex elements like Revit Links, surface patterns, dynamic silhouettes, and even intricate details in MEP and structural rebar. One of the standout aspects of ARG is its reliance on GPU-enabled machines; without a suitable graphics card, the feature remains disabled. This highlights its hardware-dependent nature, where systems with more robust GPUs and ample RAM are expected to see the most significant performance gains. In essence, the more memory and processing power your machine has, the more pronounced the improvements in display speed and responsiveness. However, while the potential is exciting, ARG is still very much a work in progress. The preview release indicates several limitations and unimplemented features. For instance, while ARG significantly improves the display of most 3D geometry, it currently does not support the drawing of line thicknesses or patterns, view extents, or certain 2D elements such as raster images and room fills. Moreover, some advanced view effects—like realistic textures, shadows, and backgrounds—are not yet fully integrated, and elements such as DWG import display and texturing remain incomplete. There are also known issues that users need to be aware of. The preview notes that the undo/redo mechanism has limited support, transparency is only partially supported (with only material transparency being displayed), and there are limited overrides available—only projection lines and solid/model surface pattern overrides are supported. Additionally, toggling accelerated views can take longer than expected, and certain performance hiccups have been observed during element selection and view updates. Users are encouraged to test these scenarios thoroughly, particularly in views that are currently slow in Revit, and to report specific problem cases. In summary, Accelerated Revit Graphics is a promising step toward harnessing modern hardware for improved performance, yet its current state in the preview underscores that it is not fully mature. While it promises transformative gains—especially on high-end systems—the feature may not be fully completed in Revit 2026, potentially leading to some disappointment. It serves as a clear indicator that Autodesk is on a path to modernise Revit’s graphics engine, but there’s still work to be done before the full benefits can be realised in everyday workflows. For a closer look at how Accelerated Revit Graphics leverages modern GPU acceleration and Hydra within the OpenUSD framework, see our detailed article: Accelerated Revit Graphics: A Deep Dive. This overview explores the technology behind the performance improvements and explains why Autodesk chose Hydra to power Revit’s next-generation graphics engine. Positioning & Automatic View Placement Across Sheets View to Sheet Positioning & Automated Placement is now a fully integrated feature in Revit 2026, designed to address one of the most persistent documentation challenges for architects. With this enhancement, you can now save a view’s position on a sheet and apply that saved position to any number of views—either before or after they are placed on a sheet—ensuring that your layouts remain consistently coordinated across large projects. The feature offers two alignment behaviours. In the default “View Origin” mode, Revit maintains view positions relative to the original view coordinates, making it ideal for aligning plan views where the crop region isn’t a factor. Alternatively, when you choose one of the specific view anchor options—Center, Top Left, Top Right, Bottom Left, or Bottom Right—Revit will automatically position the view based on the selected anchor. This method is particularly useful when you want your views to consistently appear near a title block or other key reference point; if the crop boundary changes, the view placement is automatically revised to maintain alignment. In addition, the updated functionality seamlessly integrates legacy features, such as the “Swap View on Sheet” capability, by merging it with the new view anchor settings. This integration simplifies the process of swapping views on a sheet, ensuring that crop-enabled views remain properly aligned according to the chosen anchor. The new Manage Positions dialog provides a comprehensive overview of all saved positions within your model, complete with options to rename, delete, and even transfer these settings between models using the Transfer Project Standards tool. A dedicated command to reset title block positions further enhances workflow consistency across your documentation. With the complete implementation of View to Sheet Positioning & Automated Placement in Revit 2026, users now enjoy a robust, streamlined method for coordinating view placements that not only reduces manual adjustments but also significantly improves the consistency and clarity of drawing sets. This advancement marks a notable step forward in automating repetitive tasks, enabling architects to focus more on design creativity and less on tedious layout corrections. Title Block Scale Override Text Type Parameter The new Title Block Scale Override Text Type Parameter is a refined solution addressing a long-standing documentation challenge in Revit. Traditionally, when a sheet features views at different scales, Revit defaults to the generic “As indicated” label on title blocks—often leading to ambiguity and extra manual adjustments. Now, with this enhancement, a custom text override is automatically applied to the title block’s Scale parameter whenever multiple scale views reside on the same sheet. This means that instead of a one-size-fits-all label, you can now display tailored text that better reflects the project’s specific requirements. This feature is implemented as a type parameter and supports only text values—numeric inputs are not accepted. It even offers the flexibility to be linked to a Global Parameter under the same text-only conditions, allowing for consistent application across your project. In practical terms, when the conditions for using the “As indicated” value are met, the custom text override takes precedence; otherwise, the standard scale value is reported. While the development of this feature is complete, there are a few known limitations. For example, the behavior can be somewhat inconsistent when setting the parameter value directly within the Title Block family versus the project level. Users are encouraged to evaluate whether a type parameter is the most effective approach for their needs, and whether associating this override with a Global Parameter meets their expectations. Overall, the Title Block Scale Override Text Type Parameter represents a significant step forward in enhancing documentation clarity and efficiency, reducing the need for manual intervention while allowing for more descriptive, project-specific scale annotations. Customize Layer Priority for Multi-Layered Elements Customized Layer Priority for Multi-Layer Elements introduces a significant enhancement in how Revit handles multi-layer assemblies such as walls, floors, roofs, and ceilings. Previously, the same parameter governed both the function of a layer and its behavior when layers joined together. With this new feature, Autodesk has separated the concept of 'Priority' from 'Function' by adding a dedicated priority column. This allows users to control how layers join and wrap around each other independently from their functional classification. Users can now select a priority level—ranging from 1 to 5—using an intuitive drop-down menu. The selected priority determines the order in which layers are considered during join operations, ensuring that more critical or structural layers are treated with the precedence they deserve. This separation not only streamlines the workflow but also provides greater flexibility, enabling a more precise control over the appearance and behavior of multi-layer elements. Designed to apply universally across all multi-layer components, this feature empowers architects and designers to fine-tune the construction of complex assemblies directly at the element type level. It addresses a longstanding challenge by eliminating the need for cumbersome workarounds and custom scripts, ultimately enhancing both documentation accuracy and overall model quality. Developed under the guidance of project leads like Shengjun Du and product managers such as Lauren Poon, Customized Layer Priority for Multi-Layer Elements is now a complete and integrated solution in Revit 2026. It reflects Autodesk’s commitment to responding to user feedback and delivering practical, efficient tools that align with the real-world demands of architectural design. Apply Toposolid Type to Toposolid Subdivision Recessed Sub-division is a significant enhancement for site modeling, providing architects with greater control and flexibility when working with Toposolids. One of the key improvements is the renaming of the Sub-divide Height parameter to Sub-divide Offset, which now accepts positive, zero, and negative values. This change allows users to precisely define whether a subdivision sits on top of, is flush with, or is sunken into the host Toposolid. Another notable advancement is the ability to assign different Toposolid types to each subdivision. This opens up creative design possibilities by enabling designers to differentiate subdivisions based on material or design intent, rather than being confined to a one-size-fits-all default type. The feature also enhances the creation of overlapped subdivisions, offering more capabilities to capture complex site geometries and cut volume information accurately. Moreover, Revit now automatically generates types that inherit the