In steel fabrication drawings and production design, the use of 3D CAD and BIM is expanding. Among the programs commonly used in Japan's structural steel industry, two that stand out are S/F REAL4 and Tekla Structures.

Both can create 3D steel models and use them to produce fabrication drawings and various data, but they differ in their strengths, operation, data integration, and approach to adoption.

• “What is the difference between REAL4 and Tekla?”
• “Which one should we choose for steel fabrication drawings?”
• “Which one better suits our company's work?”

In this article, from the perspective of steel fabrication drawings and production design, we compare the features of S/F REAL4 and Tekla Structures and explain clearly which cases each one is best suited to.

I. What Are S/F REAL4 and Tekla Structures?

1. What Is S/F REAL4?

S/F REAL4 is a 3D CAD system dedicated to structural steel, provided by DATALOGIC. It supports not only steel modeling but also a wide range of tasks required for steel fabrication, such as drawing production, creating schedules and reports, and output of fabrication-related data.

In fact, REAL4 provides functions related to steel fabrication, such as main steel frames, purlins, drafting and output, and construction zones and painting. It also supports integration with general-purpose CAD data such as DXF and DWG, as well as data exchange with Revit, ArchiCAD, Tekla Structures, and others.

In other words, rather than simply “software for creating 3D models,” REAL4 is best understood as a dedicated CAD built around the realities of steel fabrication work.

2. What Is Tekla Structures?

Tekla Structures is 3D structural modeling software provided by Trimble. It supports not only steel but also concrete and various other structural types, and, with the 3D model at its core, handles drawings, quantities, and a range of fabrication information.

With Tekla Structures, you can create general drawings, steel fabrication drawings, and more from the 3D model. It also supports data exchange with other BIM software via IFC and other formats, making it well suited to BIM workflows in which multiple stakeholders in design, construction, and fabrication use the 3D model.

The 2026 version is offered in subscription tiers such as Diamond, Graphite, and Carbon, allowing users to choose functions according to their work. Diamond in particular includes functions for handling detailing and fabrication information.

II. Key Differences Between REAL4 and Tekla Structures

Both REAL4 and Tekla Structures support 3D steel models and fabrication drawings.

However, they differ in design philosophy and areas of strength. Broadly speaking, the differences can be summarized as follows.

However, this table alone cannot tell you “which one is better.” What matters is what kind of work you mainly do.

III. Key Features of S/F REAL4

Reference: S/F REAL4 | DATALOGIC

1. Designed Specifically for Steel Fabrication Work

A major feature of REAL4 is its specialization in steel work. As a steel-dedicated CAD, it offers functions designed around the real work of steel fabricators, covering not only modeling but also fabrication drawings, fabrication-related data, and schedules and reports.

For this reason:

• Creating steel fabrication drawings
• Studying members and beam-column connections
• Creating general drawings and detail drawings
• Managing member information
• Producing quantities, schedules and reports
• Creating fabrication-related data

It is a strong match for this kind of work centered on steel fabrication.

2. Usability as a Steel-Dedicated CAD

Compared with general-purpose 3D modeling software, REAL4 stands out for being built on the concepts required for steel fabrication. Information frequently handled in steel fabrication, such as steel members, connections, and bolts, can be managed within the model.

This makes it easier for companies specializing in steel fabrication to build operations tailored to their work.

3. Links to Processing and Fabrication

In steel fabrication, the job does not end once the drawings are complete.

The information you create has to be carried through the actual fabrication process: “design → fabrication drawings → processing → assembly → inspection → painting → shipping”.

REAL4 is used as a system designed with this steel fabrication flow in mind. For steel fabricators and companies involved in steel fabrication in particular, it is important to use 3D models not just for “visual checks” but as fabrication information.

IV. Key Features of Tekla Structures

Reference: Tekla Structures | Trimble

1. A BIM Workflow Centered on the 3D Model

A major feature of Tekla Structures is that it lets you place the 3D model at the center of your work. The model can carry not only member geometry but also a wide range of information, such as material, member numbers, connections, bolts, and welds.

This makes it easier to build a flow of “3D model → drawings → quantities → fabrication information → integration with other systems”.

2. Integration with BIM Environments Beyond Steel

Tekla Structures is not a system limited to structural steel. Using IFC and other formats, it also supports data exchange with other BIM software, including Revit.

For example, a flow such as “Revit → Tekla Structures → steel model and fabrication drawings → fabrication and construction” can be used to connect the design-side BIM model with the steel fabrication-side model.

Of course, in actual projects you need to check data conversion between software, model quality, each company's operating rules, and so on.

3. Also Useful for Studying Complex Connection Details

Steel construction involves not only simple beams and columns but also complex beam-column connections and interfaces with other trades. With a 3D model, you can check in three dimensions the areas that are hard to grasp from 2D drawings alone.

In particular:

• Complex beam-column connections
• Beam-to-column connections
• Clashes with MEP
• Interfaces with architectural elements
• Connection details that take erection into account

Studying items like these in advance lets you take full advantage of the 3D model.

