How to Use AutoCAD Plugins for Better Space Management

by James McDonald on July 12, 2018
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We all know how important it is to have space management data that’s accurate and up to date‚—and tools like AutoCAD can help with that. 

When you’re sharing floor plans and data between different software systems, you need to make sure any changes made within one system will be reflected in the other. You need a bridge between the two. Luckily, iOFFICE has already built those bridges with our custom-built CAD plugins. Our proprietary plugins for AutoCAD and Revit are both free and easy to use.

Here’s a closer look at how these two CAD plugins work.

Softspace For AutoCAD Plugin

Our Softspace for AutoCAD plugin allows you to view, load and modify AutoCAD drawings to the iOFFICE IWMS more efficiently. The plugin is free, but you need to have the full version of AutoCAD to use it.

As this video shows, there are two ways you can use the AutoCAD plugin:


 

1. To Make a Change to an iOFFICE Floor Plan In AutoCAD

With the Softspace for AutoCAD plugin, you can use AutoCAD to easily edit a floorplan that’s stored in our space management software. Locate the building and floor, and open the drawing in AutoCAD. Once you’ve made the change (such as removing cubes) you can select “analyze” to check for any duplicate room numbers. You can also correct them by updating the room ID of the duplicate rooms and re-analyzing the data.

Now, you can turn off all the layers and upload the updated drawing from iOFFICE to Softspace.

Select your iOFFICE site, building and floor plan that’s being updated. A typical drawing takes up to 15 seconds to load to our IWMS. Once it’s loaded, you can click “view in iOFFICE” to view and verify the updated drawing. Space administrators can also view “orphan users” who lost their assigned space when someone changed the floorplan. (This is particularly helpful if you’ve just reconfigured space during a renovation project.)

Just go to the Admin tab and select “space → space administrator→ building→floor and load drawing.”

Click the tab for orphan users. You can then add them to an available space.

2. Export a Drawing From AutoCAD and Upload to iOFFICE

While it’s best to make all changes directly in AutoCAD to avoid having multiple versions, the AutoCAD plugin makes it possible to export drawings and upload them to our IWMS.

First, export a drawing from AutoCAD. Take the .drawing file and load it into iOFFICE via “load drawing” and select the file you just exported.

Once the drawing has been loaded, you can search for orphan users and view the updated drawing in iOFFICE.

Softspace for Revit Plugin

The Softspace for Revit plugin is similar to our plugin for AutoCAD, allowing you to easily send Revit drawings directly to iOFFICE and open drawings there.

The plugin has several intuitive features, including the ability to:

  • Easily add rooms with the Autofill button
  • Transfer room type information to a floor with minimal effort
  • Choose the units used to measure areas in the drawing, such as feet, inches or meters

The latest version of the Softspace for Revit plugin simplifies the process of transferring and updating drawings, making space management more efficient.

Space Management Made Easy

While you certainly don’t have to use CAD software to use our IWMS—our team has expertise in both AutoCAD and Revit—our CAD plugins will help you save time and money if you find yourself updating floor plans frequently.

Outsourcing these updates can take several weeks and usually requires some back-and-forth exchanges, as well as drafting fees.

If your organization already uses CAD software, you can make these changes yourself within minutes and ensure all updates are reflected in your space management software.

For more space management tips, check out our knowledge center.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James McDonald

James McDonald is a sports enthusiast, brother in Christ and once swam in a tank with the infamous TV sharks.

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