original subregion’s material with a default thickness, ensuring that subdivisions remain flush with the Toposolid. To prevent unrealistic configurations, the system enforces that the offset value cannot exceed the thickness of the subdivision type. This safeguard ensures that subdivisions do not "float" above the host Toposolid, maintaining both accuracy and consistency. There are technical constraints inherent to the Revit type layer structure—for example, geometry cannot be smaller than 0.8mm (or 1/128"). In cases where the original subdivision height is set to an extremely low value, such as 0.2mm, Revit will automatically create a type with a minimum reasonable thickness. Graphically, the subdivision will still appear at the set height, but the type's lower boundary may extend beneath the ground to meet this requirement. Overall, Recessed Sub-division streamlines workflows for complex site modeling, enhances Boolean stability in Revit geometry, and addresses longstanding limitations in representing fine topographical details. This feature represents a thoughtful step forward in meeting the nuanced needs of architects and designers working with intricate site conditions. Compound Walls, Floors, Ceilings, and Roofs Without Core Layers Compound Elements Without Core Layers is a breakthrough enhancement in Revit that removes the mandatory requirement for a designated 'Core' layer in compound elements. Developed under the guidance of Mocha Yang and Lauren Poon, this feature provides architects with the flexibility to delete core layers or reposition them outside the core boundary, fundamentally altering how walls, floors, ceilings, and roofs interact. By eliminating the rigid core structure, users can achieve improved default joins and enhanced visibility control—particularly for finish elements—thereby facilitating smoother cross-discipline coordination.   With this new capability, any dimensions referencing the core—such as ‘Core Centerline’, ‘Core Face: Exterior’, or ‘Core Face: Interior’—are automatically removed once the core is modified to be empty, ensuring that documentation remains accurate and uncluttered. This adjustment not only streamlines model workflows but also allows for more creative and precise detailing, addressing long-standing challenges in multi-layer element management. Overall, Compound Elements Without Core Layers represents a significant step forward in empowering users to tailor their models more effectively, reducing reliance on workarounds and improving the overall quality of construction documentation. Enhanced TopoSolid Quality LinkTopo Model Accuracy Enhancement represents a significant improvement in how Revit handles Toposolid models linked from external sources. This enhancement ensures that the Toposolid model is rendered with greater precision, making it closely match the details presented in ACC documentation. Several issues that previously hindered the functionality of LinkTopo have been addressed, allowing the creation of more accurate and reliable linked Toposolid models in the current version.   Although this improvement is still under development, early indications are promising, particularly in terms of aligning the digital model more precisely with external reference documents. The development team is actively working to optimise performance and reduce file sizes for large facets files, ensuring that the enhancement can scale effectively for complex projects. One known limitation, however, is that preview points do not currently work on LinkToposolid models—a constraint that the team is looking to address in future updates. Overall, the LinkTopo Model Accuracy Enhancement is a crucial step towards achieving higher fidelity in site modeling workflows, providing users with a more dependable representation of linked terrain and topography. Feedback from users will be essential to fine-tune this feature further and ensure its robust performance across diverse project scenarios. Rule-Based Numbering for Model Elements Rule-Based Numbering for Revit Model Elements is now a fully released feature that brings a new level of automation and consistency to your documentation workflows. Designed to streamline the numbering process across multiple categories—such as walls, curtain panels, rebar, and fabric sheets—this enhancement uses customizable templates and partitioning rules to assign unique numbers to elements throughout your project. At its core, the feature relies on a built-in or shared project parameter that supports text values, allowing users to define partitions based on criteria such as room numbers, host categories, or other project-specific identifiers. This means that doors, for example, can be automatically numbered according to the room they open into, while rebar numbering can incorporate details from the host category to improve clarity in complex assemblies. The system sorts elements by their creation order and employs both exact geometry matching and parametric matching to ensure that numbering remains consistent and accurate—even when modifications occur. Users also benefit from options to override numbers, remove gaps, and swap values when duplicates are detected. Additionally, when a numbering template is disabled or removed, the previously assigned numbers remain as static text, preserving the integrity of your documentation. Overall, Rule-Based Numbering for Revit Model Elements is a significant step forward in automating the tedious task of manual numbering. By integrating this robust feature into Revit, Autodesk has enabled architects, engineers, and other professionals to achieve greater accuracy and efficiency, ultimately allowing them to focus more on design and less on documentation management Manage imported CAD files Manage Links in Revit 2026 now offers enhanced visibility for imported CAD formats—specifically DWG, DXF, DGN, SKP, and AXM—directly in the Manage Links dialog. This feature, developed under the guidance of Shengjun Du and Matt Arsenault, reorganises the workflow by moving the Manage Links button to a new “Manage” panel on the Insert tab for both projects and families. Users can now easily identify and manage imported CAD files alongside linked ones, with clear status and reference type properties. By displaying these imported formats in one central location, the feature streamlines the process of managing external data, enabling users to quickly locate and, if necessary, remove imported CAD files. However, it’s important to note that not all CAD formats are supported; files imported as 3D geometry categories—such as SAT, OBJ, Rhino (3dm), STEP, and STL—are currently excluded from this view. This update enhances the overall user experience by consolidating CAD file management within the same interface that handles linked files, thereby simplifying cross-format workflows. Feedback on the new experience is encouraged as Autodesk continues to refine tooltips and other interface elements to further optimise the workflow. Overall, the enhanced Manage Links functionality represents a thoughtful evolution in Revit’s data management capabilities, ensuring that users can maintain better control over both linked and imported content in a more organised and efficient manner. Summary With Revit 2026 now officially released, architects and designers can explore its latest features. While Autodesk has introduced several useful enhancements, this update lacks a groundbreaking innovation that would make it a defining moment in Revit’s evolution. One of the most anticipated advancements, Accelerated Revit Graphics (ARG), remains unfinished and is only available as a preview, meaning it cannot yet be used in production workflows. While ARG promises significant performance improvements for users with high-end GPUs, its incomplete state is a disappointment for those hoping for a fully realized Hydra and OpenUSD-powered viewport overhaul. The long-awaited transition to a modernized graphics engine is still in progress, leaving Revit users to wait at least another version before seeing its full benefits. Beyond performance optimizations, automated view placement across sheets, rule-based numbering for model elements, and customizable layer priority for multi-layered elements provide welcome refinements to everyday workflows. Additionally, compound elements without core layers and improved Toposolid functionality enhance modeling flexibility. However, while these changes improve usability, they are largely incremental rather than transformative. It’s also worth noting that most of the features introduced in Revit 2026 were already announced in Autodesk’s Roadmap and marked as “In Preview” prior to release. Autodesk didn’t keep any major surprises for the last moment, but that’s understandable—large software updates rely on extensive testing and beta user feedback before becoming public. While this ensures a more stable and polished release, it also means there were no unexpected breakthroughs in this version. Ultimately, Revit 2026 offers valuable quality-of-life improvements, but no single feature stands out as a revolutionary leap. With ARG still in preview, the biggest change users were anticipating is not yet ready for production, making this release feel more like an iterative step rather than a major leap forward. Autodesk’s continued development efforts signal that bigger innovations—particularly in graphics and AI-driven design tools—may be on the horizon, but for now, Revit 2026 will be remembered as an update that fine-tunes rather than redefines. Stay tuned for our follow-up article, where we’ll share user reactions and firsthand impressions of Revit 2026 in action.

