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  • Unleashing the Power of BIM Data Suite: A Comprehensive Guide

    In the world of data, gathering and analyzing is crucial. Everyone’s clamoring for more data, and CTC Tools are here to deliver. The BIM Data Suite offers multiple ways to access data for your BIM models, refits, and more. Let’s dive into the setup and where to find this valuable data.

    Data Collection with Project Activity Logger (PAL)

    The data collection process begins automatically with our Project Activity Logger (PAL). PAL extracts data from refit projects upon opening and syncing too Central. Users won’t even notice it working in the background. All the data, such as project details, file open times, and more, is logged to an SQL database. This happens seamlessly as you work in Revit.

    So, where does this data go? It’s stored in an SQL Server database, which can be on-premises or hosted in Azure. CTC Tools can connect to these databases, and we’ve even provided a Power BI template to help you visualize the data.

    Powerful Data Analysis with Power BI

    In Power BI, you can explore various aspects of your projects, including file sizes, project setup, user activities, sync to Central times, and much more. You can also identify patterns, track warnings, and analyze the performance of your models over time.

    This data can be immensely helpful in identifying issues, tracking changes, and improving the efficiency of your Revit projects. It’s a treasure trove of insights that can drive better decision-making.

    Pinpointing Warnings and Affected Elements

    The BIM Data Suite offers extensive insights into your Revit projects. For instance, it identifies unique warnings, the affected objects, and their specific warning messages. It even pinpoints the element causing the issue, whether it’s related to walls, room separation lines, or other common refit warnings. You can access element IDs, enabling you to locate and fix these problems within your Revit project.

    This information remains up to date with each sync to Central. All you need to do is hit “refresh” to get the latest updates.

    Detailed User and Project Insights

    The suite provides a wealth of user and project details, including versions of Revit in use, installed add-ins, and more. You can track user activities, performance metrics, and even which views people are spending the most time in. It offers a unique perspective on where efforts are focused during different project stages.

    There’s also an additional Project Snapshot Exporter, which extracts a comprehensive snapshot of your project based on specified filters. This data can be stored in your SQL server database or saved in various formats, providing versatility in data analysis.

    Creating Project Snapshots

    The BIM Data Suite is a powerful tool for understanding your Revit projects, keeping everything organized, and making informed decisions. When it comes to taking project snapshots, the process is straightforward:

    1. Fix your file paths, ensuring they are accurate.
    2. Place the JSON file in the model compare folder.
    3. Select the data you want to capture – you can choose from various filters, including categories, data types, and parameters.
    4. Click “Begin” to initiate the snapshot.
    5. The snapshot will work through your project, capturing data. You can open the Power BI file to view your snapshots.

    Summary and Conclusion

    In summary, the BIM Data Suite is a powerful and versatile tool for managing and analyzing data from your Revit projects. It empowers you to:

    • Access valuable insights into your projects.
    • Track changes and project health.
    • Identify issues, track warnings, and enhance efficiency.
    • Analyze data to make informed decisions.
    • Improve the organization of your data and projects.

    Whether you’re a BIM manager, project manager, or a Revit user, the BIM Data Suite provides valuable data analysis and management capabilities. It offers a comprehensive solution for navigating the ever-expanding world of data within your projects.

    For those interested in learning more, our website, webinars, and resources are excellent starting points to explore and implement the BIM Data Suite. Your projects deserve the insights and organization it offers, so don’t hesitate to unlock the full potential of your data.

    With the BIM Data Suite, you’re equipped to navigate the data-rich landscape of BIM with confidence.

    For any questions reach out to your sales rep or contact us at info@solidcad.ca.

    CTC MEP3 2020.1.2 Update

    What is the CTC MEP3?

    The Mechanical Electrical Plumbing Productivity Pack leads the market as the ultimate content package today, precisely tailored for businesses engaged in the fields of both mechanical and electrical design engineering. The MEPPP seamlessly consolidates the Mechanical and Electrical Productivity Packs into one easy to use pack, ready for immediate deployment straight out of the box.

    CTC MEP3 Overview:

    • Project setup time is decreased by utilizing comprehensive project organization.
    • 50 view templates for all view types, including schedules and 100 predefined view filters.
    • 350+ mechanical families based on manufactured content.
    • Over 225 mechanical details with all Revit linework and annotations
    • More than 350 electrical families with over 200 symbols
    • All family content is fully integrated with extensive schedules & tags.
    • User manual includes links to instructional videos.

    CTC MEP3

    Figure 1 Cover View

    Previous MEP3 Updates:

    20.1.0

    • Electrical Family Improvements
    • Electrical Hosting
    • Electrical Workflows
    • NEMA Endorsement
    • Conditional Formatting

    20.1.1

    • Mechanical Content Improvement
    • Workflow Consistencies
    • Further Parameter Standardization

    What’s New in 20.1.2?

