Let’s create a beam using the following algorithm:
Make sure all other operations are canceled or press the ESC key.
Press the Ctrl+P key combination to go to the plane view.
Indicate the starting point of the beam ( in practice, when creating beams
in a model it is recommended to draw them up using the same direction for
indicating starting and endpoints, thus let’s conventionally set
up the direction from left to right, from the top-to-bottom.)
The “Item” tool allows uploading the geometry established
by other software packages. It is essential to mention that such items
become a complete object in Tekla Structures, possessing unique geometry
and characteristics such as Prefix number, Assemblies name, etc.
It is recommended to insert such items when creating such a geometry is
As well as if those are standard-ready object units to be used and reflected
The IFC tool is not applied, if the geometry to be inserted serves as
a reference model and is not due to numbering.
Let’s practice importing such an object into the TS model.
Open the “Item properties” dialog window. Refer to the picture
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Tekla Structures v2021
As you can see the IFC object parameters list is the same as the respective
of a column or a beam, except for the field “Shape”. The “Shape”
field is the link to the geometry to be inserted. Let’s go
to the “Shape Catalog” window and choose one of the options
available.
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Tekla Structures v2021
You can add more options to the “Shape catalog” list by using
the “Import” and “Export” tabs.
To insert a shape, enable the tool and follow the algorithm
Make sure all operations are canceled or press the Esc key.
Enable the “Item” tool.
Select the first point.
Select the second point, indicating the X-axis of the object.
To deactivate the “Item” tool, press the Esc key.
Tekla Structures v21.1
It is important to press the “Apply” button prior to creating
a new object as to save up the properties configuration.
Do not close the “Item properties” dialog window!
Tekla Structures v2021
New TS interfaces automatically configure parameters for the subsequently
created objects after setting up the values.
Examine the object created.
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By closing the “Item Properties” window the error alert pops
and closes the TS window. That is why do not close the “Item properties”
window before saving the model.
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New TS interface tools work correctly.Thought importing new shapes tab
is excluded from the “Select Shape” catalogue.
By using the “Direct modification” tool it is possible
to edit the item object created. Enable the “Direct modification”
tool and select the item.
On the main menu ribbon, go to the “Geometry editing”
Tekla Structures v21.1
The present TS version is not available on editing the Item objects.
Tekla Structures v2021
Indicate a new geometry point right on the item's plane as it is shown
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The present TS version is not available on editing the Item objects.
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Enable the “Handles” tool out of the “Geometry editing”
tab, and you will see all the geometry points that can be edited. Move
the point in an arbitrary direction by dragging it with the mouse cursor.
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The present TS version is not available on editing the Item objects.
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Select the point and move it orthogonally upwards at 250 mm.
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The present TS version is not available on editing the Item objects.
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The present TS version is not available on editing the Item objects.
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The “Direct modification” regime also allows moving the faces.
Select a face and drag it at an arbitrary distance by using the
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The present TS version is not available on editing the Item objects.
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Compare your results to those presented below:
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The present TS version is not available on editing the Item objects.
Tekla Structures v2021
Now add an edge to split a face into two parts.
For this, select the item, enable the “Edge” tool, and indicate
Tekla Structures v21.1
The present TS version is not available on editing the Item objects.
Tekla Structures v2021
Enable the “Handles” tool and you will see the newly created
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The present TS version is not available on editing the Item objects.
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Enable the “Save as” tool which saves the shape into the “Shape
Try out saving the item under the title
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The present TS version is not available on editing the Item objects.
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Thus the shape saved gets available at the Shape catalog for future references
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The present TS version is not available on editing the Item objects.
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Try out enabling and using the “Geometry editing” tools, such
Generally, the beam and the column tools properties lists are similar,
Open the beam tool properties window. As you can see, there are a lot
of similarities among them.
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The “Deforming” section parameters are absolutely identical
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Below you can see the main distinctions between these tools framed with
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A beam may have an upright and horizontal orientation thus there are no
The “End offset” fields
allow shifting a beam in 3 distinct directions with reference to a segment.
Note that this attribute is not to be used for moving a beam. A beam itself
has its local coordinate system. The X-axis is directed from point
1 to point 2, and specified by the user during drawing up a beam on the
view.
The "End offset" tool can be applied for both points of a beam:
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Exercise setting up the end offset value by Dx for the starting point
at 2000 mm. Thus, the yellow point of the beam (starting point) shifted
along the X-axis at 2000mm.
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Exercise setting up the end offset value at 2000mm. Note that the point
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The "End offset" values can be negative thus shifting a beam
Set up the value of -2000 mm for the endpoint Dx field.
The endpoint shifted into the opposite direction of the axis X.
