This article describes the steps and settings that impact publishing CAMduct/ESTmep job files to STRATUS and importing specific data back into the CAMduct/ESTmep job. The STRATUS Addin is required to publish and import.

Note: The CAMduct/ESTmep Addin is a premium feature. To enable it for your company, request access through your GTP Sales Team.

CAMduct/ESTmep Publish and Import (General Steps)

The CAMduct/ESTmep Addin can be used to publish CAMduct/ESTmep models or packages.

Publish a MAJ Model

Before publishing, your STRATUS administrator can configure publish settings.
Desktop installer includes STRATUS Addin for CAMduct and ESTmep in each version 2021-2024.
Open CAMduct or ESTmep.
Select Fabrication Database Configuration.
1. Note: Make sure the latest Fabrication database has been uploaded to Lightning (required for publishing as a package).
Under Actions, select Create Blank Job or Open Job (If MAJ file already exists).
1. Note: Users can open Fabrication REJ (Remote Entry Job) files and publish using CAMduct.
When opening each application, the GTP STRATUS palette ribbon menu Add-Ins will display as follows:
1. CAMduct
2. ESTmep (Has two locations: In the top dropdown Add-Ins, and underneath Add-Ins ribbon.
  1. Dropdown.
  2. Ribbon.
Once parts are added to MAJ and Job is saved with filename to be used as model or package name.
Click STRATUS Publish on the Add-Ins.
Login to STRATUS and Autodesk.
1. STRATUS Login - If a user attempts to publish but is not signed in to STRATUS, the following prompt will display. The user will enter their credentials.
  1. If the model was previously published but has been deleted in STRATUS, the following prompt "Model Not Found in STRATUS" will display.
    1. Publish as New Model - Click Publish as New Model to proceed.
    2. Cancel Publish - Click Cancel Publish to stop the publish or to review the model.
The Publish dialog will display:
1. User - The user who is publishing the model.
2. Model - The Model name (the MAJ filename).
3. Company - Select a Company from a list of the logged-in user permitted Companies.
  1. Note: If CAM/EST publishing has not been enabled for the company, a message will appear and prevent publishing.
4. Project - Select a Project from a list of the logged-in user permitted Projects.
  1. Note: See the Configure BIM 360 Publish Folder Path section for more information on configuring the project's BIM 360 Publish Folder Path.
Click the Publish button and the following will occur:
1. Publish Activity.
2. Locked Model - For anyone working within STRATUS on a project based on the model being published, the Parts and Assemblies will be locked and view only.
  1. Below is a summary of features that are "Locked" and "Not Locked".
    1. Locked Options
      1. Create New Assembly.
      2. Add/Remove Parts To/From and Assembly.
      3. Edit/Rename Assembly.
    2. Not Locked Options
      1. Packages – Parts and Assemblies can be added to or removed from a Package.
      2. Tracking Status – The Tracking Status of any item (Part, Assembly, Package) can be changed.
      3. Cut Lists – Cut lists can be created and processed.
      4. Reports – Reports can be used and edited.
      5. Categories – Categories can be used and edited.
      6. Filters – Filters can be used and edited.
      7. Part Templates – Part Templates can be edited.
      8. Attachments – Attachments can be used and edited.
  2. When a model is being published and the model is “Locked”, users will notice the following:
    1. The Models > Viewer canvas is highlighted in red and the lock icon displays next to the model name.
    2. The Assemblies > Viewer canvas is highlighted in red and the lock icon displays next to the model name.
    3. In the Models > Viewer, the Create Assembly and Add/Remove Parts To/From and Assembly buttons are disabled.
    4. The Assemblies > Dashboard buttons to Edit or Delete an assembly item are disabled.
3. BIM 360 - The model will be published to your BIM 360 project as a DWG file. Although this is just a placeholder empty DWG required by STRATUS. In BIM 360 the published model file is automatically organized under Project Files > Model Name > STRATUS > with the authoring tool abbreviation DWG.
4. Republish is not allowed - While a model is being published, a second publish of the same model cannot be started. A message similar to the following will display:
  If you believe you’ve reached this message in error, please contact GTP Software Help Desk for support.
Close button enabled - When the STRATUS Addin completes the publishing process, the Close button is enabled and the elapsed time displays.
1. Close indicates that the model and related data files have been uploaded to STRATUS and the BIM 360 folder.
2. The model cannot be viewed in STRATUS until the Autodesk translation completes.
3. If an existing version of the model or drawing exists, the STRATUS publish will overwrite the file with a new version of the file. STRATUS always references the most recently published version of any file it displays, assuming it was published using STRATUS. You can access older versions as needed.
4. Fabrication Extended Data will be extracted. See below for a list of Fabrication Extended Data.
Forge Translation - Behind the scenes, Autodesk will translate the file so that it can be viewed in the Autodesk Forge viewer (which is embedded in STRATUS). The Models > Viewer page will display a message similar to the following until the Autodesk translation is complete. This step can take a few minutes to several hours depending on the size of the model.
Multiple Publishes - A model with the same name can be published multiple times to STRATUS. STRATUS operates on the most recent revision. Packages will be retained, as they reference unique CAD IDs that remain constant from one publish to the next.
Initial Tracking Status - After the initial publish to STRATUS, the initial tracking status of all parts in the model will be set to Design or the #1 tracking status configured under Admin > Company > Tracking Statuses. Subsequent publishes will retain the STRATUS tracking status.
Model Publish Notification - After a model is published, the person who published the model will receive an automated email notification similar to the following that indicates the publish completed or failed.
Republish Model - After a model is published, if the Publish is clicked, STRATUS will determine if data needs to be imported. If so, the import will begin automatically. If there are import conflicts based on company or project settings (see the Settings (Admin) article for more information), the user will receive prompts to resolve issues. Once data is imported the publish process will continue. An import is required when a model in STRATUS has new assemblies or packages, or parts have been moved from one assembly or package to another, or when a tracking status has changed. For CAMduct and ESTmep, it is assumed STRATUS is Always Right when it comes to import data.

