AutoCAD® MEP software helps you draft, design, and document building systems. Create more accurate designs and increase productivity within a familiar AutoCAD-based environment.

Collaboration

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  AutoCAD and AutoCAD Architecture support

  Work on flat 2D or geometric floor plans.

   

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  Automatic space and zone calculation

  Calculate room measurements automatically.

   

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  IFC data support

  Create, manage, and share design data.

   

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  Web-based help and learning tools

  Stay informed with tips and tricks and other content.

   

Construction & content

• NEW

  

   

  Section and elevation (enhanced)

  Now edit Xrefs when editing live sections and refresh upon opening.

   

• NEW

  

   

  Parallel routing improvements

  Select routing preferences for objects, then automatically connect parallel objects.

   

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  Revision cloud

  Get a consistent appearance in views.

   

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  Documentation

  Create, rationalize, and document 2D views.

   

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  Integrated content search

  Easily find design files, objects, and content.

   

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  AutoCAD block and symbol conversion

  Batch-convert single or multiple blocks.

   

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  Drawing management

  Create and manage MEP project drawing sheet sets.

   

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  Sloped pipe routing preferences

  Use routing preferences with sloped piping. (video: 59 sec.)

   

Productivity & usability

• NEW

  

   

  Style Browser (enhanced)

  Get more MEP components, and add folders to the Content Library.

   

• NEW

  

   

  Assigning circuits

  Change the circuit for a given set of devices.

   

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  Elbow duct fittings

  Choose the type of elbow that best fits your design.

   

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  Automated property set definitions

  Complete quantity takeoff calculations.

   

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  Annotation and unit scaling

  Objects and text change along with drawing units.

   

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  Display order by layer

  Set an order for layers and preview your changes.

   

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  Block swap

  Make changes to components as your design changes.

   

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  Point clouds

  Use point cloud data for renovation projects.

   

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  Status bar

  Now includes Display Configuration, Cut Plane tools.

   

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  UI Finder

  Locate frequently used commands from within Help.

   

AutoCAD MEP provides features that allow the creation of very complex designs. While the software has many intricacies, there is a basic workflow for using it. Use the following table to navigate to detailed workflows for designing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

When you create an AutoCAD MEP drawing, you often need to relate your layout to an architectural drawing, such as a floor plan, a reflected ceiling plan, or an AutoCAD MEP building model.

You can begin with a drawing that contains the walls and other spatial elements that you need by attaching another drawing called a referenced drawing or xref. Xrefs are drawings that are linked to, and displayed in, the current drawing.

Whenever you open a drawing, the software reloads the xref drawings attached to it so that changes made to the xref drawings are reflected in your building system drawing. For example, if you attach an architectural floor plan as an xref, and the architect subsequently changes the location of the building’s mechanical room, the changes to the architectural floor plan are automatically reflected in your building systems drawing the next time that you open it. You can also reload xrefs on demand and check for interferences between building system objects and structural members by applying interference detection highlighting to your drawing.

There are 2 types of xrefs: attachment and overlay. Unlike an attached xref, an overlaid xref is not displayed when the drawing is itself attached or overlaid as an xref to another drawing—a process referred to as nesting xrefs. Overlaid xrefs are designed for data sharing in a network environment. By overlaying an xref, you can see how your drawing relates to the drawings of other groups without changing your drawing by attaching an xref. Changes made to an xref drawing, whether attached or overlaid, are displayed in your drawing when you open the drawing or reload the xref.

Linking xrefs to your drawings is effective when creating design drawings and construction documents. Design projects typically involve the coordination of many drawings, and sharing the content of those drawings is fundamental to efficient project management. Establishing standards for using xrefs helps you to use drawings optimally and minimize the need to re-create drawing content.

