How to Use Angelus Block's BIM Tools and 3D Unit Library

Updated

Angelus Block provides BIM tools and a 3D Unit Library so design teams can place accurate concrete masonry units (CMUs) and pavers directly into their models. The 3D Unit Library lets you generate and download SketchUp and ACAD unit models, while the BIM tools cover Revit applications and BIM assets. If you are an architect, engineer, or contractor working on a project that specifies Angelus Block products, these resources let you model the actual units rather than generic placeholders.

What Is Available

Angelus Block groups its digital design resources into two connected areas:

  • 3D Unit Library — generate and download SketchUp and ACAD unit models.
  • BIM Tools — applications for Revit, assets for BIM, and 3D models.

Both sit alongside the company's other AEC resources, which include samples, continuing education (CE), specifications, guides, and SKM materials. The Download Center is the entry point for downloadable files.

Step-by-Step: Getting a Unit Model into Your Project

  1. Confirm the product you need. Decide whether your project uses standard CMU, CarbonKind low-carbon CMU, Omni Block insulated CMU, or architectural pavers. The unit geometry and available colors/textures differ by product type.
  2. Open the 3D Unit Library. Use it to generate the specific unit model you want rather than browsing a fixed catalog.
  3. Choose your format. Select SketchUp or ACAD depending on your design platform.
  4. Generate and download the model. The library produces the file for you to save locally.
  5. Import into your model. Place the downloaded unit into your SketchUp or AutoCAD file at the correct scale and orientation.
  6. For Revit workflows, use the BIM tools instead. The Revit applications and BIM assets are the intended path for Revit-based projects, so you get native families rather than imported geometry.

Expected result: your model contains the actual Angelus Block unit, so quantities, dimensions, and visual representation match what will be specified and built.

Choosing the Right Resource

Your situation Use this
SketchUp or AutoCAD project 3D Unit Library (SketchUp / ACAD models)
Revit project BIM Tools (Revit applications, BIM assets)
Need specs, guides, or CE material AEC Resources
Need to verify color or texture options Colors & Textures (availability by product type)
Need product data or files Download Center

Common Sticking Points

  • Format mismatch. The 3D Unit Library outputs SketchUp and ACAD models. If you work in Revit, go through the BIM tools rather than importing a SketchUp or ACAD file, which can lose parametric behavior.
  • Product type matters. Colors and textures are listed as available by product type, so confirm the unit you generate matches the product actually specified.
  • Sustainability data is separate. If your project has green or resilient goals, the CarbonKind EPDs and Sustainability & Resilience resources are the relevant references — not the model files themselves.

Where This Fits in a Design Workflow

Use the 3D Unit Library and BIM tools during design development, when unit selection and layout are still flexible. Pair them with the AEC Resources (specs, guides, SKM materials) so the model and the written specification stay consistent. For projects tracking embodied carbon, the published CarbonKind EPDs provide the Global Warming Potential figures to reference alongside your unit selection.