Automatic Steelwork Orientation

The Supports application can automatically orientate the support structure steel members of a framework support, dependant on the orientation of identified stiffeners. This function is available when you create a framework support using the build by cursor method within the framework creation process. The example indicates a typical example of a framework support (XFT08).

The correct orientation is achieved by utilizing appropriate templates. Each standard template has four alternatives. The names of the alternative templates are followed by a suffix, which is a configuration code based on the orientation of the stiffeners. Only templates that are built up from angle profiles have oriented alternatives.

The template catalogue has left and right hand versions of a template.

When the support framework is created using the build by cursor method. You are prompted to identify the first stiffener, then the second stiffener.

Once the stiffeners are identified, the Supports application checks that their gtype is angle. If so, the orientation of the stiffener is stored as a number in user-defined attribute (uda) :MdsTmplOri at STRU level. The Supports application then checks for the existence of an oriented template with this number; if found, this is used instead of the standard template.

Note:
Subsequent modifications of the support using build by clearance or dimensions methods selects the oriented template first.

All settings (number of bars, min/max bore, etc) are always obtained from the standard template, except the value stored in uda :MDSBuildStyl, that is copied from the alternative.

Currently, only DIN frames have oriented alternatives, stored in APPLDW/SUPPORT/FRAMES/ORI/. These are as follows: