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FCM Quick Start Guide

Firestop Clash Management (FCM) is a Plugin for Autodesk Revit that gives BIM Coordinators the ability to find and address firestop conditions without having to be firestop experts. In this quick start guide we will walk you through the initial installation and setup steps for a new user utilizing FCM for the first time.

Before you Begin:

Revit is an incredibly powerful and complex tool that can be configured based on your organizations needs. The feedback listed below is based on common Revit configurations and intended to get a user up and running with FCM as quickly as possible.

  1. Ensure that you are working in the Architectural model for your project. FCM relies on data contained within the architectural model in addition to M.E.P.T. elements to function properly. The best experience with FCM in large projects is to run the plugin from the Central Architectural model, with other building models linked in. This ensure that all data is present for FCM to detect and extract model data from to provide system recommendations. 
  2. Utilize shared coordinates across linked models. When working with linked models, FCM relies on a shared coordinate system across linked models to determine when barriers and M.E.P.T. Elements interact with one another. Models can be linked together but still not have a shared coordinate system published across models, this visually makes the models appear to occupy the same space but causes plugins like FCM to not function as intended. For more on Shared Site Coordinates please see Autodesk's Support article: How to set up Shared Coordinates
  3. Exclude unnecessary elements prior to running FCM. Revit models can be incredibly complex and include a tremendous amount of data. When running FCM, the plugin will process all elements in the view that the plugin is run on. Hiding elements such as dampered HVAC ductwork or sprinkler heads can improve search times and eliminate detection of elements that do not require firestopping.
  4. The more data complete barriers and service elements are within your project the better and faster results you'll have when running FCM. FCM relies on model data to provide firestop system recommendations. As part of the recommendation process, FCM allows users to map data fields found in the model to terminology used within the firestop industry. FCM will recognize common construction terms such as "2 Hr, 2 hour, 2HR" etc and map them for the users automatically. If no data exists in a field, or FCM is unable to reasonable map a found field to a known term, the user will then need to manually map the field to ensure accurate system recommendations. By ensuring that model elements are as feature rich and complete as possible, FCM will do the majority of the work for data mapping resulting in less manual adjustment and more accurate results.

Getting Started:

  1. Download FCM - Download the FCM installer file and install it on your machine. Revit should not be running while you run the installer. Link to Installer
  2. Launch Revit and Open your model -  After installation, you'll see a new entry in your project navigation menu for "STI Firestop Clash Manager". All features of FCM can be accessed from this new nav menu entry
  3. Log in to your AccessSTI Account -  When you first launch/install FCM you'll notice that all buttons except for the AccessSTI button are greyed out. FCM utilizes our System Search and Submittal Builder data to ensure that you are always served the latest version of tested designs without having to update your installed FCM version. Once you log in to your AccessSTI account all features of FCM will be enabled and ready for use
  4. Find Firestop Conditions - Links to articles describing the detection process can be found below
    1. Find Firestop Penetration Conditions
    2. Find Firestop Joint Conditions

Tips and Tricks

  • When working in a large model, selecting smaller sections of the model for detection is recommended. FCM can be run against the entire model at once, however, depending on model complexity this may result in significant processing times.