Dietrich's Version 25 - Highlights

When communicating with clients, coordinating with architects and collaborating with other contractors, exchanging files via email is still the standard procedure. This is increasingly causing problems: File sizes are continuously increasing and are no longer transferred or, for IT security reasons, no attachments are accepted at all. This is where Dietrich's Cloud Service offers a convenient solution:

In Dietrich's functions for creating e-mail attachments, files are now always packed and are therefore reduced in size.

Packed Dietrich's project files are processed in the project management. General files, such as PDFs, are zipped and can be unzipped by all recipients even without Dietrich's system.

The email attachments are placed in the Dietrich's Cloud immediately after packing and a link is created to access them. The link is located in the generated e-mail and also in the clipboard so that it can be forwarded in another form.

Use the Dietrich's Cloud service for a smooth data exchange.

Labeling with multiple reference points

With the V25, you now have the option of easily and flexibly referring to several reference points with a label, whether single-line or multi-line. The advantages of the extended labels are manifold. The annotation of complex details becomes much clearer and easier to understand thanks to the reference of labels to several reference points. At the same time, planning work becomes more efficient. The new option of using multiple reference points saves you time when editing your drawings. Plans remain clear and you can see all relevant information at a glance.

A consistent, uniform user interface is the basis for the ergonomics of software. This also applies in particular to the permanently available pallet dialogs for display, dimensioning, labeling and building navigation. The integration of these dialogs in the areas of set-up sequence, loading planning, DC statics and, above all, in the profile round off the overall system. This helps the experienced team in their day-to-day work and makes it easier and quicker to train new staff.

The profile has also been revised:

• The main dialog is more clearly structured visually.
• Extensions in the area of dimensioning such as "Layer for dimensioning limits" and "Component labeling set"
• System of profile views analogous to the basic views with complete preparation of the plans on the screen. These plans are used in construction and assembly, but also in coordination with architects and clients. These plans can be optimally prepared using "profile views". Any number of profile views can be created for any purpose. Each profile view has individual settings and saves them.
• Profile views are particularly effective if they are saved in the profile template. This means that every new profile is already prepared for plan output after the profile values have been adjusted.

Your gaze falls on an area that needs to be checked or processed and you now want to find the way there very quickly without having to search for the area in the structure or the function. This is supported by 2 ergonomic extensions:

• In each model area, the function for switching to other model areas can be called up using the middle mouse button. You then select the desired component and the program directly calls up the model area in the relevant building element. If, for example, you see a wall mullion in the roof structure that needs to be moved, one click takes you to the wall to which this mullion belongs. There is no need to rummage through the building navigation.
• Context menus are now also available for components in Free Design. You can select what you want to do directly on the component: e.g. move, change cross-section, etc. There is no need to search for function calls in the menu or icon bar.
• To identify the component reliably, important information is displayed as soon as the mouse cursor is positioned on the component: Ident number, sequence number, etc. This offers a very quick check and search without selecting and deselecting the components.

These immediate calls allow you to work smoothly and concentrate on the actual task at hand.

Working planes and the associated clip boxes allow you to work optimally in 3D. The orientation of the input and the reduction to the relevant area (clipping) open up any level of detail while maintaining an overview of the whole.

These methods are now even more readily available and have been expanded:

• The settings are permanently available on the screen in a palette dialog. The switching of the grid and clip box is clear and immediately available.
• The cut edges of the clipped volumes are now displayed with an adjustable color. These can be picked up for input.
• When working, you see a detail that needs to be checked or edited. To do this, simply select one or more of the affected components and automatically define temporary work planes and clip boxes:
• Up to 3 common working levels and their clip boxes are generated and can be selected at the touch of a button.
• These temporary work planes are removed by "Deselect" and new ones are created by selecting the next component.
• If a temporary work plane is required permanently, it can be converted into a permanent one. This is done automatically by entering planning elements.
• Temporary work planes and their clip boxes can be changed with all the usual functions. E.g. move parallel to relocate from the axis to a component side, graphically change the clip box limits, etc.
• The detailed view created in this way on the screen is transferred to a corresponding detailed plan via "File current display":
• The components are cut according to the clip box and can be calculated concealed.
• Cut and uncut areas can be automatically filled with hatchings and fillings.

The new methods for the working levels and their storage in the plans increase efficiency and are a pleasure to work with and document details.

Point clouds are increasingly being used as the basis for refurbishment and extension work. The V25 is used to create orthophotos in views and sections. These are used for various purposes: Documentation of the "existing - new construction" coordination for clients and architects, or plans for installation. The section from the point cloud can be defined separately for each view or section and adapted to the situation.

Size of orthophotos: Orthophotos transport a lot of information in plans and PDFs. However, as they are derived from point clouds, they have a large file size and therefore make data exchange more difficult. The adjustable resolution of the orthophotos in the V25 allows the size of the files to be adjusted considerably. The resolution is set separately for each model area as required. The much smaller files are easier to manage and enable smooth data exchange.

