Welcome to the August newsletter Team,
Wow, we are stuck in the middle of a calm so it seems, both with work and with the swell. There seems to be very little around for a lot of the users on the work front and that is reflected with my early morning surfing. Flat all round.
I have been taking the opportunity to test software, create some new tools and travel around to catch up with users. Last month I received some criticism from my esteemed colleague Stephan for publishing such a ‘light’ newsletter. So for this month I will try to contribute a little more... He’s a hard bloke to please that one ;o)
So let’s kick it off with some tips and tricks:-
Creating a cone in ProSteel
Naming Conventions Naming Conventions allow us to modify a lot of the Shapes that exist in the ProSteel database into ‘one-off specials’ These ‘Specials’ perform just like a normal Shape. They can be cut, stretched etc. So they are very handy. There are a couple of rules though.
1) The first step is to go to our ProSteel Options – That is where we can find our Naming Conventions.
2) Go to Shapes, then Naming Conventions.
Here you can see the different Shapes we are allowed to modify. Now the trick is with the formula that we are given, remove the $ and remove the parentheses (brackets)
So let’s take the first entry of Round Bar/Rod.
In ProSteel, if we had a Round Bar – Say Dia 20. We could turn that into a massive bearing Pile 4 Metres in diameter by giving it the Naming Convention formula of:- Rd 4000
That simple! So let’s practice one.
3) Draw a short length of CHS using the settings shown below
The result should look like this
4) Now go to General Data -> Shape Size
Now normally we would choose a different size from the pull-down. But here’s where we put our Name expression.
In our ProSteel Naming Conventions is states:- Pipe/ Tube = RO $(D)x$(T) **Don’t forget, we remove the ‘$’ and the parentheses ‘()’ = RO DxT where D= Diameter and T= Thickness. Then tick OK.
And here is our result. Cool hey.
So, that is Naming Conventions. Now let’s create a Cone.
Modelling Cones To create a cone we use the procedure of Naming Conventions and then we modify the new object to change its shape. Now I will start off with the basics and then I will go through different options with you. Here is the procedure:- - Draw a 180 Deg. Arc or Circle with a Diameter of 500mm - If Circle, cut it in half ** we never try to insert a shape on a full circle in ProSteel – It will give you trouble** - Insert a Bent Shape (100x10 FL) onto the arc - Using Naming Conventions – Change the 100x10FL to Plate 500x10 - Change the Layer from PS Shape to PS Plate to reflect our changed object - Rotate our changed plate in increments to create a cone
OK, that’s it! So let’s take that all one step at a time. 1) Draw a 180 Degree Arc with a Radius of 250mm 2) Insert Bent Shape - Using 100x10 Flat Bar settings as shown
Here is your result below
3) Now go to the Shape Properties -> Shape Type and change the Size from 100x10 to Plate 500x10
4) Click OK when you are done
Here is your result
5) Now this is personal preference, but I believe because we have now nominated that our object is Plate, that we should also amend the Layer that it has been modelled on. So change the Layer from PS Shape to PS Plate.
6) Now to make our cone. This part is really simple. With our rotation, we can rotate in 90 degree increments, or alternatively, by a user angle
See below I have set the Rotation Angle to 5 Degrees
As you select the -Phi the cone angle changes while you watch.
7) A simple copy and rotate and you have a full cone.
Fine Tuning
OK, so what we have done so far has been very simple and we know that all cones are never simple.
Really the only thing we have to do is work out our true plate length and rotation angle. These should be accurate to a few decimal places or else you don’t quite get the cone perfect. So I sketch up the inside dimensions of the cone I wish to model.
You can see below, my plate length would be 427.2mm So the Naming Convention = Plate 427.2x10 And the rotation angle shown is 69.444 Degrees So that is 69.444 from 90 Degrees = -Phi = 20.556
Those figures will give you the exact cone you require.
Tips - If the plate turns yellow it has gone to KSDEBUG and is corrupted. Start again. - The cone can’t be developed, but it can be measured off to ease your manual development. - Polycuts work well but will cut right through. If you want a cut or notch one side, try object subtract.
Grating in ProSteel
First we create our grating using either the ProSteel Distribute Wall/Roof Panels function (PS_ROWADISPATCH)
With this function you can create a Polyline boundary around the support steelwork and insert your grating panels within that boundary. I normally offset my polyline in the industry standard 10mm from edge of steel, but you can also get ProSteel to handle that for you with Option 7 below.
As you can see in the picture below, I set my length to 6000 and my width to 1010. If you set a maximum panel width of 1000 in the Shapes Tab, ProSteel will produce your panels in 6000x1000 panels... just like the Grating manufacturers do. Your panel sections will also have 10mm gaps in between, just like the spec.
Shown below is our Shapes dialogue. See in here we have set our panel width to 1000 and our thickness to suit the requirements. The Name "Grating" comes from my Plate Description file (pro_st3d.pdc)
Once our panels have been created we can rename them and set the mass properties for them in the ProSteel Shape Dialogue like I have in the one below.
Now, the trick to Grating is setting the load bars so they span across the support steel as per the Manufacturers specifications. The Panels themselves can be adjusted by object grips and snaps. Drag them around if you need to get the directions and spans correct.
Because we have used ProSteel objects, any modifications are a snap! For penetrations, try drawing a circle or rectangle around the shape requiring clearance and then doing a PolyCut with 30mm clearance. Works great!
