Lernen Sie hsbDesign 27 für AutoCAD® kennen: Jetzt KI-gestützt für den Offsite-Holzbau auf höchstem Niveau

At hsbcad, we’re always working on new ways to elevate your offsite timber design,manufacturing, and assembly experience with solutions that boost efficiency, sustainability, precision, and control. In line with that mission, we’re proud to introduce hsbDesign 27 for AutoCAD®, now with new and exciting features, including:

  • AI-powered tool detection to streamline your workflow
  • 3D stacking and truck loading to optimize material transport
  • A comprehensive, customizable fastener database for increased reliability
  • hsbDesign 27 for AutoCAD® is part of the latest release of our foundational platform, hsbDesign, developed to help you eliminate the redundancies associated with 2D and 3D design in Revit® and AutoCAD®.

  • Boosting your design accuracy, efficiency, and flexibility
  • Reducing errors by establishing a single source of truth
  • Enhancing process automation so you can focus more on your designs
  • CNC integration for precise, BIM-compliant designs
  • Read on to learn more about what’s new for hsbDesign 27 for AutoCAD® and how the new features can help you tackle complex timber construction projects with greater confidence and control than ever before.

    Let’s get started!

    3D stacking and truck loading in AutoCAD for optimized transport

    When it comes to offsite timber construction, efficient truck loading can make or break a project. A well-planned loading strategy can reduce material handling, prevent damage during transport, minimize installation errors, and ensure timely delivery of your prefabricated elements to the construction site.

    3D stacking and truck loading in AutoCAD for efficient timber construction transport and installation

    Our new 3D stacking and truck loading solution helps ensure that each of your elements arrives at the right time, in the right order, and ready for immediate assembly with three new features:

    1. StackItem

    StackItem enables you to prepare individual items for loading by pre-filtering and sorting timber elements. This simplifies the organization of materials according to project specifications, streamlining the journey from design to manufacturing.

    2. StackPack

    StackPack allows you to group sorted items into packs, with information synchronized back to the model for real-time updates. This ensures consistency between your digital models and physical materials throughout the process.

    3. StackEntity

    StackEntity is the final “loading unit” where your items and packs are assembled onto designated trucks or loading entities. This feature allows for detailed transport planning, enabling you to optimize your space and minimize the adjustments needed at the job site.

    The result? Increased project accuracy and efficiency, with fewer transport errors, optimized space usage, and a more streamlined site assembly.

    Discover 3D stacking and truck loading in this video

    hsbAIBodyAnalyzer (Proof of Concept) for AI-powered body analysis

    Take your IFC imports to the next level with hsbAIBodyAnalyzer (Proof of Concept), a first-of-its-kind AI-powered tool designed to streamline body analysis. Leveraging advanced AI, this tool integrates seamlessly with the IFC Import Manager, enhancing how you handle and analyze construction elements.

    The new capabilities include:

    1. Automated tool detection

    The hsbAIBodyAnalyzer (Proof of Concept) can accurately identify a variety of tools, including Dove (Male/Female), Tenon (Male/Female), Drill, Cone, and X-Fix. Incorporating this information to the imported model makes exported files richer and CNC machine-ready.

    2. Smart Validation

    Our confidence-based acceptance feature enables automatic validation of recognized tools. Tools detected with a certain confidence level are marked in green for easy identification, and once a tool is confirmed either automatically by the system or manually by the user, it’s displayed in blue.

    hsbAIBodyAnalyzer in hsbDesign for AutoCAD

    It’s also possible to refine the toolset with intuitive manual adjustments, giving designers and engineers complete control over the final tool selections.

    Discover the hsbAIBodyAnalyzer (Proof of Concept) in this video

    The hsbAIBodyAnalyzer (Proof of Concept) brings substantial benefits for cross-laminated timber (CLT) manufacturers and timber construction designers by delivering faster, more precise detailing for timber joints and connections. This new tool enhances the IFC import data quality, which is crucial for the structural integrity and fit of prefabricated elements. The result is significantly improved project quality and reduced on-site assembly time, enabling more efficient project executions.

