Upgrading a Project

This mapping is performed using information stored in a configuration file, bocloadcpdata.pmlfnc in the PMLLIB\Bocad\functions folder in the installation folder. This basic Pline mapping for the old (that is pre AVEVA E3D 2.1™ 2.1) structural catalogue and the new AVEVA E3D 2.1™ 2.1 supplied catalogue are as follows:

Symmetric Sections about Y Axis

For symmetrical profiles in the new catalogue, which are symmetrical about the Y axis, the Plines below are mapped to Cardinal Points. It might appear confusing, but the left/right relationship depends on how you look at the profile - in the same direction as the profile vector, or against it.


Pline	is mapped to	Cardinal Point
LBOT		3
CBOT		2
RBOT		1
LMID		6
CMID		5
RMID		4
LTOP		9
CTOP		8
RTOP		7
NA		10
BNA		11
LNA		13
RNA		12
TNA		14

For angle and channel profiles in the new catalogue the Pline mapping is as follows. This difference is principally because of the SDNF definition of the default profile orientation.


Pline	is mapped to	Cardinal Point
LBOT		1
CBOT		2
RBOT		3
LMID		4
CMID		5
RMID		6
LTOP		7
CTOP		8
RTOP		9
NA		10
BNA		11
LNA		12
RNA		13
TNA		14

For the old (E3D1.1) catalogue the Plines are mapped as follows. For symmetric sections that are symmetrical about the Y axis. Symmetric Sections about Y Axis


Pline	mapped to	Pline	which is	Cardinal Point
RBOS		SNFA		1
BOS		SNFB		2
SS		SNFB		2
LBOS		SNFC		3
RIGH		SNFD		4
NARO		SNFD		4
AA		SNFD		4
MM		SNFF		6
NALO		SNFF		6
LEFT		SNFF		6
RTOS		SNFG		7
GG		SNFH		8
TOS		SNFH		8
LTOS		SNFI		9
NA		SNFJ		10

Angles


Pline	mapped to	Pline	which is	Cardinal Point
TOAX		SNFA		1
TOAY		SNFA		1
RTTA		SNFC		3
LBOA		SNFG		7
NA		SNFJ		10
NAT		SNFK		11
NAL		SNFL		12

Channels


Pline	mapped to	Pline	which is	Cardinal Point
LTOC		SNFA		1
RTOC		SNFC		3
FOC		SNFD		4
ROC		SNFF		6
LBOC		SNFG		7
RBOC		SNFI		9
NA		SNFJ		10
TOC		SNFK		11
BOC		SNFN		14

For further explanation of the reasons why the mapping may seem inconsistent, see the section describing the assumed default profile orientations in the file and Cardinal Points locations and the Structural Design User Guide. In particular your attention is drawn to the different handedness of the coordinate systems as illustrated below.

The main differences arise from the mapping of the profile orientations in the Catalogue onto the agreed format. The difference is most apparent in channel and angle profiles. The diagram below illustrates the mappings of the Plines to Cardinal Points.

Note:

The different Y directions to match the default angle orientations in each system.

If you want to create profiles, you must provide a Pline set similar to the ones provided here to map onto the Cardinal Point Pline set. If they are named differently, there must be a mapping to Cardinal Points as shown above. Further, you may have to manage the orientation of the profile with regard to the intermediate arrangement by using the Profile Orientation mapping file (External Mapping Files).

Update Catalogues not supplied by AVEVA Solutions Limited

The interface tries to find the correct Justification Pline by comparing the positions of their ends and the start and end of the imported member.

Important:

The naming conventions and database structure for the Pline sets should be similar to those used in the supplied Catalogues.

This section gives details on how you can update the steel catalogues to include the Plines necessary for the interface.

The macro file, bocusercataupgr.pmlfnc in the bocad\dflts\user\upgrade folder in your data folder provides the basis on which you may build their own mechanism for updating the catalogues automatically. When the changes are complete you should perform a PML REHASH ALL operation in a command window. We have indicated where you may have to modify this file with lines prefixed by:

>>>> User…

The macro must be run for each catalogue (CATA element) you want to update. You may have to modify it in a different way for each catalogue. (Details about how the file should be modified are given in following sections.)

You can write a macro which will call all the modified files in turn and so upgrade all catalogues at once. The macro takes one argument which is the DBREF (the database reference number) of the catalogue to be updated.

To update individual catalogues, run the upgrade macro as follows:

Enter the module with write access to all the relevant catalogue databases.

Set the catalogue (CATA) you want to update as the current element and give the command in a Command Window:

call !!bocUserCataUpgr( !!CE )

Repeat for as many catalogues as required.

Save work and exit from AVEVA Bocad Steel Interface.

