Frequently Asked Questions

You can download MagiCAD for Revit or/and MagiCAD for AutoCAD from our Portal. Follow the intructions from you delivery e-mail. Use the correct license key in the portal.

In case you need an older version, those are also available there.

MagiCAD for Revit project is saved as a normal Revit file (.RVT). This means you can open or modify the project without MagiCAD. When you are using MagiCAD for Revit you also need a dataset file (.MRV) which contains products that you can insert into model, the information that you need for calculations and other necessary settings needed to run MagiCAD to its full potential. Dataset can be stored in to the project file internally.

MagiCAD for AutoCAD drawings are saved as Autocad drawings (.DWG); remember to check the compatibility chart (you can found it from the portal). MagiCAD objects are saved as proxy objects.

When you are working with MagiCAD for AutoCAD V&P project you also need a separate project file (.EPJ), a product database file (.QPD) and a linetype file (.LIN).

MagiCAD for AutoCAD Electrical has its own project file type (.MEP).

All MagiCAD for AutoCAD disciplines use their own symbol databases (.MCS)

All of our localisation packages can be found from MagiCAD portal.

Here you can find requirements for Revit and for AutoCAD.

Depending on the manufacturer, the downloadable objects on MagiCAD Cloud are available in Revit RFA format, AutoCAD DXF format, or both. Revit RFA files support two (or in some cases, four) of the latest Revit versions.

Can I use BIM objects from MagiCAD Cloud without MagiCAD?

Yes, you can. The objects available through MagiCAD Cloud do not require the use of MagiCAD. MagiCAD Cloud is intended for all MEP designers who use AutoCAD and Revit technologies. Over 100,000 BIM objects are downloadable to all MagiCAD Cloud subscribers. Depending on the manufacturer, the downloadable objects on MagiCAD Cloud are available in Revit RFA format, AutoCAD DXF format, or both.  However, if you are a MagiCAD user, you have access to all of MagiCAD Cloud’s over 1 million data-rich objects through MagiCAD’s Product Browser. MagiCAD also enables you to make full use of the technical data stored in the BIM objects, enabling advanced calculations and more accurate MEP design.

MagiCAD Cloud offers 3D models that include not only the shape of the product but also the technical data needed for detailed calculations in the Revit and AutoCAD environments. In most cases, the existing 3D model cannot be equipped with this data in a way that would be compatible with both Revit and AutoCAD technologies. This is why we produce the 3D models ourselves and do not use existing models as a basis for our BIM objects.

Why do the 3D models loaded into the project seem less detailed than the preview 3D models?

The 3D preview is very detailed to give an accurate visual impression of how the product looks like in real life. Once the product is loaded into a project, an optimized version of the same 3D model is created for the purposes of optimizing the project size. This optimized version has all the same physical dimensions, characteristics and data as the more visually-detailed preview, but because of the optimization, the hard drive space required by the model is considerably smaller. This is one of the benefits of MagiCAD, as it provides products with accurate characteristics and data and at the same time ensures that the project does not become too cumbersome in terms of system performance. MagiCAD projects work with optimal performance even when thousands of real-life products have been added to the projects.

You can download Licence Server Utilities from the Tools section of our download portal link

Yes, older versions will work with new licences.  Previous versions are available through the download portal.

Usually this happens because of using the same port for both services. MagiCAD uses ipv4 (ipv6 not fully supported) and latest Autodesk services use ipv6, so it can select the same port to use. It is recommended to set fixed ports to use with MagiCAD licence service. Here is how you can define a fixed port to the licence service:

Licence borrowing service (information service) uses port 2194 by default, but it is used only for licence borrowing.

By default, as the SERVER port number FLEXlm chooses the first one within range 27000 ... 27009, and the VENDOR port can be anything. To make sure that the port numbers remain the same each time the service is started, define both SERVER and VENDOR port numbers in the licence file, and configure your firewall correspondingly.

If you want to use fixed ports, change MAGICAD.LIC like this:

SERVER this_host ANY 27001

VENDOR magicad port=1234

USE_SERVER

Status describes the state of the licence. Here are the most typical status:

Activated locally: The licence is activated to this workstation and you should be able to return it.

Activatable: You should be able to activate the licence. If you can't, make sure that the older version of this licence is returned.

Activated on another computer: The licence is already activated to some other workstation. 

