Solidworks Stuctural Steel Drafting

[JGard1985]

Good afternoon.

I'm looking to add a structural drafting package to my Solidworks Licensee. Can anyone recommend what they're using. I'm running SW 2019. It seems like so many are either unresponsive or no longer supported.

I've found:

TheSteelDetailer

https://www.thesteeldetailer.com/

BuiltWorks
Steel Designer Pro

http://www.steeldesignerpro.com/

AutoStruct

Thank you

 

[SBaugh]

This does not answer your question as to which one to use, but why not use what SW offers and add what they don't? It's far less expensive.

Try downloading the ANSI (or other standards if needed) of predefined weldments?

You can also make your own weldment profiles if there is not something there.

You will need to browse to the weldments folder and find one similar or make a new library sketch (see help for details on making your own library sketch its **important**). if you go to the weldments folder\standard you can copy, paste, rename then edit\change the sketch.

When you are in the library sketch (weldment Profile) You will see a couple of new icons:

Also, change the custom properties of the new library sketch. That is where the information about the weldment is saved.

Save the file and try it out. Like I mentioned before you need to read the help on creating a Library sketch\component because there are few things you need to understand and do when you are creating or saving a file.

Hope this helps,


Scott Baugh, CSWP
CAD Systems Manager
Evapar

http://www.evapar.com

"If it's not broke, Don't fix it!"

faq731-376

 

[JGard1985]

Thank you Scott

I'm very familiar with weldments and library of Solidworks. I'm looking at these packages because Solidworks has real major shortcomings when working in structural applications.

The biggest thing these packages have is ability to
-auto-generate shop drawings for each individual body (fabricated columns, beams etc).
-Keeping track of similar items (e.g. how many baseplates are used as items in different multibody parts)

You can either do it manually or draw it all as one large multibody part that a weldment cutlist can handle, but you loose serious functionality that way because you have to manually select weldment bodies to show on a drawing




Jeff

 

[Brad805]

If you are doing large commercial projects there are better options. If the structural steel is secondary to a mechanical project, then it is a good fit. I have tried detailing with SW and it is not as good as the typical packages used for detailing steel.

 

[fifiririloulou]

You can auto-generate the drawing of each individual body with macro. I've done it for a client.
I don't know what "Keeping track of similar items" entails, but you might do that with macro too.