Pdms Manual

Structural Design Using VANTAGE PDMS
Version 11.4
pdms114/man6/doc1
Issue 150502
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Contents
Part I
1
Read This First

1.1
The Scope of the Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.2
Learning to Use PDMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.3
Further Training in the Use of PDMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.4
Some Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.5
How the Guide is Organised . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1--1
1--1
1--2
1--3
1--4
What PDMS Offers You
Part II
3
Introduction
Getting Started
Controlling PDMS
3.1
Accessing the Design Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.2
Using the Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.3
Using Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.4
Using the Tool Bar Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.5
The Status Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.6
Using Forms and their Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.6.1
Using Radio Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.6.2
Using Check Boxes (Toggle Buttons) . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.6.3
Using Text--Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.6.4
Using Drop--Down Lists (Option Buttons) . . . . . . . .
3.6.5
Using Scrollable Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.6.6
Actioning Form Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.7
Alert Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.8
Accessing On--Line Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3--2
3--4
3--5
3--6
3--6
3--6
3--7
3--7
3--7
3--8
3--8
3--9
3--9
3--9
Setting Up the Database Hierarchy

4.1
Starting the Structural Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4--1
4.2
How PDMS Stores Design Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4--2
4.3
Creating Some Administrative Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4--4

Version 11.4
Contents
Creating a Simple Structure

5.1
Design--to--Catalogue Cross--Referencing . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2
How PDMS Represents Structural Members . . . . . . . . .
5.2.1
Straight Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2.2
Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.3
Some Initial Setting Up Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.3.1
Setting Default Storage Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.3.2
Automating Profile and Primary Node
Allocations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.3.3
Setting the Default Specification for Profiles . . . . . .
5.4
Creating Sections Explicitly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.5
Viewing the Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.5.1
Defining What Appears in the View . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.5.2
Manipulating the Displayed View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.5.3
Navigating in the Database by Picking
Elements Graphically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.6
Event--Driven Graphics Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.7
Creating Sections Using Graphical Picking . . . . . . . . . .
5.8
Collecting Elements into Temporary Lists . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.9
Copying Parts of the Design Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.10
Completing the Initial Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.11
Saving Your Changes and Leaving Your Design
Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A Quick Way to Build a Regular Structure
Enhancing the Basic Structure

7.1
Restoring a Previously Saved Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.2
Trimming Connected Section Ends to Correct
Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.3
Adding and Modifying Simple Bracing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.4
Adding Standard Bracing Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.5
Representing Joints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.6
Dominant versus Subordinate Joints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.7
Moving Part of the Structure and Maintaining
Correct Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ii
Adding Panels and Plates

8.1
Starting the Panels & Plates Application . . . . . . . . . . . .
8.2
How PDMS Represents Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8.3
Setting Default Storage Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8.4
Creating Simple Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8.5
Measuring Distances/Directions in the Design Model .
5--1
5--1
5--1
5--2
5--3
5--3
5--4
5--4
5--6
5--9
5--9
5--11
5--13
5--13
5--14
5--20
5--21
5--23
5--25
7--1
7--2
7--4
7--9
7--12
7--17
7--18
8--1
8--2
8--3
8--4
8--6

Version 11.3
Contents
8.6
8.7
8.8
8.9
Splitting a Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tailoring Panel Edges by Editing Individual Vertices .
Moving Panel Edges to New Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Negative Extrusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8--7
8--8
8--11
8--13
Using Panel Fittings

9.1
How Panel Fittings are Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9--1
9.2
Creating a Panel Fitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9--2
10
Penetrating One Item With Another

10.1
How a Penetration is Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10--1
10.2
Creating a Steelwork Penetration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10--2
11
Checking and Outputting Design Data

11.1
Checking for Clashes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11.2
Generating a Data Output Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11.3
Querying Mass Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11.4
Plotting the Design Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11--2
11--5
11--7
11--9
Adding Some Curved Steelwork

12.1
How PDMS Represents Curved Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12.2
Creating a Semicircular Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12.3
Creating a Runway Beam with Multiple Curves . . . . . .
12.3.1
Defining a Working Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12.3.2
Creating a Curved Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12.3.3
Modifying a Curved Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12.4
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12--1
12--2
12--5
12--5
12--6
12--7
12--9
12
Part III
A
Reference Appendices
The Menu Hierarchies

A.1
The Beams & Columns Application Menus . . . . . . . . . . .
A.2
The Panels & Plates Application Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A.3
The Penetration Application Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A.4
The 3D View Menus (Right--Hand Mouse Button) . . . .
A.5
The 3D Aid Constructs Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A.6
The Reference Definition Application Menus . . . . . . . . .
A.7
The Lists/Collections Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A.8
The Working Plane Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A.9
The Section Cut Plane Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A--1
A--5
A--9
A--10
A--11
A--12
A--12
A--13
A--13
What the Icons Represent

B.1
Switching Between Structural Applications . . . . . . . . . . B--1
B.2
General Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B--2

Version 11.4
iii
Contents
B.3
B.4
B.5
B.6
B.7
Creating and Modifying Beams and Columns . . . . . . . .

B.3.1
General Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B.3.2
Specifying Section Start and End Positions . . . . . . . .
Creating Curved Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Ring Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating and Modifying Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B.6.1
Specifying Panel Vertex Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B.6.2
Modifying Vertices or Edges of Panel Loops . . . . . .
B.6.3
Connecting Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Standard Bracing Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B--2
B--2
B--2
B--3
B--4
B--6
B--6
B--6
B--8
B--9
The Structural Design Database
Structural Catalogue Guide

D.1
The Basic Features of the Catalogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D.2
P--line Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D.3
Some Standard Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D.4
Some Standard Joints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D.4.1
Column Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D.4.2
Cleated Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D.4.3
End Preparations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D.4.4
Baseplate Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D.4.5
Double Notched End Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D.4.6
Single Notched End Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D.5
Some Standard Fittings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D.5.1
Stiffeners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D.5.2
Fire Insulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D.5.3
Lifting Lugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D--1
D--2
D--4
D--14
D--14
D--15
D--16
D--17
D--18
D--18
D--19
D--19
D--20
D--20
Other Relevant Documentation

E.1
On--Line Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
E.2
PDMS Introductory Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
E.3
PDMS Reference Manuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
E.4
General Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
E--1
E--2
E--2
E--3
Some Sample Plots
Index
iv

Version 11.3
Part I
Introduction

Version 11.4
Read This First
1.1
The Scope of the Guide

This guide introduces the facilities provided by Cadcentre for the
design and documentation of logically interconnected structures for a
wide range of process and related plant design industries, both
on--shore and off--shore. It assumes that you are already familiar with
structural design practices, but does not assume any prior knowledge
of computer--aided design systems.
The guide explains the main concepts underlying PDMS and its
supporting applications, and shows how you can apply these to your
own design projects. A key feature of the guide is a hands--on
tutorial exercise which is incorporated throughout, allowing you to
gain practical experience of the ways in which you can use PDMS as
you learn about the powerful facilities which it provides.
This guide does not give step--by--step instructions on how to carry out
specific design functions, since you can access such information as you
work by using the on--line help facilities incorporated into the
programs graphical user interface. You will be told how to do this at
an early stage.
For fuller information about all aspects of structural design (and
other related disciplines) using PDMS, refer to the sources listed in
Appendix E of this guide.
1.2
Learning to Use PDMS

The aim of this guide is to help you to learn to use PDMS and its
supporting applications for your structural design work as quickly as
possible. Once you have grasped the basic principles, you will find
that most operations quickly become intuitive.

