Templates

When working with ProSteel 3D you will encounter a variety of dialog boxes in which you can enter or manipulate many different settings.

Most of these will be repeated during your design tasks or be used in a slightly modifier form (e.g., frequently required bore drawings). Thus, it would be convenient to save these for later access. For this purpose ProSteel 3D offers a template management function.

Individual dialog windows feature the button TEMPLATE, which may be used to open the template management function. You then can either load or save you individual settings. The type of saved entry available depends on the dialog boxes from which they are opened. For example, while using the function "Work Frame" you will see only saved work frames, while using the function "Drilling" – as illustrated in this example – you will see only bore drawings.

This template management function can be utilized within a network. This means that once saved parameters are available to all other employees regardless of the current project.

Properties

Due to the complete integration of ProSteel 3D utilizing the Object ARX technology all shapings of a shape display the appropriate properties, which can be accessed with the normal AutoCAD function.

Just as the color or layer of a line can be changes, all associated properties and shapings can be accessed via one dialog box. It is not possible to explain this incredible function in detail at this point. Since some of the properties are self-explanatory, only the most important ones are explained at this time.

Logical Links

A very special and timesaving function of ProSteel 3D is the option to establish logical links between the individual building components.Logical links are links between ProSteel 3D objects and their revisions with other ProSteel 3D objects. If you have modified a building component with other components, all of the individual components participating in this "action" know about the modifications. If you now change one of these components, all others will adapt themselves automatically according to the applied method or modification.

In this case, the individual shapes know which method (plate connection with uneven shape) is used for their connection. Modification of the support and/or crossbar results in the automatic updating of the connection.The parameters of a connection can be changed at any time by calling the function again. ProSteel 3D recognizes that a joint exists at the corresponding position and offers its value for editing.

The next example illustrates the work process of a logical link as well. Here, the connection shape (IPE200) is exchanged against a larger one (IPE270). As can be seen from the illustration, the web angle joint as well as the notching has been corrected automatically

Work Areas

ProSteel 3D offers the option to define work areas as desired such as square, cylindrical, triangular, and pyramidal work areas.These facilitate orientation within the 3D space considerably since they can depict the basic system dimensions (e.g., axle dimensions) in the form of auxiliary construction objects as well as generate the associated views (frontal, side, top, etc.) by defining the work area.

The user now has access to view changes just by clicking with the mouse.

The work area represents an object by itself, whose parameters (e.g., roof tilt, axle distance, distribution, etc.) can be changed subsequently.