A couple of years ago, we released a simple online application that was free to use and served as a complement to IDEA StatiCa Connection. In a short while, it was evident that this was something that our users had missed. 

IDEA StatiCa Viewer enables sharing your Connection projects with others. Especially the detailers and engineers of record who do not need a license and still can see the full model of the connection with all the topology details such as cross-sections, loads, materials, plates, bolts, and welds may benefit from this free tool. The 3D model helps detailers read the drawings and the engineers of record can view the connection they check based on the report. 

Next, Viewer can be used to download the DWG or IFC files created from the project. The share function creates a unique URL that can be sent to anyone - the recipients can directly open the shared project as well as download the Connection file (ideacon).

IDEA StatiCa Viewer

The Viewer is located in the cloud and can be opened from https://viewer.ideastatica.com/ or from the starting screen of IDEA StatiCa desktop application. Open any connection project (.ideacon file) either from the icon or use the drag&drop feature. You can also open a sample project to see what's inside.

* Uploaded projects may be (after anonymization) included in the Connection Library - the largest database of connection designs. To avoid this, use the Exclude this connection from the product analysis checkbox.

Check out the terms and conditions for using IDE StatiCa Viewer.

The model is instantly displayed, and you can see the project with the list of items in the tree (Members, Load Effects, Plates, Welds, Bolt Grids). 

Read the details

To display the details and use all other features, you have to log in to your IDEA StatiCa account with the same credentials you use for our applications or into the User Portal. You can also create a free account without any license.

Now, you can use the full potential of the application. The details about the members, loads and manufacturing operations can be displayed in the three on the right - find the item there or simply select it in the 3D scene. For each item, you can open the table with the basic parameters such as material, cross-section, plate thickness, weld throat thickness, and bolt assembly type. For plates, 2D sketches with dimensions are displayed. 

You can read more about the Viewer's function in The UI of the IDEA StatiCa Viewer tool article.

The project details (name, author, date, and description) can be found at the top of the scene. 

If the file contains more project items, they are listed in the top ribbon. The ribbon also contains the buttons to open a New project, download the 3D DWG file, and export the IDEA StatiCa (ideacon) of IFC files. 

Share your project

The button to Share the design will generate a unique URL address and copy it into the clipboard. Now, you can paste the address and share the details with others.

More designs in Connection Library

The last option is to open the Connection Library - the free cloud application that provides you with 700,000+ ideas for your connection designs. 

Where else can we use Viewer

To understand the full potential of the Viewer, the following scheme should give you a better overview. Viewer communicates with the Checkbot to take your connections from CAD or FEA global models - for more details, read below.

In the Sample Projects gallery, each connection can be downloaded or opened directly in IDEA StatiCa Viewer.

The online Viewer was also presented in one episode of the Connection Wednesdays – Meet our cloud solutions. See part of the recording to find out what features can be useful for your practice.

Integrate Viewer into your CAD application

The next step was to employ Viewer in the CAD applications directly to make the BIM link available to a broader spectrum of professions. You can export your detailed connection to Viewer, and from there, an IDEA StatiCa file can be downloaded. This comes in handy to many detailers who do not need to buy a license, and still, they can effectively create an IDEA StatiCa Connection file and send it to an engineer who would take care of the load, analysis, and code check.

You can easily install the Checkbot application for Autodesk Revit, Advance Steel, or Tekla Structures as a part of the IDEA StatiCa install file. After a simple installation, the plugin integrates into your CAD application, and you can start using it. Checkbot can be downloaded and used also FOR FREE no matter if you have or do not have an IDEA StatiCa license (again, only the basic account is necessary). Try the smooth export from Tekla/Revit/Advance Steel to IDEA StatiCa Connection now for yourself.

* The release of the Viewer CAD plugins (for Revit, Advance Steel, and Tekla) has been discontinued in IDEA StatiCa 24.0. Now, you can use the free version of IDEA StatiCa Checkbot in the CAD workflow.

You can also find our Checkbot in the Tekla Warehouse and the Autodesk App Store.

We help engineers and detailers cooperate

Steel projects are getting more complex and connection design is becoming an even bigger pain, especially when it comes to checking various steel connections according to the valid code. The design process is pushed to maximum effectivity and short time spurts, which requires many engineers or detailers involved. How to deal with the data exchange effectively?

Watch the Streamlining connection design workflows between detailers and engineers webinar recording presented under the Advance Steel Academy 2020. The webinar will show you what a modern BIM communication exchange between a steel connection designer and detailer can look like.