The 2D / 3D import of DWG and DXF files is increasingly used to transfer elevation points: for recording existing buildings and terrain surfaces as a basis for terrain models. In V25, the DXF import has been extended for these purposes.

DWG/DXF import: 2D / 3D merging:

• The functions for 2D import of DWG and DXF files now also enable the import of plan elements in their 3D position in all model areas. Conversely, the flexible methods of 2D import are now also available for 3D import: select section, align, scale, etc.

DWG/DXF import: Special functions Height points:

The already known functions for recognizing height points have been considerably extended and result in a clearer and more informative display of the height points.

• The symbols of the points are now also placed at the corresponding height, the type of display can be set. The line symbols from total station transfers are automatically corrected.
• The highest and lowest elevation points can be highlighted using adjustable colors. The labeling can also be limited to these points. This means that these crucial points are easily recognizable.
• The labeling of the height points is taken from the blocks in the source file. Alternatively, the value for the height can also be determined and displayed directly. 3D labels are created with all the options of text styles and post-processing. These can optionally be placed on a separate layer so that they can be switched independently of the points.

When entering rafters in the roof structure, a formwork notch can be created automatically at the eaves. With the extension of the 'Transfer rafter foot' function, you can now quickly and easily create formwork notches in hip and valley rafters. To do this, simply select two reference components that have an eaves formwork notch. We then automatically generate the appropriate and corresponding processing in hip or valley rafters for you. In doing so, we use the tried-and-tested formwork layout processes optimized for the machine. With this user-friendly and intuitive extension, the machining operations required for the canopy formwork can now be created quickly and efficiently in hip and valley rafters. Adopting is easier than re-entering!

The creation of cut-outs and openings plays a major role for panel-shaped components, regardless of whether they are cross-laminated timber or perhaps even steel components. The 'Cut-out' function known from the 'Wall' and 'Floor' model areas has been specially extended for use in free construction and is now also available there. As usual, this function can be used to create polygonal cut-outs in slabs. In any view, you have an overview of complex situations and can intuitively edit components from different model areas in one go using familiar tools.

With the new "Lifting systems for ceiling panels" combination element, prefabricated ceiling panels can now be optimally prepared for lifting and moving in production and during assembly. Common lifting situations are covered quickly and intuitively with the "ceiling panels - 4 lifting points" variant. For special shapes or complex geometries with stair openings, elevator or supply shafts, a flexible variant is available for individual positioning of the lifting points. In addition to the selection of common load handling attachments, a wide range of options are provided for generating the required machining operations and for visualization.

Combining walls and wall elements into so-called multi-walls enables optimized utilization of the wall stations and production facilities. This resulted in the requirement to be able to align the division of wall elements not only to the structural situation, but also to the production as a multi-wall. In particular, whole panels should preferably be used if they are not pre-cut. This requirement is covered in a clear and tangible way, as the situation of the multi-wall can now be shown in the normal wall construction. Structural and production-related aspects can be easily and reliably coordinated.

The numbering of elements is a central means of organizing serial production, regardless of the size of the production. The element numbering system now offers types tailored to requirements:

• The previously available type of unique element numbers automatically ensures that no element number is duplicated. The sequence can simply be assigned. This is the tried and tested form for small to medium-sized projects and where there are few identical elements.
• Elements with sortable element numbers are checked for equality. Identical elements are therefore assigned the same element number. For projects with several identical elements, this can reduce the amount of documentation required and optimize processes. A further optimization of serial prefabrication, especially for larger projects.
• If files have already been created or if the element numbers may no longer be changed for other organizational reasons, fixed element numbers can be assigned. The element number is then no longer changed by the program.

The highest expansion stage of serial production is modular construction; the advantageous prefabrication here extends to the fully equipped bathroom. Dietrich's has developed the technique of "modules and inserts" in order to be able to depict these structures in the planning and construction phase and utilize their advantages. The method of modules and inserts is not only ideal for modular construction, but also for all other stages of serial production: Modules are also, for example, façade elements or recurring elaborate timber construction nodes.

The module is a unit that has all the possibilities of a complete building and is positioned in the main building via inserts.

• Processing in a separate module structure ensures optimum clarity and performance right through to detailed processing.
• The Building module offers all documentation options, including any basic views, elevations and sections.
• The modular structure is inserted into the main building and can be checked and edited in its surrounding construction.
• The technique is particularly effective if several inserts of the same module can be used. Adjustments are only made in one place and are distributed across the inserts in the multiple final positions.
• Working with the inserts is supported by temporary working levels and clip boxes, with which you can easily scroll through the various inserts of a module in detail. This makes it easy to check whether the position and connection of the module fit in all its inserts.
• The technique of transferring machining operations (type 4) also has particular strengths here, as necessary machining operations can be generated automatically and reliably in the vicinity of each insertion.

The structures of the modules and inserts are taken into account right through to the results.

• Cross-module sorting ensures that components with the same sequence number are also identical across the modules.
• Cross-module sorting of the elements ensures that elements with the same number are also the same across the modules. For example, you can see that although 10 different modules have to be used, they only have a total of 2 different ceiling elements.