Beam Dialog Box

Category

Select the appropriate category from the Category list.

To select the category defined in the Project Dictionary Resource set in Data Setup, click More... in the Category list. The Types Browser Dialog Box appears.

If no dictionary is set in Data Setup, only the default category is available.

You can change the category while editing the beam.

Name

By default, the Automatic check box is selected. Clear it to type the required name for beam.

Geometry

Type

In the Type box, select the appropriate type for creating a beam. Available options are:

• Point and Length
• Point and Limit
• Point to Point
• Curve
• Beams and Plane
• Reference Planes

Point and Length

Point

Select a point where you want to create beam. You can also select multiple points. For selecting the point, do any of the following:

• Select an existing beam. The selected point on the beam appears in the Point box. The selected beam is set as the start limit and the default limit type is applied.

  Tip: When selection point is near the start, mid, or end point of a beam, these points become selection point.

• Select a point in work area or a point on the plane system grid. Ensure that the Selectable Points check box is selected in the Plane System Grid dialog box.
• Right-click the Point box and select Create Point to create a point.

The is used to check the list of the selected points. You can also replace or remove the previously selected points using this icon.

Length

In the Length box, type the value or use the arrows to change the value.

Direction

Select either a line, plane or planar surface in work area to define the direction for the beam. The selection appears automatically in the Direction box.

To select a plane from predefined plane system, right-click the Direction box, and choose Select Reference Plane.

Note: You can create a line or a plane to define the direction using other stack commands like Create Line, Create Plane.

Important: The Direction box displays xy plane as the default selection.

Reverse Direction

Click Reverse Direction to change the orientation of the beams.

Limits

The Limits area displays the limits of the beams.

By default, there are no limits. If the beam is selected as a start point, it is set as start limit and default delimitation type is applied. However, you can select the required start limit and end limit. You can also define the required delimitation type.

Point and Limit

Point

Select a point where you want to create beam. You can select multiple points. You can do any of the following:

• Select an existing beam. The selected point on the beam appears in the Point box. The selected beam is set as the start limit and the default limit type is applied.

  Tip: When selection point is near the start, mid, or end point of a beam, these points become selection point.

• Select a point in work area, or a point on the plane system grid. Ensure that the Selectable Points check box is selected in the Plane System Grid dialog box.
• Right-click the Point box and select Create Point to create a new point.

The is used to check the list of the selected points. You can also replace or remove previously selected points using this icon.

Limit

Select a plane or surface in work area to limit beams. The selection appears automatically in the Limit box. The selected plane or surface is set as the end limit of the beam. The default limit type is applied on the end limit of the beam. You can also select any one of the following as a limiting element:

• To select a plane from predefined plane system, right-click the Limit box, and choose Select Reference Plane. The reference plane is set as the end limit and the default limit type is applied.
  Note: You can create a new plane to define the support using the Create Plane option.

• Select an existing plate as a limiting element. The plate is set as the end limit and the default limit type is applied.

Direction

Select a line, plane or planar surface in work area to define the direction for the beam. The selection appears automatically in the Direction box.

To select a plane from predefined plane system, right-click the Direction box, and choose Select Reference Plane.

Note: You can create a new line or a plane to define the direction using other stack commands like Create Line, Create Plane.

Reverse Direction

Click Reverse Direction to change the orientation of the beams.

Limits

The Limits area displays the limits of the beams.

By default, there are no limits. If a beam is selected as a start point, it is set as start limit and the limiting element is set as end limit. The default delimitation types are also applied. However, you can select the required start and end limits and define the delimitation type.

Point to Point

Chain

If you select the Chain check box, the selected last end point becomes the start point of the next beam.

Start

Select a position along the support curve of an existing beam. You can do any of the following:

• Select an existing beam. The selected point on the beam appears in the Point box. The selected beam is set as the start limit and the default limit type is applied.

  Tip: When selection point is near the start, mid, or end point of a beam, these points become selection point. However, you can select specific offset values.

• Select a point in work area, or a point on the plane system grid. Ensure that the Selectable Points check box is selected on the Plane System Grid dialog box.
• Right-click the Start box and select Create Point to create new point.

The is used to check the list of the selected points. You can also replace or remove previously selected points using this icon.

End

Select a position along the support curve of an existing beam. The selected point automatically appears in the End box. If you select an existing beam, the selected beam is set as the end limit and the default limit type is applied. For more information, see the Start section above.

Curve

Curve

Select a curve in work area. You can also select multiple curves. The selected curves automatically appear in the Curve box.

Note: You can create a new curve using stack commands like Create Curve, Create Offset Curve, Create Line and Create Sketch.