Version 11.4
1--1
Read This First
The best way to learn is to experiment with the product for yourself.
To facilitate this, the initial chapters of the guide comprise two
concurrent sequences of information:
D
A hands--on tutorial exercise, which gives a step--by--step

practical introduction to the ways in which you might use the
applications.
Explanations of the underlying concepts, given at the points

at which each is first encountered as the exercise progresses.
The intention is that you should work progressively through the

exercise, pausing to learn about each new concept as it is introduced.
All steps which make up the exercise are numbered sequentially
throughout the guide. The start and end of each part of the exercise
are marked by lines across the page to separate them from the
general information sections, like this:
1.3
Further Training in the Use of PDMS

Although this guide will teach you to understand the key features of
using PDMS for your structural designs, it cannot possibly show you
all of the wide--ranging facilities to which you now have access, nor
can it identify the best ways in which you might use the program to
suit your own individual design practices.
To get the best out of PDMS, it is important that you receive proper
training in its use from a qualified instructor, who can answer your
questions as they arise and give you advice on tailoring your
techniques to best match your objectives. A wide range of training
courses are provided by Cadcentre, covering all levels of expertise and
all design disciplines. To arrange attendance on such a course, contact
your nearest Cadcentre support office for further details (see the
copyright page at the front of this guide for a link to our web site).
1--2
Structural Design Using VANTAGE pdms

Version 11.4
Read This First
1.4
Some Terminology
As you might imagine, a program with the wide--ranging power of
PDMS is necessarily large and, if you had simultaneous access to all
of its features, could be rather daunting. To make the whole program
easily controllable, it is subdivided into convenient functional parts.
These are referred to throughout this guide by the following terms:
D
Modules are subdivisions of PDMS which you use to carry out

specific types of operation. You will be mainly concerned with
two modules only: DESIGN, used for creating the 3D design
model and DRAFT, used for generating annotated and
dimensioned drawings of your design.
Applications are supplementary programs, used in conjunction

with PDMS, which have been tailored to provide easy control of
those operations which are specific to particular disciplines. For
example, the applications which we will mostly be using for our
structural design work are the Beams & Columns Application
and the Panels & Plates Application.
You can switch rapidly between the different parts of the program, so
that the distinctions between them become almost imperceptible, but
you need to recognise what is happening when you select from the
different functions available to you from the various menus.
The following terms and conventions are used throughout this guide
to describe what action to carry out:
Term
Description
Click
Place the mouse cursor over a specified point, then

quickly press and release the designated mouse
button. If no button is specified, always use the
left-hand mouse button.
Double--click

click the left--hand mouse button twice in quick
succession.
Pick
Click on the required item to select it.
Drag

press and hold down the designated mouse button
while moving the cursor to a second specified point.
Release the button over the second point.
Enter
Type text into the specified dialogue box, then press

the Enter (or Return) key to confirm the entry.

Version 11.4
1--3
Read This First
1.5
How the Guide is Organised

This guide is divided into three parts, including some appendices, as
follows:
D
1--4
Part I (this part) introduces the guide itself and the structural
applications which it describes.
D
Chapter 1 (this chapter) summarises the scope of the

guide.
Chapter 2 gives a general overview of the main design

facilities provided within the structural applications.
Part II explains, with the help of a worked example, some

essential concepts which you need to understand when you use
the structural applications.
D
Chapter 3 gives you a general guide to using the PDMS

graphical user interface, including an explanation of how to
access detailed on--line help. If you are already familiar
with similar forms and menus interfaces, you should be
able to read through this chapter rapidly. Do not ignore it
altogether, however, as it tells you how to load the
structural design application which forms the basis for the
tutorial exercise.
Chapter 4 explains how PDMS stores its design data and

shows you how to organise your data.
Chapter 5 guides you through the steps needed to create a

simple structure comprising only vertical columns and
horizontal beams.
Chapter 6 demonstrates a useful facility which provides an

alternative method for creating a regularly configured
structure rapidly.
Chapter 7 shows how to add diagonal bracing members,

how to model joints between connected members, and how
to modify the design by moving interconnected parts of the
structure.
Chapter 8 shows how to clad the structure by adding

panels and plates.
Structural Design Using VANTAGE pdms
Version 11.4
Read This First
Chapter 9 introduces the concept of panel fittings.
Chapter 10 shows how to configure those locations where

one item penetrates another.
Chapter 11 shows how to check your design for clashes,

and how to generate reports and plots directly from the
design data.
Chapter 12 explains how curved sections are represented

and illustrates their use.
Part III comprises the following set of reference appendices:

D
Appendix A shows the complete hierarchy of all options

available from the structural design applications bar
menus, pull--down menus and submenus in a convenient
quick--reference format.
Appendix B illustrates the principal icons which you will

encounter when you use the structural applications forms
and menus, and briefly summarises what each one
represents.
Appendix C summarises the database hierarchy which

PDMS uses to store your structural design data.
Appendix D comprises a sample catalogue of structural

steelwork sections.
Appendix E identifies other sources of information which

supplement, and expand upon, the brief details given in
this guide.
Appendix F contains some examples of the types of plot

which can be produced easily by using PDMS with the
structural applications.
The guide concludes with an Index, allowing you to refer back to

any specific topics about whose details you need to be reminded.

Version 11.4
1--5

PDMS plus the Cadcentre structural applications provide a powerful
suite of facilities for the creation, analysis and documentation of
logically interconnected steelwork structures. The design modelling
functions incorporate a degree of intelligence which, where possible,
makes sensible decisions about the consequential effects of many of
your design changes, so that you can implement a sequence of related
changes with a minimum of effort.
The emphasis throughout is on maximising both design consistency
and design productivity, so that you need only make a minimum
number of essential design decisions in order to create a reliable and
fully documented structural design ready for fabrication and erection.
Modifications to your design may be incorporated at any stage
without fear of invalidating any of your prior work, since data
consistency checking is an integral part of the product. PDMS
automatically manages drawing production, material take--off
reports, etc., by reading all design data directly from a common set of
databases, so that there can be no errors introduced by transcribing
information between different disciplines.
The applications let you check all aspects of the design as the work
progresses, including on--line interdisciplinary clash detection, so that
the chances of errors and inconsistencies reaching the final
documented design are reduced to an exceptionally low level. The
need for expensive on--site modifications is thereby avoided.
The applications, which have been designed by structural engineers
for structural engineers, are controlled from a graphical user
interface. This means that all design, drawing and reporting
operations are initiated simply by selecting choices from simple
menus and entering data into the appropriate fields on on--screen
forms. In many cases the command options are represented by
pictorial icons rather than by words, thus simplifying the user
interface still further. Should you need guidance on the use of any of
the powerful facilities provided within the application, on--screen help
is available at the click of a button.