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Restore the X-axis fields values to 0.
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The Y-axis is constantly perpendicular to the X-axis. Set up the Dy field
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Set up the same value to the respective Dy field.
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Setting up the values of the Y-axis to negative values shifts the beam
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Restore the field values to 0.
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The Z-axis is perpendicular to the other axes. Set up the offset value
for Dz at 1000mm.
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In the meantime, indicate the offset values for start and end points by
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It is important to mention that essentially, the "End offset"
and the "Position" tools execute the same function, though, the
"Position" tool displaces all the points of an object simultaneously,
but the "End offset" tool executes a selective displacement of
the points.
In practice, the "End offset" tool is not of frequent
use. It allows extending the beam ends, which is seldomly required, in
the time when the "Position" tool allows rotating an object.
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Exercise by yourself to set up various values to the “End offset”
fields to examine the tool's functioning. For further convenience,
let’s not use the "End offset" tool in the foregoing exercises.
The Curved beam “Radius” and “Number of segments”
We had already examined how to camber an object in the previous chapters.
Here we would like to mention that the “Radius” attribute of
the “Curved beam” section also allows cambering an object by
specifying the number of segments. Note, that using this attribute is reasonable
just in case you are importing or exporting data from calculation programs,
which allow adding intermediate points on a rod.
Create a beam of 6000 mm, and specify in the "Radius" field
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Setting the number of segments equal to 1, makes the TS automatically
convert it to 2, as if the number of segments is less than 2, then the
object is a simple straight beam.
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Indicate the number of segments equal to 3. Check the result. Note that
in practice, this tool is not used for cambering beams.
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Maximizing the number of segments still does not camber the composite
segments, those being straight beam fragments. But preparing models
for calculation might benefit from using this tool.
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Setting up the curved beam "Plane" value cambers a beam into
any direction required. Exercise all the options available in the drop-down
menu of the “Plane” field.
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Restore the default field values to avoid creating new beams possessing
Saving the settings configurations of a beam.
Note that the saved settings configurations of the Column tool are not
applicable for beams, and vice versa so far as will not be available for
selection in the drop-down menu, even if the configurations titles assigned
are the same.
Please configure and save the following sets of properties as specified
Parameter
Assemblies prefix
Profile
Material
Class ( color)
1
Beam
B1
I320
E295
1
2
Beam
B2
I360
E295
2
3
Beam
B3
I400
E360
3
4
Beam
B4
I450
S235J0
4
5
Girder
G1
MET-CS302
E295
5
6
Brace
Br1
L65*7
E360
6
7
Brace
Br2
L55*6
E360
7
Introduce the table data into the respective fields, specify the titles
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When done, check if the “Object type” drop-down list is available
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Open the “Steel column properties” window and make sure that
there is no intersection with the “Beam properties” saved settings
list.
If you draw up a beam vertically the TS automatically considers it as
a column. If you bend the column, the TS automatically considers it as
a beam.
Let's make sure of it, by drawing a beam vertically: rotate the view
in a convenient way, make sure that the orthogonal regime is switched on,
and create a vertical beam of an arbitrary length.
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Press the “Esc” key to disable the “Create beam”
tool. Select the object created and to its properties window. Thus you
can see that TS identified the object as a column.
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Now, let’s exercise transforming a column into a beam. Select the
top point of the column and move it horizontally as it is shown
below:
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Press the "Esc" key to deactivate the “Move” tool.
Open the object properties window. Now you can see that the column is identified
by the TS as a beam.
The “Polybeam” tool allows creating a beam consisting of starting
and endpoints, as well as an unlimited amount of intermediate points. A
poly beam is a beam sequence (straight beams, curved beams, or a combination
of these two) created as a single object. In the below picture you can
see various structural elements with bends such as the handrails and fencing.
These elements are composed of round tubes and are bent at various points,
definite moments, and definite radiuses.
If you specify in the poly beam "Properties" menu profile type
of steel plate, then you can use this tool for creating a complex shape
steel plate.
In the older Tekla Structures versions, it is the only tool allowing creating
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To open the tool's "Properties" dialog window press the
Select a profile type and create a beam similar to the one, shown below.
Set the length of the polybeam segment of 2000mm each. Enabling the orthogonal
regime facilitates drawing the polybeam segments perpendicular to each
other.
The algorithm for drawing a polybeam algorithm is as follows:
Make sure all the operations are canceled or press the ESC key.
Press the Ctrl+P key combination to go to the view plane.
Select the “ Create polybeam” tool.
By a left-click, indicate the polybeam starting point.
By a left-click, indicate the beam's intermediate points.