    Performance Improvements

    • Due to changes in Revit 2021+, combined parameters have been removed to produce “10x” speed improvements.
      • 116 schedules updated.
    • Improved formulas for performance
    • Family structure optimized.

    New Schedules

    • 118 new schedules added across the MEPPP.
    • Full conditional formatting

    Updated Conditional Formatting

    • 10 design schedules updated to new conditional formatting.
    • 101 schedules updated for consistent overall formatting.
      • Organization of parameters, justification, title headers etc.

    New Parameter Groupings

    • 37 parameter types have been re-grouped across all relevant families.
    • 20 family collections have updated <type> vs <instance> parameters.
    • 35 family collections have signification calculation updates.
      • Calculations previously were not inaccurate but were optimized for performance and modernized for current calculations.

    Updated Visibility Graphics

    • 7 view collections have significant updates to visibility graphics. 

    Air Terminal Enhancements

    • Significant updates to auto-sizing
    • New non-auto-sizing options
    • Greater number of families
    • Significant performance improvement

    Families and Types

    • New tagging options (4)
    • New types
      • Condensate Pump
      • PTAC (Wall Unit)
    • New Families
      • Air Terminals (25)
      • Outdoor Split System – Residential
      • Domestic Booster Pump
      • Standpipe Valve

    CTC MEP3

    Figure 2 Air Terminals

    For a full list of all the new features, enhancements, and fixes, visit www.ctcsoftware.com and review the Mechanical Electrical Pluming (MEP) Productivity Pack release notes or download the MEPPP Information Kit.

    CTC MEP3

    Figure 3 www.ctcsoftware.com

    For any questions reach out to your sales rep or contact us at info@solidcad.ca.

    CTC Licensing Model Change – What you need to know!

    With the release of the 23.0.0 version of all the CTC Software tools, CTC has taken the opportunity to update their licensing model.

    Licensing for any of the CTC suites of tools was broken up into tiers of licensing with maintenance attached or differences depending on how many employees were in the company. It was tedious to explain, and not too efficient to implement.

    Starting with the 23.0.0 release of the suites, CTC is moving to a CSL model of licensing. This Cloud Shared Licensing is much more in line with the SaS model of software delivery. However, this is deliberately not the named user licensing that Autodesk has moved to. The CSL model is intended to simplify access to the tools while maintaining the flexibility of the network licensing style of license.

    Put simply, the CSL model is a cloud hosted version of the network licensing most of us are familiar with. Which means there is no need for installing license managers on local servers, all users need is internet access to use the CTC tools. The CSL is hosted on the new CTC website that was launched in conjunction with the 23.0.0 suite releases.

    With the new website, there have been additional efficiencies added by automating tasks like the option to renew automatically and automatic fulfillment of orders. The new website will also give administrators detailed insight into their teams’ suite usage and the ability to control the allocation of licenses with the creation of Groups of users on the website.

    The move to CSL was done for efficiency for everyone. This simplifies and standardizes access to the tools, allows for instant license allocation, offers reporting on usage of suites and tools, and simplifies pricing models.

     

    One thing to note is that the 2022 and older versions of the CTC Suites still only work with the legacy licensing and cannot use the CSL model.

     

    If you have any questions regarding this new licensing model for the CTC Software, your SolidCAD Account Manager will be more than happy to help.

    CTC Licensing Model Change – What you need to know!

     

    With the release of the 23.0.0 version of all the CTC Software tools, CTC has taken the opportunity to update its licensing model.

    Licensing for any of the CTC suites of tools was broken up into tiers of licensing with maintenance attached or differences depending on how many employees were in the company. It was tedious to explain, and not too efficient to implement.

    Starting with the 23.0.0 release of the suites, CTC is moving to a CSL model of licensing. This Cloud Shared Licensing is much more in line with the SaS model of software delivery. However, this is deliberately not the named user licensing that Autodesk has moved to. The CSL model is intended to simplify access to the tools while maintaining the flexibility of the network licensing style of license.

    Put simply, the CSL model is a cloud-hosted version of the network licensing most of us are familiar with. This means there is no need for installing license managers on local servers, all users need is internet access to use the CTC tools. The CSL is hosted on the new CTC website that was launched in conjunction with the 23.0.0 suite releases.

    With the new website, there have been additional efficiencies added by automating tasks like the option to renew automatically and automatic fulfilment of orders. The new website will also give administrators detailed insight into their teams’ suite usage and the ability to control the allocation of licenses with the creation of Groups of users on the website.

    The move to CSL was done for efficiency for everyone. It simplifies and standardizes access to the tools, allows for instant license allocation, offers to report on the usage of suites and tools, and simplifies pricing models.

    One thing to note is that the 2022 and older versions of the CTC Suites still only work with the legacy licensing and cannot use the CSL model.

     

    Want to learn about this licensing in more detail? Visit: View Recording (gotowebinar.com).

     If you have questions regarding this new licensing model for the CTC Software, your SolidCAD Account Manager will be more than happy to help!