Creating Reference Plane Members

You can create members along the intersection of two or more planes.

Before you begin:
  1. From the Tools section of the action bar, click Update Standard Section Library to update the profile library.
  2. From the Structure section of the action bar, click Structure Section Manager to create a standard or custom profile. See Creating Structure Sections, Creating Custom Sections.
  3. Create a set of intersecting planes.
See Also
Reference Plane
Start a Sketch
Editing Members
Updating Standard Sections Library
Creating Custom Sections
Using Selection Helper to Create Members
Creating Path Segment Members
Creating Point-Based Members
Creating Members Between Members
  1. From the Structure section of the action bar, click Reference Plane Member .
    • The Reference Plane Member dialog box appears.
    • A toolbar with the shortcut menus for all the dialog box options appears in the work area. Click and drag to reposition the toolbar.
  2. In the dialog box, click Start and End planes, and from the work area, select starting and ending planes.
  3. Click, Axis of members, and from the work area, select planes that are not parallel with the start and end planes.
  4. Click, Location of members, and from the work area, select planes that are intersecting with the axis and the start and end planes.
  5. Under Profile, from the Profile Source list, select one of the following.
    • Standards: Uses a Standard section profile for creating members.
    • Custom: Uses a Custom profile for creating members.
      Note: You can create a custom profile using the Structure Section Manager feature. See Creating Custom Sections.
  6. From the Standard list, select a standard.

    The Standard list displays the standard sections that are imported from the standard section library.

    OptionDescription
    DSC Derived from CISC standards
    DSE Derived from European standards
    DSA Derived from AISC standards
  7. From the Type list, select a profile shape to apply to the member.
  8. Click to refresh the existing standard and custom profile sections in the library.
  9. From the Size list, select a size for the profile shape.

    Alternatively, type in the size field and select the required size.

  10. Under Orientation, specify a rotation Angle for the selected profile.
  11. Optional: From the Pierce Point list, select a position for a member relative to its reference.

    The list displays all the default and custom pierce point options. You can define custom pierce points for standard and custom profiles. See, Creating Structure Sections, Creating Custom Sections.

  12. Optional: Move the Display pierce points slider to enable the preview of pierce points in the work area.

    Alternatively, in the work area, from the shortcut toolbar, click Display pierce points .

  13. In the dialog box, click Advanced and do the following:

    1. Specify the start and end offset values for members.

      Alternatively, use the arrows in the work area to specify the offset values.

      To specify the offset values for a specific member, select a member in the work area, click the end points of the member, and specify the offset values in the work area or in the dialog box.

    2. Click to reverse the direction of the offsets.
    3. From the Pierce Point list, select a position for a member relative to its reference.

      Alternatively, use the shortcut toolbar in the work area to specify the Pierce Point .

  14. Optional: Click Create as a new structure system to add a member to the new structure system and specify the name for the new structure system.

    This option is available after you create the first member.

  15. Click .