Upgrade Guide

Version 14 (July 2026)

VisualFoundation 14 introduces IES Intelligence, a new AI-powered interface for building, modifying, investigating, and documenting foundation designs using natural-language prompts. Describe what you want to accomplish, and IES Intelligence can perform individual actions or complete multi-step engineering tasks within the program. IES Intelligence directs the workflow, while VisualFoundation continues to perform all analysis and design calculations using the same validated IES finite-element engine and design checks. The video below demonstrates IES Intelligence through a complete foundation design example.

IES Intelligence

  • Create and modify foundation geometry, piers, loads, reinforcement, design criteria, and other model properties using natural-language prompts
  • Review critical analysis results, governing design checks, unity values, and controlling load combinations
  • Ask why an item passes or fails and receive explanations based on the model, applicable design requirements, and calculated results
  • Make targeted model revisions and perform engineer-directed design iterations, evaluating the updated results after each change
  • Summarize model changes, compare results between design iterations, and identify the first design that satisfies specified requirements
  • Open relevant results, design tables, reports, and help topics, and generate reports containing selected analysis and design information

New Design Specifications

  • ACI 318-25
  • CSA A23.3:24
  • CSA S16:24 for steel piles
  • NDS 2024 LRFD & ASD for wood piles

New Scripting Commands

  • Obtain project settings and model-object properties
  • Rename slabs, piles, grade beams, and walls
  • Specify grade beam longitudinal reinforcement, side reinforcement, stirrups, yield strength, and cover
  • Configure footing design criteria, minimum reinforcement, and punching shear settings
  • Configure pile, pier, and grade beam design specifications and seismic options
  • Enable or disable design checks for individual piles, piers, and grade beams
  • Define steel pile seismic compactness, expected yield strength, and moment-frame participation
  • Set grade beam check level, framing column widths, and shear-at-d options
  • Obtain the overall project status, current status items, and project summary
  • Obtain unity checks for slabs, punching shear, piles, piers, grade beams, stability, sliding, uplift, overturning, and bearing
  • Obtain available report tables and display the report view
  • Convert values with units to the current project units

Updated Help System

  • Completely redesigned help system with a cleaner, more modern layout
  • Improved navigation, search, and organization for finding information more quickly
  • Improved readability and usability across desktop and mobile devices

IES Intelligence Video

Watch the video below for an in-depth example of using IES Intelligence to create a foundation model, apply loads, review design results, make revisions, investigate design checks, and generate a report. Additional training videos can be found on the Training Videos page.