We engineers prefer it static. In well-known seismic zones, however, we also have to deal with the dynamics. It is our job to ensure that a construction project is safe in a seismic zone. But how exactly do earthquakes occur and how can we ensure that there will be as little damage as possible? You will learn that and more in this episode. Enjoy reading! Why do earthquakes occur? Millions of years ago, there was only one large continent on the Earth. Due to movements in the Earth's interior, it gradually tore apart, creating individual plates that drifted away from each other on the liquid rock. This is how our continents arose as we know them today. Since our planet is known to be round, sooner or later these plates met again deep underground. The impact of such huge rock layers releases a lot of energy and you can feel the effects of such force on the ground. The earth quakes, often for a few seconds or minutes, but that's enough to wreak havoc. Cracks appear in the landscape and the destruction does not stop at entire cities. If an earthquake occurs, the strength of the quake is determined on the basis of a seismographic evaluation. There is a scale for this, which enables the event to be classified. This results in a value called the magnitude. The jump from one value to the next means a tenfold or even thirtyfold increase in the magnitude of the earthquake. So going from a magnitude of 8 to 9 corresponds to a quake ten times worse. Magnitude below 4.0: usually no damage Magnitude over 5.0: some major damage Magnitude over 7.0: widespread devastating damage in large areas Open-Air Meeting Place in Case of Earthquake There are around 1,000 smaller earthquakes every day, but humans hardly notice them. The situation is different for larger events. We have mentioned one of the most famous examples of an earthquake in the 21st century. Earthquake on Haiti in 2011 In 2011, a severe earthquake struck Haiti, killing hundreds of thousands. Haiti is one of the poorest regions in the world and is located directly on the border between the Caribbean and North American plates. Usually, the two plates slide past each other vertically, but as is so often the case, practice does not necessarily follow the theory. For example, the Caribbean plate shifts to the east by about 20 mm per year and is compressed by the North American plate. In technical terms, this shift is called a fault. For 40 years, this section remained dangerously quiet – a clear warning sign. There have also been historical earthquakes that occurred here. For about a minute and 13 km below the surface, it then happened: An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 shook the region. Only 25 km from the capital. Nine aftershocks followed. Large parts of buildings are destroyed, and entire slums slide off mountain slopes. Around 316,000 people die, 310,000 are injured, and almost 2 million of the 11 million people are homeless now. But how could a quake in a known seismic zone claim so many lives? Destruction of Solid House due to Earthquake There were no preventive plans for such a case. The earthquake happened about an hour before dark and there was no electricity. Scarce infrastructure and a lack of medicines in the poorly equipped medical facilities, as well as an inadequate health system, led to violence and looting. These circumstances claimed more lives. To date, the region has not recovered, despite financial aid. Corruption, poverty, and violence remain a deadly mixture that holds Haiti tight. How could it come so far, and can we, as civil engineers, ensure that the effects of such quakes are less severe? Forms of Earthquakes There are different earthquake forms. If volcanic activity occurs, earthquakes occur due to the movements in the Earth's interior. For example, Iceland often has to deal with this type of earthquake. Most of the earthquakes on our planet are tectonic. In this case, tectonic plates meet, as was the case of the Haiti disaster. The release of energy when the Earth's crust shifts below sea level also creates a tsunami. Effects of Earthquakes There are many cavities in the geological subsurface. If one of them collapses, a collapse earthquake may occur. In 2000 and 2009, something like this happened in Hamburg, where salt domes, that is, underground salt structures, collapsed. How to Make Buildings Earthquake-Resistant Earthquakes are natural phenomena that simply cannot be prevented. Even with today's technology, the prediction of earthquakes only works a few seconds before the event. Time enough, at best, to escape from a building to a large open space or under a door frame. So it only remains for us to ensure that our structures are as earthquake-resistant as possible. Fortunately, we only have a few areas in Germany that are actually threatened by earthquakes. Feel free to check out our Geo-Zone Tool to see to what extent your region is one of these areas. If it is determined during building design that earthquakes with a certain strength would be possible, attention is paid to the ductility during the construction. This means that the buildings must be able to withstand deformations as a result of an earthquake of the respective strength without the structures failing. Geo-Zone ToolFor example, soft floors supported only by columns, rather than walls, should be avoided. If a floor rests on supports only, it is too shaky for a building when the ground begins to move. A failure of the structure would be preprogrammed. Building Design in Seismic Zone Furthermore, the longest possible supports should be used in order to avoid excessively high shear forces that would lead to shear fractures in case of emergency. Stiffness jumps, that is, abrupt transitions between components of different shapes, also significantly impair the stability of a building. Moreover, compact design methods are advantageous, with clear edges and without artful curved structures. In the event of an earthquake, the vibrations cause the building to rotate around the mass center, which is usually the center of the ground plan. In an ideal case, the resistance center of the structure is also located here. Thus, symmetry can save a building. And most important: Better to have too much structural analysis than too little! If one structural element fails, the others should be able to cushion it accordingly. Earthquakes may affect the structural stability. That's just about planning. What else can make a building earthquake-resistant? Here, we throw the term "seismic isolation" into the space. In this case, a building is decoupled from the subsurface. How does this work? When the ground moves, seismic supports vibrate with it and absorb these movements. The quake is also not transferred to the building above the decoupling, or only a little. There are even shock absorbers for structures. Conclusion: Building in Earthquake-Resistant Way We can therefore state that the danger of earthquakes in the individual regions of the Earth can be classified quite well due to seismic records. This allows us to predict whether and to what extent a building needs to be built in an earthquake-resistant way at a certain location. We can at least protect our buildings from destruction by natural earthquakes – and thus also the lives of the people who are there. Skyscraper Taipei 101 (Taiwan) Stabilized by Gigantic Pendulum for Earthquake It is to be hoped that at some point, our technology will be able to predict earthquakes reliably and in good time, so that as many as possible can get to safety in case of an emergency. The Dlubal structural analysis programs help to test and design the effects of earthquakes on a planned building model. In this way, the buildings calculated with our software are safer. Thank you for your interest in this important topic. We'd love to have you back for the next episode of our podcast – we'll hear or read from each other!

