Tech Tip: Manage Your Structure with Advance Steel Workplanes

11 May 2023Advance Steel, AEC, Autodesk Software, IT Services, Structural designAdvance Steel, Structural, Tips and Tricks

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Tech Tip: Manage Your Structure with Advance Steel Workplanes

Did you know that you can create vertical workplanes (faςades) and attach elements to them? The following instructions will show you how to utilize the Advance Steel Project Explorer Workplanes to save time and enhance efficiency by moving elements and attaching them to workplanes!

You can also customize column heights using workplanes. In the following article I will explain how to do that using two Definition Methods.

  1.   Create a workplane in the xOy plane of the current coordinate system.
  2.  Create a workplane by using 3 points.

How to Create Workplanes in Your 3D Model

The Create Workplane toolset is located on the Home tab, Project panel, Project Explorer drop-down.

Advance Steel menu for Project Explorer
  1.  Create a workplane in the xOy plane of the current coordinate system.

A Facade Workplane will be created at Grid line 1 for this demonstration. 

Place your UCS accordingly prior.

Expand the Project Explorer, Workplane tab; right-click and select Create Workplane from the contextual menu.

Advance Steel menu to create workplane

You will be prompted for a FOLDER name.  Name the folder.

“Facade” was used for this demonstration.

The Definition method dialog will be displayed.

From the dialog box, select the At the current UCS, in the XOY plane option.

Advance steel menu for definition method

You will be prompted to select a point in the XY plane you defined earlier.

Next, you will be prompted for a WORKPLANE name.

“FACADE @ GRID 1” was used for this demonstration.

On the command line, enter a name for the workplane, then hit the Enter key.

The workplane is created.

To bind or attach elements, select the columns and beams prior.

Select the Workplanes button.

Right click the text FACADE @ GRID 1 on the workplanes, then scroll and select the Properties panel.

Advance Steel menu for properties

Change the Default Level to Facade. Then select OK.

Advance Steel workplane properties settings

Again, right click the text FACADE @ GRID 1 on the workplanes. Scroll and select the Attach elements option.

You will be prompted to select the Geometry points; select the points you want to attach/bind to the workplane.

Then hit the Enter key.

Now, when the workplane FACADE @ GRID 1 is moved, the elements in which the geometry points were selected will be moved along, with the distance you specified.

computer rendering of workplanes layout, gold colored columns

2.  Create a Workplane by Using 3 Points.

For this demonstration, the Divide and Measure toolset was used prior, assisting in picking points for the slope.

computer drawing of building layout with menu of icons on right

Expand the Project Explorer Workplane tab, right-click, and select Create Workplane from the contextual menu.

Advance steel menu showing "create workplane"

You will be prompted for a FOLDER name.  Name the folder, then hit the Enter key.

SLOPED_ROOF” was used for this demonstration.

The Definition method dialog will be displayed.

From the dialog box, select the By three points option.

Advance Steel menu to choose definition method

You will be prompted to select first point:

Select the top node of the column at grid 2A, then the node of the column at grid 3C, and finally the node of the column at 1C.

computer drawing showing columns with coils around numbers 1, 2 and 3

Next, you will be prompted for a WORKPLANE name.

On the command line, enter a name for the workplane.

SLOPED_ROOF” was used for this demonstration.

Then hit the Enter key. The workplane is created.

To bind or attach elements, select the columns prior.

Select the Workplanes button.

Right click the text SLOPED_ROOF on the workplanes, then scroll and select the Properties panel. Make sure the Attachment method is set to Level.

Select OK.

computer drawing of a sloped roof grid

While the columns you want sloped are selected, right click the SLOPED_ROOF text and select the Attach elements option.

computer drawing of advance steel menu on left and sketch of vertical and horizontal lines of a sloped roof

You will be prompted to select the red geometry point at the columns’ tops, as displayed in the figure below.

computer drawing of ten yellow columns, three with coils around them and one with boxing around it

Hit the enter key when done.

The columns are sloped. Delete the AutoCAD point symbols. You should have something similar to the figure below.

computer drawing of yellow columns on right and advance steel menu on left

Select the workplanes button to view the newly created SLOPE_ROOF workplane.

computer erection drawing showing dotted line representation of sloped roof in blue

Partner with Graitec Group to work with technical experts like Janet Black. For more information contact us today.


Learn more about Advance Steel in the on-demand webinar: Advance Steel Workflows to Lighten Your Load.


 

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