Structural Design User Guide
Sections : Create Sections
Create Sections
For the purposes of this user guide, the sections created are vertical columns as these are most often created first with the use of explicit positioning.
On the SECTIONS tab, in the Create group, click Create sections, select Straight from the drop down list to display the Section and Positioning Control window. The user is also prompted to ‘Define section start (Snap) Snap:’.
All the tasks that the user would carry out with the creation of a section are initiated from a central Section window. which acts as a task hub.
By default the method used to create the new section is Single, MODEL uses the string method to create new sections.
The String Method enables the user to create new sections with:
•
Single - a start and end point.
•
Continuous - a start point with connected sections to the end point.
•
Radial - all sections originate from the same start point.
As the methodology for the creation of single, continuous or radial new sections is the same. For the purposes of this user guide only the single string method is described as follows:
The user can explicitly select a start point in the 3D view as prompted or the user can choose to use another method to choose the section start point with the Positioning Control window.
The Positioning Control window is common throughout MODEL, so therefore is not described here. For more information on the Positioning Control window, refer to the Common Functionality Guide.
Once the user has selected the section start point in the 3D view, the start is labelled and the user is prompted to ‘Define section end (Snap) Snap:’. Select the section end point, the new section is displayed in the 3D view as a dotted line.
T
To create secondary nodes automatically as sections are connected, from the Create Option part of the Section window, select the Secondary Nodes? check box, by default the Secondary Nodes? check box is not selected. For more information on secondary nodes, refer to Connectivity.
Define start explicitly
Select Define Start/End Explicitly, the user must input the exact coordinates for the start of the section or pick a point in the 3D view.
A Define section start window is displayed, the user is prompted to Define section start (Snap) Snap: and the Start position is also displayed in the 3D view.
By default, the site origin coordinates populate the Define section start window, East/North/Up (E0, N0, U0).
Note:
The default entry wrt World, which means ‘with respect to the World’, defines the coordinate system within which the position is specified.
Click OK to define the start of section coordinates and close the Define section start window.
Or
Click Cancel to discard the coordinates and close the Define section start window.
Define end explicitly
Rather than specifying all three coordinates for the Section’s end position explicitly, its position can be defined relative to the Section’s start.
From the Create Option part of the Section window, select Define End a Given Distance and Direction from Start.
A Define section end window is displayed and the user is prompted to ‘Define section end (Snap) Snap:’.
The Define section end window is populated with the defaults: direction U WRT/* and the distance of 0mm.
The minimum length of the section must be 30mm, if the length is under 30mm, an Error window is displayed.
Click OK to close the Error window, enter the Distance in the Define section end window.
Click OK to define the end of section coordinates and close the Define section end window.
Or
Click Cancel to discard the coordinates and close the Define section end window.
Verification
The Verification part of the Section window allows the user to accept, reject or redefine define the start of the section.
Click Accept to confirm the creation of the Section. The Section is displayed as SCTN 1 in the model explorer.
Click Reject to discard any inputs or click Redefine Start to begin the creation of the section again.
To close the Section window, click Dismiss to discard any information and close the window.
The new sections are displayed in the model explorer.
Note:
Each newly created Section is placed before the current list position, so that SCTN 1 in the list was the last Section created.
Perpendicular From
If required the user can create a new section perpendicular from an existing section or straight wall. From the Create Option part of the Section window, select Perpendicular from, the user must select the start position in the 3D view and is prompted to ‘Pick straight Section/Wall to derive perpendicular from’.
Once the existing section or wall is selected, the user must accept, reject or redefine start of the new section.
Click Accept to confirm the creation of the Section. The Section is displayed as SCTN 1 in the model explorer.
Click Reject to discard any inputs or click Redefine Start to begin the creation of the section again.
To close the Section window, click Dismiss to discard any information and close the window.
The new sections are displayed in the model explorer.
Perpendicular To
If required the user can create a new section perpendicular to an existing section or straight wall. From the Create Option part of the Section window, select Perpendicular to, the user must select the start position in the 3D view and is prompted to ‘Pick straight Section/Wall to derive perpendicular to end’.
Once the existing section or wall is selected, the user must accept, reject or redefine start of the new section.
Click Accept to confirm the creation of the Section. The Section is displayed as SCTN 1 in the model explorer.
Click Reject to discard any inputs or click Redefine Start to begin the creation of the section again.
To close the Section window, click Dismiss to discard any information and close the window.
The new sections are displayed in the model explorer.
Connectivity
When sections (SCTNs) are connected automatically, secondary nodes are also automatically created (as long as the Secondary Nodes? checkbox is selected in the Section window). The connection between two sections is represented as a secondary joint (SJOI) element in the model explorer.
In the structural hierarchy, Secondary Node (SNOD) and SJOI elements are created each time an owning and attached section are connected. An SJOI element is owned by a Secondary Node (SNOD) element. The SNOD element is positioned on the Justification line of the owning section at the intersection of the attached and owning section.
Where two or more sections connect to an owning section at the same point, a single SNOD element is created which owns two or more SJOI elements.
Secondary Nodes
An SNOD element is owned by the owning section and it’s primary function is to own an SJOI element and to connect with another section.
SNOD elements are positioned along the justification line of the owning section where the justification line of the attached member connects with it. The SNOD is positioned at a distance automatically set when the sections are connected, from the start of the owning section. The distance is displayed as an attribute called Zdistance.
Secondary Joint
Secondary Joint (SJOI) elements are used to connect sections where they connect at an SNOD and their primary functions:
•
Connectivity to the structural model
•
Trimming attached members
•
Holding place for the specification reference for the joint.
 
Attribute
Description
Posline
The name of the Pline to which the attached section is trimmed. Set in accordance with the Pline rule in force during the connection.
Cref
The name of the attached section, which is automatically set when the connection is made.
Spref
Hold the name of the specification component (SPCO) of the joint applied to the connection.
Attached
Attached sections have two attributes, which display the name of the SJOI element by which they are attached to their respective Owning section.
Connect/Disconnect
If required, sections can be connected or disconnected explicitly with the functionality available in MODEL.
Connect
On the SECTIONS tab, in the Connect group, click Connect, the user is prompted to ‘Identify section to be connected to:’
Disconnect
The user is prompted to ‘Identify section end to be disconnected:’
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