Version 11.4
2--1
Some key features:
2--2
The applications are designed to use specification data when

selecting structural components (such as Profiles and Joints)
from the Catalogue database. This makes it easy to ensure that
all designs incorporate only approved components and thus
conform to company standards.
Where possible, the design applications create and maintain

connectivity of the structural network automatically.
Structural elements may be named in accordance with a

predefined set of rules, so that their positions in the database
hierarchy are always obvious without you having to enter
specific texts during the design process.
Pointers may be set up to define the storage areas in which

specific types of design element are to be held in the database
hierarchy. This, especially when combined with the rule--based
naming facility, minimises the amount of data which you have to
enter explicitly as you build up your design model.
Lists of elements may be set up temporarily, so that you can

carry out a design operation on all elements within the list
simultaneously. This can save you a great deal of repetitive work
when carrying out commonly--repeated design modifications.
The applications incorporate a number of geometric design aids,

such as 3D positioning grids, 3D construction aids and 2D
working planes, to make it much easier to position structural
elements accurately within the design model. In most cases you
can specify the points at which design items are to be positioned
simply by using the cursor to pick the required points in the 3D
graphical view of the model.
Non--standard structural components, such as complex panels

and floor plates, may be created by defining the required shape
as a 2D profile and then extruding this to the desired thickness.
Negative primitives and shapes may be used in the structural

catalogue to define complex joint geometry and end preparations
for structural sections, so that weld preparations and fitting
allowances can be modelled easily.
Templates may be used to define the formation of built--up

girders and similar components, so that the detailed design of
Version 11.4
such items becomes simply a matter of entering the required

dimensional and positional data.
D
Multiple copies of design components may be created simply by

specifying the number of copies required and their relative
positions and orientations. For example, a complete roof
structure can be created by designing a single roof truss and
then, in one operation, making as many copies as are necessary
to support the length of the roof, with each truss displaced by a
given distance relative to the preceding one.
Much repetitive work can be avoided in symmetrical designs by

making copies of interconnected parts of the structure and
reflecting them about specified axes, so that the design pattern
is repeated as required.
Joint positions may be finely adjusted to ensure accurate

assembly, using any standard datum line to define the precise
alignment of a joint with its attached sections.
Sections and panels (wall plates, floor plates, etc.) may be

divided at intersections, after the overall size and shape have
been defined, without affecting any of their logical
interconnections. This enables you to design the macrostructure
(for example, complete areas to be covered) first and then to
subdivide this into a manageable microstructure for fabrication
purposes at a later stage (typically, to make the most efficient
use of stock panel sizes). The edges of panels may be notched to
fit around section profiles, and the edges of adjacent panels may
be shaped such they interlock automatically.
Penetrations may be created as catalogue elements. Such a

penetration, which can incorporate appropriate sleeving, kick
plates, etc., may be inserted into a structural section or panel as
a complete entity, with the dimensions and position of the
penetration derived automatically from the dimensions of the
pipe/duct/cable tray passing though it.
The applications make it easy for you to create panels and to

connect them to existing sections via linear joints. This facility
uses intelligent cursor picking to enhance the interaction
between the displayed graphics and the design creation process.
You can derive panel vertices simply by picking appropriate
datum lines on existing sections; connections between panels

Version 11.4
2--3
and sections are then created automatically to give a fully

connected structural model. Such panels can be used either to
represent floors/walls or to build up complex plated connections.
2--4
You can carry out multi--disciplinary clash checks at any stage of

the design, thus avoiding spatial conflicts within the overall
model which could be expensive to rectify at the construction
stage. This is particularly important where different features of
the design model are under the control of different designers.
At any stage of your work, you can create reports listing

specified data read from the current database. You can specify a
standard report template, enabling you to derive lists of
commonly required information extremely rapidly, or you can
design a one--off report format to suit any special needs. The
resulting output, which can include data from any design
discipline, sorted in any way you require, can be either displayed
on your screen or sent to a file (for storage and/or for printing).

Version 11.4
Part II
Getting Started
Structural Design Using PDMS

Version 11.3
Controlling PDMS
This chapter introduces the techniques for controlling PDMS using

the graphical user interface which you will see on your screen. To do
this, we will begin the tutorial exercise by entering PDMS and
accessing that part of the program which you will use to specify your
structural design data.
It is assumed that you are already logged in to your workstation and
that you know enough about its operating system to enable you to run
a program such as PDMS from an appropriate directory. It is also
assumed that you know how to open and manipulate windows on your
computer by using a mouse. If not, you first need to read the manuals
supplied with your computer system or seek advice from your
computer systems department.
In order for you to use the tutorial exercise, the structural
applications and the sample PDMS project (Project SAM) supplied
must have been correctly installed and you must have been given
read/write access to the project databases. This procedure, which
should have been carried out by your PDMS administrator as part of
the product installation sequence, is beyond the scope of this guide.

Version 11.4
3--1
Controlling PDMS
3.1
Accessing the Design Environment
Exercise begins:
1.
Start PDMS. The CADCENTRE PDMS Login form requires you

to specify the following information for your intended session:
S
The name of the Project in which you want to work. Enter

SAM.
Your allocated User Name and Password. Enter STRUC

for each.
The parts of the project database (i.e. which Multiple

Database or MDB) you want to work in. Enter STRUC.
The type of operation you want to carry out on the project

data (i.e. which functional Module of PDMS you want to
use). Select Design. (The Read Only button must remain
Off, so that you can modify the database as you work.)
Whether you want to start from the applications default

settings (Load from Macro Files) or from a customised
setup saved during an earlier session (Load from Binary
Files). Select Macro Files.
You can either type in each entry explicitly, or click the down
arrow next to the text--box and select the required option from
the resulting list.
The settings which you need to enter are as follows:
Enter password
STRUC
Click OK and wait while the application is loaded.

3--2

Version 11.4
Controlling PDMS
Main Menu Bar

Main Tool Bar
Members List
3D Graphical View
3D View Tool Bar
Status Bar
Main Menu Bar the area from which you select the
principal commands. The title bar of this window shows the
current PDMS module and its sub--application (if relevant) in
which you are working; in this case, the General application of
the Design module.
Main Tool bar provides short--cuts to some common

operations and standard settings via icon buttons and
drop--down lists.
Members List shows your current position in the database

hierarchy. You can move to a different point in the database by
using the left--hand mouse button to pick the required item in
the list.
3D Graphical View the window in which you will display

the design model graphically as it is being built up. Note that
this window has a pop--up menu, selectable by using the
right-hand mouse button, from which you will select options to
control the ways in which the model is represented. It also has
its own tool bar.