Generic Catalogue Shapes

The supplied catalogue contains profiles of 7 standard generic shapes which are detailed in the Structural Design User Guide. That manual explains the parameterisation method for these shapes. As a result, there are 7 generic macros in the PMLLIB\bocad\upgrade folder in the installation folder, one for updating the Pline set of each standard shape. These are:


Profile Shape	Macro
Tee shape	bocupgradet.pmlfnc
I shape	bocupgradei.pmlfnc
O, Tube, CHS shape	bocupgradeo.pmlfnc
C, Channel shape	bocupgradec.pmlfnc
L, Angle shape	bocupgradel.pmlfnc
RHS shape	bocupgraderhs.pmlfnc
Bulb shape	bocupgradebulb.pmlfnc

If you has other additional shapes, or have parameterised them in a different way from the supplied catalogues, you will have to write their own macro for their own shape based on the most suitable one provided. Please take note of the catalogue profile orientation with regard to the format.

Customise the Pline Generating Macros

In order to customise the generic Pline generating macros listed above, or to create their own, you will need to understand fully how the profile in question is parameterised in their catalogue database, and how the profile shape is positioned relative to the Neutral Axis and the X/Y origin in the catalogue.

The structure of all the supplied macros is similar.

The macro first builds a list of any Plines that already exist. Any Plines that are not available and are needed by the AVEVA Bocad Steel Interface as listed in the !!BOCCPPKeys array, are then created. Doing this makes sure the latest configuration is being used.

We then need to define the Cardinal Point Pline location parameters related to the method of catalogue parameterisation. These are Xoff, YOff, nYOff and nXOff. We also need to work out the location of the geometric centre relative to the method of profile definition. These location parameters are XCOff and YCOff. You will see above that the definition is in terms of a text string which describes a formula. Later on in the macro, this text string is inserted into the command line. This use of PML allows you to insert formulae into the Pline definition, rather than the immediately evaluated formula.

Using these Pline location parameters, all the Cardinal Point Plines required for the application can be located. Refer to Cardinal Points for further information.

If you are extending or modifying the application, all you need to do is to modify the part of the macro which calculates the location parameters. You should, however, pay close attention to the default profile orientations within AVEVA Bocad Steel Interface.

The structure of the upgrade process allows you to run the macro during the project as well as at project initiation. Any database relationships that refer to the old Plines will be maintained, for example, dimensions.

Map Pline Set Names to Profile Shapes

Once you have defined their generic shapes you need to be able to map the Pline set names to that shape. This is done by filling in a mapping file of PML objects in the bocusercataupgr.pmlfnc macro file. The first set in the UserMap array may have to be modified, and you may have to extend the list for their own additional specific shapes.

For example, a complete mapping for a Pline set consists of the following:

  -- Map Shapes to generic update macros

    !TShape             = |!!BOCUpgradeT|

    !IShape             = |!!BOCUpgradeI|

    !OShape             = |!!BOCUpgradeO|

    !CShape             = |!!BOCUpgradeC|

    !LShape             = |!!BOCUpgradeL|

    !RHSShape           = |!!BOCUpgradeRHS|

    !BULBShape         = |!!BOCUpgradeBULB|

-- >>>> User to add any specific shapes here

--    !USERAShape         = |!!BOCUpgradeUSERA|

  -- >>>> User Map definition between PTSS and Shape code

    !UserMap = ARRAY

    !UserMap[ 1 ]         = object BOCMAPOBJ

    !UserMap[ 1 ].Name   = |/USER-PTSS-I|

    !UserMap[ 1 ].Macro   = !IShape

    !UserMap[ 1 ].Args   = |(false)|

This means that the Pline set (PTSS) named /USER-PTSS-I is to be modified using the PML macro represented by the variable !Ishape.

Further up, you can see that the !IShape variable is associated with the macro !!bocUpgradeI( ). The args value is true or false depending on whether the catalogue to be updated is based on the old or new catalogues. This is most important when considering C or L shaped profiles where the orientations change.

Catalogue Upgrade Step-by-Step

Below are instructions to create and upgrade the Catalogue based on the requirement to create a new profile shape in both the base product and AVEVA Bocad Steel. Any operations that require changes to system mapping files or PML macro files, should be preceded by backing up the files first.

New Profile Shape Definition

Create the new 2D profile shape. Determine the generic shape and parameterisation best suited to the required profile.

At this point do not include Cardinal Point Plines in the Pline set, just place other Plines you will find useful and name them accordingly. Do not include any Plines with the special PKEY values as these will be added in the upgrade process. Build the new catalogue, recording which parameters apply to which dimension.

In AVEVA Bocad Steel create the profile such that its default orientation will be the same as that in the base product when laid out from start to end.

