By MiTek
The launch of PAMIR is the most significant software development to have taken place in the roof truss industry in the last 20 years, and it is believed that it will set customers further apart in today’s competitive marketplace.
MiTek is extremely proud of the product and of the team that has brought it to market and are looking forward to the challenge of rolling PAMIR out to our South African customers in 2019.
The software has been ten years in development, comprises of more than 760 000 lines of code and has taken 130 man-years of work to complete. The result is software that delivers to the modern truss manufacturer quicker estimating capabilities, quicker roof editing tools and a more integrated software environment. MiTek customers in Europe have used PAMIR for the past 5 years, and the software has reached a level of maturity that will be of great benefit to us in South Africa. PAMIR is also fully compliant with the latest SANS codes.
It’s not just the roof truss manufacturer who will benefit from the new PAMIR software – throughout the supply chain there are benefits which will help to keep customers coming back for more trusses.
How does it work?
PAMIR enables the truss manufacturer to email the completed roof design in a special PAMIR viewer file with a link to the PAMIR viewer software. It is a freely downloadable viewer which can be installed on any Windows PC and enables anyone in the supply chain to view the roof model and navigate the roof design in 3D. The viewer software enables the recipient to check dimensions in both the layout and the frame view, as well as to view bookmarked views in the 3D view which enables quick and easy communication regarding more complex areas of the roof design. This feature was specially developed for the likes of specifiers, roof erectors, roof inspectors and homeowners as it enables them to get an interactive model of the complete roof structure.
The roof truss manufacturing industry demands results faster, cheaper and of higher quality. That’s why development and improvement of software to grow customers’ business success is a continuous process.
PAMIR combines roof layout, frame view and high-quality CAD output features, all into one integrated software platform. Historically these three areas have been handled by three distinct software packages with a training requirement which reflected that fact. PAMIR is a single integrated software environment delivering all three functions, which means that roof designers have just one environment to learn and are more productive and faster than ever before.
The modern roof designer needs to be able to design a roof very quickly. With several new enquiries arriving on their desk every day, they need software solutions that enable them to design and quote roofs in no time at all. Customers often expect information quickly and the ability to work within their time frame requirements can often make the difference when it comes to retaining their continued business.
With PAMIR it is possible to quickly edit the building dimensions and watch the roof dynamically re-frame. Whether you are moving walls, adding an attic room, changing the roof pitch, or mirroring roof features; PAMIR’s dynamic framing allows you to make the change in seconds. With PAMIR’s powerful CAD functions, users are able to produce high quality output including building elevations, live cross sections, zoomed in 3D details and truss profiles, quickly and easily.
PAMIR is the next generation of prefabrication software. More dynamic, more powerful and more versatile than any other software package available.
Benefits of the software
The general feedback received over recent months from our software development and engineering departments, has been extremely valuable in helping us to prioritise software features and fine tune the training package that has been put in place for the PAMIR roll-out which took place in the second quarter of 2019. Recent months have seen relentless testing of the software, simulating various design and practical scenarios relevant to the South African roofing industry.
The versatility of the software enables users to typically learn and adapt to the software relatively quickly. There are various methods of input and users can choose which input method they prefer and then simply stick to it. Editing a building or framing can be done either in 2D or 3D mode, which is something that was previously unheard of.
Much of PAMIR’s success is down to the fact that it can be easily configured to meet specific user’s requirements. If you have a unique framing method for a particular roof feature the software’s defaults can be quickly configured to include methods in the framing library.
One of the most powerful tools is the ability to edit trusses. Users are given various tools to add new timber members, modify the orientation and end cuts of existing ones and importantly the software is then able to run a thorough analysis of the resulting structure to verify its integrity. The user is also able to specify all of the factors which will affect the structural performance of the structure, including roof cover, site altitude, wind speed, and so on.
Implementing an Architect’s design specifications is now easier and quicker than ever before, especially when it comes to complex roof designs such as Polynesian, attic, vaulted ceilings, multipart and top chord or rafter support roof trusses.