Version 11.4
3--3
Controlling PDMS
Status Bar displays information about the current status

of your operations. It is located across the bottom of the main
window.
You can reposition or minimise these windows at any time by using

the standard window management facilities provided by your
workstation (but do not close them in this way).
3.2
Using the Mouse

You use the mouse to steer the graphics cursor around the screen and
to select or pick items by using the mouse buttons. The buttons
perform different tasks depending on the type of window, and the
position within the window, where the cursor is positioned. The
appearance of the cursor will change according to the type of display
item that is underneath it.
The functions of the buttons are:
Left--Hand Button:
The left--hand button is the main button for selecting items. On a
graphical view, clicking the left--hand button with the cursor over a
design element results in that element becoming the current
element (that is, the design item on which you want to carry out the
next operation). In a sequence of menus, dragging with the left--hand
button activates the command represented by the highlighted menu
option when the button is released. On a form, the effect depends on
the type of gadget that has been selected see Section 3.6 for
details.
Middle Button:
The principal use of the middle mouse button in DESIGN is to
manipulate a graphical view.
Right--Hand Button:
The principal use of the right--hand mouse button in DESIGN is to
access the menu options specific to the graphical view window.
3.3
Using Menus
There can be three types of option in a pull--down or pop--up menu:
3--4

Version 11.4
Controlling PDMS
CE
CE
Options shown as plain text: selecting one of these initiates an

action immediately.
Clashes...
Options followed by three dots: selecting one of these displays a

form on which to select options, enter data, etc.
Reports
Options followed by a triangular pointer: selecting one of these

displays a subsidiary menu giving a further range of options.
Throughout this guide, related selections from menus are shown in
abbreviated form by using the > symbol as a separator. Thus, the
sequence Utilities>Reports>Create means select Utilities from
the main menu bar, then select Reports from the resulting
pull--down menu, then move the cursor to the right and select Create
from the resulting submenu.
3.4
Using the Tool Bar Buttons

The tool bar is displayed immediately below the main menu bar in the
application window. It contains a number of icon buttons which let
you carry out common tasks without searching for the options in the
menus.
The actions of the buttons are explained in the on--line help. If you
pause the cursor over a button, a tool--tip pop--up will remind you of
the function of the button. To activate a button, simply click on it.
NOTE: The tool bar can be switched off, or displayed with larger
icons. To do so, select Settings>System from the main
menu bar and then set the required options on the resulting
System Settings form.
3.5
The Status Bar

The status bar (the Status Form on Unix systems) displays messages
telling you what actions the application is carrying out. You should
look at it frequently, especially if the system appears to be waiting for
you to do something, since it will always prompt you for any input or
action which is required to carry out the next step of your current
activity.

Version 11.4
3--5
Controlling PDMS
If the prompt lets you repeat a task an unspecified number of times,

such as picking a selection of items using the cursor, you must press
the Escape key (or click the Escape button on the Status Form )
when you have finished to indicate that you are ready to move to the
next operation.
3.6
Using Forms and their Controls

Forms are used both to display information and to let you enter new
data. Forms typically comprise an arrangement of buttons of various
types, text--boxes, and scrollable lists. Input to a form is usually
via a combination of mouse and keyboard, the mouse being used to
select appropriate controls and the keyboard to enter data.
While you have access to a form, you may change a setting, return to
the initial values, accept and act on the current data, or cancel the
form without applying any changes, according to the nature of the
form.
This section describes how to use the principal types of gadget that
you will see on the various forms.
3.6.1
Using Radio Buttons

Radio buttons are used to select one, and only one, from a group of
options. The selection is mutually exclusive, so that selecting one
option deselects others in that group automatically.
They typically have the following appearance:
Radio button On
Radio button Off
To change the selected radio button in a group, click the required
button.
3.6.2
Using Check Boxes (Toggle Buttons)

Check boxes are used to switch an option between two states,
typically On and Off. Unlike radio buttons, they do not interact, so
that you can select any combination to be On at the same time.
3--6

Version 11.4
Controlling PDMS

Check box On
Check box Off
3.6.3
Using Text--Boxes
Text--boxes are the areas where you type in alphanumeric data such
as names or dimensions. A text--box will usually have a label to tell
you what to enter.
When you first open a form which contains text--boxes, the first
text--box on the form will be current and a text editing cursor (a
vertical bar) will be displayed in the box. A text--box often contain a
default entry (e.g. unset) when first displayed. Some text--boxes will
accept only text or only numeric data, and entries with the wrong
type of data will not be accepted.
To enter data into a text--box:
3.6.4
Click in the box to insert the text editing cursor.
Type in the required data, editing any existing entry as

necessary. (You may need to delete the existing entry first.)
When you have finished, confirm the entry by pressing the

Enter (or Return) key. Any text--box with an unconfirmed
setting is highlighted by a yellow background.
Using Drop--Down Lists (Option Buttons)

Drop--down lists let you choose one option from a multiple selection.
The list will usually have a label to tell you what you are setting and
will show the current selection.
North
To change the setting, click on the down arrow or button face to reveal
the full list of available options, then pick the required option.
3.6.5
Using Scrollable Lists

A scrollable list is displayed as a vertical list of options within the
form, with vertical and horizontal scroll bars along its sides. To select

Version 11.4
3--7
Controlling PDMS
an option, click on the line you want. The selected line will be
highlighted.
Some scrollable lists let you make only a single selection, so that
selecting any option deselects all others automatically. Other lists let
you make multiple selections, with all selected options highlighted
simultaneously. To deselect a highlighted option in a multiple--choice
list, click on it again (repeated clicks toggle a selection On and Off).
3.6.6
Actioning Form Inputs

Most forms include at least one control button which is used either
to enter the command option represented by your current form
setting, to cancel any changes made to the form since you opened it,
or to close the form.
The common control buttons have the following actions:
Button
Action
OK
Enters the current form settings as command inputs

and closes the form.
Apply
Enters the current form settings as command inputs

and leaves the form displayed for further use.
Cancel
Cancels any changes made to the forms settings and

closes the form.
Reset
Cancels any changes made to the forms settings and

leaves the form displayed for further use.
Dismiss
Closes the form, keeping the current settings.
Some forms contain more specific types of control button which carry
out particular command options (as indicated by the text on the
button face; e.g. Add or Remove).
3.7
Alert Forms
Alert forms are used to display information such as error messages,
prompts and requests for confirmation of changes. You should respond
by carrying out the task prompted for or by clicking on the control
buttons on the form (usually an OK or Cancel button).
3--8

Version 11.4
Controlling PDMS
3.8
Accessing On--Line Help

Most bar menus end with a Help option. Where available, on--line
help gives detailed instructions on the use of the forms and menus via
which you control each application.
The Help option gives you the following choices from its sub--menu:
Help>on Context
This gives you help on any window currently visible in the display.
When you select this option, the cursor changes to a question mark
(?). Move the question mark into the window on which you want help
and click the left--hand mouse button.
Help>Contents
This displays the Help window so that you can find the required topic
from the hierarchical contents list.
Help>Index
This displays the Help window so that you can find all topics relevant
to a selected keyword.
Help>About
This displays information about the current operating system on your
computer and about the versions of PDMS and its applications to
which you have access.
Pressing the F1 key at any time will display the help topic for the
currently active window (equivalent to Help on Context for the
current window).
Exercise continues:
2.
Experiment with each of the Help options until you understand

the search and navigation facilities for finding specific items of
information. Use the Help>on Context option to read the help
texts for any forms which you can currently see on your screen.
3.
When you are ready to continue, close any forms which you have
been experimenting with as follows:
D
D
If a form has a Dismiss button, click this button.

If a form has its own menu bar, select Control>Close from
that menu.