With predefined profiles, such as unequal angles, the default orientation may be different. In this case, you may need to use mirroring and/or rotation transformations to get to the correct "starting position". Mirroring represents a transformation about the Y axis: rotation is about the Z axis, following the "Right Hand Screw Rule". Keep a record of these necessary transformations as they will go into the orientation mapping file.

On the 2D profile in each package locate where the Cardinal Points and their Pline equivalents will be. In the PARAGON module, place any other Plines that you may find useful. Record the correspondence between Cardinal Points and Pline names. Remember also that any mirroring and rotation will affect the Cardinal Point locations.

Note:

The coordinate system in the base product is right handed, whereas in the neutral file it is left handed. The Cardinal Point : Pline equivalencing by superposition is illustrated above for an unequal angle profile. Using this kind of diagram you will be able to determine the mappings between Plines and Cardinal Points.

If the new profile is not one of the existing shapes, you may need to assign a new profile integer shape code to it for use in the profile mapping file.

Also, if the new profiles are for a new country standard, you may need to assign a new country code to this. This country code abbreviation is stored in the internal steel standards file. This abbreviation is also used in the profile mapping file.

Upgrade the Catalogue for the AVEVA Bocad Steel Interface

Upgrading the Catalogue involves adding Plines to be equivalent to the Cardinal Points.

In Paragon determine the parameterised geometry and Pline positioning for the Cardinal Points.

If you are extending an existing generic shape use the existing upgrade file provided. Or if the profile can be based on an existing generic shape, use a customised copy of the bocupgrade<*>.pmlfnc macro. Modify the profile upgrade macro to account for the new parameterisation to create and locate the Plines for the Cardinal Points. Use an existing example as a guide.

Run boccataupgrade.pmlfnc macro for upgrading standard catalogues.

Inspect the macro bocusercataupgr.pmlfnc to extend any lists to include the new profile shape, associating it with any new profile upgrade macro. Once modified, perform a PML REHASH ALL command in a Command window, if necessary, then run this macro.

!Ishape = |bocupgradei()|

!UserMap[ 1 ] = object BOCMAPOBJ( )

!UserMap[ 1 ].Name = |/USER-PTSS-I|

!UserMap[ 1 ].Macro = !Ishape

!UserMap[ 1 ].Args = |( false )|

Modify the Orientation Mapping File

For the chosen profile in the chosen standard, if any transformations are to be applied to convert from the base product to the default system, they are to be recorded in the orientation mapping file. If the profile requires no transformations, it need not be listed in this file. In the example below, the British type 9 profiles are orientated by mirroring (1) and then rotating by 180 degrees. British type 8 profiles are not mirrored (0) and just rotated by 180 degrees.

Modify the Profile Mapping File

Any new profiles requiring mapping between the base product and the external steel detailing system should be entered in the mapping file. Refer to Profile Mapping Files for more information on the profile mapping file structure.

Re-initialise the System and Save the UI Binaries

On the Export or Import main forms use Control > Re-initialise for resetting the configuration data only.

Or execute call !!bocimpexp() in a command window to re-initialise the system.

However this last option is very brutal as all settings will be lost because the windows and menus are regenerated. You will then have to regenerate UI binaries after this.

Installation of User Defined Attributes

Before you start designing steelwork, the application requires a set of User Defined Attributes (UDAs) specifically for storing related information. These are installed by performing the following actions:

•

Enter the LEXICON module with write access to all the relevant Dictionary databases.

•

Execute the upgrade macro by the following command:

•

call !!bocUDAUpgrade( )

•

Exit from LEXICON, saving the changes.

Note:

This upgrade may be run even if the UDAs exist already. In this way you may upgrade the system whenever necessary; for example, to include more UDAs needed for a later version of the application.

More UDAs might be required in a later version of the application, so you will need to upgrade their current projects if they are to use this later version. The macro has been configured to keep existing UDA definitions so that you will not lose data.

Special SITES

When the AVEVA Bocad Steel Interface application imports a model, some SITE elements might be created. Typically these will be called something like /FAB-OLD-DEMO-SYSTEM. These SITEs store items which have been 'deleted' from the model during the Export/Import cycle. These SITEs will be created only when needed, you can always recover elements from this area if they need to later on.

The name of deleted element SITEs are built up of the following components:


/FAB-	the system prefix
OLD-	identification of a SITE for ‘deleted’ elements
<mdb name>	the current MDB, for example /DEMO
<user name>	the current user name, for example SYSTEM

The application checks that you have read/write access to their specific SITEs, since you and the application may need to edit certain attributes.

The SITE for deleted elements is described in more detail in the User Guide, will store the 'deleted' elements in STRUs according to the Import revision, so that you can quickly isolate which items were deleted at which time.

You will note that the SITE names contain the current MDB and the current user name. This is to facilitate multi-user working, and multiple accesses to the database. There may be several of these, depending on which MDB and/or user has access to the particular database.