Press the Space key or mouse wheel button to complete creating a polybeam.
Press the Esc key to disable the “Create polybeam” tool.
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Open the polybeam "Properties" dialog window. It is identical
to the respective standard "Beam" tool, except for some inactive
properties.
Similar to other tools, it is possible to save current polybeam properties
The inactive field refers to the “End offset” parameter, which
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Select the polybeam object. Further, according to the screenshot below
select the point and by a double click on it, go to the “Chamfer
properties” dialog window, and specify the chamfer type to “Rounding”
with the radius value of 1000 mm.
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Select the other points as it is shown below and set their Chamfer type
to “Rounding” with the radius value of 500 mm.
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Select a point, as it is shown below, and move it to the left at 1200
mm by using the Ctrl+M key combination.
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The polybeam's visual display became of a thin line. In this way,
TS informs the user about an error.
Thus in the present example, the rounding radiuses in the points are respectively
1000mm and 500mm, at the same time we displaced horizontally the
distance between points at 2000-1200=800mm.
The distance between points is 800 mm, but according to the properties
of the points it is 1500mm, which significantly exceeds the real distance
value between the points.
Executing chamfer rounding correctly is not possible until the error is
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Fix the geometry error by moving the point at 500 mm to the
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The beam’s body is restored.
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Add a point at the beam. There are two ways of adding a point. Let’s
switch on the "Direct modification" tool. Select the beam and
drag the intermediate point upwards as it is shown below:
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Compare your results to those presented below:
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Exercise adding and deleting new points, drawing polybeams of various
shapes.
This tool allows creating a simple beam by indicating starting and endpoints,
as well as the radius point. The radius is to be specified in the way that
all three points are allocated at the same circular curve.
The curved beam tool is accessible through the “Beam” tab.
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Note that using this tool is reasonable if you import and export data
from/to calculation programs, this being the only way for adding intermediate
points on a beam.
This tool is not intended for modeling real structures! If beam cambering
is required in the model, copy the radius value and paste it into the "Cambering"
field of the "Properties" menu, and make the radius value null.
A real beam can not be determined by a finite number of segments.
Let’s create a curved beam by following the algorithm:
Make sure all operations are canceled or press the ESC key.
Press the Ctrl +P key combination to go to the view plane.
Select the “Create curved beam” tool.
Indicate the starting point of the beam.
Indicate the intermediate point of the beam.
Indicate the endpoint of the beam.
Press the Esc key to deactivate the “Create curved beam” tool.
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Thus you have created a beam with a definite number of segments and with
an automatically calculated radius value.
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Create a simple beam.
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Copy the value of the curved beam “Radius” field and insert
it to the “Cambering” field, at the same time make sure that
the value of the “Radius” field of the new beam is equal 0.
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Thus we have created two similar beams by using two algorithms. Note that
creating a beam in the structure model is to be done by setting up the
values into the “Cambering” field.
Using the “Curved beam” tool is reasonable only for
calculation models, for the reason that a real beam does not have segments
and inflection points.
The "Twin profile" tool is used for modeling braces, trusses,
There are two basic methods for modeling a twin profile object.
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Braces composed of twin profiles.
The first method
Create a beam by indicating its starting and endpoints.
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Set the profile type to any L-steel option available with the “Profile
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Set up the "Position on plane" value to 5mm and apply it to
the consecutively created beams as well. The beam shifted as it is shown
below:
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Each beam has a starting point marked with yellow and an endpoint marked
with red color. Create one more similar beam opposite to the direction
of the initial one: where the first beam has its end, the new one has its
starting point and vice versa.
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The beams possess the same properties but have opposite directions as
well as the end offset orientation.
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Note that the beams' coordinates coincide, though there is a setup
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Copy/paste the beams upwards at 600mm distance, as it is shown below:
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Choose the upper beams and using the Alt key, select their left side points.
Make sure that two objects are selected. Move the selected points
by using the Ctrl+M key combination as it is shown below:
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Copy/paste the twin profiles at 2000mm horizontally.
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Choose the left side twin profiles, select their left side angular points,
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The result is the typical modeling braces scheme.
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Refer to the below and copy/paste the twin profiles at 2000mm upwards.
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Select a twin profile beam and go to its “Properties” dialog
window, “Position“ section, and specify the field values as
shown according to the below:
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Proceed the same way for the second beam of the twin profile, paying attention
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Compare your results to those presented hereunder:
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The second method - stands for using the “Twin profile” tool.
This tool does not create a new object type, such as a twin profile. It
creates simple beams with the preconfigured “Position” fields.
You can make sure of it by opening the “Beam properties” window
and examining the contents.