Version 11.4
3--9
Controlling PDMS
Close any Help windows which are displayed by

double--clicking in the control box in the top left--hand
corner of each window. Alternatively, select File>Exit from
the Help windows menu bar.
Do not close the Members List or the 3D View windows, as you

will use these in the next parts of the exercise.
You are recommended to make full use of the on--line help facilities
whenever you want clarification of any operations during the later
steps of the exercise.
3--10

Version 11.4
In this chapter we will enter the structural steelwork design

application and create some administrative data elements which will
enable us to organise our detailed design in a logical way.
4.1
Starting the Structural Application
Exercise continues:
4.
The first structural application which we will use is that for

designing interconnected beams and columns. To access this
application, select Design>Structures>Beams & Columns
from the main menu bar.
When loading is complete, the main menu bar and tool bar will show
some extra options, thus:
Before we start to create structural design data, it is important that

you know how such data is stored and accessed in the PDMS
databases, so that you will understand the terminology which you will
encounter during the design process. This is explained in the
following section.

Version 11.4
4--1
4.2
How PDMS Stores Design Data

All PDMS data is stored in a hierarchic or tree format (similar to the
way in which you use a hierarchy of directories and subdirectories to
access your computer files). In the case of a PDMS Design database,
the topmost data level is called the World (usually represented by the
symbolic name /*), below which are the administrative sublevels Site
and Zone.
The names used to identify database levels below Zone depend on the
specific engineering discipline for which the data is used. In the case
of structural design data, the lower administrative levels (and their
PDMS abbreviations) are Structure (STRU), Framework (FRMW)
and (optionally) Subframework (SBFR).
The data which defines the physical design of the individual
structural components is held below Subframework level, giving the
following overall format:
WORLD (/*)
SITE
ZONE
STRUCTURE (STRU)
FRAMEWORK (FRMW)
SUBFRAMEWORK (SBFR) (optional)
Design data defining individual structural components which make up the design model
All data is represented in the database thus:
4--2
Each identifiable item of data is known as a PDMS element.
Each element has a number of associated pieces of information

which, together, completely define its properties. These are
known as its attributes.

Version 11.4
Every element is identified within the database structure by an

automatically--allocated reference number and, optionally, by a
user--specified name. Additional items of information about an
element which could be stored as attribute settings include:
D
Its type
Its physical dimensions and technical specifications
Its physical location and orientation in the design model
Its connectivity
Some attribute settings must be defined by you when you create

a new element, others will be defined automatically by PDMS.
The vertical link between two elements on adjacent levels of the
database hierarchy is defined as an owner--member relationship.
The element on the upper level is the owner of those elements
directly linked below it. The lower level elements are members of
their owning element. Each element can have many members, but it
can have only one owner.
When you are modifying a database (for example, when you are
creating new elements or changing the settings of their attributes),
you can consider yourself to be positioned at a specific point within
the hierarchy. The element at this location is called the current
element (often abbreviated to CE).
You can navigate from any element to any other, thereby changing the
current element, by following the owner--member links up and down
the hierarchy.
In many cases, commands which you give for modifying the attributes
of an element will assume that the changes are to be applied to the
current element unless you specify otherwise, so you must understand
this concept and always be aware of your current position in the
database hierarchy. The Members List (see Section 3.1) will always
show you this information.

Version 11.4
4--3
4.3
Creating Some Administrative Elements

We will now create some administrative elements at the top of the
Design DB hierarchy, as explained in the preceding section.
Exercise continues:
5.
Check that you are at World level (WORL) in the Members List,
then select Create>Site. On the displayed Create Site form,
enter the name TESTSITE in the Name text--box.
Type name here
Press Return to confirm the name; note how the system adds a /
prefix automatically to conform to PDMS naming conventions.
Click OK to create the Site element. Notice that the new element
appears in the Members List as the current element.
6.
Repeat this process, using the appropriate options from the

Create menu, to create a Zone named TESTZONE, a Structure
TESTSTRU, a Framework TESTFRMW and a Subframework
(Sub--Frame) TESTSBFR, in that order.
Your Members List should now look like this:
In the next chapter, we will start to build up a design model by

creating some structural members.
4--4

Version 11.4

In this chapter we will start to build up a structural design model by
creating a simple configuration of interconnected columns and beams.
Before we do so, however, it is important to understand how some of
the items which make up the design are represented and accessed in
the PDMS databases, as explained in the following sections.
5.1
Design--to--Catalogue Cross--Referencing
To ensure design consistency and conformity with company
standards, the basic definitions of all items which you may use in the
structural design are held in a Catalogue database. This holds
definitions of all available profiles and materials for structural
columns/beams/bracing etc., all standard types of joint, all auxiliary
fittings, and so on. When you add an item to your design model, you
store the position, orientation etc. for the item in the Design database,
but you specify the physical properties of the item by setting up a
cross-reference (called a Specification Reference or SpecRef)
which points to an appropriate entry in the Catalogue database.
5.2
How PDMS Represents Structural Members
5.2.1
Straight Sections
Each individual straight structural member (column, beam, etc.) is
represented in PDMS by a Section (SCTN) element. The geometry of
a Section is defined by two types of attribute setting:
D
Its cross--section is defined by reference to a Catalogue Profile

element (I--beam, T--section, Channel, etc.).
All other aspects of its geometry are defined by setting specific

design attributes (in most cases these are set automatically by

Version 11.4
5--1
PDMS as you manipulate the model graphically). Two of the

most important attributes are the Start Position (POSS) and
the End Position (POSE), since the positions of these points
effectively determine the length and orientation of the item. We
will look in more detail at these and some other attributes of
Sections later.
To provide a method for referring to individual edges and faces of a
Section, each is identified by a named line running along the length
of the Section. These reference lines (which are derived from the
Sections Profile definition in the catalogue) are called P--lines. As an
example, some of the most commonly used p--lines for an I--shaped
Profile might be positioned and named as follows (see Appendix D for
fuller details of how this and other profiles are specified):
LTOS
TOS
RTOS
P-- line (TOS)

Section
Profile
LTBS
RTBS
NAL
NA
LBTS
LBOS
5.2.2
BOS
NAR
End Position (POSE)

RBTS
RBOS
Start Position (POSS)

P-- line Naming Key:
NA = Neutral Axis
TOS = Top of Steel
BOS = Bottom of Steel
LTBS = Left Top Bottom of Steel
and so on
Nodes
PDMS uses the concept of Nodes to represent basic analytical points
within a structure. Nodes have two main functions:
5--2
To identify the points at which logical connections are made

between adjoining Sections.
To define how applied stresses can affect individual points in the

structure (for passing design data to separate stress analysis
programs).
Version 11.4
Primary Nodes have their positions specified independently of other

elements.
Secondary Nodes are positioned along the Neutral Axis of an
owning Section, at a specified distance from the Sections Start
Position. If you move a Section, its Secondary Nodes move with it.
5.3
Some Initial Setting Up Operations

In the next part of the exercise we will set up some defaults to
customise the application to suit our planned method of working.
Exercise continues:
5.3.1
Setting Default Storage Areas

7.
First, we will specify where the principal structural elements are

to be stored in the design database hierarchy. Select Settings>
Storage Areas. The displayed form lets you specify storage
areas for Primary Nodes and Sections independently. At this
stage, both areas are shown as unset.
We shall store both types of element directly under the
Sub--Frame which we created in the last step. Check that the
sub--frame /TESTSBFR is the current element, then click on
each line in the Storage Areas list in turn. The new storage
area settings will be shown as follows:
Close the form by clicking the

button. Note how the current
storage area settings are shown below the main tool bar, like
this:
Section storage area