The following cite several advantages to using xrefs in AutoCAD MEP drawings:

• You can reference an architectural drawing as a base for your mechanical, electrical, or plumbing drawings. In addition, you are aware immediately of any changes to the architectural drawing because the changes are reflected when you open your drawing or reload the xref.
• You can assemble master drawings from individual design drawings. For example, several people can work with different sections of a design for a large building (such as by floor or by wing), and the individual designs can be referenced into a master drawing.
• You can attach drawings containing borders, title blocks, and other office standards for plotting as xrefs for easy maintenance.
• You can choose not to load an xref if you do not need it as a reference. The xref does not use system resources when it is not loaded.

It is recommended that project drawings are created, stored, and managed using the drawing management tools in AutoCAD MEP. When you use Project Navigator to manage drawings, you can efficiently create construction documents that reference the building system drawings.

After you create a project, you can manage drawings from a central location. For more information, see Working with Drawing Management Projects.

A typical workflow for creating documents with AutoCAD MEP is as follows:

When you create an AutoCAD MEP drawing, you often need to relate your layout to an architectural drawing, such as a floor plan, a reflected ceiling plan, or an AutoCAD MEP building model.

You can begin with a drawing that contains the walls and other spatial elements that you need by attaching another drawing called a referenced drawing or xref. Xrefs are drawings that are linked to, and displayed in, the current drawing.

Whenever you open a drawing, the software reloads the xref drawings attached to it so that changes made to the xref drawings are reflected in your building system drawing. For example, if you attach an architectural floor plan as an xref, and the architect subsequently changes the location of the building’s mechanical room, the changes to the architectural floor plan are automatically reflected in your building systems drawing the next time that you open it. You can also reload xrefs on demand and check for interferences between building system objects and structural members by applying interference detection highlighting to your drawing.

There are 2 types of xrefs: attachment and overlay. Unlike an attached xref, an overlaid xref is not displayed when the drawing is itself attached or overlaid as an xref to another drawing—a process referred to as nesting xrefs. Overlaid xrefs are designed for data sharing in a network environment. By overlaying an xref, you can see how your drawing relates to the drawings of other groups without changing your drawing by attaching an xref. Changes made to an xref drawing, whether attached or overlaid, are displayed in your drawing when you open the drawing or reload the xref.

Linking xrefs to your drawings is effective when creating design drawings and construction documents. Design projects typically involve the coordination of many drawings, and sharing the content of those drawings is fundamental to efficient project management. Establishing standards for using xrefs helps you to use drawings optimally and minimize the need to re-create drawing content.

The following cite several advantages to using xrefs in AutoCAD MEP drawings:

• You can reference an architectural drawing as a base for your mechanical, electrical, or plumbing drawings. In addition, you are aware immediately of any changes to the architectural drawing because the changes are reflected when you open your drawing or reload the xref.
• You can assemble master drawings from individual design drawings. For example, several people can work with different sections of a design for a large building (such as by floor or by wing), and the individual designs can be referenced into a master drawing.
• You can attach drawings containing borders, title blocks, and other office standards for plotting as xrefs for easy maintenance.
• You can choose not to load an xref if you do not need it as a reference. The xref does not use system resources when it is not loaded.

Best practices for mechanical system design start with the establishment of project parameters. HVAC designers can design duct and necessary piping systems to create, size, and connect heating and cooling components.

Use AutoCAD MEP to design and draft heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems for a building plan.

Before you begin drafting, you can establish design preferences and HVAC system definitions that fit your project. Once you define the systems for your drawing, you can assign systems to equipment and ductwork as you draw and modify your duct networks.

A typical workflow using AutoCAD MEP to design a plumbing system includes the following steps:

Refer to the following workflow for creating and modifying radiator systems:

A typical project requires multiple reviews at various stages in the project life cycle. When you send drawings out for review and comment, often you receive drawings containing proposed changes in return. The Drawing Compare feature allows you to visually compare the different versions and review proposed changes from architects and other engineering disciplines.

Like the traditional method of overlaying trace onto project drawings, visual cues indicate the status of drawings being compared and the state of the objects being reviewed. In addition, information is provided about changes to the properties of the objects.