Status: In development. This page describes the goal and approach; it will be updated as work is verified.
Engineering context
Building structures are typically modelled several times: once in Revit for coordination and documentation, again in ETABS for superstructure analysis, and again in SAFE for slabs and foundations. Each re-modelling step repeats work and creates room for mismatches in geometry, sections and loads.
Challenge
Keep the three models consistent without manual re-entry, while making every transfer visible to the engineer — not a black box that silently changes a model.
Workflow
- Read grids, levels and structural elements from the Revit model as structured data.
- Create or update the ETABS model through its API, with sections, load patterns and combinations defined explicitly.
- Extract support reactions and carry them into a SAFE model for foundation analysis.
- Produce a transfer summary at each hand-off for the engineer to review before continuing.
Automation created
Scripts and tool interfaces for each software step are being developed and tested on controlled models. They will be described here in detail once they are stable.
Tools used
- Revit
- ETABS
- SAFE
- Python
Outcome
Not yet published. Results, screenshots and comparisons against manually built models will be added once they have been checked.
Limitations and scope
This is an engineering workflow aid, not a design tool. It does not choose structural systems, check code compliance on its own, or replace review by a qualified engineer. Each model remains the engineer’s responsibility.