Version 11.4
Node storage area

5--3
5.3.2
Automating Profile and Primary Node Allocations

8.
By default, each time you create a new Section, it will

automatically be associated with a Profile from the Catalogue.
Also by default, Primary Nodes will not be created automatically
at unconnected section ends. For our present purposes, leave
both of these default settings in force, as shown (and controlled)
by the following buttons below the main tool bar, thus:
Primary Nodes will not be
created automatically
5.3.3
Profiles referenced from

Catalogue automatically
Setting the Default Specification for Profiles

9.
The current default profile, justification line, member line and

joint line (these terms will be explained later) are shown below
the main tool bar. If these have not yet been set (which will be
the case here), the data area will look like this:
The first structural sections which we will create will be

columns, so we will set the default profile to something suitable.
Click on the
button. The resulting Section Specification
(Default) form lets you select any specification from the available
catalogues. For the purpose of this exercise, set the
Specification to British Standard and set the Generic Type
to Universal Columns. From the displayed list of profiles
applicable to BS Universal Columns, select 203x203x46kg/m,
thus:
5--4

Version 11.4
Specification to be
applied to sections as
they are created
Leave the Justification button (which determines the relative

alignment of connected sections), the Member Line button
(which determines how sections are shown in wireline views and
drawings), and the Joint Line button (which determines the
position of a joint relative to an attached section) set to NA
(Neutral Axis). We will see the effects of these later.
Click Apply to use this setting as the new default, noting that
the current specification is now shown like this:
Dismiss the Section Specification (Default) form when you have

finished with it.
Version 11.4
5--5
5.4
Creating Sections Explicitly

We will first create four vertical columns, to the following design,
using explicit positioning; that is, we will position the columns at
given positions within the coordinate system of the site rather than by
positioning them relative to existing structural sections (since we
have not yet created any).
Column 2
Column 3
4000
5000
9000
9000
Column 4
Column 1
E
N
5000
5000
7000
Origin
Keep these column designations in mind; we shall refer to them

throughout the rest of the exercise.
10. Select Create>Sections>Straight.

You will see both a Section form and a Positioning Control form,
which together control how the start and end points of sections
are specified. The Positioning Control form is not relevant for
our current purposes (we will see what it is used for later).
On the Section form, check that the String Method is set to
Single (which means that you will define independent start and
end positions for each section) and that the Create Option:
Secondary Nodes button is set to On.
Set the Verification: Confirm button to On (so that you can
check where each new section will be positioned before it is
added to the database).
5--6

Version 11.4
The forms settings should now look like this:
Click the
button, which tells the system that you want to
define a position by entering explicit coordinates (this is the only
practical option at this stage). You will see a Define section start
form. We want to position the start of the first column at the site
origin, so leave the East/North/Up coordinates at the default
position (E0, N0, U0), like this:
NOTE: The default entry wrt World, meaning with respect to

the World, defines the coordinate system within which
the position is specified.
Version 11.4
5--7
Click OK. The Start position will be shown in the graphical view.
Rather than specifying all three coordinates for the Sections end
position explicitly, we will define its position relative to the
Sections start.
Click the
button.You will now see a Define section end form
in a format which lets you enter the required data. We want to
create a vertical column 5000mm high, so enter the Direction
as U and the Distance as 5000, thus:
Click OK, then click the Accept button on the Section form to
confirm the creation of the Section (check the Members List).
11. Using the same procedures, create the following three Sections:
D
Start Position E0 N7000 U0; Length 9000
When you have created all four columns, Dismiss the forms (the
Positioning Control form disappears automatically when you
dismiss the Section form).
Your Members List should now show four Sections (SCTN
1 4), like this:
5--8

Version 11.4
Note that each newly created Section is placed before the current
list position, so that SCTN 1 in the list was the last Section
created (corresponding to Column 1 in the diagram).
5.5
Viewing the Design

In order to see what our design looks like as we build it up, and to
enable us to identify design items by simply pointing to them rather
than by navigating to them in the Members List, we will now display
our current design in a 3D View window and learn how to manipulate
this display.
5.5.1
Defining What Appears in the View
Exercise continues:
12. Select either Display>Drawlist from the main menu bar or
Control>Drawlist from the Members List menu bar. The
normal Members List will be replaced by an extended version
entitled Members+Draw. This lets you build up a list of all
elements which you want to display, as shown in the Drawlist
scrollable list in the lower part of the form. If this list already
contains entries (which it should), click the All button in the
Remove From Drawlist section to empty the list (the view
should now show no design elements).
Version 11.4
5--9
We want to see all of our current design, so navigate to the SBFR

by clicking on it in the upper list and click the Add CE button in
the Add To Drawlist section to put the whole of the Sub--Frame
into the Drawlist.
Select Control>Close from the menu on the Members+Draw
form to remove the form from the screen and replace it by the
normal Members List.
13. Position the cursor in the 3D View window and hold down the
right--hand mouse button to display the pop--up menu. Select
Limits>CE (CE means Current Element). This adjusts the scale
of the view automatically such that it corresponds to a volume
just large enough to hold the chosen element(s); in this case, the
Sub--Frame. (A shortcut for the latter operation is to click the
button in the 3D View tool bar.)
14. Again using the 3D View menu, select Iso>Three to set an
isometric view direction.
You should now see all four columns, like this:
Pick
mode
prompt
Column 2
Column 1
Column 3
Column 4
Vertical
slider
Status line showing view direction, manipulation mode etc.
Horizontal slider
NOTE: If the horizontal and vertical sliders are not visible, select
Settings>Borders from the 3D View menu to display them.
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Version 11.4
15. Observe the effect of selecting different view directions from the
Look and Iso menu options. Revert to Iso>Three when you
have finished.
5.5.2
Manipulating the Displayed View

You can manipulate the displayed model view in a number of ways.
The three basic operations which we will look at here are:
D
Rotate the view
Pan the view across the display area
Zoom in or out to magnify or reduce the view
The current manipulation mode is shown in the status line at the

bottom of the 3D View window (it is set to Rotate in the preceding
illustration).
To change the view manipulation mode, look at the View Control
options on the pop--up menu. The options of interest are Zoom, Pan
and Rotate.
Alternatively, you can change the manipulation mode by pressing one
of the function keys, or by using the 3D View tool bar buttons, thus:
F2 or
selects Zoom mode
F3 or
selects Pan mode
F5 or
selects Rotate mode
Exercise continues:
16. Select Rotate mode. Position the cursor in the view area and
hold down the middle mouse button, then move the mouse slowly
from side to side while watching the effect on the displayed
model. The initial direction of movement determines how the
view appears to rotate; starting with a left or right movement
causes the observers eye--point to move across the view. Now
release the mouse button, hold it down again and move the
mouse away from you and towards you; this time the observers
eye--point should appear to rotate up and down around the
model.
Version 11.4
5--11
Repeat the rotation operations while holding down the Control

