ATHENA is the leading AutoCAD based design software for curtain wall design and facade engineering on the market – and not without reason. Our software has been subject to consistent on-going development since 1989 and is used in metal construction companies, design offices and universities – in 12 languages and in more than 70 countries.
ATHENA 2022 matched exactly to our users’ requirements, ATHENA is a complete CAD software package, offering practically everything to simplify the daily design tasks which confront the designer:
2D design: a 2D drawing environment with practical routines and libraries for producing elevations, cross-sections and workshop drawings.
3D design: a versatile 3D design section with the possibility of generating parts lists and production drawings automatically from a 3D design.
Engeneering: powerful computational tools for structural analysis and building physics.
Sheet editing: a sheet editing program for sheet design and development.
In addition, ATHENA is independent of profile systems and can be matched to individual needs. Ideal for international design: ATHENA labels all the customer objects fully automatically and is able to translate a drawing into each of the 10 languages currently contained in ATHENA on the press of a key.
To work more efficiently – that was the main focus during the development of ATHENA. The 2D area benefits from improved intelligence and new features for more comfortable and faster drawing. 3D design is much easier with the new bar assembly editor. The export functions have been further improved, especially with SAT, BIM and ERP formats. The icons have been optimized for use on the dark background, making them more appealing to the eye, and, as always, many of our customers’ wishes have been incorporated into the further development of ATHENA.
The 2D drawing functions are tuned for the rapid production of section and elevation drawings, plan views and production drawings. Features particularly promoting productivity are the numerous small aids, such as for example, routines for semi-finished items, membranes, thermal insulation, panels or welded seams and the comprehensive standard parts library with 82,000 parts or the tools for managing materials, layers and blocks. A special advantage is that all ATHENA objects are intelligent ARX objects and can be edited with a double click!
The powerful 2D tools of ATHENA increase productivity, save working time and costs and also help the designer to concentrate on the essential aspects of his work.
3D design is used for the free planning of complicated geometries, such as, sloping polygon facades, pyramids, glazed roofs and bays. To achieve this, profiles or profile groups are placed over the axes of a wire model. Cut parts can be automatically computed and the components (e.g., profiles) are output with the cut parts in a parts list or in a drawing. Dedicated master data can be created, containing the profile geometries, material properties, design rules and requirements from production. Based on this master data as well as spatial elements you can design flat elements, such as windows and doors. The 3D design takes into account profile groups, cut parts, processes, sheet metal, glazing and also hardware. It can be displayed as a 3D view, 2D view and through any sections. The extracts can be output as parts lists or as production drawings. An interface to PPC/ERP is available.
A constituent part of ATHENA is the complete sheet editing program for the quicker design of sheets with the associated developments. Basic data, such as for example, sheet thickness and bending radius, form the basis of the sheet to be designed. The basic shape is applied to the sheet via a dialog box or from a free ATHENA sheet contour.
Then, the various edges are set and copied in the easiest way to adjacent or opposite sides. Many different types of joint are available for the folds. Folds appended to a primary surface can be cropped and beveled with an angle.
Visual checks of the sheet shape via the dynamic 3D viewer ensure error-free working.
Holes or punch-outs can be set in the sheet body at any time. There are basic shapes such as circles, rectangles or free contours available for this purpose. Customized contours can be generated and saved in a library for reuse. The editing processes can be set absolute or associative and rows of punch outs are also possible.
The description of the joint formation, which is important for the development, is easily entered in a dialog box, e.g., the gap dimension and nature of the corners of the fold. The computation of the development occurs according to the factor tables normally used in metal construction and can be saved as required.
The produced sheet can be inserted into ATHENA as a development or 3D model. The development can also be saved as a DXF file or transferred to MS Excel.
Apart from normal sheets, composite panels can be processed, e.g., Alucobond and Reynobond. Various types of joint are also available.
Always on the safe side. ATHENA’s computational functions for structural analysis and building physics are well-developed tools for the exact determination of, for example, centers of gravity and moments, thermal resistances or sound insulation dimensions. You can conveniently compute the required moments of inertia or maximum deflections.
The Revit app “Family/DWG Exporter Importer” was developed to facilitate an easier and faster BIM data interchange between ATHENA and Revit. This plugin is used when, for example, in the Revit architect’s plan, the window/façade elements are already available as “dummies” (rectangular frames). They are then transferred to ATHENA in a type-oriented manner, where they are converted to “real” smart façade elements and then transferred back to Revit according to their type. Here, types are exchanged for the same type. The “transformed” elements are evaluated in ATHENA.
“ATHENA Exchange for Revit” is available in the Autodesk App Store