The is used to check the list of the selected curves. You can also replace or remove previously selected curves using this icon.

Recommendation: If you want to create a single beam from a sketch curve which is made of several curves, you should create an output profile from the curve to select as a support.

Surface

Select a surface in work area. The selected surface automatically appears in the Surface box.

Note: You can create a new surface using other stack commands like Create Plane, Create Multi-Section Surface or Create Fill.

Click Reverse Orientation to change the orientation of the beams.

Limits

Select start and end limits to limit the placed beam which appear automatically in the Limits area. You can:

• Select an object in work area (reference plane, plate, stiffener, or beam), and the beam is limited at that location. The default limit type is applied according to the selection of the limiting object.
• Right-click to display a list and choose Select Reference Plane to display the Plane Systems dialog box. You can select Delete Limit to delete a limit.
• Enter a value in the Offset box to offset the beam from the limit. You can enter both negative (removes material) and positive (adds material) values.
• Right-click the Type box to define the delimitation type: Weld, Short Point or Long Point.

When you define a limit, the Swap Ends button becomes available. You can click Swap Ends to invert the beam.

Beams and Plane

Chain

If you select the Chain check box, the selected last end point becomes the start point of the next beam.

Plane

Select a plane in work area which appears automatically in the Plane box.

Note: To create a new plane, right-click the Plane box, and select Create Plane.

Beam 1

Select a beam in work area which appears automatically in the Beam 1 box. The selected beam is set as the start limit and the default limit type is applied.

Beam 2

Select a beam in work area which appears automatically in the Beam 2 box. The selected beam is set as the end limit and the default limit type is applied.

Limits

The Limits area displays the limits of the beams.

By default, the selected beams are set as start and end limits. The default delimitation types are also applied. However, you can select the required start and end limits and define the delimitation type.

The in front of Plane, Beam 1, Beam 2 boxes is used for listing the selected limits respectively. You can also replace or remove previously selected limits using this option.

Reference Planes

Limits

Select top and bottom option to limit the beam. The selected limits automatically appear in the Limits area. You can:

• Select an object (plate, stiffener, or plane) in work area, and the beam is limited at that location. According to the selection, the top selected object becomes the start limit and default limit type is applied. The bottom selected object is set as the end limit and the default limit type is applied.
• Right-click to display a list and choose Select Reference Plane to display the Plane Systems dialog box. According to the selection, the top reference plane becomes the start limit and default limit type is applied. The bottom selected reference plane is set as the end limit and the default limit type is applied. You can select Delete Limit to delete a limit.
• Right-click the Type box to define the delimitation type: Weld, Short Point or Long Point.

The selected objects appear in the Object column.

Location

In the Location area, you can select transversal planes and longitudinal planes in work area. They appear in the Transversal and Longitudinal boxes.

To select a plane from predefined plane system, right-click respective box, and choose Select Reference Plane.

Note: You can create a new plane to define the location using the Create Plane option.

You can enter a value (negative or positive) in the Offset box to offset the location in Transversal and Longitudinal boxes respectively.

The in front of Transversal and Longitudinal boxes is used for listing the selected limits respectively.

You can replace or remove previously selected limits using this option and close the window.

Material and Orientation

Show Preferred List only

Select this check box to show only recommended combination of material and section.

Note: If the material-section table is not set in Data Setup, then this option is unavailable.

Material

Select a material from the list.

If no Resources Catalog or Resources Library resource is set in Data Setup, you can click More... to search and select the material from database.

Section

Select the section standard, the section shape, and the required section size. By default, a section selected in the previous session appears in the Size box. When the Resources Catalog or the Resources Library resource is set in Data Setup and you select More... in the list, then the Table Browser dialog box appears. When no Resources Catalog or Resources Library is set in Data Setup and you select More..., you can search and select the section reference from the database.

Important: If the Show Preferred List only check box is selected, the Table Browser dialog box displays a list of recommended combination of material and section only. If the Show Preferred List only check box is not selected, and when the repository is retrieved, the previously selected 10 sections are displayed in the Size list for quick selection. If the Show Preferred List only check box is not selected, and when the repository is not retrieved, a section appears based on previous session.

Anchor Point

Select the appropriate anchor point from the Anchor Point list to get the correct orientation of beam. If no molded convention resource is set in Data Setup, the default list of anchor points will be available.

Angle

In the Angle box, type the value or use the arrows to change the value. This is the angle of rotation of the beam around the anchor point. Right-click the Angle box and select Change Step to change the value of the step. Click Flip to flip the angle of the section.

Offset U

In the Offset U box, specify the offset value in U direction.

Offset V

In the Offset V box, specify the offset value in V direction.