Abstract:
Many buildings can benefit from the use of Space Frame Structures as they offer advantages
like large spans, light weight design and organic forms. However, their use is limited by the
complexity in design and documentation process, and lack of dedicated tools for these tasks in
most software. This study develops a software solution on BIM platform and modifies existing
workflows by automating the execution of most time consuming tasks to facilitate the whole
process. The developed application, named as AutoFrame Designer, works as Autodesk Revit
plugin and can be used for designing a space frame on a specific surface, creating analytical
model for analysis and detailed geometry for accurate visualization, generating fabrication
schedule for all frame elements including nodes and members, exporting element geometries
for fabrication, and creating layouts for frame assembly. The use of application can potentially
save huge amount of time spent in design process, ensure accurate documentation for
fabrication and assembly, and eliminates many errors that occur due to manual measurements.
