Create Panels

Structural Design User Guide

Create Panels

These panels are created without setting a panel specification. The first part is to create a panel which defines the overall area of a large floor plate and then divide this up into more manageable sizes such as might be specified for fabrication purposes. These panels represent the schematic areas only.

On the Plates tab, in the Create group, click Create Panels, select Panel from the drop down list to display the Create Panel window.

Set the Justification to Bottom (this allows the user to position the bottom face of the panels on the top of their supporting sections).

Set the Thickness, if a panel specification had been set the default thickness would be shown, entering a new value is permitted.

If a Confirm window is displayed, click Yes to override the default thickness value and change it to Unset.

Click No to disregard the entered thickness value and retain the default value.

By default, Representation is set to Predefined: Default. These settings (Levels and Obstruction) affect the way items are shown in 3D views and how they are dealt with when checking for clashes between design items.

For example: the user must define four vertices, V1-V4, to define the overall area of the floor plate shown shaded in the diagram:

Create Methods enables the user to define each vertex the methods used are:


	Derived points from graphic picks	Allows the user to pick a point graphically with the Position Control Bar.
	Derive points from centres & plines	Allows the user to construct a point from the intersection of two plines with a panel that already exists.
	Trace boundary of another extrusion/panel	Allows the user to create vertices which follow the shape of a panel that already exists.
	Explicitly defined position	Allows the user to specify a position by entering explicit co-ordinates.
	Point offset from previous	Allows the user to specify a distance and direction which define a point relative to the position of the vertex that precedes it.
	Define arc fillet	Allows the user to construct a fillet arc with a specified radius between two picked tangent lines.
	Derived arc passing through three points	Allows the user to construct a fillet arc that passes through three picked points.
	Fixed radius arc, passing through 2 points	Allows the user to construct a fillet arc with a specified radius, that passes through two picked points, which curves towards a picked direction.

For the purpose of this user guide, two options are used to illustrate the principles:

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Derive Points From Graphic Picks

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Point Offset From Previous.

Click Derive Points From Graphic Picks. The Positioning Control window is displayed and indicates that the user is now in event-driven graphics mode, ready to pick the position of the first vertex.

From the Positioning Control window, select Element then Intersect, the user is prompted to ‘Define vertex (Intersection [1]) Snap:’

Pick the column and either of the beams whose intersection coincides with V1 in the diagram. From the Create Methods part of the Create Panel window, ‘No vertices currently defined’ is automatically changed to ‘1 Vertices defined (no Panel created)’. After the definition of this first vertex, Remove Previous Point becomes active. From this the user is able to delete the previous vertex definition.

Note:

The first vertex defined for a new panel becomes the panel’s origin (as displayed) by default. The user can change this if required.

Repeat this point-picking procedure to define V2 and V3, in that order. As soon as the user has defined three vertices, the plane of the new panel is shown in the 3D view (as a triangle) and a PANEL element added into the model explorer.

From the Create Methods part of the Create Panel window, ‘1 Vertices defined (no Panel created)’ is automatically changed to ‘3 Vertices defined (Panel created)’.

Once the third vertex has been defined, an axis aid is displayed at the default panel origin. It shows the panels axis system. The Y (North) direction is defined by the direction from vertex 1 to vertex 2.

As a demonstration, V4 is positioned relative to V3. Click Point Offset From Previous. The Define vertex window is displayed in which the user can specify the required offset.

Set the Direction and the Distance, click Apply to create the vertex, or click Dismiss to discard any information and close the Define Vortex window.

The Create Methods part of the Create Panel window, is automatically changed to ‘4 Vertices defined (Panel created)’.

If required, the user can modify the panel vertices immediately, to do this, select the Display modification form check box.

Click OK to complete the panel creation operation. The model explorer now includes one PANEL, one PLOOP and four PAVERT elements (as defined in model explorer).