Creating Plates from Standard Profiles

You can add plates to the bottom the structure members for support. You can also add plates to a single member or between multiple members to connect them.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin:
  • Open a physical product containing members you want to add plates for.
  • From the Tools section of the action bar, click Update Standard Section Library to update the profile library for standard and custom plates.

 

See Also
About Plates, Gussets, and End Caps
Updating Standard Sections Library
Defining an Axis System
Ordered Geometrical Sets

Create Plates Along Faces

You can create plates using standard or custom profiles from the structure library and along the two intersecting or nonintersecting faces, or along a predefined axis system. The following procedure explains how to create plates from standard profiles along faces.

  1. From the Structure section of the action bar, click Plate .
  2. In the Plate dialog box , under Predefined, from the Placement list, select Supporting Faces to add a plate along the faces.
  3. From the work area, select a face of a member to add a plate.
    The selection appears in the Supporting Faces field of the dialog box.
  4. Optional: Click Swap Placement to swap the plate placement from one end of the member to another.
  5. Optional: Select Perpendicular to member Axis to orient the plate at the location normal to the member axis.
  6. From the Profile Source list, select one of the following:
    OptionDescription
    Standard Creates plates using predefined profiles.
    Custom Creates plates using custom profiles. See Creating Plates from Custom Profiles
  7. Click to refresh the standard and custom profiles in the library.
  8. From the Profile list, select the profile to apply to the plate. See Standard Profiles for Plates.
    The preview of the selected profile plate associated with the axis system appears in the work area.
  9. Under Contour details, specify the dimensions for the selected profile.
  10. Under Thickness, from the Thickness direction list, select the direction of your profile. See Thickness Direction Options.

    Alternatively, from the work area, use the shortcut menu to adjust the direction of the thickness.

  11. Specify a thickness value of the plate in the Overall thickness field.

    Alternatively, from the work area, use handles to adjust the thickness of the plate.

  12. Optional: Under the Offset field, specify the distance of the plate from the member along the X, Y, and Z directions.

    Alternatively, from the work area, use handles.

  13. Optional: Specify the Distance Ratio to position the plate along the path of the member.

    The Distance Ratio value ranges from 0 to 1. A value of 0 positions the plate at the beginning of the member whereas a value of 1 positions the plate at the end of the member.

  14. Click .

    The newly created plate appears under the separate Ordered Geometrical Set in the Design Manager Tree.

Create Plates Along an Axis System

You can create plates using standard or custom profiles from the structure library and along a predefined axis system or along the two intersecting or nonintersecting faces. The following procedure explains how to create plates from the standard profiles along the axis system.

Before you begin: Define an axis system in the work area to add a plate at that location.
Note: You must define all the axes in the axis system correctly to place a plate at the proper location. The X and Y axes define the horizontal and vertical lengths of a plate and the Z-axis specifies a direction for thickness.
  1. From the Structure section of the action bar, click Plate .
  2. In the Plate dialog box , under Predefined, from the Placement list, select Axis System to add a plate along the predefined axis system.
  3. From the Design Manager Tree or from the work area, select the axis system.
    The selected axis system appears in the Axis System field in the dialog box.
  4. From the Profile Source list, select one of the following:
    OptionDescription
    Standard Creates plates using predefined profiles.
    Custom Creates plates using custom profiles. See Creating Plates from Custom Profiles
  5. Click to refresh the standard and custom profiles in the library.
  6. From the Profile list, select a profile to apply to the plate. See Standard Profiles for Plates.
    The preview of the selected profile appears in the work area.
  7. Under Contour details, specify the dimensions for the selected profile.
  8. Under Thickness, from the Thickness direction list, select the direction of your profile. See Thickness Direction Options.

    Alternatively, from the work area, use the shortcut menu to adjust the direction of the thickness.

  9. Specify a thickness value for the plate in the Overall thickness field.

    Alternatively, from the work area, use handles to adjust the thickness of the plate.

  10. Click .

    The newly created plate appears under the separate Ordered Geometrical Set in the Design Manager Tree.