Autodesk Fabrication ESTmep 2020

System Requirements
Operating System	64-bit Microsoft® Windows® 11 or Windows 10. See Autodesk’s Product Support Lifecycle for support information.
CPU Type	Basic: 2.5–2.9 GHz processor Recommended: 3+ GHz processor
Memory	4 GB RAM or greater (2 GB RAM or greater for Autodesk Fabrication Tracker)
Graphics	1,280 x 1,024 (1,600 x 1,050 or higher recommended) true color video display adapter with OpenGL-capable graphics card
Disk Space	2 GB of free hard drive space for installation and data storage
Pointing Device	Microsoft-compatible keyboard and mouse
Media (DVD)	Download only
.NET Framework	.NET Framework Version 4.8

Develop fabrication-level detail with Autodesk Fabrication 

Fabrication ESTmep™, Fabrication CADmep™, and Fabrication CAMduct™ software help you extend your BIM workflows to estimate, detail, and fabricate better MEP building systems.

Common features for Autodesk Fabrication products

BIM and CAD integration

Autodesk Fabrication products provide a shared set of tools for optimizing CAD and BIM data to create detailed manufacturing content, run effective cost estimates and analysis, and design LOD 400 MEP parts, components, and systems. 

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Shared content libraries and databases

Use a common library of component, material, and part data in ESTmep, CADmep, and CAMduct to quickly generate accurate, detailed, and constructible fabrication designs. 

Autodesk Fabrication ESTmep 2020

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Accurate and detailed reporting

Use reports to generate tabular schedules and summaries of project details, including specification, material, and cost data, to document all aspects of a design to manufacturing workflow. 

Autodesk Fabrication ESTmep 2020

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This section describes how to create material and gauge information for parts (items) that are used in the Autodesk Fabrication products.

Autodesk Fabrication ESTmep 2020

About Materials

In the Autodesk Fabrication products, information about the material that fabrication parts are made of is stored in the Material database. The Material database is actually organized into 2 main categories of materials: Main materials and Insulation materials. The Main and Insulation tabs at the top of the Database dialog allow you to switch between the two. Both material types work and are configured in the same way in the Autodesk Fabrication products. Having material information organized this way allows you to separate manufacturing (main) materials from insulation materials.

Autodesk Fabrication ESTmep 2020

About Gauges

For parts that are modeled by the Autodesk Fabrication products, each material is typically available in a variety of gauges, or thicknesses (sheet thickness). The gauges associated with a material are specified through the Material database. Each gauge can also be assigned a cost per weight, and a default sheet size on its creation. Other properties, like density and roughness, can also be applied to provide even more details about the fabrication part. For example, specifying a density for a material, along with the gauge, allows the weight of a part to be calculated. Specifying a roughness property for a material allows pressure drops to be calculated.

Autodesk Fabrication ESTmep 2020

In the Autodesk Fabrication products, all of the gauges currently assigned to the active material are displayed in a drop-down list. Gauges are sorted according to their thickness. Use the scroll bar if necessary to display all of the gauges. Right-click on the gauge and select Delete to delete a gauge from the material.

For pipework, the OD (outside dimension) is specified in the Material table.

Autodesk Fabrication ESTmep 2020

Click on the 

 icon at the top of the gauge column to add a new Gauge or double-click on an existing line to amend the data.

Each gauge can have one or several sheet sizes (Length, Width and Product Code) assigned. Sheet sizes determine at which point the oversize check is applied.

Autodesk Fabrication ESTmep 2020

Clicking the 

 will delete that sheet size. For multiple sheet sizes at the same gauge, the sheet size to be used as the default by automatic nesting should be assigned the   . Product Codes can be applied to the materials for use in reporting and costing. Sheet sizes are also split into Flatbed sheets and Rotary which was introduced for Rotary Nesting.

Autodesk Fabrication ESTmep 2020

Standard Wire Gauge (SWG)

Standard Wire Gauge (SWG) is a method of defining sheet thickness that is often used by the ductwork and sheet metal industries who work with thin plate. The wire gauge can be displayed instead of thickness on various screens and printouts.

SWG	Inches	mm
01	0.300	7.620
10	0.128	3.251
12	0.104	2.642
14	0.080	2.032
16	0.064	1.626
18	0.048	1.219
20	0.036	0.914
22	0.028	0.711
24	0.022	0.559
26	0.018	0.457

The material and gauge of an item is specified on the Item tab during Takeoff.

Autodesk Fabrication ESTmep 2020

When the nominal diameter is specified as 0.5 inches, as shown in the example below, the outside diameter (Diameter) value is assigned from the material and gauge setting. This is illustrated below, in the Pipework tab at the bottom of the Edit Gauge ASTM 888 dialog.

Autodesk Fabrication ESTmep 2020

This section describes how to create and configure services for fabrication parts.

Autodesk Fabrication ESTmep 2020

In the Autodesk Fabrication products, a service is typically a group of fabrication items that share a common function, and can share common properties, such as flow direction and button codes.

Autodesk Fabrication ESTmep 2020

For example, some typical services for pipework are:

• ADSK  Plumbing (Domestic)  Cold Water
• ADSK  Plumbing (Domestic)  Hot Water Flow
• ADSK  Plumbing (Domestic)  Hot Water Return

Some typical services for ductwork are:

• ADSK  HVAC  Return Air
• ADSK  HVAC  Supply Air

Configuring Database Settings for Services

Autodesk Fabrication ESTmep 2020

For more information about configuring the variety of Database Settings that are available for Services, see the Database Settings 

 Takeoff   Services section of the Fabrication Help.

