A project in FRAMECAD® Nexa represents the design and the specific steel used at a particular time, enabling accurate usage and compliance tracking.
Nexa allows you to trace every steel member or section that you use in a project to its origin, which is critical for enhanced production management and reporting, and safety and quality assurance.
Regulators in some jurisdictions require builders and frame manufacturers to be able to show a mill manufacturing certificate for any piece of steel used in a building on demand.
When to create project in Nexa
You should create a new project each time you produce a design. This ensures that each steel member is uniquely traceable. Here are examples of when to create new designs:
| When you are... | You should... |
| Reusing a warehouse design for a different client | Create 1 new project |
| Building 5 units at one site with the same design | Create 5 new projects |
| Adding a bathroom last-minute to a house with an existing Nexa project | Use existing project and manage duplicates |
How to create a new project in Nexa
Look for the plus sign in the bottom right corner of the Projects page. For Nexa Base users, click New Project. (Nexa Base users can add up to five projects.) For paid subscription users, click Add Projects, then select New Project.
A New Project page appears. Select a past customer's company name, or enter a new customer's company name and country, plus any optional company contact details, address details, or notes.
Scroll down. Select a contact name if the company is a past customer or enter the first and last name of a new contact, plus any optional details about the contact. Click Next.
A second page appears. Enter a project title and select a country, then add any optional project and site location details and notes, as needed.
Next, use the Project Files section to upload the .rfy, .csv, or .nexa design files required for the project.
You can add design files any time after you create a project by uploading it to the project in Nexa or by connecting to Nexa from FRAMECAD Steelwise or FRAMECAD Detailer.
Finally, assign the project to a Nexa Admin user. Then click Save.
Paid subscription users have additional options for assigning a workflow, setting project quantity, or saving a project as a template.
Setting a project quantity
Use project quantity when using the same design repeatedly, such as in a residential development where some identical houses will be constructed.
Assigning a workflow
Users with a Nexa Enterprise subscription can assign any workflows created for their account to a project or template. Workflows allow Admin users to track the progress of stacks and panels through a project's stages, according to the project's specific operational needs.
Click the Workflows edit icon, select workflow(s) to use, finish other settings, then save the project or template.
Saving a project as a template
All paid subscription users have the option to save a project as a template.
Templates save time, eliminate repetitive data entry, and reduce risk of error when you want to create many related projects based on similar designs. For example, you can use a template for a residential development with multiple houses with similar designs.
Click Template under Save As, then click Continue.
The template page appears. You can use this page to create a project based on that template.
Templates do not appear in the Projects grid. To find a template, in the Projects page, click Add Projects and select Use a template.