Disabled/Broken: Something has happened to your licence and it is not working anymore. Try to fix it with Licence Management Utility's "Tools / Licence repair tools". If it doesn't help, take "Report / Save technical report" and send it to MagiCAD support.

Obsolete: Your licence is outdated or you have got a new version of it. An obsolete licence works normally, if not outdated. You should be able to return it, but you can't reactivate it. You should use the latest ID to activation.

Please contact your sales representative for detailed instructions on how to proceed. We will be able to return the licences for you.

This can be done in 2 ways.  Through the MagiCAD Settings or Revit's own Manage tab.

MagiCAD:

Go to the "MagiCAD Common" tab => Settings => The "Units" tab => "Change" button to the lower right and then on "Discipline" you select the desired option, for example "Piping".

Then you can click on the different measurements and the different units for that discipline as well as edit the number of decimals used.

In Revit:

Go to The "Manage" tab and then select "Project Units", then select the discipline you want to edit.

Supported units for MagiCAD are:

HVAC Air flow - l/s, m³/h, m³/s

HVAC Pressure - Pa, kPa, bar

Piping Flow - l/s, l/min, m³/h, m³/s

Piping Pressure - Pa, kPa, bar

When you have started MagiCAD for Revit, select the MagiCAD Common ribbon. From there you will find Settings and in here you should select the APPEARANCE tab. In the drop down menu you can choose the desired language. More information about MagiCAD for Revit settings can be found from online user manual here.

MagiCAD for Revit offers sizing and balancing calculation for ventilation, heating, cooling, domestic water, and sprinkler design. Diversified flow calculation for drainage design is available. Duct system and space sound calculations are also available within ventilation module with different sound level filter options.

Different calculation standards can be chosen from MagiCAD settings found in MagiCAD Common ribbon. Select Project tab from the MagiCAD settings dialogue and various standards are available in the drop down menus.

You can choose from following calculation standards:

Pressure loss in ventilation systems:

Default, CIBSE, ASHRAE 2011 or DTU 68.3

Pressure loss in piping systems:

Default or CIBSE

Flow in domestic water systems:

Danish SBi instructions 235. Water installations - Sizing

European EN 806

Finnish D1

French DTU 60.11

Norwegian KS Standard ab.vilkår for vann og avløp

Russian SP 30.13330.2016

Swedish Tabeller och diagram VVS 2000

UK BS 8558

UK CIPHE

UNI 9182:2014 Domestic buildings with WCs provided with a cistern

UNI 9182:2014 Domestic buildings with WCs provided with flush valve

UNI 9182:2014 Public buildings with WCs provided with a cistern

UNI 9182:2014 Public buildings with WCs provided with flush valve.

Flow in hot water circulation systems:

User enters the flows to the circulation points

DIN 1988-300

French DTU 60.11

UK Domestic Hot Water Return Calculation - Based on CIPSE Method

UNI 9182:2014

Flow in the drainage systems:

Add flows

EN 12056 Systems I, EN 12056 Systems II, EN 12056 Systems III, EN 12056 Systems IV

NF DTU 60.11 P-2

Sprinkler calculation:

EN 12845

CEA 4001

NFPA-13

BS 9251:2014

UNI 10779 

Malysian MS 1910:2006

Singaporean CP 52:2004

Australian AS2118

EN 16925

Swiss SES-Richtlinie 01.03.2018-d

Each time you select an element in Revit you are presented with a selection of available modifying options based on the attributes of the selected element on Revit's toolbar. This is known as a contextual tab. Since MagiCAD has its own functions, they are presented separately from native Revit's functions. The type and number of contextual functions can be modified by the user.

MagiCAD's own IFC Export tool can be found from the MagiCAD Common tab. Its purpose is for exporting your MEP model in either IFC2X3 or IFC4 format with custom user-defined properties.

When using the IFC Export tool you are able to create a single or multiple IFC files from a specified view or pre-selected objects. The configurations or property sets can also be selected and all your settings can be saved for later use or to create a batch export which can even be made to run automatically.

BCF is an acronym of "BIM collaboration format" and it is used as a communication tool in BIM projects.

