AutoCAD Structural Detailing now displays reinforcement and reinforced concrete element geometry in 3D views. 3D visualization helps you check if reinforcement is properly defined. It also helps you identify reinforcement bar collisions and errors in the placement of steel reinforcement.

This new feature extends the present functionality of reinforcement column and beam macros to include:

• New transversal reinforcement templates that allow you to implement your own templates
• The ability to automatically divide the main reinforcement bars of a beam according to the maximum length of reinforcement, defined in the database with appropriate length of lap splices

These macros are currently available in AutoCAD Structural Detailing, Autodesk® Revit® Structure, and Autodesk® Robot™ Structural Analysis software.

Now you can display solid objects on structural drawings, including items that are typically supported by a steel structure, such as concrete foundations, concrete or masonry walls, concrete slabs, and plant structures. While these elements do not necessarily affect the structural steel design, they are a necessary part of the structural modeling process, and they offer a more accurate display and visualization of the structure on detailed drawings.

The new definition dialogue box makes it possible to create manual weld definitions on drawings.

Now it's easier to create, modify, and update bolt connections and to position bolts, nuts, and washers.

Engineers and drafters can create structural steel models or rebar drawings using intelligent objects such as beams, plates, columns, walls, and reinforcement bars, rather than lines and curves. You can virtually cut, lengthen, bend, split, and merge objects as well as automatically update material takeoffs.

AutoCAD Structural Detailing helps to prepare shop drawings by automatically generating sections and elevations, complete with dimensions and descriptions.

AutoCAD Structural Detailing generates comprehensive workshop drawings with single parts and assemblies. The application also generates schedules and material takeoffs. When design changes are made, the software helps structural engineers and drafters streamline time-consuming updates of descriptions and dimensions, and provides better data coordination throughout shop drawings sets.

Styles enable engineers and drafters to more freely adjust the look of final shop drawings. You can change almost any aspect of the drawing, including descriptions, symbols, dimensions, and tables. Create new styles or modify existing ones to help make your drawings look exactly how you want them to look.

The method of arranging, grouping, and justifying the elements in automatically generated drawings has been improved to enable you to produce higher quality drawings with better overall organization. Automatic drawing generation also creates lists of elements that are not subject to machining, as well as elements that have vertical and flat cuts at their ends.

AutoCAD Structural Detailing software smoothly imports structural steel models created in Autodesk® Robot™ Structural Analysis software, as well as CIS/2 files, for more rapid 3D assembly and detailing. The reinforcement detailing capability also imports reinforcement data from Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis for automatic generation of reinforcement drawings for selected elements. Several formats are available for data export and structural steel drawings can be sent to computer numeric controlled (CNC) fabrication machines.

Using the Reinforcement Drawing Extension, you can export reinforcement data from Autodesk® Revit® Structure software and import to AutoCAD Structural Detailing to help in the generation of 2D reinforcement drawings. A reinforcement drawing can be generated based on a selected national code. You can also import a structural steel model created in Revit Structure where additional detail can be added to help in the completion of the structural model.

The exchange of a steel structural model has been extended by the addition of curved elements and groups. Also, new mapping capabilities have been added to help identify the element cross-sections between AutoCAD Structural Detailing and Autodesk® Revit® Architecture software. To have this capability, you need to install Revit® Extensions for Autodesk® Revit® Structure.

The reinforcement bar definition feature automatically recognizes bar shape and assigns a shape code to it. This option is available for reinforcement definitions such as manual bar definition, surface reinforcement, reinforcement defined by using macros, and for drawings imported from Autodesk® Revit® Structure and Autodesk® Robot™ Structural Analysis software.

AutoCAD Structural Detailing has been enhanced to allow for the surface distribution of reinforcement bars on inclined edges. They can be defined into group segments, enabling them to be grouped by similar length. This method of grouping the reinforcement bars allows for fewer bar length types.

The steel connections feature has been enhanced to provide additional parameters which can help users define the size of undercuts to the upper/lower plane of the adjoining element in beam-to-beam connections. For beam-to-beam connections with rib plates, it is now possible to modify the location of the connecting rib on the right or left side of the adjoining element.

AutoCAD Structural Detailing includes country-specific detailing templates so you can base structural drawings on local and regional building codes. This feature offers concrete reinforcement and structural steel detailing templates that are based on regional detailing practices and includes material designations and hatching patterns for several countries.

AutoCAD Structural Detailing can produce schedule and material takeoffs automatically from the drawings or allow you to export them to Microsoft® Excel® or Microsoft® Word® software. Schedules update automatically to reflect changes that you make in your drawings.