Design Technology Team Supports Project Teams with Ideate Software Tools
Spotlight on CBT Architects
CBT Architects is a leading design firm headquartered in Boston, MA. Established in 1967, it now has 200 professionals that create tomorrow’s landmarks through a broad range of local, national and international projects in architecture, interior design and urban design. In 2018, for the third year in a row, ARCHITECT Magazine named CBT to its list of top 50 Design Firms for Business, Design, and Sustainability. CBT and Ideate Software Applications
Nirva Fereshetian, CBT’s Chief Information Officer and Associate Principal said, “Revit software is one of our Design Technology Team’s primary tools, and we use add-ons, including those from Ideate Software, to make Revit processes more efficient.”
For three years, the CBT Design Technology Team has been using Ideate Software applications to help project teams validate their project data and resolve individual model issues, and they proactively support all projects by incorporating the applications into model management processes.
Fixing Visibility Issues with Ideate XRay
Rood Vincent, from the Design Technology Team, said, “We get a lot of calls from Revit users who place an object into a view in Revit and then can’t find it anywhere. With Ideate XRay, the solution is fast and simple.”
“We select the ID number from the Revit Warning Dialog and then Ideate XRay quickly goes through more than 50 potential causes and identifies the problem. We fix the problem within minutes, and the team is able to get back to designing.”
Ideate XRay is part of IdeateApps.
Ensuring Accuracy with Ideate BIMLink
In an example of how CBT uses Ideate BIMLink, the Design Technology Team’s Lynn Quagliato talked about a hotel project that included six buildings, 700 guest rooms, and furniture counts for all the rooms. “Getting the furniture data through Revit wasn’t ideal, because the software can’t show it all. It was easy with Ideate BIMLink.”
In Revit, CBT set of the model with groups to populate the furniture. Then they used Ideate BIMLink to extract the furniture data along with the parameters, such as model group, room type and building number into an Excel spreadsheet. “There were more than 35,000 rows on that spreadsheet, and it only took two minutes to export,” said Lynn. The team then used Excel tools to:
- Filter the furniture
- Double check the counts
- See where the numbers were off
- Correct the data
“After updating the spreadsheet, we easily pushed the data back into Revit, and within two minutes, the model was accurate.”
Keeping Models Stable with Ideate Explorer
“Ideate Explorer give us deeper insight into Revit model elements and allows for enhanced selection options,” said William Paquette, CBT Design Technology Team. “This significantly aids in model management, allowing us to quickly identify where issues may be and areas that can be cleaned up.”
Some of the ways CBT uses Ideate Explorer to find and fix problems that could impact model size, sync time and performance include identifying and deleting views that aren’t on sheets, finding and removing CAD files inadvertently imported into Revit, updating standards on older models, cleaning up Revit warnings, and aligning worksets after binding a model.
Getting the Most out of Ideate Software Tools
“We appreciate Ideate Software’s tools as well as its support,” said Nirva. “They help us ensure our people get the most of out their software by providing training, how-to videos, and help files that our Design Technology Team can dig into, and then showcase highlights to our designers using one of our real projects.”
CBT Architects also use Ideate Sticky to link Excel files into Revit.
What is a Named User license?
A Named User license is assigned to one specific person rather than shared across a network. For a step-by-step walkthrough, see the License Wizard section of the Graitec Licensing Help Center.
Are Ideate Suites replacing Ideate Software Bundles?
Yes. Going forward, Ideate Suites replace Ideate Software Bundles.
What's the difference between the Ideate Software Bundle and the Ideate Suite?
Both include the same five tools: IdeateApps, Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, Ideate Sticky and Ideate StyleManager. What changes is how many people can use them at the same time.
- Bundle: Each tool is licensed separately, so different people can work in different tools at once. For example, with one Bundle, five people could each use a different tool at the same time.
- Suite: One license covers all five tools for one person at a time. That person can move freely between every tool. While they're using the Suite, it isn't available to anyone else on that license until they finish.
A Named User Suite is assigned to one specific person. A Cloud Floating Suite can be shared across your team, one person at a time.
Will my team need more licenses?
If several people on your team use different Ideate tools at the same time, you may need more than one Suite license. Contact us and we'll review your team's usage and help you choose the right setup.
Can I still buy an Ideate Software Bundle?
No. Bundles are no longer available for purchase. New purchases are offered as follows:
- Ideate Suite: Named User or Cloud Floating
- Enterprise Suite: Cloud Floating
- Active Host: Cloud Floating
- Automation: Cloud Floating
- Individual products: Named User or Cloud Floating (IdeateApps, Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, Ideate Sticky, and Ideate StyleManager)
Can I still buy IdeateApps, BIMLink, Explorer, Sticky, or StyleManager individually?
Yes. Individual products are available as Named User or Cloud Floating licenses.
Will floating (network) licenses still be available?
Yes. Cloud Floating licenses are available for Ideate Suite, Enterprise Suite, Active Host, individual products, and Automation.
My organization has strict security requirements or no internet access. Can I still get a FlexLM license?
Yes. FlexLM remains available for organizations with security requirements, such as environments without internet access. FlexLM is not available through the online store, so please contact your account manager to purchase.
I'm an existing customer. What happens to my current license/s?
Your existing Ideate Software subscription is moving to our new licensing system at no cost. Your license quantities and expiration dates stay the same.
- Standalone licenses become Named User licenses. Set up your Named Users in the Graitec Advantage Portal.
- Cloud Floating (network) licenses become Cloud Floating Suite licenses. Deploy the latest release as you have in the past, using the new license code in your migration email.
- Each Ideate Software Bundle becomes an Ideate Suite.
To keep using Ideate, update to the latest release and activate your new license by March 31, 2027. Older Ideate licenses will stop working in Q2 2027.
Using Ideate with Revit 2022 or earlier? Contact ideatesupport@graitec.com to review your options. For account questions, contact sales@ideatesoftware.com.
I have a Bundle today. What will I receive when I move to the new licensing?
Conversions are one for one. Each Ideate Software Bundle becomes one Ideate Suite, and each network Bundle becomes one Cloud Floating Suite. Your license quantities and expiration dates stay the same.
I have several products that renew on different dates. How will that be handled?
We're finalizing how to handle accounts with multiple renewal dates. Contact sales@ideatesoftware.com and we'll review your account with you.
Where do I manage my licenses?
In the Graitec Advantage Portal. Based on customer requests, starting with the latest Ideate release, license management and license usage information are handled in Graitec Advantage, outside of Revit. We recommend bookmarking the portal.
- Named User licenses: Assign licenses to people on your team in Graitec Advantage.
- Cloud Floating Suite licenses: Deploy the latest release with your new license code as you have in the past, then manage licenses in Graitec Advantage.
Watch the Graitec Advantage walkthrough
Can I transfer a Named User license to another person?
Yes. There's no limit on the total number of transfers, but each license can be transferred up to two times within a 30-day period.
How are licenses issued?
Each product on your order is issued as its own license once your order is processed. To try a product before buying, contact us to request an evaluation license.
Still have a question?
Explore recent posts