The steps below use an OEM mechanical fitting service as an example.

Autodesk Fabrication ESTmep 2020

To create a service:

1. Click Database  Takeoff  Services.
2. Click the New button.
3. On the New Service dialog prompt for Create a Copy of Service <service name>?, click No to create a new blank service.Note: Click Yes to make a copy of the current service. Click No to create a blank new service.
4. On the Edit Service Template dialog, enter a name for this service in the Service Name field.For example, this example uses:
   • Service Name: TS-OEM – Mechanical – Merit – Threaded-Red Brass-Standard
5. For Group, select from an existing group in the drop-down list, or enter the name for a new group to create.For example, this example uses:
   • Group: z – Transport Service
6. Click the New Template button next to the Use Service Template field, and enter a new template name.For example, this example uses:
   • Use Service Template: OEM – Mechanical – Merit – Threaded-Red Brass-StandardNote: The Use service template can be assigned an existing one from the drop down list.
7. In the Item Folders tab displaying on the left side of the Edit Service Template dialog, expand the Imperial collection and browse to the following folder:Imperial  Mechanical  Systems  Merit  Red Brass  Fittings  Standard  Threaded.
8. Drag the Threaded folder in to the right (blank) pane, and notice that all items inside this folder are added into the service template.Note: You can also drag just the required items to the right area individually. By clicking the Other Templates tab in the left pane, you can also select the items in other templates.In the right pane, the items can be re-arranged (moved) by dragging and dropping. To move an item to a new location (re-order), place the cursor between two item buttons.
9. To add a new named tab to organize the items, right-click in the blank area of the template (right pane) and click New Tab.
10. Type in a name for the new tab (for example, Fittings) and then click OK. The new tab displays at the top of the right pane.
11. To assign button codes, right-click on an item in the right pane and select Button Properties.
12. On the Button Properties dialog, specify a Description and Button Code for this item button, and then click OK.
13. Autodesk Fabrication ESTmep 2020
14. Repeat these steps to specify button codes for all other item buttons.
15. Specify the domain for this service by selecting Pipework in the Support Library drop-down list.
16. Click OK on the Edit Service Template dialog. This saves changes and closes the dialog.

The new service is now created.

Once you have created a new service to be used by Autodesk Fabrication products, the next step is to configure a variety of options on that new service. The steps below describe how to configure these options on the new service.

Autodesk Fabrication ESTmep 2020

To configure a new service:

Autodesk Fabrication ESTmep 2020

1. Display the new service to configure by clicking Database  Takeoff  Services, and selecting the desired service in the Service pull-down field.
2. Specify the following options:
   • Default Shape: This is typically set to Round for a pipework service. This default shape setting is needed for using Design Line.
   • Flow Direction: This is typically set to Not Set for mechanical systems, and to Extract for drainage systems.
3. On the Service Types tab, click New Entry.The Define Service Entry dialog displays. This specifies the service type and layer information.
4. Click the Button Mappings tab.This tab lets you specify the Button Code and Alternate Code, which defines the content layout when drawing a Design Line.
5. Click New Entry.The Define Button Mapping dialog displays.
6. On the Define Button Mapping dialog, select a Button Code from the drop-down list (for example, select OpenEnd).
7. Place the cursor inside the Can be Made By Using Alternates pane to display the list of alternate codes that can be selected.
8. Select an appropriate alternate code (for example, select CapEnd), and then click OK.
9. Repeat these steps to add all the button code and alternate code needed in the Button Mappings tab.Below are examples of button mappings of mechanical and drainage systems.Mechanical System Button MappingsDrainage System Button Mappings
10. Click the Constraints tab.The sizes of all items in this service will be added here. The constraints will define the size and color of Design Lines.
11. Click New Entry, and on the Define Constraint dialog, specify the following:
    • Name: Enter a name for this constraint. The name is typically the size of item.
    • Line Thickness: Specify a thickness of the Design Line. Usually the size of the thickness is half of the diameter size.
    • Colour: Specify the colour of the Design Line.
    • Shape: Specify the shape used to draw this item when using Design Line. For pipework, this is typically set to Round.
12. On the Define Constraint dialog, click the New (Add Restriction) button.
13. For the Type of Restriction to Add, select Diameter (inch), then click OK.
14. Specify appropriate values for Preferred, Min and Max, then click OK.These values must be appropriate for the diameter of the item.
15. Click OK and notice that one size has been added to the Constraints tab.
16. Repeat the previous steps to add all the necessary sizes to the Constraints tab, then click OK.
17. Click the Design Entry tab, and click the Design Annotation Settings button to display the Design Annotation Settings dialog.This dialog lets you specify a variety of annotation display settings for Design Line.
18. Autodesk Fabrication ESTmep 2020
19. Make sure the Lines tab is selected.
20. In the Display column, set each Line Attribute to Hide or Show as appropriate, and then click OK.For example, attributes that are set to Hide are not displayed when this service is drawn using Design Line.
21. Click the Nodes tab and configure the Line Attributes as appropriate. Click OK to close the Design Annotation Settings dialog.