Welcome to the future of design with Autodesk AutoCAD 2026! Whether you’re working on intricate architectural plans or detailed mechanical designs, AutoCAD 2026 provides the tools you need to bring your boldest visions to life. Collaborate and benefit from significant performance enhancements and innovative capabilities that save you time with every DWG file. Discover new insights and automations powered by Autodesk AI. And take advantage of new integrations with Autodesk Docs, tailored workflows, collaboration, and enhancements to stay connected with your designs wherever you are. https://youtu.be/N7k6DLmb5ZU If you’re eager to explore the latest AI and drafting capabilities, open the Autodesk Access application to start your update now! Speed Up Design Time with Performance Enhancements and Autodesk AI Experience significant performance enhancements and innovative features that save you time on every drawing. This is the fastest release of AutoCAD yet, with 2D and 3D files opening up to 11 times faster and the application itself starting up to 4 times quicker than AutoCAD 2025 for DWGs stored on LAN/network environments.* And with the power of Autodesk AI, you can enhance your design processes by leveraging information contained in every design file to build a greater understanding of how your team works, letting you unlock new insights and automations. These performance enhancements mean you can spend more time designing, and less time waiting. “Overall – Startup in AutoCAD 2026 is blazing fast, particularly opening files.” Alan Neal, Chief Engineer, Foresite Group, Inc. New Time Savings and Efficiencies with Smart Blocks and Activity Insights Powered by Autodesk AI, enhancements to Smart Blocks: Search and Convert and Smart Blocks: Detect and Convert Tech Preview (formerly “Smart Blocks: Object Detection Tech Preview”) help improve design efficiency and standardization across your drawings, letting you enhance drawing clarity and organization by detecting objects that could be converted into blocks. “These improvements and additional support items to Smart Blocks: Search and Convert will provide users more tools to expedite workflows and the time they work in drawings, freeing up more time to focus on the quality of their design versus software tools and steps or command sequences.” Chad Franklin, Corporate Drawing Production Coordinator, Associated Engineering With Smart Blocks: Seach and Convert Tech Preview, you can quickly search your drawings for matching objects, matching text, and variable text to convert into instances of a newly defined block, an existing or recently used block, or a suggested block from your Block Libraries with the help of Autodesk AI. https://www.autodesk.com/blogs/autocad/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/03/24/AutoCAD-2026_Smart-Blocks-Search-and-Convert.mp4   While Smart Blocks: Search and Convert helps you find instances of exact geometry matches one case at a time, Smart Blocks: Detect and Convert scans your whole drawing at once. Using the power of Autodesk AI, Smart Blocks: Detect and Convert Tech Preview makes intelligent inferences to determine all instances that you may want to convert into blocks. Detecting these potential blocks all at once is especially helpful in situations when extensive cleanup is required or when geometry may vary slightly, such as for imported drawings. And in AutoCAD 2026, there are additional controls to refine and modify result with the new review toolbar and edit primary capabilities. https://www.autodesk.com/blogs/autocad/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/03/24/AutoCAD-2026_Smart_Blocks_Detect_and_Convert.mp4 The latest updates to Activity Insights in AutoCAD 2026 allow you to stay informed throughout the project cycle with, ensuring that you are always up to date with project progress and changes. Activity Insights in AutoCAD 2026 now includes the “What’s Changed” insight, giving you a detailed breakdown of activity during an editing session across collaborators. Enhanced search and filter capabilities make it even easier for you to find the drawing activity information you need in seconds. https://www.autodesk.com/blogs/autocad/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/03/25/AutoCAD-2026_Activity-Insights.mp4 Autodesk Docs Integrations for Connected Support Files, Markup Import, and Markup Assist Manage consistent project standards and settings across all collaborators with the new Connected Support Files feature. CAD managers can now define project-aware support files that are unique to a specific Autodesk Docs project, meaning a user can have multiple DWGs from different projects open in AutoCAD each with their own set of support files at the same time! This allows teams to view and edit DWG files with the intended support files without additional configuration. This enables everyone to work with the correct files and settings, reducing errors and improving efficiency. “This is a fantastic feature and a must have for AutoCAD and ALL verticals.” Michael Shurgalla, Sr. Design Technology Specialist, Merrick & Company Markup Import now supports Issues on PDFs from Autodesk Docs. You can see high level issue content with Markup Assist and launch further details in Autodesk Docs. https://www.autodesk.com/blogs/autocad/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/03/25/AutoCAD-2026_Connected-Support-Files.mp4   Multi-User Markups Streamline collaboration on Autodesk Docs projects with multi-user markups. Collect and share feedback directly on drawings using intuitive Autodesk Docs markup tools—now available in early access with AutoCAD on the web. The updated SHARE command lets you create markup links for simultaneous access to designs, facilitating efficient collaboration without duplicating or locking files. TRACE layers enable users to markup files that continuously sync back to the designer, providing flexibility for teams to review and markup changes together. This collaborative approach enables all feedback to be captured and addressed, leading to better project outcomes. https://www.autodesk.com/blogs/autocad/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/03/25/AutoCad-Web-Multi-User-Markup.mp4 Tailor Workflows to Your Needs Customize AutoCAD with specialized toolsets for discipline-specific features, functionality, and parts, including architectural, mechanical, and electrical design components. Make informed decisions with geographical information from ArcGIS® Basemaps, which can provide critical context for your designs. Create and run custom automations with AutoLISP routines and access over a thousand third-party apps with the ability to build your own using the AutoCAD API. This level of customization enables AutoCAD to be tailored to meet the unique needs of your projects, improving efficiency and productivity. Stay Connected Anywhere, Anytime With AutoCAD 2026, you can stay connected to your designs no matter where you are. Use AutoCAD on desktop, web, or mobile to capture, share, and review ideas on the go. This flexibility allows you to more efficiently manage your projects, whether you’re in the office, at home, or on a job site. And with the latest enhancements to AutoCAD on the web, you can view and markup 2D and 3D DWG files, as well as visualize DWG files authored in architectural toolset. Take a look at our in-depth article where we cover AutoCAD Web in more detail. Get Started Today If you’ve already started your update, you’re one step closer to experiencing these incredible new features firsthand. If not, what are you waiting for? Get started today with the Autodesk Access application on your desktop. For those not yet subscribed, be sure to check out free trials of AutoCAD 2026, AutoCAD LT 2026, and AutoCAD Web. And be sure to sign up for our “What’s New in AutoCAD 2026” live webinar taking place April 14, 2025 at 8 am PDT | 11 am EDT | 5 pm CEST. Welcome to the next generation of design with AutoCAD 2026. We can’t wait to see what you’ll create! Learn More To explore these features and enhancements in detail, along with more updates included in AutoCAD 2026 and AutoCAD LT 2026, take a look at the following pages in the Help section: What’s New in AutoCAD 2026 What’s New in AutoCAD LT 2026 What’s New in AutoCAD for Mac 2026 What’s New in AutoCAD LT for Mac 2026   Article from: www.autodesk.com

