Positioning by Using P-lines

Model Reference Manual

Structural Design Using Catalogue Components : Positioning and Orientating Using P-lines : Positioning by Using P-lines

Keywords:

PPLINE START END OFFSET

Description:

A position relative to a p-line may be specified in any of the following ways:

•

As a specific distance along the p-line from its start (typically the POSS of a Section) or its end (typically POSE).

•

As a proportional distance along the p-line, expressed as a fraction of its length (typically the distance from POSS to POSE).

•

As one of its extremities; that is, at the p-line’s start or end.

•

As an offset, expressed as the distance between two specified p-lines.


Examples:
POSITION PPLINE BOS 500	Calculated position is on the BOS p-line, 500mm from its start (by default); for setting a variable or for querying.
POS PPLIN TOS 1000 FROM END	Calculated position is on the TOS p-line, 1000mm from its end.
POS AT PPLIN NA OF /SCTN2 PROP .25	Calculated position is on the Neutral Axis of /SCTN2, 25% along its length as measured from its start (by default).
POS AT PPLIN TOS OF /BEAM1 END	Position is defined as the end of the TOS p-line of /BEAM1 (probably, but not necessarily, the POSE setting for /BEAM1).
BY PPLIN TOS OFFSET FROM PPLIN BOS	Moves the current element (Section or Joint) by the offset distance between its TOS and BOS p-lines.
BY PPLIN BOS OFFSET FROM PPLIN TOS	Moves the same distance as the preceding example, but in the opposite direction.
BY PPLIN TOS -OFFSET FROM PPLIN BOS	The same effect as the preceding example.

Command Syntax:

Note:

The following syntax describes only the p-line referencing options for defining a position. These are in addition to the positioning/moving syntax described in Equipment and Primitives, which also apply to Structural steelwork elements.

Defining a specific position:

Defining a distance as the offset between two p-lines:

>-- <plin> --+-- sign --.
| |
‘----------+-- OFFSet FROm <plin> -->

where <plin>, which identifies a specific p-line, is defined in Identifying P-lines.

Querying:

Q <plin> --+-- <uval> --------------.
           |                        |
           |-- PROPortion - value --+--------------------------.
           |                        |                          |
           |                        ‘-- FROm --.               |
           |                                   |               |
           ‘-----------------------------------+-- STart* --.  |
                                               |            |  |
                                               ‘-- ENd -----+--+-->

Q <plin> -- OFFSet --+-- FROm -- <plin> --.
                     |                    |
                     ‘--------------------+-->

Querying Examples:


Q PPLIN TOS END	Position of end of p-line.
Q PPLIN BOS PROP 0.3	Position of point 30% of distance along BOS from start (by default) towards end.
Q PPLIN NA PROP -1.5 FROM END	Position of point which is 1.5 times length of Neutral Axis away from end of p-line in direction away from start.
Q PPLIN TOS OFFS FROM PPLIN BOS	Offset distance between TOS and BOS.
Q PPLIN TOS OFFS	Offset distance between TOS and Neutral Axis (by default).