Panel Settings

Structural Design User Guide

Plates Settings : Panel Settings

Before panels can be designed as part of the overall 3D model, various settings have to be defined which determine for example what panel tolerances are used during the design process. The following settings can be defined:

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Default Plate Specification

•

Panel Storage Area

•

Panel Tolerances

•

Draft Edges.

Default Plate Specification

A panel specification can be set so that a range of thicknesses or an explicit panel thickness can be used. As panels do not have catalogue items the Specification Reference does not have a Catalogue Reference and the selected thickness may be overwritten when the panel is created. The specification may be left unset and the panel thickness specified during panel creation.

The panel elements available for selection from the structural catalogue are determined by the default plate specification.

On the PLATES tab, in the Settings group, click Default plate specification to display the Plate Specification (Default) window, by the default the specification is Unset.

Panel Storage Area

Storage areas enable the user to select storage areas for Primary Linear joints (PALJ) and Panels (PANE), both types of elements are stored directly under the CE in the model explorer.

The user must specify where the storage area for the principal structural elements are to be located in the Design database hierarchy.

if the storage area cannot be created at the current position in the database hierarchy, the user will receive warning message the problem.

Click OK, the following warning message is displayed:

Click OK to close the Warning window and navigate to the correct level or lower in the hierarchy and select the database element as the new CE.

Panels Tolerances

The Panel/Floor Tolerances govern the tolerances (clearances) of the panels and floors elements.

From the PANELS tab, in the Settings group, click Tolerances, the Panel/Floor Tolerances window. The Panel/Floor Tolerances window is populated with the default tolerances, if required the user can modify the tolerances to suit as per project/ model requirements.

Draft Edges

The Draft Edge Drawing Defaults window is populated with the defaults governed by the default specification. From the PANELS tab, in the Settings group, click Tolerances, the Draft Edge Drawing Defaults window.

If required the user can modify the tolerances to suit as per project/ model requirements.