The “Twin profile” tool, in its essence, is just an add-in
configuring the selected objects in a required way, which is very useful
in practice, as it does not require setting up the beams’ properties
separately.
You simply choose the twin profile type and the TS automatically configures
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Create twin profiles employing this instrument. Go to the “Twin
Profile Properties” window. ( You can access the window by holding
on the “Shift” key pressed and executing a double left-click
on the tool's icon.)
Specify the twin profile type field and set up the clearance value between
the members. Now draw up the beams.
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Try out changing the twin profile type to another one and create the objects
on the view. Compare the results.
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Exercise changing the profile type of the first twin profile beams to
the last applied one by selecting the objects and setting up the respective
values.
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In the new TS versions changing the twin profiles types is not available,
as the “ Modify” button will be disabled and the software considers
the objects as the simple beams.
In essence, twin profiles are simple beams with preconfigured settings.
Also, it is possible to save the settings of a twin profile under a title,
though it is just an add-in, not a complex tool. Try out saving a couple
of sets. Note that they do not intersect with the respective pre-saved
beam sets.
Before trying out this tool, create several beam objects of different
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Hereunder you can see how to enable the tool:
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The algorithm for using the “Split” tool is as follows:
Make sure all operations are canceled or press the Esc key.
Use the Ctrl +P key combination to go to the view plane.
Enable the “Split” tool.
Select a beam.
Select the splitting point at the beam’s body ( let it be the beam's
midpoint).
Press the Esc key to deactivate the tool.
Split all the beams at their midpoints by yourself.
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Select the other beams as it is shown below:
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Move the objects selected to the right at the distance equal to the split
beam's length. It is done by displacing the split beam's starting
point to the initial beam's endpoint.
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The “Combine” tool
functionality is opposite to the respective “Split”
tool, as it allows uniting 2 beams into one.
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The algorithm for using the “Combine” tool is as follows:
Make sure all operations are canceled or press the Esc key.
Use the Ctrl +P key combination to go to the view plane.
Enable the “Combine” tool.
Select the first beam.
Select the second beam.
Press the Esc key to disable the tool.
Unite all the beams. Uniting the beams automatically elongates the final
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Repeat the algorithm till all the objects get united.
An orthogonal beam in its essence is a column of a constant length, but
with no top and bottom points, indicating its position in the global coordinates
system. Thus creating such a beam presumes indicating the points outlining
its length parameter, which is constant. You can insert such a beam
to any coordinates, and what is the most important perpendicularly to the
view plane.
Try out creating an orthogonal beam to understand its functioning. Open
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Set up the values of the “Levels” section parameters in a
random way, but keep in mind that they stand for calculating the object
length only. Thus, if you need a beam of 1000mm length, then the top and
the bottom points values should be respectively 0 and 1000. Let’s
modify the orthogonal beam to the 1000mm length and set up this value as
a default one for the consecutively created objects of this type.
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Enable the “Orthogonal beam” tool and create a new beam above
the one already created. Despite the standard column object, the orthogonal
beam gets inserted by a left-click at the required coordinates, and none
of the “Levels” section parameters are to be modified.
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Repeat the above and create the third orthogonal beam object.
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Double-click at the object created opens the “Column Properties”
window indicating the coordinates of the object in the global system of
coordinates.
Thus, we can conclude that the “Orthogonal beam “ tool does
not create an object of a new type, it just allows creating columns by
introducing their coordinates differently.
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The above example allowed us to understand how to set up a constant length
Create one more simple beam of 4000mm length as it is shown below:
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Select the new beam object and move its starting point orthogonally upwards.
Refer to the below:
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Now let’s examine the very scope of the “Orthogonal beam”
tool. As we know, it allows creating a beam of a constant length perpendicularly
to the view plane or a work plane.
Let’s set the work plane by enabling the “Work plane tool”
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Note that the new reference plane axis icon had appeared along with the
Enable the “Orthogonal beam” tool and randomly create several
beams at the inclined object. All the new beams will be of the same length
and located perpendicularly to the referent work plane.
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Thus you can see that the main scope of using this tool is modelling complex
Restore the work plane by selecting the “Parallel to view plane”
tool and executing a left-click on the view. If you carried out all the
steps correctly then the Z-axis is perpendicular to the eye gaze direction.
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Below you can see the example of a structure determined by a large number
of elements perpendicular to various planes, which are face panels and
their brace systems of an airport structure. The below picture is a fragment
of the communication building of a complex drop shape.
Since such structures are extremely complex in shape, each panel
is located at a complex spatial curve and each panel is of different size
with its bracings being strictly perpendicular to it. Drawing up such a
structure is done by using the “Orthogonal beam” tool.