    Customizable Fastener Database for increased reliability

    Our new Fastener Database is a preloaded library that brings fasteners from top manufacturers like Simpson Strong-Tie, Rothoblaas, Heco, Klimas, and more directly into your workflow. This resource enhances the reliability of timber construction projects by providing access to trusted, industry-standard components that ensure durability and performance.

    Beyond the preloaded options, you can also tailor your Fastener Database to meet the needs of different projects:

    • Adding fasteners manually

    • Uploading custom fastener data

    • Selecting ideal components for specific timber assemblies

    Precise and accurate fastener specifications are essential for securing and maintaining structural integrity in offsite timber construction. This makes having a comprehensive fastener database key to ensuring that materials are securely assembled to meet both design and structural requirements.

    Fastener database for accurate timber construction assembly and structural integrity

    Additional upgrades for enhanced control and functionality

    1. Assembly Definition

    The Assembly Definition feature enables users to group multiple objects, including beams, sheets, metal parts, and more, into cohesive units. It significantly streamlines production planning, shop drawing creation, and property analysis, optimizing the manufacturing process and reducing the time from design to assembly.

    2. Enhanced collision control

    Our improved Check Construction feature now includes architectural components like windows, doors, and mass elements, ensuring prefabricated timber elements align perfectly with other building components and reducing on-site adjustments.

    3. Clearer dimension lines

    The new dimension offset mode improves the clarity and precision of dimension lines in timber cut plans. This key enhancement makes designs easier to interpret and implement, ensuring that the prefabrication process is both accurate and efficient. These features work together to support the modular nature of offsite timber construction, helping to ensure accuracy from design through assembly.

    How hsbDesign 27 for AutoCAD® drives efficiency in offsite timber construction

    Now that we’ve covered some of the new features in hsbDesign 27 for AutoCAD, let’s highlight some of the ways it drives efficiency and precision in offsite timber construction projects:

    1. End-to-end integration

    hsbDesign 27 seamlessly combines advanced truck loading solutions, AI-driven body analysis, and a comprehensive fastener database to streamline every stage from design through transport to assembly, ensuring a cohesive workflow. hsbDesign 27 for AutoCAD is a newer version of our foundational platform, hsbDesign, which has been the market-leading software for timber and CLT construction for over 35 years.

    2. Enhanced efficiency

    By automating and integrating key processes, hsbDesign 27 reduces manual input and errors, enabling faster and more reliable timelines.

    3. Reduced assembly time

    Cuts on-site assembly time with precise truck loading and customized fastening, reducing the total project timeline.

    4. Cost efficiency

    Optimized logistics and precise IFC imports prevent unnecessary spending and on-site adjustments, directly reducing costs.

    5. Higher quality and precision

    Ensures that all components fit perfectly upon arrival, thanks to meticulous pre-planning and validation processes, enhancing the structural integrity and longevity of construction projects.

    hsbDesign 27 for AutoCAD® in Action

    The Ascent

    The Ascent, recognized as the world's tallest timber hybrid building, is an excellent example of hsbDesign for AutoCAD®'s building potential. The software was pivotal in managing and integrating the complex elements that brought this incredible structure to life.

    Developed with our long-time partner KLH, this 25-story building combines post-tensioned concrete with mass timber construction, featuring 259 luxury apartments and 7,000 square feet of retail space.

    “hsbcad's solutions were instrumental in the 'The Ascent' project, providing precise modeling of the entire CLT scope, which was essential for the construction's accuracy. Their advanced software enabled the creation of detailed single-piece drawings, ensuring efficient and flawless assembly. Additionally, hsbcad's transport loading diagrams optimized logistics, contributing significantly to the successful realization of the world's highest timber hybrid building.” - KLH

    In 2023, The Ascent earned the prestigious “Wood Design Award” and “Structure Award” from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), recognizing its exceptional design and structural engineering.

    These accolades highlight the project’s innovative use of timber and how hsbDesign 27 for AutoCAD® can push the boundaries of what is possible in mass timber construction.

    The Ascent Building - Photo Credits: Thornton Tomasetti
    Download Press Release
    Autor:
    Renè Strack
    Business Development Manager