V. REAL4 or Tekla: Which Should You Choose?

Having read this far, the question “So in the end, should we use REAL4 or Tekla?” naturally comes up. In conclusion, the right choice depends on where the core of your work lies.

1. REAL4 If Steel Fabrication Is Your Focus

REAL4 may be a good fit for companies such as:

• Steel fabricators
• Steel fabrication companies
• Companies whose work centers on steel fabrication drawings
• Companies that want to handle everything consistently, through to steel processing and fabrication data
• Companies that want to build their operations around a steel-dedicated CAD

In particular, if your goal is “to efficiently handle the information needed to fabricate steel,” you can make the most of REAL4's strengths as a dedicated CAD.

2. Tekla If BIM and 3D Models Are Your Focus

On the other hand, Tekla Structures may be a good fit for companies such as:

• Companies whose work centers on BIM
• Companies handling large-scale buildings
• Companies handling complex steel structures
• Companies that prioritize integration with other BIM software
• Companies that want to use 3D models across design, construction, and fabrication
• Companies that prioritize data exchange with international BIM environments

Beyond steel fabrication drawings, Tekla Structures excels when you want to use the 3D model as the information platform for the entire project.

3. No Need to Limit Yourself to “One or the Other”

In practice, there is no need to think of REAL4 and Tekla simply as competing software. Depending on the project and the company's work, different software may be used for different purposes.

For example:

• REAL4: work centered on steel fabrication
• Tekla: BIM models, complex connection details, integration with other systems
• AutoCAD: 2D drawing editing
• Revit: architectural BIM
• Navisworks / Solibri: model review and clash detection

In this way, it is also possible to combine the strengths of each tool.

What matters is not “which software has the most features,” but which software will make your company's workflow most efficient when built into it.

VI. In Steel Fabrication Drawings, It's Not Just About the “Software”

1. Installing Software Alone Does Not Produce Fabrication Drawings

Introducing REAL4 or Tekla Structures does not mean you can immediately produce high-quality steel fabrication drawings. Steel fabrication drawings require not only software skills but also:

• Knowledge of steel structures
• The ability to read drawings
• Knowledge of beam-column connections and splices
• Understanding of the fabrication process
• Understanding of erection
• Each shop's fabrication rules
• Understanding of Japanese drawing and quality standards

and more. Especially important is the fact that “creating a model” and “creating a model that can actually be fabricated” are not the same thing.

2. Modeling with Fabrication and Erection in Mind

In steel BIM, simply converting design drawings into 3D is not enough.

• Can it actually be fabricated in the shop?
• Can it be assembled on site?
• Are there any problems with the bolts or welds?
• Does it clash with other members?
• Are there any problems with transport or erection?

Models and drawings must be checked from these perspectives as well.

That is why, in steel fabrication drawing work, engineers' experience and knowledge matter as much as the software.

VII. Outsourcing or Offshoring Steel Fabrication Drawings

When outsourcing steel fabrication drawings, it is important to check in advance not only the software used, but what scope the provider can cover.

For example:

• Fabrication drawings in REAL4
• 3D modeling in Tekla Structures
• 2D drawings in AutoCAD
• Model integration with Revit
• IFC data exchange
• Clash detection
• NC data and processing-related data
• Quantities, schedules and reports

Define the scope of work your company needs, such as the items above, before choosing an outsourcing partner.

Also, whether the provider has not mere “CAD operators” but engineers who can read design drawings, understand steel connection detailing, and create drawings and models with fabrication in mind

is also an important factor in your decision.

Even when using an overseas engineering team, it is important not to aim merely at securing drafting capacity, but to design the whole operation, including the software used, drawing standards, checking system, and communication methods.

VIII. Summary - Choose REAL4 or Tekla by “Purpose,” Not by “Which Is Better”

S/F REAL4 and Tekla Structures can both be used to create steel fabrication drawings and 3D models, but each has its own characteristics.

REAL4, as a dedicated CAD centered on steel fabrication, is highly compatible with the real work of steel fabricators. On the other hand, Tekla Structures, built around the 3D structural model, can be used widely, not only for steel fabrication drawings but also for BIM, design, construction, and integration with other systems.

For this reason:

• Focused on steel fabrication → REAL4
• Focused on BIM and 3D models → Tekla Structures

This way of thinking serves as a useful guideline.

However, in actual work, it is also possible to combine multiple software packages, including both of these. And most importantly, it is not about the software itself.

It is about what kind of fabrication drawings and BIM models engineers who understand steel structures, fabrication, and erection can produce with that software.

This is what makes the biggest difference to the quality of steel fabrication drawings and to work efficiency. NOOVASTEEL supports the creation of steel fabrication drawings, BIM models, and various data in whichever environment suits each project's requirements, including REAL4, Tekla Structures, AutoCAD, and Revit.

We also take on work with customer-specified software, and build a team tailored to each project's goals, covering everything from design drawings to fabrication drawings, BIM models, and processing and fabrication data.