27 Jan 2025

New Year Updates to Data Exchange Connectors

Data Exchange Connector Updates

Happy new year to all the Data Exchange enthusiasts! As we move forward into 2025, we are happy to share the latest updates in the Data Exchange connector ecosystem. Here are the key improvements and releases that are ready for you to try out today.

 

New Positioning Feature

Now you have options to align your loaded data exchanges, and maintain this on update

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We're excited to announce a significant enhancement to our Data Exchange Connectors that addresses a common challenge faced by our users. Previously, when importing an exchange, there was no option to specify the origin location for the imported elements. This often led to difficulties in manually aligning entities, especially for larger exchanges, and any manual adjustments would be lost with version updates.

With our latest update, we have introduced an "Origin Location Input Field" that allows users to specify the origin location during the import process. This can be done by specifying coordinates or a reference point, ensuring precise alignments. The system automatically aligns the entities based on the specified origin location, saving time and effort.

Most importantly, these alignment settings persist across version updates, so you won't lose your adjustments when importing new versions of the exchange.

This new feature streamlines your workflow, enhances precision, and ensures consistency across updates. You can try it out in the new versions of the Inventor, Tekla, and Rhino connectors. This feature will be coming to the Revit connector soon!

 

Inventor Connector

Now you can create an exchange from the part environment and set the orientation

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Inventor connector now supports creating exchanges from the Assembly and Part environments, so these parts and their properties can be used as independent components downstream in other applications supported by Data Exchange.

You can also set the axis orientation (“Y-up” or “Z-up”) while creating exchanges so that you can align Geometry while loading exchanges into apps with different axis orientation like Solidworks and Revit.

 

Tekla Connector

Improvements to the Tekla to Revit workflow

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The Tekla connector now provides an option to include bolts and welds when exporting a Data Exchange from Tekla. This enables you to send more detailed structural models from Tekla which can be used for more accurate coordination and drawing creation.

For concrete elements, you can now create an exchange with all objects containing reinforcements while skipping the reinforcement bars, so that you can generate exchanges for concrete elements. We do not yet support exchanging rebar elements from Tekla.

We have also implemented mapping of Beams and Columns groups from Tekla to Structural Categories in Revit, so you can leverage core Revit functionalities like view filtering and schedule creation using this categorization.

We have also provided an interface to filter on object types and parameters while creating an exchange which gives you even more control in defining the subset you want to share with others.

 

Rhino Connector

Support filtering through nested layers and Improved stability

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With the recent release of the Rhino Connector, you can now filter elements inside nested layers within your Rhino model. This enhancement addresses a key limitation highlighted by our users.
The latest release also brings improved stability performance, enabling the connector to handle large Brep and Mesh geometries more efficiently.

Coming Soon

We hope you’ll explore all of these latest enhancements, and we're excited to give you a sneak peek at what’s coming next in the Data Exchange ecosystem:

  • Navisworks: Soon, you will be able to create a Data Exchange from Navisworks to use in other DX Connectors, compatible with Navisworks versions 2024 and 2025.
  • Dynamo: We're improving performance and extending functionality for creating and reading Data Exchanges with Dynamo. This includes enhanced capabilities for selectively retrieving data from Data Exchange and the AEC Data Model via the Autodesk GraphQL APIs. Additionally, there will be support for Revit/Dynamo 2025.
  • Convert IFC files to Data Exchanges: We are launching a public beta soon, allowing you to take subsets of your IFC files and convert them into Data Exchanges for use in Revit, Power BI, and other connectors.
  • Automate Exchange Creation: We recently announced the ability to automate exchange creation, reducing the tedium of day-to-day project delivery tasks. Read more in our blog

Try the Data Exchange Connector today! 

Join our early access program for the Data Exchange Connector through the Autodesk App Store. You will need access to Autodesk Docs, as exchanges are stored and managed through that hosting provider today.  

For more information, visit our Data Exchange site, public roadmap, and community forum. Stay tuned for future updates, new connectors, and expanded features

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