key. Note that the word Fast appears in the status line and that
the rate of rotation is increased. Now repeat the same actions,
but this time hold down the Shift key. Note that the word Slow
appears in the status line and that the rate of rotation is
decreased.
For an alternative way of rotating the model, try dragging the
horizontal and vertical sliders to new positions along the view
borders. You can rotate the model in this way at any time,
regardless of the current manipulation mode.
17. Select Pan mode. Position the cursor in the view area and hold
down the middle mouse button, then move the mouse slowly in
all directions. Note that it is the observers eye--point which
follows the mouse movement (while the viewing direction
remains unchanged), so that the displayed model appears to
move in the opposite direction to the mouse; in effect, you move
the mouse towards that part of the view which you want to see.
Repeat the pan operations while holding down first the Control
key (to increase the panning speed) and then the Shift key (to
decrease the panning speed).
18. Select Zoom mode. Position the cursor in the view area and hold
down the middle mouse button, then move the mouse slowly up
and down. Moving the mouse away from you (up) zooms in,
effectively magnifying the view; moving the mouse towards you
(down) zooms out, effectively reducing the view. Note that these
operations work by changing the viewing angle (like changing
the focal length of a camera lens); they do not change the
observers eye--point or the view direction.
Repeat the zoom operations while holding down first the
Control key and then the Shift key.
19. Position the cursor near the centre of Column 1 and click (do not
hold down) the middle mouse button. Notice how the view
changes so that the picked point is now at the centre of the view.
Whenever you click the middle button, whatever the current
manipulation mode, you reset the centre of interest. Switch to
Zoom mode (if not already selected), set the centre of interest to
the top of Column 2, then zoom in for a close--up view of the top
of the column. You will find this a very useful technique when
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Version 11.4
making small adjustments to the design: we shall use it later to

see the effect of realigning sections where they are connected at
a joint.
20. To restore the original view when you have finished, check that
your current element is the Sub--Frame and reselect Iso>Three
and Limits>CE.
5.5.3
Navigating in the Database by Picking Elements

Graphically
21. Notice that the pick mode prompt at the top of the 3D View says
Navigate. Position the cursor over each column in turn and
click the left--hand mouse button. Notice how this navigates to
the picked element, which becomes the current element in the
Members List. Compare the identifier of each SCTN element in
the Members List with its designation in the labelled view shown
in Step 14; SCTN 1 should correspond to Column 1, and so on.
5.6
Event--Driven Graphics Mode

Before we begin the next part of the exercise, it is necessary to
understand a new way of using the cursor to pick points in the
graphical view. Whenever the Positioning Control form (which you
saw but did not use earlier) is displayed, the graphical view is
switched automatically into event--driven graphics mode (you may
have noticed that the pick mode prompt, immediately above the
graphical view, changed while you were defining positions in Steps 10
and 11). This means that when you pick a point in the displayed
graphics, your action is interpreted in whatever way is appropriate to
your current design operation (i.e. the current event) rather than
simply as a request to navigate to a new current element (as was the
case in Step 21). In our examples, picking in event--driven graphics
mode will always be used to specify a position.
The position derived from your cursor pick can be the exact point at
which you have placed the cursor or, more commonly, it can be a
position which is related to the picked point in a specified way. The

Version 11.4
5--13
main concept involved is that of the snap function, which

automatically chooses the nearest Start, End or (optionally)
Secondary Node position to the picked point, so that you do not need
to be very accurate when positioning the cursor.
The full range of options available for identifying positions is
extensive. For example, you can specify a position at:
D
a given offset from the nearest snap point;
the mid--point of a picked item;
the intersection of two picked items;
a given proportion along the length of a picked item.
We will use several of the available facilities in the rest of the

exercise.
5.7
Creating Sections Using Graphical Picking

In the following part of the exercise, we will add horizontal beams to
our four columns. We will identify the start and end positions for
these beams by using the cursor and left--hand mouse button to pick
the columns to which they are to be connected. This has the
advantage that you do not need to remember which section is which
in the Members List; you work visually, as you would on a drawing
board.
The design which we will build is as follows (with column heights
shown as a reminder):
Beam 1
Column 2
Column 3
(9000)
(9000)
Beam 2
Beam 4
Beam 3
Column 4
Column 1
(5000)
(4000)
U
E
N
Keep these beam designations in mind; we shall refer to them

throughout the rest of the exercise.
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Version 11.4
For demonstration purposes, we shall create a single beam in the

position occupied by Beams 3 and 4 and then split this into two
separate beams, with automatic length and connection adjustments,
in a subsequent step.
Exercise continues:
22. Click on the Profile Specification button
and set the
default profile specification to British Standard, Universal
Beams, 305x165x40kg/m (as in Step 9). Leave the
Justification, Member Line and Joint Line set to NA for the
purpose of this exercise (you will see later that this would not be
your normal choice of justification setting in practice; we are
using this setting for demonstration purposes only).
23. Select Create>Sections>Straight to redisplay the Section
form, which you used earlier, and the Positioning Control form,
which this time you will use to identify positions by picking them
with the cursor in the graphical view.
Set the String Method to Single, since we will begin by
specifying the start and end points independently for each
section. Set Secondary Nodes to On so that secondary nodes
and joints will be created automatically at all connections
between sections. Set Confirm to On to begin with and switch it
Off later when you feel it is no longer necessary.
Rather than enter explicit coordinates, we will define the Start
Position as a point on one of our existing columns (namely the
top of Column 3) which we will pick using the cursor.
On the Positioning Control form, set the Pick Type option
(left--hand drop--down list; see tool tip) to Element. This means
that you are going to pick sections themselves, rather than
individual plines, for identifying positions within the design
model.
The Pick Method setting (right--hand drop--down list) specifies
how you want your cursor picks to be interpreted as positions
(remember, we are now using event--driven graphics mode). Set
this to Snap, meaning that you want to snap to the position of
the nearest Start or End of a picked section; this option will
remain in force until you change it.
Version 11.4
5--15
The settings will look like this:
Notice that the pick mode prompt above the graphical view
shows the current event as Define section start (Snap). Pick a
point anywhere in the upper half of Column 3. Note that the
word Start appears in the view to mark the specified start point
and that the snap action has placed this at the upper end of the
column.
24. The pick mode prompt will have changed to Define section end
(Snap). Pick a point anywhere in the upper half of Column 2 to
define the End Position of the new beam. Note how the proposed
route of the new beam is shown in the 3D View. Click the Accept
button on the Section form to confirm the section creation. Beam
1 will be shown with its start connected to the top of Column 3
and its end connected to the top of Column 2.
The length of the beam is calculated automatically, with allowances

for the section dimensions, but you will see that the beams position is
too high. This is because the justification datum is set to the
Neutral Axis (NA), as shown by the Profile Specification setting
/BS--SPEC/305x165x40kg/m (NA/NA/NA). We will now correct this by
resetting the justification datum to the Top of Steel (TOS) pline. The
result will be as shown in the following diagram:
Node
NA of Beam
Node
TOS of Beam
Exercise continues:
25. Switch temporarily from event--driven graphics mode to
graphical navigation mode by clicking the
5--16
button on the