We kicked off this month celebrating the best in storytelling—the moments that inspire and stay with us. Dune: Part Two took home the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, a testament to the power of great stories, passion, talent, and the right tools. Now, as the month wraps up, we’re focused on making the next wave of stories easier to bring to life. Dune: Part Two made with Autodesk Maya. Image Courtesy of DNEG © 2024 Legendary and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. Some of these stories will demand hundreds of characters—so we’re making crowd tools more accessible. Others will push the limits of time and resources—so we’re integrating AI to drive efficiency, taking mundane tasks off your plate so you can focus on creating great art. And as you grow, the tools you love should too—so we’re making them stronger. “We’re breaking down long-standing technical barriers to get artists into the creative zone faster,” says Ben Fischler, Autodesk’s director of product management for content creation. “With new crowd simulation, AI-powered tools, and Flow-connected workflows, our latest updates help you reach that last 80%—where the real fun begins, and you can focus on making your shot work for the story.”   https://youtu.be/JdkBymPgCHI   Crowd tools made more accessible Creating large-scale crowd scenes—whether it’s a stadium full of cheering fans or soldiers on a battlefield—can be complex. To make it easier, we’ve added the Golaem plug-in for Maya to the Media & Entertainment Collection, so you can say yes to projects that require filling 3D worlds with multiple animated characters. “Crowd simulation has long been a challenge, and our mission has always been to make it accessible to all”, shares Nicolas Chaverou, Golaem co-founder and principal technical product manager at Autodesk. “Now, as part of Autodesk’s M&E Collection, we’re thrilled that Golaem is in the hands of more studios and can empower more artists to create stunning, large-scale scenes with ease.” https://blogs.autodesk.com/media-and-entertainment/wp-content/uploads/sites/162/ArcaneS02_ADSK-Cut_Final-1.mp4 Scenes from Season 2 of Netflix’s Arcane featuring crowds created with Golaem. Video courtesy of Netflix, Riot Games and Fortiche Production. French animation studio, Fortiche Production, used Golaem on the second season of Arcane to populate scenes with anything from a handful of characters to hundreds. Golaem’s Layout tool allows studios like Fortiche to adjust and customize characters directly in the Maya viewport without altering simulations. And its built-in procedural animation engine helps you control multiple characters at once. Once your simulation is set up in Maya, you can transfer it to 3ds Max, Houdini, Unreal, or Katana using Golaem’s dedicated plug-ins. Golaem for Maya supports major industry formats, including OpenUSD, so you can work seamlessly across different tools. Golaem joins a powerful lineup in the Media & Entertainment Collection, which includes Maya, 3ds Max, Arnold, MotionBuilder, Mudbox, and 15 Bifrost simulation nodes in one cost-efficient package. And with the ability to run Arnold on up to 5 machines with the collection, rendering your crowds is faster and less costly for your studio. AI tools that work for you Your day should be driven by passion, not bogged down by repetitive tasks. You entered this field for the magic of creation, so we’re focused on helping you craft animation more interactively. Take the Machine Learning Deformer in Maya, for example. Powered by Autodesk AI, it tackles the issue of sluggish interactivity when working with complex characters. The latest update to Maya brings major improvements to the ML Deformer for animators and layout artists, with speed, quality, and ease of use now at the forefront. Load times are now 40 times faster, and disk space usage has been reduced by 80% to keep you focused on building the elements that tell an extraordinary story. More scene context with connected workflows Animators often get assigned tasks with little to no scene context—just a shot with no sense of what comes before or after. That makes it harder to craft performances that truly fit the story. We’re changing that. With Flow Animating in Context, surrounding shots from Flow Production Tracking (formerly ShotGrid) are brought directly into Maya’s timeline. Now, animators and layout artists can scrub between their work and the shots around it, making informed creative choices that improve cut continuity. Get scene context in Maya with Flow Animating in Context   Flow Animating in Context also lets you switch between different pipeline steps, whether its layout or FX – to further pinpoint the part of the cut you need to focus on. The result is faster production and better storytelling. Strengthened modeling, FX, and OpenUSD The tools you rely on every day should be fast and enjoyable to use. The latest updates to Maya and 3ds Max include hundreds of enhancements and fixes to bring you closer to undisrupted creative flow. Modeling improvements – The powerful Volume Booleans tool is now available in Maya and 3ds Max, creating a more unified Boolean engine between the two tools. This update makes it easier to explore freeform shapes and build complex organic forms from simple primitives. Liquids – Bifrost’s new liquid simulation feature is now available directly within the Bifrost graph. The new FLIP solver offers adaptive resolution for efficient computation, particle-based foam, and improved velocity estimation. You can also emit and blend colored liquids. It is perfect for large-scale, non-viscous fluids. https://youtu.be/rvxahXl9hUI   OpenUSD enhancements – Improvements continue across both Maya and 3ds Max OpenUSD, with added support for axis and scale adjustments in Maya and recently, an Attribute Editor in 3ds Max. A long-requested feature, Light Linking, is also now available in both tools, giving you greater control over rendering. OpenPBR integration – OpenPBR is now the default shading option in both Maya and 3ds Max, bringing enhanced artistic controls, more accurate material representation across tools and improved interchange with other software.   Article from: www.autodesk.com

For AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) and MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) professionals, efficiency and collaboration are key to success, where Autodesk Revit modelling plays a crucial role. It is a transformative Building Information Modelling (BIM) software hat integrates various aspects of building design and construction into a unified modelling environment. Various features of revit are tailored to meet the complex needs of modern projects, including initial planning and conceptualisation of construction documentation.   Revit capabilities makes it an invaluable tool for architects, civil engineers, and MEP professionals who require accuracy in the project’s workflow. Let’s explore the benefits of Revit architecture to understand why this tool has become indispensable for professionals seeking to elevate and enhance their project outcomes. Benefits of Revit in Architecture Industry Revit has transformed the architecture industry, offering architects with powerful features that enhance collaboration, design, and project execution. Through its integrated approach, Revit software allows synchronised workflow, facilitating better communication across all project phases. In the architecture industry, Revit is highly beneficial in designing complex structures and large-scale projects where accuracy is paramount. Let’s explore the key benefits of revit architecture: 1. Integrated Design Process Revit for architecture enables a comprehensive design process that combines architectural design, structural engineering, and MEP into one model. This convergence enhances collaborative efforts and efficiency across different disciplines, leveraging Revit modelling capabilities to produce a more unified and accurate project outcome. 2. Better Collaboration Utilising Revit architecture plugins and advanced cloud-based tools, Revit enables multiple stakeholders to work on the same project simultaneously. This collaborative environment reduces the risk of data mismatches and ensures seamless communication, making sure all team members are on the same page and informed at every project stage. 3. High-Quality Visualisations One of the standout Revit capabilities is its ability to generate photorealistic renders directly from the model. This feature allows architects to create compelling visual presentations and accurately visualise the final outcome before construction begins, facilitating better decision-making and client satisfaction. 4. Enhanced Accuracy The features of Revit software include precise geometric calculations that help architects avoid common errors associated with manual coordination and measurement. These tools ensure that every architectural detail is precisely calculated, reducing discrepancies and enhancing the overall design integrity. 