Construction stage wizard – MIDAS Support

Introduction

Preparing a construction stage model can become a long data-management task before the analysis begins. Structure, boundary, load and tendon groups must be created consistently; stages must then be ordered, named and timed; every activation and deactivation must refer to a valid group; and composite section definitions must remain aligned with the stage sequence. The Construction Stage Wizard brings these tasks into one connected workflow. It reads the open CIVIL NX model, helps build or reorganise the required groups, creates and edits the stage table, validates references, previews the exact differences and writes only after confirmation. A snapshot is stored before every write so the affected rows can be restored if needed.

Developed with

MIDAS CIVIL NX 2026 (v1.0.0)

Benefits of this plugin

One workflow for the complete stage setup The four main tabs cover group creation, stage construction, composite sections and validation of the existing stage set.
Structure groups generated from model data Create groups by section, material, element type, plate thickness, load association, ID range, coordinate slice or existing group membership. Naming tokens keep large group sets consistent.
Boundary, load and tendon grouping Review unassigned model objects, place them into groups and preview any movement from their existing group before writing.
Stage table and matrix editing Edit stage names, durations, dates, additional steps, save flags and all six activation and deactivation lists in a table or a groups-by-stages matrix.
Bulk generation for repetitive sequences Build many stages from an ordered set of structure groups, recurring durations, temporary works and a final long-duration stage, then refine individual rows.
Reusable stage definitions Import or export CSV and JSON, duplicate stages with group-name remapping and produce an Excel report containing the stage schedule, group matrices and validation results.
Composite sections linked to the sequence Define the active stage, part materials, composite stage and age for construction-stage composite sections and check that every referenced stage exists.
Controlled writes with recovery Every write is shown as an add, change or delete preview. The plugin re-reads the affected tables before sending data and keeps a restorable snapshot of the previous rows.

Figure 1 Group builder reading a large CIVIL NX model and previewing structure groups

How to use this plugin

1. Open the model and start the plugin Launch Construction Stage Wizard from CIVIL NX. The header should show Connected. The initial read can take longer on a large model because the plugin collects the tables needed by all four workflows.
2. Build the required groups In Group builder choose Structure, Boundary, Load or Tendon groups. Set the scope and rules, review the proposed names and members, resolve warnings and press the relevant Create or Assign command. Nothing is written until the preview is confirmed.
3. Create or edit the stage sequence Open Stage builder and use Read from model for an existing sequence or Bulk generate for a new one. Edit names, durations, steps and save flags in the table. Select a row only when its detailed group assignments need editing; close the detail panel to return the table to full width.

Figure 2 Stage builder showing names, durations, cumulative days and activated structure groups

4. Use the matrix for activation checks Switch to Matrix when the relationship between many groups and stages is easier to review as a grid. A cells activate a group, D cells deactivate it and carried active states are shown separately. Validation problems are outlined in the matrix.
5. Define composite sections when required Open Composite sections and read existing definitions or generate them from the staged composite sections in the model. Select a definition to edit it. The details panel stays hidden when nothing is selected, leaving the table at full width.

Figure 3 Composite sections table before definitions are read or generated

6. Review validation Use Read and edit to inspect the existing sequence, the timeline and validation messages. Resolve undefined groups, duplicate names, invalid durations or steps and conflicting activations before writing.
7. Review and write Press Review and write to see the exact operations. The plugin performs a fresh preflight read of the tables being changed. If the model has changed since the preview, the write stops and the preview is refreshed.
8. Save the output and recovery record Export the stage table or report as needed. Open Snapshots to save or restore the rows captured before a write, and use Log when a request needs to be checked.

Safe model writing and recovery

Preview first The confirmation view lists the affected tables and the rows that will be added, changed or deleted.
Fresh preflight check Immediately before a write, the plugin re-reads the tables involved. A mismatch stops the operation rather than applying an outdated plan.
Snapshot before change The original rows are retained in the plugin window storage. Restoring a snapshot is itself previewed and confirmed.
Visible diagnostics The log records model requests and errors, while validation messages link the problem to the relevant stage or definition where possible.

Working with large models

The first read covers the data used by every tab, so models with many elements, loads or construction stages will take longer. The plugin checks Project Status to avoid reading optional tables reported as empty and processes several reads concurrently. Keep CIVIL NX and the model open until the status changes from Reading the model to Connected. Use Reload model after material changes made outside the plugin.

Conclusion

Construction Stage Wizard reduces the repetitive work of organising a CIVIL NX construction sequence. It places group creation, stage scheduling, composite definitions, validation, reporting and controlled model writes in one interface. The engineer still decides whether the sequence, timing and assignments are appropriate for the structure; the plugin makes those decisions easier to enter, review and revise without rebuilding the stage data manually.