MagiCAD's BCF Manager gives you the possibility to dispose of the traditional communication methods of using many e-mails and attachments and instead use just one file with all the issues that are raised to be saved with the project. You'll be able to create topics of each issue and each issue has its views and comments.  Views can have components attached to them, so you'll have direct links to the actual objects in the project which helps with locating and correcting the issues. And of course, the comments can be used for communication.

Once the issues have been created, you can export them to a BCFZIP -file which then can be opened with not only MagiCAD's BCF Manager but with other softwares that support the format such as Navisworks and Solibri. New issues or comments on existing issues can then be created and returned to the team for review again in the software platform chosen.

The Provision for Builderswork Openings tool can create hole or opening based on your MEP models provisions and it interference's with architectural and structural elements. You can either create provisions manually or automatically. Creating opening provisions manually requires each opening to be defined separately but allows customer creation. If you decide to create them automatically, you should configure the options and rules on how the provisions should be created. This can be done by modifying the dataset and selecting "Provision for builderswork openings" and editing the relevant values. There are many customisable options including the values on how much extra space is needed for the openings around MEP elements, how much space is required between voids and services type parameters.

Once you actually create the void provisions automatically, you'll need to define the range and after that you'll receive a report on the created provisions.

The MagiCAD Manage Openings Tool is meant for structural engineers / architects to actually create voids from the void provisions. They do not need MagiCAD software to use this tool, it is a free download from our portal. The structural engineer or architect can link your MEP model to their structural or architectural model and open the tool. They'll then be presented all the opening provisions in a list, which they can then check, create comments, and reject or accept them. Once the provision is accepted the tool can then create the actual opening in their model. It's also possible to save reports e.g. from the rejected provisions which then can be sent to the MEP engineer to make the necessary changes to get the provision made.

Merge Parameters is intended for pulling different parameters from multiple places and then combining them in a single parameter. You can use both instance and type parameters. It is even possible to create new parameters which normally wouldn't be available for tags and make them available e.g. space number of some object.

Before actually using Merge Parameters, you should create Parameter configurations; that can be done in the MagiCAD Common tab by selecting Merge Parameters -> Parameter Configurations. You start by adding a new configuration by clicking on the green + symbol, giving it a name and then selecting a target parameter for it. Then you'll just have to select the source parameters that are going to be combined and set how they are to be displayed, save the configuration and you should be ready to use it.

Find and open the MagiCAD folder on your hard drive. In this MagiCAD folder open MagiCAD for AutoCAD utilities folder and from there open MagiCAD user settings where you can choose your desired language. More information about user settings can be found from the online user guide here or User Manual.

MagiCAD for AutoCAD setup is able to upgrade (and remove the older version) automatically if the AutoCAD platform has not changed. Instead, if you change AutoCAD version at the same time you upgrade MagiCAD, follow this procedure:

1. Start and close the old version of MagiCAD.

2. Uninstall the old version of MagiCAD.

3. Start and close the new version of AutoCAD.

4. Install the new version of MagiCAD.

Drawing Cleaning Utility is the best tool for this. It can be used for many different things such as:

Check this link to resolve the issue.

Menu problem

Another possible solution is:

Go to the MagiCAD folder on the desktop and then:
MagiCAD => MagiCAD for AutoCAD - Utilities and then select "MagiCAD User Settings". Under "User interface" tick the box "Reload user interface on startup".

Yes, with the MagiCAD version 2018 UR-1 (and onwards) this is possible. Please check the video (link below) for more information.

linking plan to schema

Use Explode from Schematic ribbon or write _MAGISDEXPLODE to AutoCAD command line.

MagiCAD templates can be found in <C:\ProgramData\MagiCAD\Templates>.

ProgramData is a hidden folder by default in Windows.

Follow this this link to set hidden files and folders visible in Windows.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/14201/windows-show-hidden-files

Also MagiCAD menu file (magicad.cuix) is located in ProgramData -folder.

<C:\ProgramData\MagiCAD\Support>

1. Open MagiCAD for AutoCAD.

2. Open MagiCAD Plugins ribbon.

3. Launch Plugin Manager.

4. Install Plugin.

Plugin will create an own toolbar for it or plugin specific buttons to the MagiCAD Plugins ribbon.

1. Open Revit.

2. Open Add-Ins ribbon.

3. Open MagiCAD Plugin Manager.

4. Install Plugin.

Plugin will create plugin specific buttons to the Add-Ins ribbon.