What is FrameAI?
Upload a steel drawing PDF. Get fabrication-ready shop drawings, Eurocode calculations, and IFC 4 BIM models — while you sleep.
What is FrameAI?
FrameAI is a web-based structural engineering tool that reads a steel drawing PDF and outputs a complete fabrication package. Think of it as a detailer who never sleeps.
How it works — step by step
Step 1: Upload your PDF
Drop your fabrication drawing PDF onto the pipeline. FrameAI accepts multi-page drawings with any combination of:
- General arrangement plans
- Elevation drawings
- Connection details
- Section cuts
Step 2: AI extraction (GPT-4o vision)
GPT-4o reads each page and identifies:
| Element | What FrameAI extracts |
|---|---|
| Beams & columns | Profile (HEA/HEB/IPE), length, orientation |
| Connections | Joint type, bolt pattern, plate dimensions |
| Grid lines | Axis labels, spacing, story heights |
| Member schedule | Part marks, material grade, surface treatment |
Step 3: Eurocode calculations
For each extracted member, FrameAI runs EN 1993-1-1 checks:
- **Section class** classification (Class 1–4) for combined bending and compression
- **Member buckling** — flexural, lateral-torsional, and combined
- **Connection design** — bolted shear (EN 1993-1-8), end-plate moment, column base plates
Step 4: 3D model (IFC 4)
The extracted geometry is assembled into an IFC 4 BIM model. You can download it and open it in Tekla Structures, Revit, ArchiCAD, or any IFC-compatible viewer.
Step 5: Fabrication exports
One click, then choose your outputs:
- **Shop drawing PDF** — A3, with title block, part marks, dimensions, and connection details
- **DSTV NC1** — ASCII files per part mark for CNC beam processing machines
- **DXF** — 2D shop drawings for CNC cutting or laser etching
- **BOM** — Excel bill of materials with EN 10365 steel weights per member
Who it's for
FrameAI is built for:
- **Structural engineers** who want to validate fabrication drawings against Eurocode before issuing them
- **Steel fabricators** who need a fast way to generate shop drawings from architect or engineer drawings
- **Detailers** who want to re-use a single PDF as the source of truth across the full workflow
What FrameAI does not do
FrameAI does not replace an engineer making judgment calls. It automates the tedious, code-bound calculations — but you still sign off on every result before it goes to the workshop floor.
Next steps
Upload a Steel Drawing — start your first job
Export to Fabrication — learn what you can download