5. Sustainability Analysis Benefits of revit architecture includes built-in tools for environmental impact and energy usage analysis. These tools help in designing more sustainable and energy-efficient buildings by allowing architects to assess and optimise the environmental footprint of their designs during the planning phase. Benefits of Revit in Civil Engineering Revit has become transformative for civil engineers, integrating various project design phases and implementation into a single, coherent workflow. Revit software for civil engineering facilitates detailed modelling and rendering, enabling engineers to visualise project outcomes, manage complexities, and enhance precision throughout the construction process. Its adoption across the civil engineering sector is reshaping how infrastructure, bridges, roads, and other public works are designed, analysed, and built. Here are the key benefits of Revit for civil engineers: 1. Efficient Resource Management Revit facilitates effective resource management by enabling precise material estimations and tracking throughout the project lifecycle. This ensures optimal use of materials, reduces waste, and helps in budgeting and scheduling, making projects more economically and environmentally sustainable. 2. Accurate Geometric Information Revit modelling tools help create detailed and scalable models. These models offer precise geometric data essential for accurate analysis and implementation, ensuring that all aspects of the design are meticulously detailed and verifiable. 3. Enhanced Team Collaboration The Revit tools allow multiple stakeholders to work on the same project in real-time, regardless of their geographical locations. This capability enhances communication, reduces errors, and ensures all team members are aligned with every change in the project, contributing to hassle-free project execution. 4. Advanced Revit Rendering Revit software for civil engineering helps in creating highly realistic visualisations of the projects. These visualisations can be used for multiple purposes, such as  presentation, stakeholder approvals, or as a tool to analyse and refine complex design components before beginning the actual process of construction. 5. Dynamic Documentation Revit for civil engineers is beneficial in automating updates of project documents. Any changes to the model are immediately reflected in relevant drawings and blueprints. This dynamic approach to documentation saves time, reduces errors, and ensures that all stakeholders have access to the most current project information. The extensive Revit use in civil engineering enhances the accuracy and efficiency of project documentation, making it an invaluable tool for modern engineering practices.   Benefits of Revit in MEP Revit software for civil engineering and MEP is transforming the industry by providing a robust platform for designing and managing building systems. Its ability to create detailed 3D models allows for better visualisation, coordination, and analysis of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems within a building. It leads to creating more accurate designs that leads to improved project outcomes. Revit MEP can help optimise workflow and deliver high-quality projects on time and within the budget. Read below the benefits of Revit for MEP professionals: 1. Enhanced Collaboration and Coordination Revit facilitates seamless collaboration among different departments involved in a project. By using a shared model, architects, structural engineers, and MEP professionals can work together more efficiently. This integrated approach helps identify and resolve conflicts early in the design process, reducing the risk of costly rework and delays. 2. Improved Accuracy and Reduced Errors The precision of Revit's 3D modelling capabilities ensures that designs are accurate and detailed. This reduces the chances  of errors that can occur in traditional hand drawn designs. Accurate modelling helps MEP professionals create systems that fit perfectly within the architectural and structural constraints of a building. Apart from this, using Revit architecture shortcuts enhances efficiency, allowing professionals to quickly access tools and features that streamline the modelling process. 3. Cost Estimation and Material Takeoff Revit simplifies cost estimation and material takeoff processes by providing accurate quantities of materials and components directly from the model. This helps MEP professionals create more reliable budgets and reduce the risk of cost overruns. Additionally, Revit rendering capabilities enhance the visualisation of materials and components, further aiding in accurate estimations and planning. 4. Improved Communication with Stakeholders The detailed and accurate models created in Revit can be used to effectively communicate design intent to clients, contractors, and other stakeholders. This improved communication helps ensure that everyone involved has a clear project understanding, reducing the likelihood of misunderstandings and misalignments. Besides this, Revit plugins enhance these communication capabilities by offering additional tools and features that streamline the sharing and presentation of design information. 5. Efficient Design and Documentation Revit streamlines the design and documentation process by automating many tasks. This includes generating schedules, creating detailed drawings, and updating changes across all views and sheets automatically. This efficiency saves time and reduces the workload on MEP professionals. Additionally, Revit architecture rendering capabilities enhance visualisation, allowing for more detailed and realistic design presentations.   Revit for Different Roles in the AEC Industry  Revit is one of the integral software programs that has transformed the AEC industry. Integrating this software allows AEC professionals to design, document, and analyse project capabilities in a single platform. It provides significant benefits to multiple roles, promoting accuracy and collaboration. Here are some of the key roles in the AEC industry that are benefitting the most from: 1. Architects Architects are among the primary Revit users, leveraging its extensive features to enhance the design and documentation process. Revit for architecture enables architects to create detailed 3D models that accurately represent the design intent. These models can be easily modified, with changes automatically reflected across all views and sheets, ensuring consistency and reducing the risk of errors. Revit architecture rendering capabilities allow architects to produce high-quality design visualisations. These realistic renderings help in conveying design concepts to clients and stakeholders, facilitating better decision-making and approval processes. 2. Estimators Revit allows estimators to extract accurate material quantities and components directly from the model, ensuring precise cost estimates. This capability reduces the risk of overestimation or underestimation, leading to more reliable project budgets. Revit’s dynamic nature ensures that any changes made to the model are instantly reflected in the associated quantities and costs. This real-time update feature helps estimators keep cost information current, making budget management more accurate and efficient throughout the entire project lifecycle. 3. Contractors For contractors, Revit offers several advantages that streamline construction processes and improve project outcomes. Its ability to visualise the project in a 3D environment helps understand the construction sequence and identify potential issues before they arise on-site. This visualisation is further enhanced by Revit architecture rendering, which provides realistic project images. Additionally, Revit architecture software helps in generating accurate construction schedules and timelines. The software's ability to link construction activities with the 3D model enables contractors to plan and manage resources more effectively, ensuring timely project completion. 4. Engineers   Revit is a game-changer for engineers, as it enhances the design, analysis, and documentation processes, making engineering tasks more efficient and accurate. With its advanced 3D modelling capabilities, Revit allows engineers to create detailed models of MEP systems. Revit also offers robust simulation and analysis tools, enabling engineers to optimise the performance and energy efficiency of MEP systems. These tools ensure that designs meet regulatory standards and client expectations, enhancing overall project quality. 5. Facility Managers For facility managers, Revit provides comprehensive solutions for maintaining and operating buildings efficiently. The extensive Revit capabilities include detailed 3D models that encompass all building components and systems, offering facility managers a complete and accurate building representation. This detailed information is crucial for effective maintenance planning, space management, and overall building operation. Revit has undeniably transformed the AEC industry by offering a unified platform that enhances accuracy, collaboration, and efficiency for various roles such as architects, estimators, contractors, engineers, and facility managers. Its highly crucial features, including 3D modelling, real-time updates, and high-quality visualisations make it an indispensable tool for modern construction projects.  

