Plate Dialog Box

The Plate dialog box appears when you click Panel in the Authoring Object toolbar. It provides various options for creating plates.

This dialog box contains controls for:

Related Topics
Plate


Category

Select the appropriate category from the Category list.

To select the category defined in the Project Dictionary Resource set in Project Resource Management, select More in the Category list. The Types Browser Dialog Box appears.

Name

The name is assigned automatically, using the object naming rules. It is displayed in the Name box. If you want to assign a specific name, clear the Automatic check box and type the name in the Name box.

Geometry

Support
Select a support in your 3D, session; it appears in the Support box. You can select any one of the following:
  • A plane
  • A grid

Note: Selections made for support should be compatible with the category selected.

The plate is created when you select a support.

To select the support:

  • Select a plane in 3D session.
  • Right-click the Support box, and choose Select Reference Plane to select the plane from predefined plane system.

    Note: You can a create new plane or a surface to define the support using other stack commands such as Create Plane, Create Loft and Create Fill.

  • Click the button next to the Support box to display the elements list. From the displayed list, select the support. You can use the Remove and Replace commands to remove and replace the selected reference for support.

Offset
In the Offset box, type the value or use the arrows to change the value, by which the plate should be offset from the support you selected. The value is expressed in the units selected in your workbench.

If you want the offset in reverse direction, use a negative sign in the offset value.

Limits
In the Limits area, select the elements to define the boundary for plate. To select the elements:
  • Select in 3D session.
  • Right-click the Support box, and choose Select Reference Plane.

You can select:

  • Geometrical entity
  • Structural object

Note: You can select a volume or a closed surface as the limiting element. In this case the Offset box is unavailable.

You can use the Switch Side button to get the correct orientation of plate.

Use the Remove button to cancle the previously selected limit.

Click to sketch the boundary.

Material And Orientation



Show Preferred List only
Select this check box to show only recommended combination of material-grade and thickness.

Note: If the Material Table is not set in the Project Resource Management, then this option is unavailable.

Material-Grade
Select a material-grade from the list.
Thickness
Select a thickness value in the Thickness list. A thickness value is pre-selected based on your previous session. If you select More... in the list, then the Table Browser dialog box appears.

Note: The previously selected 10 thickness values are displayed in the Thickness list for quick selection.

Tip: If the Material Table is set in the Project Resource Management, then a or or will appear next to the Material-Grade and Thickness box.

This symbol indicates if the selected combination of material-grade and thickness is recommended or not.

  • Indicates that the selected combination of material-grade and thickness is preferred.
  • Indicates that the selected combination of material-grade and thickness is not preferred.
  • Indicates that the selected combination of material-grade and thickness is not defined in the Material Table.

Important: If the Material Table is not set in the Project Resource Management, then you can select material-grade from the database and enter thickness value.
Side
Select which side of the support you want the plate thickness to be applied. The default value is set by your administrator. You can override it by clicking the Flip button.
Center
Select the Center to apply thickness equally on either side of support.
Offset
If you do not want the thickness to be applied equally on either side of support then select the Offset and enter the appropriate value in the Offset box.