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how to draw a steel section column/pillar???


ant

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I need to draw a steel square hollow section column and cannot work out the best way to draw this. Is there a tool like the 'joist tool'. I have found the AEC tool but this seems very simple and hard work to create steel columns with. please help

thanks

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Antony,

If you are using VW2008 Architect, go to the Detailing toolset and select the Square Tubing tool.

Place the object where you want and change the parameters of the object to the size you want.

Use the "Ungroup" command on the object. It will turn the PIO into a polyline.

From the AEC menu, choose the "Pillar" command and give it a height.

The Pillar is a hybrid object, so the 2D profile can be editted/changed at any time and will retain its height.

The Pillar tool is most useful when creating custom column geometries currently not supported in the VW2008 column tool.

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Jeffrey I notice that you can dash the pillar object as well, this would be great for beams, I just drew a basic "I" beam shape as a polygon and made a pillar, the only problem is I went to rotate (so its a beam not a column) and I got the message: "This operation only works on hybrid objects in plan projection".

What am I missing? I know I could extrude the shape but then would be no use for plans since cant dash extrusions. I have used the other framing member / beam tools but you cant customize the shape (only rectangles etc).

It must be something simple that Im missing but I have got no idea how to create a 3D object that i can dash, I know its possible since floor objects and pillars etc can be dashed.

Thanks for your time.

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Fantastic just what I need! Thanks.

So what about a customized shape... what if I made an odd shape (not a beam) how would I show this as dashed for floor plan? I have been using extrusions but these cant be dashed so no good for plans. Am I using the right tool?

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Fantastic just what I need! Thanks.

So what about a customized shape... what if I made an odd shape (not a beam) how would I show this as dashed for floor plan? I have been using extrusions but these cant be dashed so no good for plans. Am I using the right tool?

I'll take a stab at this one. draw the dashed lines that you wish to see in the floor plan then select both the dashed lines and the extrusion. Use Modify > Create symbol and name the symbol (check leave instance in place). This will create a hybrid object that will show the 2D line work while in plan and the 3D extrusion while in other views. If you need to edit either the 2d or 3d later, go to the the view you wish to edit and double click the symbol.

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Yeah thanks for that "AllYourBase" this is the method I have been using at the moment but it requires having two instances of the same object, one 2D and one 3D, any change to one needs to be redone to the other.

The direction of CAD is draw it once in my view.

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So Jeffrey what tool should I use to create a "C" channel at an angle to horizontal? When I tried the "steel C section joist" I could get the size I wanted but when I went to rotate it I got the message: "This operation only works on hybrid objects in plan projection".

I can have a "rafter" at an angle but cant get the coreect size.

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OK I didnt realize that with a hybrid symbol the 3D object disapears in top/plan view, thats handy. The two problems I have with hybrid symbols is my initial understanding was that you needed to have two classes for one object (so you could turn the 3D object off to see the dashed rectangle using classes), so this doesnt seem to be a problem anymore.

There is still the problem that to change the length or width of a hybrid symbol it requires makin the change to two objects (or copying and pasting the 2D object into the embedded area of the 3D object).

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Andre,

We are well aware of the VW2008 limitations to the Joist and Framing Member. Pursuing extruded geometries and custom hybrid symbols is your best alternative, at this time.

The other thing to remember is the use of classes, class attributes and sheet layer viewports to control final graphics for objects. By assigning the 2D graphics of your symbols to use class atributes, you can override the linestyle, weight and color in various viewports, for different representations (e.g. solid lines for structural framing plan, dashed lines for "architectural" floor plan, for example).

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Well Jeffrey,I hope you got it right and have included prelim analysis tools like FBDs,BMDs etc...

Chris, I can not make any such promises, nor should you make any such assumptions. Today, the intent is to implement a robust and reliable IFC data exchange to support a workflow between VectorWorks and various analysis programs (e.g. structural, energy, quantity take-off, etc.). This will evolve over time as we find opportunities and agreements to support such workflows from other software applications.

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Chris microstation didn't do it out of the box. Far from it in fact:

Arup created a 3D centerline wire-frame and exported it to a structural analysis program for engineering. The analyzed model was output to a text file containing geometric and structural member design data. Next, Arup wrote a MicroStation VBA routine that used the text file to create a complete 3D model of the steel structure. By enabling MicroStation Development Language (MDL) functions, the model could be created as surfaces, solids, or structural elements as appropriate. ?The ability to use the VBA scripts to create our geometry, which gave us the link from the engineering and analysis model to our working 3D CAD model, was very important,? Bull said. With more than 22,000 beams and 12,000 nodes in the structure, the automation by the VBA routine saved Arup months of manual 3D modeling.

I'd dispute that analysis comes first. The ideas comes first and then the form. Analysis is just a process to determine if the proposal is feasible. That is how the Water Cube came about.

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