 “The Earth Needs More Elf Fans” commercial for Prime Video At cloud-based creative and technology studio Preymaker, invention and ideation are celebrated. From its inception, co-founders Angus Kneale, Melanie Wickham, and Verity Grantham have built the company around the notion that emerging technology can be a powerful driver of creativity. With staff in New York, Los Angeles, London, and Cape Town, the 65-person strong outfit specializes in short form projects and can work across time zones for rapid turnaround delivery, a capability particularly appreciated by its high-profile clients in advertising. “From the beginning, the fundamentals of Preymaker have been about combining the latest technology, the finest creativity and the most talented people. Those are the pillars we base the entire business on, and Autodesk tools are key to achieving that,” shared Kneale, Preymaker Chief Creative Officer. “We knew that we wanted to use Flow Production Tracking [formerly ShotGrid] to centralize how we manage projects from the start.  We also heavily use Maya and Flame for VFX, both cornerstones for our VFX work and for the industry. For all of our rendering we use Arnold, one of the best renderers out there and never lets us down. It’s a phenomenal tool that touches nearly all our projects.”                                                                                                                                                Chief Creative Officer, Angus Kneale A nimble collaborator, Preymaker provides CG content, visual effects, animation, creative technology, digital humans, design, and color grading for commercials, games, virtual productions, and other short form creative deliverables. The studio recently created photoreal jets and provided end-to-end VFX and Color for “The Aviators,” a touching short film directed by Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow for Xfinity. The studio also develops its own IP, including real-time animated short “Blue,” and the upcoming feature film “DENMARK,” a heist thriller that takes place in a Lego-inspired virtual world. From a workflow perspective, Preymaker is entirely virtualized on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and relies heavily on Autodesk tools, including Flow Production Tracking, Maya, Flame, and Arnold. Kneale got his start in the media and entertainment (M&E) industry as an animator working in Maya before discovering Flame, so as these tools became production-ready in the cloud, he saw an opportunity for innovation and differentiation for his Preymaker Creative team.                                                                                                                                                Upcoming feature film “DENMARK“ Rising above obstacles While Preymaker continues to break boundaries today, it encountered unexpected turbulence at launch, opening in March 2020 just two weeks ahead of the extended global shutdown. However, once brands needed to move commercial projects back into production, they found cloud-based Preymaker ideally suited for the remote-first new norm. The studio’s artists have the same experience whether they’re working on-site or remote via virtualized infrastructure, and Preymaker’s Technology team can focus on value adds like building custom in-house tools as opposed to maintaining and updating workstations. “Clients were thrilled we were open for business because a lot of studios were stuck,” reflected Kneale. “Now, they appreciate our setup even more, because we effectively have the ability to work on projects 24 hours across time zones and deliver end-to-end services on super tight deadlines.” He admits that honing the right workflow wasn’t easy and required a lot of trial and error, though his tech team was up for the challenge. “When we were getting started, using the cloud was pretty novel and there were not many experts, so we iterated through many different technologies before we landed on our current model. It can be tough to figure out how to piece together all the tools since there are a lot of options and it’s not a one size fits all,” Kneale explained.                                                                                                                                                     Animated short film “Blue“ Efficient communication and tracking are also paramount to Preymaker, especially when it comes to assigning work, providing feedback, and collaborating across geographies. Artists work from various locations and with Flow Production Tracking, the studio is able to centralize information and artists can work together on shared projects. The OpenUSD open interchange format also enables the studio to move assets between creative applications without having to incur significant technical debt. “Preymaker is designed around a global workforce so we needed something like Flow Production Tracking that was battle-tested to use as the core of our communications. We’re set up so that all our artists can collaborate on all projects as one seamless team,” Kneale explained. “We’re also using OpenUSD to move files from one package to another. In the past we spent so many years writing custom converters, and the OpenUSD framework is a real accelerator for us.” Innovation drivers Preymaker’s Technology team is always exploring new approaches to solving creative challenges. That included replicating the on-premises Flame experience in the cloud. They worked closely with the Flame development team, and even used alpha software builds on real projects to gather data points and further advance development. “Having a personal relationship with the people that make the software and code we’re using is important to us, and we’ve always had a good relationship with Autodesk. Our teams share a genuine passion for creating great software for artists,” said Kneale. “I used Flame and Maya for a long time and now with the team at Preymaker using it, it’s exciting to see how it’s evolved. While Flame artists used to work on projects by themselves before handing over their work, they now can collaborate together in the same frame store, and that’s mind-blowing.”                                                                           “The Aviators,” a short film directed by Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow for Xfinity Preymaker artists also use many of the machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) powered tools in Flame daily, including Timewarp ML and advanced camera tracking. Timewarp ML delivers more smooth and artifact-free results and automated camera tracking functions help identify moving objects within a scene. Kneale emphasized, “AI is a huge disruptor across industries and can be a great tool. The confluence of cloud and AI is a real driver for innovation. Combined, they’re extremely powerful. They can help artists work in broad strokes and move really quickly, before moving into production and taking the time to build controllable assets.” Building for the future In Kneale’s view, change is both good and inevitable when it comes to technology development, investing in talent, and running a creative studio. His goal is to evolve a strong foundation while embracing new technology with tools that offer control and can scale. Part of that foundation is keeping up with the rapid pace of progress, and understanding how to leverage the power of AI. In general, the studio keeps an eye on the latest AI developments and adopts new tools that prove useful. Preymaker’s Technology team uses GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT for coding guidance, moving up the starting point for in-house custom tool development. The studio also uses a wide range of generative AI tools like Stable Diffusion for multi-modal image generation and Midjourney to ideate on creative direction and build mood boards in the pre-production stage of a project. “AI is a powerful tool when used in the right way. There is no one single AI platform that is going to obliterate everything else or replace great artists and storytellers,” said Kneale. “Using AI out of the box to produce work that is just ‘good enough’ erodes filmmaking and storytelling, but using AI to enable better storytelling and more high-quality visual content is empowering.” Along with advancing the latest technologies in pursuit of efficiency, Preymaker is also committed to investing in creative talent. With the studio’s September 2024 expansion into South Africa, it’s providing a three-year scholarship for a local student to study animation and VFX at The Animation School in Cape Town. Tools that stand the test of time As Preymaker’s project work evolves, so does its approach. New workflows are adopted to accommodate a break from linear narratives to engage audiences in new ways. For example, advertising agency McCann Erickson tapped Preymaker to build a VR maze to introduce a new product offering from financial institution State Street. It was built out of six wall sections that enabled the creation of any right-angled maze. While the game ran in Epic Games’ Unreal Engine at 125 frames per second on a Vive headset, Maya played a key role in its development. All UV’ing of the geometry was done in Maya to ensure light maps would be accurate once baked. This modular approach made it significantly easier to assemble the maze within Unreal Engine. In some cases, specific mazes were designed directly in Unreal, while others were fully mapped out in Maya and then imported as proof-of-concept models. These models were scaled to real-world dimensions, allowing Preymaker to navigate the environment in virtual reality (VR) and evaluate the set’s layout and design. After many years of experience in visual effects, and leaning into every innovation from cloud and virtual production, to real-time engines and AI, Preymaker continues to build its pipeline around Maya, Flame, Flow Production Tracking and Arnold to deliver the visual magic that makes it one of the most reputable creative studios in the business.   Article from: www.autodesk.com

