Graphic Replacement for Beams

You can generate the graphic replacement for a beam using a Generative View Style (GVS).

Related Topics
Creating a Logical View

The sample XML file provided with this application is Structure_GVS.xml.

This file is located at ../OS/resources/standard/generativeparameters.

Generative view styles are defined by an administrator and specify the appearance and behavior of a generated view. Generative view styles are defined in an XML file. For more information on GVS, refer to Generative Drafting User’s Guide: Generative View Style: About Generative View Styles.

The reference planes that will be used for a given project are defined in an XML file pointed by a Project Resource Management resource, Reference Plane System. For more information, refer to Reference Plane System.

For more information about how to create views using generative view styles, how to set generative view style parameters or more generally on administering generative view styles, please refer to the Generative Drafting User's Guide: Generative View Style.

You can customize generative view style parameters for the reference plane system. These parameters are shared by all structure applications.

Sample XML File

In the sample XML file, generative view style parameters for beams are located towards the bottom of the file under StructureObjects.


Draw
Yes extracts the object. No indicates the object will not be extracted.
GraphicReplacement
Indicates whether to use graphic replacement. Yes or No.
Angular Tolerance
To trigger this type of view in degrees. Default is 15.0.
ViewType
There are three view types for beams and pillars: EndView, SideView, and AnyView.

All three views have NearSide and FarSide parameters, and AnnotationTextStyle parameters.

Important: Logical and Functional Tolerance and Annotation (FTA) Section are the only modes, where you can compute AcrossSide parameters, which are similar to NearSide and FarSide parameters. The default values are same as NearSide values. If you are not interested in an AcrossSide analysis, you need to synchronize Near and Across Linetype and LineThickness.

SideView and AnyView have 3DParameters. SideView also has SingleLine and DoubleLine parameters.

3DParameters


SingleLine
Draw
Draws a single line that represents the trace of the beam or pillar. Draw values are Yes or No.
ShrinkMode
Mode used to control the shortening of the ends of the single line. Values are Relative or Absolute.
ShrinkValue
Value used to shorten the ends of the single line. If ShrinkMode is Relative, this value must be between 0 and 1. If ShrinkMode is Absolute, this value must be an actual magnitude used to shorten the line, such as 10mm.

DoubleLine
Draw
Draws a double line that represents the trace of the beam or pillar. Draw values are Yes or No.
ShrinkMode
Mode used to control the amount of shortening of the ends of the double line. Values are Relative or Absolute.
ShrinkValue
Value used to shorten the ends of the double line. If ShrinkMode is Relative, this value must be between 0 and 1. If ShrinkMode is Absolute, this value must be an actual magnitude used to shorten the line, such as 10mm.
Tip: If the beam or pillar is cylindrical, an additional centerline is drawn as controlled by the GVS nodes: Drafting > Generate > Centerlines.
SingleLine
ExtremitySymbol
Draw
Indicate Yes to draw arrowheads at the extremities. No is the default (arrowheads are not drawn.)
MinimumLengthRatio
A percentage of the length of the beam used to determine if there is enough room to draw the extremity symbols without overlap. The default is 45. In other words, the length of the symbol placed at an extremity may not exceed 45% of the total length of the beam, taking into account the ReferenceScale and the view scale.
ReferenceScale
Scale factor to apply to the symbol as drawn. Default is 1. (A value of 2 results in a placed symbol twice as big.)
ChapterName
The name of the chapter containing extremity symbols within the Drawing Symbol Structure Catalog.
DefaultExtremitySymbol
The default symbol used to represent the end of a beam without end cuts.
ExtremitySymbolByEndCutType
Draw
Indicates beam end symbol is dependent on the end cut type (Yes). No (default) indicates the SymbolsAtEndsOfProfile option will always be used.
Snipe
The symbol used for a Snipe end cut.
Weld
The symbol used for a Weld end cut.
Trim
The symbol used for a Trim end cut.
DoubleLine
ExtremitySymbol
Draw
Indicate Yes to draw end cut symbols at the extremities. No is the default (end cut symbols are not drawn.)
MinimumLengthRatio
A percentage of the length of the beam used to determine if there is enough room to draw the extremity symbols without overlap. The default is 45. In other words, the length of the symbol placed at an extremity may not exceed 45% of the total length of the beam, taking into account the ReferenceScale and the view scale.
ReferenceScale
Scale factor to apply to the symbol as drawn. Default is 1. (A value of 2 results in a placed symbol twice as big.)
ChapterName
The name of the chapter containing extremity symbols within the Drawing Symbol Structure Catalog.
DefaultExtremitySymbol
The default symbol used to represent the end of a beam without end cuts.
ExtremitySymbolByEndCutType
Draw
Indicates beam end symbol is dependent on the end cut type (Yes). No (default) indicates the SymbolsAtEndsOfProfile option will always be used.
Snipe
The symbol used for a Snipe end cut.
Weld
The symbol used for a Weld end cut.
Trim
The symbol used for a Trim end cut.
Important:
  • If SingleLine is used on the extremity of the beam, the end cut symbol is similar to the one applied to a stiffener in TopView mode.
  • If DoubleLine is used on the extremity of the beam, the end cut symbol is similar to the one applied to a stiffener in SideView mode.