Construction Features

Smart drawing elements

The Construction module includes a massive number of smart drawing elements to automate routine operations like layout generation, sectioning, and detailing of buildings.

• Database of parametric elements
• Technical specifications editor
• Breaks for hiding underlying geometry
• Designation of permanent joints
• Ground borders
• Level marks
• View and section designations
• Notes

Smart drawing and editing utilities

The Construction module turns entities that look like tables (lines and text) into table objects. It offers utilities for automatically numbering drawing objects, increasing and decreasing selected areas, and creating custom objects with parametric properties.

Define custom hatch patterns in *.pat files
Draw fully customized arrays of objects
Create and calculate plate arrays
Design hole charts
Perform advanced calculations using the built-in calculator
Carry out static beam calculations
Calculate geometric properties of user-defined sections

Powerful table editor

The Construction module features a very powerful built-in table editor that generates tables of any complexity. Users can convert tables imported from other CAD programs to nanoCAD’s own format. As well, it recognizes tables made from primitives. Tables offer the following functions:

In-place editing of tables
Pencil sketching in cells
Cell styles that specify text styles, alignments, line weights, value rounding
Table headers and footers
Calculations between cells
Direct interaction with Clipboard, Excel, and Open Office

Automatic reports

The Construction module creates reports from lists, specifications, and object data in drawings. Reports access data extracted from objects, architectural components, design elements, blocks with attributes, and the Construction module’s library of parts. There is no need to worry that reports might be not up to date.

Generate analyses directly from rooms in drawings
Automatically update reports as properties of objects change
Save reports as templates for use in other drawings to generate the same kinds of reports and analyses
Functions are available to all users, with no programming needed

Architectural layouts

The Construction module lays out building plans using discipline-specific tools and objects:

Straight and arc-shaped walls that join automatically
Custom templates for walls that define geometry, attributes, and multi-layer (ply) construction properties
Walls edited with trim, break, and join commands, or by using grips
Insertion of windows and doors using the built-in database of components
Lay out rooms and spaces on plans, with customized space attributes and composition
Automatic calculation and creation of room analyses and lists of compositions
Insertion of interior elements using a database of templates
Generating 3D models and IFC-format documentation with the Project Manager

Engineering networks

The Construction module includes a set of tools for engineering networks, such as internal communications, HVAC, and gas supplies, with templates for traces, equipment, and connectors.

Parametric borders and title blocks

The Construction module provides drawing borders and title blocks that are parametric. This save you time when completing drawings:

Multi-view drawing borders use dedicated grips and switches to change their size, format, and orientation
Special grips change aspects of title blocks
Stamps dialog box fills in reusable text in title blocks

In addition to the collection of pre-made drawing borders and title blocks, you can create your own parametric borders and stamps using the Format and Stamp Wizard.

Parametric parts library

The Construction Module comes with a built-in library that contains a vast number of parametric parts and templates. Each parametric object has its own set of size tables, display modes, and behaviors. As it is an open database, parametric objects can be edited with the MechWizard tool.

The parametric parts library contains the following components:

Wall, window, door templates
Concrete foundations, beams, columns
Steel profiles in ISO, IS, DIN, GOST standards
Fasteners in ISO, DIN, IS, CSN, PN/M, GOST standards
Drawing borders, title blocks

Customized settings

The Construction module takes a flexible approach to object settings. All pre-configured elements provided the module can be redefined using the object settings window, as required by design firms, and then copied to all workstations.

Objects scaling

The Construction module supports drawings with many views at different scales. With just two clicks, you can adjust the scale of drawings, both for specific objects and for entire drawings. The symbol scale adjusts the sizes of text, dimensions, and linetypes automatically in model space and in layouts using viewports.

Create custom parametric objects

Parametric objects are an improvement over dynamic blocks as they contain not just grips for changing blocks, but also offer dialog boxes with choices of options. The Master of Objects allows you to edit library items and create parametric objects to your needs.

Create custom dialog boxes

It can be easier to manipulate objects with dialog boxes. The Form designer allows you to create dialog boxes for leaders, blocks, nanoCAD tables, and custom objects. Auxiliary variables for objects can be entered into a form, and arranged in an order convenient to you.

Parametric design elements

The Construction module employs objects that follow preset rules based on design requirements of building projects. All drawing elements that make up AEC objects (such as notches, lines, and text) contain parameters that control their display and geometric configurations.

Object grips

The Construction Module’s smart objects interact with other objects during editing. Grips stretch, rotate, move, and rotate objects, alter their geometry, and launch object-specific commands. These commands can also be executed through the context menu. Object-specific commands include actions that add extension lines, align text, mirror objects, and change arrowhead styles.