Now the final thing to prepare is assigning (or fixing) load bar direction so our panels detail correctly.
In the newer versions of ProSteel we have a switch in the Options to show the load bar direction. So if our load bars are supposed to go the length of the panel (but they currently don't) how do we fix them? Well that's easy, we just need to change the plate length direction.
It is found in the ProSteel Plate Dialogue and looks like a Grating Panel button. With this function we select the panel to be changed, then the new length/load bar direction. Simple as that... you will see the grid markers flip around so you can tell if it's correct. Remember, check the load bar marker.
OK, now the last thing we need to check is in our Detail Style. The switch we want is the STRUCTURAL Switch as shown below.
And here is what we get from our detailing; I have shown a Single Part and a Marking Plan.
Single Part - Preview
Marking Plan - Preview
And there we have ProSteel working with Grating, a nice neat result that needs minimal user editing.
ProConcrete
I have been working on steel this month. Nothing for concrete, sorry.
Training
No training to report this month, too busy driving and flying.
Travel Trips
Well travel has been pretty crazy this month. I’ve been to Sydney Northern suburbs and Newcastle. Then we went up to Maryborough last week and then back down to Sydney this week. Just a nuts month!
“T2” is racking up the miles at the moment. On an upside, he gets twice the distance to a tank over old “Tonka”.
Now I do have some good gossip for you ProSteel on AutoCAD users out there!!
A lot of you have asked me how you can get the iModel Composer that comes with MicroStation. Well I have a way! Get yourself a Bentley Passport. The Bentley Passport includes Bentley Navigator and iModel Composer and is very cheap. The best part is that you don’t need to have any other Bentley software to acquire a Passport. This means your Engineer associates can get a Passport, and using Navigator, view, check and mark up your iModels. Please get in contact with me if you think this is for you.
While we are on the subject, Bentley are offering a free trial of some of their iWare Apps at the moment. There are some very funky tools for the site supervisor available. Please go and have a look.
I have been testing my S6 betas (MS and PS) to see what the developers have added/broken. Some good news, some not-so-good. For those of you on MicroStation, you will be happy to know that a lot of the functionality available in the AutoCAD version is starting to creep across.
The biggest things I have noticed so far (still a lot to test tho):- 1) New Cast-In bolt function 2) New Stair function 3) Presentation modes in the Detail Styles for different concrete/materials 4) Mesh in ProConcrete 5) Auto view rotate in MicroStation 6) Projectwise functionality 7) Location marks for components of all connections (for NC scribing) 8) Rotate switch for Base and End Plates
Just to name a few things I have spotted.
I have been working with the Bentley team specialists (Projectwise and Staad) on what can be achieved in a team environment. Really opened my eyes up to what can be achieved by collaboration and workflow. ISM, iModel, and file sharing across a GLOBAL network, awesome to be a part of. I know that quite a few of you have been bouncing around the whole ISM sharing thing. I think that I will go through it a little in one of my next newsletters. There seems to be a ton of confusion what format should have what functionality.
So before next month I will try to do some research and see if I can present something for you all.
SS5 AutoCAD will have a patch released shortly. Some people have had issues with my Column Detail Style that I have addressed. If any of you running my Config have had problems with the Document Centre or Partlist tools, please send me an email with your ProSteel version and AutoCAD version and I will send you a patch.
SS5 MicroStation version still needs a little fine tuning from my end. I created my very first custom toolbar in MicroStation last week. I know that sounds like it should be easy but remember that I am an ACAD boy from way back so this is brand new territory for me. I was like a proud Dad :o)
So now that I have that little mission completed, it is up to my lads to port the Config tools over to VB.NET for MicroStation for me and we are away for S6!
Speaking of the lads, we have been working hard on the S6 tools, doing lots of testing. I am very happy to say my new Purlin Lap tool is completed. It works so well and so fast it will make your head spin. Entire Process Plants or Shopping Centres will have the Purlins and Girts Lapped, drilled and bolted in seconds… It has to be seen to be believed. I am thrilled!
I have been in discussions with the Bentley development team to see if they can alter the source code to allow my S5 Batch Partlist to work with a database created on the fly rather than the current method of selecting the existing database. I haven’t had an answer yet, but they were very impressed at the tool itself… fingers crossed.
Currently in the testing phase of Auto-Display and Auto-Area classes. Its going really well, we are just trying to make it a little more ‘bulletproof’. I think there will still be instances where it might get caught out, but as long as it does most of the work for you I will be pleased. Just to give you an idea, one of my bigger models has around 30,000 components. The Display Classes are assigned in 5 seconds and the Area Classes in 7 seconds… Not bad, and somewhat faster than doing it manually :o)
ProStructures S5 Service Pack 1 It’s HERE!!!
ProStructures S6 (ACAD/MS) Ummm… Later in 2013
Power ProStructures Ummm… Later in 2013
ProStructures for MicroStation V8i Select Series 5 (08.11.10.75)
ProStructures for AutoCAD V8i Select Series 5 (08.11.10.75)
MicroStation V8i Select Series 3 (08.11.09.357) ProSteel S5 Object Enabler V8i Select Series 5 (08.11.10.54)
**ProStructures = ProSteel + ProConcrete**
OK Team, that’s it from me. Let me know if I can help with Demos, Quotes, Sales, Config, Upgrades, or anything ProStructures related.
Happy ProSteeling Team.
Cheers. :o)