Automatic Joint Specification Columns

Type

For an automatic joint specification, the type is always FIXING.

Name

Specifies the name for the specification component.

Note:
The name must be unique within the database. Names can be auto-generated using auto naming. Refer to Auto Naming Settings for further information.

Owner Type

Specifies the type of the owning section of the joint.

Attached Type

Specifies the type of the attached section of the joint.

Position Line

Specifies the position line of the P-line Datum (PLDATUM) element applicable for the joint.

No of Joints

The number of joints is calculated as the number of PLDATUM elements owned by the Justification Line Datum (JLDATUM) for the joint. If you do not wish to use this feature, leave the answers 0. If you do wish to use the feature, the answer for each joint must be [minimum number of joints , maximum number of joints]. For example, to allow a component to be selected for either one or two joints, give the answer 1,2. To only allow a component to be selected for a two-sided connection, give the answer 2,2. Refer to Number of Joints (NOFJ) for further information.

Catalog Reference

Specifies the reference to the catalog component for the specification component. The column cannot be used with a template reference.

Template Reference

Specifies the reference to the template component for the specification component. The column cannot be used with a catalog reference.

Own Class

Specifies the class (STRUCL attribute) of the owning section of the joint.

Att Class

Specifies the class (STRUCL attribute) of the attached section of the joint.

Joint Relative

Select one of the following:

= The owning and attached sections are equal depth.

> The owning section has a greater depth than the attached section.

< The owning section has a smaller depth than the attached section.

Specific Type

Specifies the type identifier for the joint. Any four-letter word can be used to describe the joint type and group it with other similar joints in the specification. This is useful for separating joints which are valid for the same design context. For example, to choose between a welded joint and a bolted joint may require information not available in design. The default STYP can be selected in the Automatic Joint Specification window in the design phase, so the designer may make the decision to override the default if needed. An = identifier can be used to ignore the STYPE and select the first SPCO where all the criteria are met in the design phase.

Own Width

Specifies the range of valid widths for the owning section of the joint. Minimum and maximum values are separated by a comma, for example, 200,400.

Att Width

Specifies the range of valid widths for the attached section of the joint.

Own Depth

Specifies the range of valid depths for the owning section of the joint.

Att Depth

Specifies the range of valid depths for the attached section of the joint.

Att Relative

The value is only valid when the No of Joints value is 2 or greater. Check all the attached beams for joints under the JLDATUM:

= All attached beams are equal depth.

<> Not all attached beams are equal depth.

Design Params

Specifies design parameters for a joint in the configuration. You can modify the contents of this column using the Design Parameters functionality on the window. Alternatively, consider using the Rule Manager functionality to set the design parameters for joints. Refer to Rule Sets for further information.

Copy

Copies the cell value to the clipboard, ready for pasting.

Paste

Pastes the cell value from the clipboard.

Fill Down

Copies the cell value from the top cell into the other selected cells.

Fill Up

Copies the cell value from the bottom cell into the other selected cells.

Navigate

Sets the current element to an available reference for that row.

Catalog and Template options are active if set in the columns for that row and available in the current project.

Specification Component is active if the row has been loaded from an existing specification and the SPCOM is available in the current project.

View

Displays an image of the joint or fitting details. Design parameters are tagged with a pencil symbol. Catalog and Template options are active if set in the columns for that row and available in the current project, and an image is available.

Cut

Copies the row to the clipboard, ready for pasting.

The functionality is available for multiple selected rows.

Copy

Copies the row to the clipboard, ready for pasting.

The functionality is available for multiple selected rows.

Insert Copied Rows Below

Pastes the row from the clipboard below the currently selected row.

Multiple rows can be pasted from the clipboard.

Move to Start

Moves the currently selected rows to the start of the spec block rows grid.

Move Up

Moves the currently selected rows up the order in the spec block rows grid.

Move Down

Moves the currently selected rows down the order in the spec block rows grid.

Move to End

Moves the currently selected rows to the end of the spec block rows grid.

Insert Rows Below

Adds empty rows below the selection. The number of added empty rows is equal to the number of currently selected rows.

Delete Selected

Deletes the currently selected rows.

A Confirm window displays asking you to confirm the deletion.

Design Parameters

Allows you to view and modify the design parameters for a single automatic joint specification with a valid catalog or template reference.

Make sure the Design Parameters column is selected in the Optional Columns part of the Structural Specification window.

Refer to Design Parameters for further information.

Auto Fill Empty Cells

Auto fills empty cells in the grid. The functionality provides a starting point for editing as the design intent cannot be predicted, the data can be used to view the kind of data that is expected.

If a Catalog or Template reference is selected in the Reference Data part of the Structural Specification window, the reference data is used to populate empty catalog and template cells. Auto naming rules are applied.

The owner type and attached type can be determined from the current catalog reference, if the reference has a dataset member with a purpose of OWNE or Attachment Point (ATTA). The functionality is not available for templates.

If a cell is not filled but content is already available in other rows in the grid, the content is copied into the cell using the fill down option.

Cell content for position lines and owner, or attached widths and depths, is generated arbitrarily and must be edited as needed to achieve the required content.

Design parameters are not auto filled as it is assumed that defaults are available.

Validate Content

Validates cells in the currently displayed Spec Block Rows grid.

The validation process checks for:

• Cells that require content.

• Valid catalog and template references.

• Unique names in the database.

• Names in the specification that are above the 50 character limit.

• Duplicate names.

• Unique suffix numbers within the specification, if the relevant auto-naming option is selected.

The validation process does not check for consistent or meaningful owner or attached width and depth ranges, only that values are present. Design parameter content is also not validated.

If all cells have valid content, then validation checks that no two rows have the same answers.

The first column in the Spec Block Rows grid displays the validation status. Prior to validation, each row displays the Validation pending status.

Following validation, each row displays the Validation passed or Validation failed status.

The failed validation cell is highlighted in the Spec Block Rows grid.

Validation messages display in the Validation Messages part of the Structural Specification window.

Write to Database

Writes the content of the Structural Specification window to a specification in the database. This triggers a validation of all blocks and writing is aborted if any validation errors are reported.

When writing to an existing specification, all the existing SPCOMs are moved to a limbo specification within the current specification world which enables generation of a new selector hierarchy. The SPCOMs are then moved into their appropriate selectors, provided they still have the same catalog and template references. Any SPCOMs that are no longer part of the specification remain in the limbo specification which preserves the references for existing design data.

Important:
When modifying an existing specification, existing selectors are deleted and replaced with a new selector hierarchy containing the appropriate questions and answers.

If the writing process is successful, the specification is reloaded into the Structural Specification window, new specification component references are captured, and any row content can be related to the corresponding database content.

Note:
The order of the specification blocks may not be the same after the writing process as the selector hierarchy is determined by heading and row content, forming questions and answers in the specification, which is reflected in the sequence.