You will also need to create a myhsbcad account, which you should have received an invite for today already. If not, please click the button below.

Create Account

Next, you will need to download hsbDesign 26

hsbDesign 26 Download

Instruction for downloading and installing hsbDesign 26 can be found here:

hsbDesign Download Instructions

EstiFrame Files Install

The Estiframe Design Team has developed and added upon what the hsb company has created. We have added and help develop many tools which will speed up and simplify the framing process. These include (but are not limited to) updated TSL’s, templates, simplified ribbon, additional commands, a full tool palette, additional hsb data, framing styles, additional checks for errors, material lists, EZX export, and layout sheets.

To get started, download the files below:

Files Download

Screenshot of Dropbox interface showing a folder named 'EstiFrame_HsbCad' with a context menu open, highlighting the 'Download' option in green.

Screenshot of a Windows 'Save As' dialog box displaying the C: drive with folders such as Autodesk, Intel, Microsoft, PerfLogs, Program Files, Recovery, User Manual, Users, Windows, and XboxGames, with the filename 'EstiFrame_HsbCad.zip' for saving a compressed ZIP file, and the 'Save' button highlighted.

Then, save it to your C: drive

Then right click on the folder, click extract all, and click extract all

*If it is already unzipped, lust leave it and proceed to the next step

A computer screen showing a Windows file explorer window with a ZIP file named 'EstiFrame_HsbCad.zip' selected. The context menu is open, highlighting the 'Extract All...' option.

EstiFrame Files Setup

Open hsbdesign 24 (Should be an icon on your desktop), login to Autodesk, close hsbcad, open hsbdesign 24 again and login to hsbcad, and create a new drawing if you aren’t already in a drawing.

Before you start, if either of these 2 menus pop up at anytime, click OK

Screenshot of a software interface for updating company details, showing file paths and folder names for company information.

Software window titled 'Reload hsbCad menus' with a list of menu tabs and checkboxes, showing 'hsbGeneral,' 'hsbWall,' 'hsbElement,' 'hsbTimber,' 'hsbEdit,' 'hsbOutput,' 'hsbCam,' 'hsbUtilities,' 'hsbPanel,' 'hsbGllulam,' 'hsbLog,' 'hsbTruss,' 'hsbPlanes,' 'hsbOptions,' 'hsbLb,' 'hsbSismo,' and 'hsbBookPlotter'; 'OK' button circled in green at the bottom.

TSL Search

Click the hsb icon in the very bottom right of your screen and click TSL search settings

Click the check box in the top left, click add, then find the TSL folder which will be located at

C:\\EstiFrame_HsbCad\hsbCompany_Estiframe\TSL

Select it and click OK and OK

Screenshot showing a software window for browsing folders, with steps highlighted for selecting a folder named 'TSI' within a directory, and confirming the selection with 'OK' and 'Ok' buttons.

Profile Import

Click in the black space in the middle, type OPTIONS, and hit enter

Then click Profiles on the top, click import, then find the hsbcad_estiframe.arg file which will be located at

C:\\EstiFrame_HsbCad\Content\hsbcad_estiframe.arg

*If it isn’t showing, make sure your file type is set to .ARG*

Select it and click open

Screenshot of a computer screen showing a software interface for importing a file. The interface includes a 'Profiles' tab selected at the top, an 'Import...' button highlighted, a file named 'hsbcaestframe.arg' selected in a file browser window, and an 'Open' button being clicked to import the file.

Click hsbcad_estiframe, click set current, then click apply

Template Setup

Still in the options menu, click the files tab in the top left, click the little + next to Template Settings, click the little + next to Drawing Template File Location, then click the arrow right below that, then click browse, then click the arrow next to your EstiFrame_HsbCad folder, click hsbCompany_EstiFrame and click OK

AutoCAD file browser window showing folder navigation. Highlighted path includes content within 'EstiFrame' folder in the Windows C drive, with options to browse, select 'none,' and confirm.

Click the little plus next to Default Template File Name for QNEW, click the arrow right below that, click browse, then find the Stickframe_2022.dwt file which will be located at

C:\\EstiFrame_HsbCad\hsbCompany_EstiFrame\Template\Stickframe_2022.dwt

*If it isn’t showing, make sure your file type is set to .dwt*

Click the file, click Open, click Apply, and click OK

Screenshot of a computer software interface for creating a drawing template, showing steps to select and open a file named 'Stickframe_2021' with a .dwt extension, including buttons for browsing, applying, confirming, and opening files.

Load Customization Files

Then type CUILOAD and press enter

Click APPMANAGER and then click Unload. Repeat this for everything EXCEPT ACA/ACAD and HSBMENU

Screenshot of a software window titled 'Load/Unload Customizations.' It displays a list of customization groups, with 'APP MANAGER' selected, and a green-circled 'Unload' button on the right. There are options for entering a file name, browsing files, and buttons for 'Close' and 'Help'.

Get your screen to look like this and then click browse

Screenshot of a software window titled 'Load/Unload Customizations', showing loaded customization groups 'ACAD' and 'HSBMENU', with buttons for 'Unload', 'Browse...', 'Close', and 'Help'.

Then go to your ribbon folder which is located at

C:\\EstiFrame_HsbCad\Content\NorthAmerica\Ribbon

Then click EFribbon.cuix (Not efribbon.bak) and click open, click load, and click browse again. Repeat this until you load EFribbon.cuix, HSBNAUTILITIES.cuix, and hsbRibbon – NA.cuix

*Make sure your file type at the bottom is set to .cuix*

Screenshot of a file explorer window titled 'Select Customization File,' showing a folder named 'Ribbon' with various files and folders, including a highlighted file named 'EFribbon' with a '.cuix' extension. The 'Open' button is circled, and the file name 'EFribbon' is checked, with a note to 'Check.'

Get your screen to look like this and click close

A software window titled 'Load/Unload Customizations' showing a list of customization groups, with options to load, unload, browse files, close, or access help.

CUI Cleanup

Then type CUI and click enter

On the menu that popped up, click Architecture Default (current) and click customize workspace

*It may not say exactly Architecture Default, just click whichever has (current) next to it*

Screenshot of a software user interface with two sections, labeled 'Customize' and 'Workspace Contents.' The left section shows a file tree with 'Architecture Default (current)' selected and highlighted, marked with a green oval numbered 1. The right section displays 'Customize Workspace' and other related options, highlighted with a green oval numbered 2.

Click the little + next to Ribbon, then the + next to Tabs, then click the green check mark and uncheck output, parametric, visualize, 3d tools, collaborate, and view 2d

*You may have different tabs but the only things that should be checked are Annotate – ACA, Home – ACA, Insert – ACA, Manage – ACA, and View ACA*

Screenshot of a software interface showing customization options with a file hierarchy on the left and workspace contents on the right, titled 'Customize User Interface'.

Then scroll all the way down, click the + next to Partial Customization Files, then the + next to HSBMENU, and then click the green check mark to uncheck the box next to Toolbars

Computer software interface showing customization menu with nested folders and checkboxes, including sections for HSBMENU, Toolbars, Menus, and Ribbon, with some folders expanded.

Then click the + next to Palettes, then click Properties and check below that everything looks like this. Also check Tool Palette after that

If it does not, click whatever is wrong, and then click the down arrow next to it and set it to the correct one

Once everything is correct, click Done, Apply, and OK

Settings

Type HSB_SETTINGS, hit enter, and check that the directory is set to StickFrame_Estiframe and ElementRoof. If it is not, click the 3 dots next to the company text box, click hsbCompany_EstiFrame which will be located at

C:\\EstiFrame_HsbCad\hsbCompany_EstiFrame

Click the folder and click OK and click OK again

Screenshot of a software settings window for hsbcad, showing directory selection and project information, with steps highlighted for choosing the directory and confirming.

Tool Palette

Click the open folder icon in the top left, find your Tool Palettes.dwg file which will be located at

C:\\EstiFrame_HsbCad\hsbCompany_EstiFrame\Tool Palettes\Tool Palettes.dwg

Click it, and click Open

*Make sure your file type at the bottom is set to .dwg*

Screenshot of a Windows file open dialog box displaying a folder called 'Tool Palettes' and the selected file named 'Tool Palettes' with a thumbnail preview on the right. The file type is drawing (*.dwg). There is a green circle and the number 2 marking the selected folder, a green circle and number 3 marking the 'Open' button, and the word 'Check' next to a yellow circle highlighting the file type at the bottom.

Right click at the top of your tool palettes toolbar, click new palette, and name it to EstiFrame

Screenshot of a design software menu showing options for creating and customizing color palettes, with the 'New Palette' option highlighted.

Then in your drawing, click a wall/window/opening and drag it into your tool palette. Repeat until your tool palette contains everything you want.

*You may have to rename some of the tools. To do so just right click on the tool, and click rename*

App Properties

If the app is in your tool bar, right click the hsbDesign app, right click the app again that popped up above the icon, and click properties

If the app is on your desktop, right click the hsbDesign app, and click properties

Computer desktop showing a right-click menu with 'Properties' highlighted, along with file icons and a taskbar.

Next, you are going to change the “Target:” field. Scroll to the left untill you find “AutoCAD Architecture (US Imperial) hsbDesign25”.

Remove all the text in between those 2 quotes with “hsbcad_estiframe”.

The change will look similar to this.

C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2023\acad.exe" /p "AutoCAD Architecture (US Imperial) hsbDesign25" /ld "C:\Program Files\hsbcad\hsbDesign25\Crx2023x64\Hsb_basehsb.crx

"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2023\acad.exe" /p "hsbcad_estiframe" /ld "C:\Program Files\hsbcad\hsbDesign25\Crx2023x64\Hsb_basehsb.crx"

Screenshot of a shortcut creation window for AutoCAD 2020 with the target path highlighted, showing the file name 'adHsbDesign25/Crx2020x64/Hsb_basehsb.crx'.

You are finally Done! Please notify whoever set you up with the trial so you can get started with your training.

EasyFrame