Sharing Revit Models with ETABS

You can share your Revit structural models with ETABS for structural analysis and design by installing:

• the ETABS application
• the CSiXRevit connector add-in for Revit

Note: You must be connected to the Stanford network environment (on-campus or via the VPN) to use our network license for CSiXRevit 2018.

Verify Your ETABS Installation

Before you get started, please verify that you have a valid installation of the ETABS application and that the network-based licensing scheme is working properly in your network environment.

Configure Your Computer to Find Our License Server

Before you get started, you must configure your computer to point to the IP address of our ETABS network license server by creating a new System Environment Variable:

1. Open the Windows Advanced system settings dialog.
   • On Windows 8:  Open the Windows Control Panel > System > Advanced tab
   • On Windows 10: Open the Windows Settings > System > About > System Info > Advanced System Settings
2. Click the Environment Variables button.
3. Add a new System variable with the name LSFORCEHOST
4. Set the value to cee-license.stanford.edu
5. Click OK to accept the changes and close the Control Panel.
6. Restart Windows.

Download the CSI Install Wizard or the CSiXRevit 2018 Installer

• Download the CSIXRevit2018 installer directly from this link:  CSiXRevit2018 Setup
• Or download the CSI Install Wizard from this link:  CSI Install Wizard

If using the CSI Install Wizard, follow these steps to download the CSiXRevit installer:

Note:  You can download the installer using either method.  In both cases, you will need to be connected to the Stanford network and point to the network license server to use the connector software.

1. Launch the CSI Install Wizard application and authorize the program to make changes on your computer.

   

2. Wait as the CSI Installation Wizard searches your computer for previiously installed CSI software.

   

3. Select the Install CSI Software option, then click Next.

   

4. Select these options, then click Next.

   • CSI Product:  CSiXRevit 2018 (64-bit)
   • Licensing Model:  Install CSiXRevit 2018 for use with network license key

    

5. Select the option to Manually enter server name or IP address and enter "cee-license.stanford.edu" as the server name.  Then, click Next.

   IMPORTANT NOTE:  Be sure to enter this address exactly as shown.

   

6. Select the Download the latest CSiXRevit 2018 Installation option and click the Download CSiXRevit 2018 button to download the installer applicaiton.  Then, click Next.

   

7.  Select the location to store the installer file, then wait as the installer is downloaded.  

Install the CSiXRevit2018 add-in

1.  When the download is complete, open the set up application or click Install to begin the installation.

2. Accept the license agreement and click Next.

   

3. Enter your User Name and Organization, then click Next.

   

4. Choose the Destination folder, then click Next to install the add-in.

   

5. IMPORTANT:  When prompted with the License Activation window asking "Do you want to activate a Standalone license?", choose NO.
   

    

6. When the installation is complete, click Finish to close the InstallShield Wizard..

   

Export Your Revit Model to an EXR File

After the CSixRevit2018 add-in is installed, you're ready to open your Revit structural model and export it to ETABS.

1. Restart the Revit application.
2. Open your Revit model and open a 3D view.
3. Navigate to the Add-Ins tab in the ribbon and select Export to Create New ETABS SAFE or SAP 2000 Model from the External Tools pull-down menu.
4. Save your exported model as an .EXR file file on your disk.

 

 

Import the Saved EXR File into a New ETABS Project 

1. Open the ETABS application.
2. Create a new project.
3. Open the File menu and choose Import, then choose Revit Strucure .exr File from the submenu.
4. Navigate to the .EXR file saved in step 4 and click Open to import it into the ETABS project.