Publish a MAJ Package

Before publishing, your STRATUS administrator must configure publish settings.
To enable publishing MAJ file packages:
1. Publish a placeholder model - Publish a placeholder model to STRATUS using AutoCAD or Revit prior to publishing MAJ files as packages to a specific Project.
2. Publish Packages - Once the placeholder model is published, under Models > Dashboard, select the Project and then check the Publish Packages checkbox associated with the placeholder model (above).
3. Tooltip: Use Model only to Publish Packages from CAMduct, ESTmep, Field Orderz, and PypeServer.
4. Note: Only 1 model can be designated to publish packages.
Open CAMduct or ESTmep.
Select Fabrication Database Configuration.
Note: the Fabrication database MUST be uploaded to STRATUS using Lightning, prior to publishing MAJ files as Packages.
Under Actions, select Create Blank Job or Open Job (if MAJ file already exists).
When opening each application, the GTP STRATUS palette ribbon menu add-in will display as follows:
1. CAMduct.
2. ESTmep (Has two locations: In the top dropdown Add-Ins, and underneath Add-Ins ribbon.
  1. Dropdown.
  2. Ribbon.
Once parts are added to MAJ and job file is saved, click the STRATUS Publish button on the Add-Ins.
Login to STRATUS and Autodesk.
1. STRATUS Login - If a user attempts to publish but is not signed in to STRATUS, the following prompt will display. The user will enter their credentials.
  1. If the model has not been previously published, the following prompt "Model Not Found in STRATUS" will display.
    1. Publish as New Model - Click Publish as New Model to proceed.
    2. Cancel Publish - Click Cancel Publish to stop the publish or to review the model.
The Publish dialog will display:
1. User - The user who is publishing the model.
2. Model - Only models that are checked for Publish Packages in the Models>Dashboard will be available.
3. Company - Select a Company from a list of the logged-in users permitted Companies.
  1. NOTE: If publishing from CAMduct and ESTmep has not been enabled for the company, this message will appear and prevent publishing.
4. Project - Select a Project from a list of the logged-in users permitted Projects.
  1. Note: See the Configure BIM 360 Publish Folder Path section for more information on configuring the project's BIM 360 Publish Folder Path.
5. Package - Check box to indicate user wants to publish MAJ file as a Package to STRATUS.
6. Name - Package Name (Job filename).
7. Number - Manually input data for package number.
  1. Note: If kept empty, STRATUS will assign package number per naming and numbering rules. Also, the package Number must be unique across all packages associated with this model. Publish will fail if Number is not unique or empty.
8. Category - set to Default. This aligns with the packages categories created from Admin>Company>Package Categories and may be specified prior to publish.
9. Description - Manually input data for package description.
Click the Publish button and the following will occur:
1. Publish Activity.
Final result in STRATUS, Packages>Dashboard.

Import

Click on Add-Ins.
Select STRATUS Import.
Initiate import data - The Initiating STRATUS requests to generate import data dialog will display.
Click OK to begin the import generation and then wait.
Receive import data - After a minute, the Received STRATUS import data dialog displays. This message indicates that the file generation has finished.
Click OK to complete the import and then wait.
Once done the Successfully imported data from STRATUS message will display. Click OK.

AutoCAD Publish Considerations

Settings, and Scenarios

Your STRATUS administrator can configure settings that will impact the process and data synchronization of the publish and import process including the Assembly Conflict settings STRATUS is always right or AutoCAD is always right. See the Settings article for more information.

Property to Map Settings

Property for Model Stamp- Used to map the STRATUS CompanyId, ProjectId, ModelId, and PackageId. This information is used to prevent duplicate publishes of same model and store the STRATUS link within the MAJ file.
1. Example: If the setting is put to ProjectInfo. Once the publish is complete, the user can click on Job Information on the top context bar in CAMduct, then navigate to Project, then look at the text box Job Project Information, and see the STRATUS Model Stamp Information. Note: do not edit or delete this information.

Publish Failures

CAMduct/ESTmep Addin Not Enabled for Company

If a user gets the below error message, this means their company has NOT been enabled to publish models or packages with CAMduct/ESTmep.
To enable publishing, users will need to contact their GTP sales representative.

Publish Packages Checkbox Not Configured for Placeholder Model

When a user attempts to publish a package, the Publish button is disabled and the Model list is empty. This occurs because a model in STRATUS has not been designated for Publish Packages.
See the Publish a MAJ Package section for more information.

Cannot publish a package with same existing Name and/or Number

When creating new packages, users will not be able to publish if the Name and/or Number match any existing packages within the model.

Example: new package with the number 123

Existing package had the Package Number 123

Example: new package name CAMduct_2022_Package_BV

Existing package had the Package Name CAMduct_2022_Package_BV

Cannot republish a model that is checked for Publishing Packages

When a model is selected as a placeholder for package publishing, it cannot be republished.

An error modal will appear if there is an attempted republish.

Item Numbering and Dimensioning

Item numbering and dimensioning follow the same rules as normal STRATUS models. Except, all of the same parts will get the same Item numbers, and users will have to use manual dimensioning for each part.

CAMduct / ESTmep Publish and Import