Truss and structural member not connecting

[AngryRigger]

Hi all,

 

I am working my way through the Spotlight rigging + Braceworks course.

 

In exercise 4.3 - hoist challenge, one of the challenges is to connect a stick of truss to a structural beam via a drop. 

 

I cannot get the drop tool to select the beam, I also cannot insert a drop from the Spotlight>Rigging/Braceworks>Insert Drop drop down. Am I missing a step or doing something wrong? I am a new user so hoping this is just operator error. 

 

Screenshots and file attached.

 

 

 

4.3 Hoist Challenge(1) v2025.vwx

[msharon]

Even though it's called a 'structural member', it doesn't have any structural information, so you can't use 'insert connection' or 'insert drop' to connect a truss to a structural member. In 2024, when the course was made, in top/plan you could click on the intersection of the beam and the truss, and it would insert a hoist connected to the truss, with the high hook stopping at the beam. The beam was not structural, it was just a snapping point. We seem to have lost this in 2025, but it is working again in a beta of 2026. The beam isn't part of the calculations. To see the load on the beam, you would need to look at the load on the high hook (for a hoist) or the house rigging point that is created when you run calculations (for a bridle). For 2025, insert the hoist, and set the high hook height to match the height of the structural member.

The rigging course will be updated to show the new features and settings in 2026.

[AngryRigger]

Thank you for the response. This is helpful.

[cglow]

Just throwing this out there - you can use the Bridle tool and connect the truss to 2 adjacent points on the same beam. Make your down-leg almost the same height as the drop you want, and then choose the "replace downleg with hoist" from the OIP. This will technically give you a bridle on the same beam where the legs connect 1" apart... but it will also give you the desired visual of a chainhoist connected to a structural member. 

 

It's a good visual tool for communication with the House rigging team/PE/AHJ... coupled with what @msharon said about conveying the load information to House/PE/AHJ.