Tekla Structures 2025 focuses on intelligent automation for reliable on-time delivery and efficient cross-product workflows, supporting the work of project teams. Better fabrication drawing creation - Use Smart create in fabrication drawings to automatically select the best matching drawing template or drawing settings file for any fabrication drawing type, including single-part drawings. Combined with several usability improvements, this feature now enables you to generate desired drawing content quickly and with minimum input. In addition, the improved drawing automation offers better cloning results and more reliable update of views and dimensions particularly in respect to placing the views and dimensions. AI Cloud Fabrication drawings (Preview) - The AI Cloud Fabrication drawings feature is a new, advanced way to create fabrication drawings in Tekla Structures. This feature creates new fabrication drawings based on finalized fabrication drawings from previous projects, which have been uploaded to a cloud collection owned by your organization. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used when classifying drawings into libraries inside the cloud collection and when looking for the best matching drawing to be used in the drawing creation. Numbering preview and other numbering improvements - Better control and transparency over numbering and its changes. With the new numbering preview you can now preview the proposed position numbers before you apply the numbering results to model objects. Tekla PowerFab Connector—Connect the fabricator and detailer - The enhanced interoperability between Tekla Structures and Tekla PowerFab fabrication management system enables seamless and easy cooperation between steel detailers and fabricators who are using Tekla PowerFab. Export STEP and IGES files - New export for automated steel manufacturing - Export polybeams, and straight, curved, and arc shaped profiles with boolean operators directly and quickly in the STEP (.stp) or IGES (.igs) format with real arc and bend data for automated manufacturing of steel parts, especially handrails. Renewed Status Sharing - The Status Sharing tool has been completely renewed and embedded into Tekla Structures to streamline workflows for detailers, engineers, fabricators and site teams, providing a common user interface for Status Sharing in Tekla Structures and Trimble Connect for Browser. If you are using Status Sharing between Tekla Structures and Tekla PowerFab, you can filter actions in Tekla Structures to show only those from Tekla PowerFab. Live Collaboration for Tekla Structures (Preview) - Collaborate in real-time within 3D models, without exporting or sharing any files, between two or more instances of Tekla Structures or between Trimble Connect and Tekla Structures. This enables live model-based collaboration with a wider project team. Improved point cloud experience - You can access, process, manage, and share large point cloud files stored in Trimble Reality Capture platform service. Additionally, Layout manager has been enhanced to improve the workflow and collaboration between the field and the office. For more new features and improvements, see What's new in modeling in Tekla Structures 2025 What's new in drawings in Tekla Structures 2025 What's new in connected workflows in Tekla Structures 2025 What's new in interoperability tools in Tekla Structures 2025 What's new in starting Tekla Structures and getting in-product guidance in Tekla Structures 2025 What's new in Template Editor and templates in Tekla Structures 2025 What's new in components in Tekla Structures 2025 Changes in advanced options in Tekla Structures 2025 Preview features in Tekla Structures 2025 Some of the features in Tekla Structures 2025 are released as Preview features. A Preview feature is ready for production use, but the feature development can continue based on the feedback. The Preview features are primarily intended for evaluation purposes, providing an alternative approach to your usual workflows. We encourage you to test these features in a normal business environment and share your feedback. NOTE: a Preview feature may be enhanced, updated, or discontinued at any time in response to feedback. Preview features are provided “as is” without any Trimble warranty or indemnity. For details about licenses where the Preview features are enabled, see Supported Preview features by license. Compatibility We recommend creating a backup of your model in your current Tekla Structures version before migrating your project to the latest release. For more information about creating a backup of the model, see Save a model: Save a backup copy. This version is not backwards compatible. When you create or save a model in Tekla Structures 2025, you cannot open it in older versions due to database differences. See the Tekla Structures hardware recommendations for information on supported operating systems. Tekla Structures Administrator's release notes For information on managing Tekla Structures settings for other users or for yourself, see Tekla Structures 2025 Administrator's release notes. Tekla Structures Localization release notes For information about new and changed features specific to different localized environments, see Tekla Structures Localization release notes. Tekla Open API release notes For developers who create custom applications and extensions using the Tekla Open API, see the Tekla Open API changes in Tekla Structures Open API release notes in Tekla Developer Center. Summary of release notes across Tekla Structures versions The Release notes summary across Tekla Structures versions page provides an overview to the new features and improvements in Tekla Structures versions and service packs for Tekla Structures version 2018 and newer. The summary is available in English only. List of obsolete advanced options across Tekla Structures versions The Obsolete advanced options page provides information about the advanced options that have become obsolete in Tekla Structures in version 2018 and newer.

The Opportunity Pavilion stands as a testament to cutting-edge engineering and rapid construction, located at one of the three main entrances of Expo 2020 Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The unique steel structure was designed to be built around a spacious, covered plaza as one of the main entrances of Opportunity District. About the project The Opportunity Pavilion was designed by AGi Architects for Expo 2020 in Dubai. The structure was conceived as a large plaza, providing continuity to the Opportunity District in which it is situated. The goal of the Opportunity Pavilion was to create an engaging, inspiring environment that underscores Expo 2020's commitment to promoting better access to essential resources and achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Eversendai's engineers played a key role in the project, focusing specifically on the canopy steelwork design. The canopy floating 32 meters above the ground represents clouds symbolizing dreams that people aspire to achieve. The plaza is placed on two levels, bridging the terrain's slope. The canopy is composed of six steel overlapping layers, transforming with respect to the time of day and light. Engineering Challenges The Opportunity Pavilion's design was a giant challenge by itself due to its architectural requirements. Multiple truss systems intertwined across various layers, forming an intricate 3D structure with extensive cantilevers that span over 40 meters. Everything is supported by a few columns. The project required Opportunity Pavilion to be completed within four months, including detailed design, procurement, interface coordination, fabrication, and construction. Only one month was dedicated to managing the complex structural design, including verification of more than 1,600 unique connection types. All joints are really complex, with around 10 members meeting in various angles at one point. Joints comprised of 18 members were no exception. Each node demanded code-checking and optimization to ensure material efficiency without compromising structural integrity. As the structure was not permanent and was disassembled, the design emphasized the use of very thin profiles to minimize material consumption. Example of a complex connection comprising of 17 membersExampleofacomplexconnectioncomprisingof17members Solutions and results The initial draft of the truss systems was conducted in Tekla, with all members designed as circular hollow section (CHS) members. All joints were engineered as welded to ensure a pure and united structure to avoid any visible connections. Due to minimum thickness, a code-check of stresses on the walls was essential for verification. Engineers from Eversendai decided to use the application IDEA StatiCa Connection to understand the behavior of the joints, optimize them, and verify many combinations simultaneously. Moreover, the software helped them to perform geometrically nonlinear analysis (GMNA) and analyze local deformations of hollow cross-section members knowing that extremally slender walls with point loads can be negatively influenced by local deformations which impact the overall stability of members. During the design, engineers had to find a solution that passes through all relevant checks and consumes a minimum of steel, but also a solution that is quick and easy to fabricate. Usually, for such connections, engineers tend to design inside stiffeners, ring stiffeners, or gusset plates, which was not possible in this case. For this time-sensitive project, they had to cut down these operations to a minimum to help the fabrication team to deliver the structure on time.     The structural engineers were in constant contact with the fabrication team to ensure their design was optimized also for rapid assembly. To expedite the construction process, they deviated from the typical practice of transporting 3-meter sections. Instead, they preassembled larger up to 5.5-meter parts in the construction hall, which were then delivered to the site, significantly reducing on-site assembly time and downsizing the overall project timeline. ''We had to design each individual node due to the specific shape of the structure, with around 18 pipe members connecting at a single node joint in multiple directions. Meeting the 1-month deadline would not have been possible without IDEA StatiCa.''- Vijayabharathi Renganathan Structural Engineer – Eversendai Engineering United Arab Emirates About Eversendai Eversendai Engineering Offices in India, UAE, and Qatar provide comprehensive technical and end-to-end design services, from conceptual design to detailed design including engineering for various types of structures by highly qualified and experienced design engineers and detailers. Thanks to direct contact with the erection steel engineering department, the collaboration can minimize misunderstandings and discrepancies. Structural engineers can incorporate real-world constraints and feedback from the erection team, leading to designs that are not only theoretically sound but also feasible and safe during the erection process. This leads to projects that are more practical to implement, avoiding delays and costly changes. Fabrication of the Opportunity Pavilion in four months is a great example of their 40 years of experience. So, The Opportunity Pavilion stands as an impressive example of modern engineering, balancing architectural ambition with practical challenges. Despite tight timelines, the use of advanced tools like IDEA StatiCa enabled efficient designing and code-checking of complex nodes. Cooperation between structural engineers and the prefabrication team enabled them to find a way to deliver the project on time. The project's completion showcased not only the technical capabilities of Eversendai Engineering but also their ability to deliver under demanding conditions. Article From: www.IDEAstatiCa.com