Hey everyone. My name is Ben and I’ve recently started a small structural consultancy in the UK. I used Sketchup along Revit for a long time and have purchased Plus Spec a week ago.
Just before purchasing I sent a question regarding connections in steel and timber and reinforcement in retaining walls/foundations.
The response I received was a couple of links one of which was basically arguing in a nutshell that there is no need for that level of details as it is a waste of time.
I have designed plenty of multi storey buildings in revit with absolutely all the connections in there and it wasn’t time consuming at all. Was expecting to be able to do the same in plus spec but I am losing faith in this especially when I go in the Beam tool and find a grand total of 10 beams in the I section library and the wall tool not even working at all. I’m hoping this is just a glitch and if I reinstall it, it will be fixed.
In the same article there was the argument that the hardware wouldn’t keep up with thousands of detailed connections or there’s no point in even exploring how far we can push technology.
To me the whole perspective is wrong. We do want to see all the details, done fast, with sequencing and no lags when designing a multi storey building. Even now using the ultimate workstation available that should be possible. Software needs to be brought up to speed.
In conclusion, if I can do it in Revit, I have to be able to do it in Plus Spec no excuses.
Hi Ben,
Thank you for your post.
When creating PlusSPec, we’ve tried to keep modelling efficiency in mind so that if you’re using a basic or higher spec computer, larger models can still be used with no lag or hopefully very minimal lag. We’ve added some connections to the software but anything outside of these I would recommend creating them in SketchUp, then using the BIM Tool to add the estimation info required for the takeoff. These connection components can be saved to your computer for later use so you don’t always have to keep drawing them. This is the same for any components that aren’t in PlusSpec by default so that our users can have as much flexibility in customisation as possible.
Regarding the Beam Tool materials, we’ve added some beam sizes for each of the different categories by default, but if you want to add more you can by clicking on the ‘Create/Manage’ button below the material field and following the prompts. This ability can be done for all material fields throughout the software.
Would you be able to please let me know if you’ve still got the Wall Tool issue?
Thank you for your recommendations. I will pass them onto the development team for further discussion.
I would be happy to help if you have any other enquiries.