Version 11.4
main tool bar (check the pick mode prompt). Change the view
direction to Look>East, move the centre of interest to the
approximate mid--point of Beam 1, and zoom in to see more
clearly what happens at the ends of the beam. Pick the new
beam to ensure that it is the current element and select
Modify>Sections> Specification. On the Section Specification
form, set the Justification to TOS, thus.
Set the Use as default profile button to On, so that the next
beams which you create will be aligned correctly without further
adjustment. Apply the change and the beam should move down
to the correct position.
Notice that the default specification has changed, thus:
You could, alternatively, have realigned just the current beam by

selecting the Modify>Sections>Justification option, but this
would not have let you reset the default specification for
subsequent beam creation.
26. We will now create Beam 2, with its Start Position at the top of
Column 4, running horizontally to connect part--way up Column
3. Reset the view, if necessary, to show all sections so far created.
Navigating to the beam in Step 25 will have put you back into
event--driven graphics mode, ready to position the start of the
next Section (check the pick mode prompt again). Position the
Start for Beam 2 at the top of Column 4.
To pick the End Position, we will use the snap facility with a
specified offset distance along the picked Section. From the
Positioning Control forms Pick Method list, select Distance
and, in the adjacent Method Value field, enter 5000 (i.e. the
height of Column 4):

Version 11.4
5--17
The pick mode prompt should now say Pick section end
(Distance [5000]). Pick anywhere in the lower half of Column 3.
The End Position is calculated by snapping to the bottom of the
column and then moving up (i.e., towards the cursor) by 5000
mm.
27. In the preceding step, we had to remember the height of Column
4 in order to set the correct snap offset distance. We will now
create a beam from the top of Column 1, running horizontally to
Column 3 (equivalent to Beam 3 plus Beam 4 in our design
sketch), without remembering any dimensions.
Position the Start of the new beam at the top of Column 1 as
before (remember to reset the pick option to Snap).
28. We will now compare two alternative ways of achieving the
required End Position. Make sure that Verification: Confirm
is set to On so that you can cancel the first method to try the
second.
Method 1
Because the beam is to be horizontal, we can constrain its End
Position to have the same elevation as its Start Position. To do
this, we will use the explicit positioning form which we used
earlier, but will enter the coordinates on the form by graphical
picking rather than by typing them in. This step will
demonstrate the ease with which you can mix the different ways
of defining positions (using the Section, Positioning Control and
Define section end forms) to suit the current circumstances.
Click the
button on the Section form to display the Define
section end form. The latter will initially show the coordinates of
the last point picked, namely the top of Column 1.
Set the Lock button next to the Up field to On, like this:
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Version 11.4
Lock On
Notice how the Up coordinate is greyed out to show that you

cannot change it.
You can now pick any part of Column 3 to specify the beams End
Position, since the elevation of the snap point will be ignored in
favour of the constraint that the End Position must be at the
same elevation as the Start Position; only the East and North
coordinates of the pick are used. OK the Define section end form,
then click Reject on the Section form to cancel the creation.
Method 2
The Start Position will still be shown at the top of Column 1.
The
and
buttons on the Section form both let you
create a section which is perpendicular to another section. We

will constrain the new beams End Direction to be perpendicular
to Column 3.
Click the Perpendicular to button
, then pick Column 3
(pick the section itself, not a pline: watch the pick mode prompt
as you move the cursor). The derived End Position will be the
same as for Method 1. This time Accept the section creation.
29. When you have created the three beams, dismiss the section
creation forms. (Note that clicking Dismiss on the Section form
also removes the Positioning Control form and returns the pick
mode prompt to Navigate.)
Zoom in close to the beam which you created last and notice how
it passes straight through Column 2. We will now split this beam
into two separate sections to form Beam 3 and Beam 4.
30. Select Modify>Sections>Split. Set the gadgets on the Split
Sections form as follows:
Version 11.4
5--19
noting that the lengths of Beams 3 and 4 are to be adjusted

automatically where they meet at Column 2 (Connections at
split set to Trimmed).
Click Apply. When prompted to identify item to be split on,
pick the element which corresponds to the split point, in this
case Column 2. Cancel the next prompt (since we are splitting
the beam in one place only) by pressing the Escape key (NT) or
by clicking the Escape button on the Status Form (Unix). When
prompted to identify section to be split, pick any part of the
beam which is to be split to form Beams 3 and 4. Cancel (Escape)
the next prompt (since we are splitting one section only).
Notice how the proposed split point is identified in the graphical
view. Confirm the splitting and then dismiss the Split Sections
form.
When using this facility, the items to be split on and the items to be
split must actually intersect at the required split points. Projected
intersection points will not work.
We have now completed the creation of the substructure illustrated at

the start of this part of the exercise, namely (looking East):
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Version 11.4
Beam 1
Column 2
Column 3
Beam 2
Beam 4
Beam 3
Column 4
Column 1
U
E
N
If you examine the Members List, you will see that each column now
owns one or more Secondary Nodes (SNODs; marked in the above
diagram) at the locations of the ends of the beams. Each Secondary
Node owns one or two Secondary Joints (SJOIs) with connection
references to the attached beams. This provides the logical
connectivity between the sections.
5.8
Collecting Elements into Temporary Lists

The next design operation will be to create multiple copies of the
current substructure, with a specified spacing distance between them.
In order to demonstrate another useful facility, we will put all
members of the Sub--Frame (Sections, Secondary Nodes and Joints)
into a List -- a temporary collection of elements which lets you carry
out operations on the list as a whole. Each list definition is valid only
for the duration of the current PDMS session (although you can save
such definitions in a binary file for reloading into a future session).
Exercise continues:
31. Select Utilities>Lists from the main menu or click the
button on the main tool bar. You will see a Lists/Collections form
for controlling the existence and contents of all lists for the
current session. If any lists existed, you would be able to select
the one which you wanted to modify from the list next to the
button. Since we have not yet used this facility, this will simply
say No List.
Version 11.4
5--21
32. From the Lists/Collections menu bar, select Add>List. In the

Description box on the Create List form, enter TESTLIST.
33. Ensure that your current element is the Sub--Frame and then,
from the Lists/Collections menu bar, select Add>CE Members.
All elements owned by the Sub--Frame will now be shown as
items within TESTLIST, like this:
Select Control>Close to dismiss the Lists/Collections form

when you have finished with it.
Notice that the new list automatically becomes the current list,
thus:
5.9
Copying Parts of the Design Model

Rather than create many more columns and beams individually, we
are now going to copy the ones we have already created and reposition
the copies thus:
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Version 11.4
Existing Subframe
N
Origin
E
6000
6000
6000
As explained in the preceding part of this exercise, we shall copy the

list containing all members of the Sub--Frame rather than the
Sub--Frame itself.
Exercise continues:
34. Select Create>Copy>Offset. You will see a Copy with Offset
form which allows you to specify what you want to copy
(Object), where the copies are to be stored in the database
hierarchy (to), how many copies you want, and how each copy is
to be positioned relative to its preceding neighbour (Offset).
35. Set the Object to be copied to List; since only one list exists, its
name (TESTLIST) will be shown without further selection.
Set the to option to Rel. (Relative). This will create the new
element copies in the same part of the database hierarchy as the
original elements; that is, as members of the Sub--Frame.
36. Set the Number of Copies to 3.
37. Note that the Offset must be specified in terms of the local X,Y,Z
coordinates of the geometric primitives making up the structural
items, rather than the E,N,U coordinates used to position items
within the overall design model. In our case, by default, X=E,
Y=N and Z=U. Note that the axes are shown automatically in
the displayed 3D View as a guide.
Set the X Offset to 6000, leaving Y and Z set to 0.
The form settings should now look like this:
Version 11.4
5--23
38. Click Apply to create the three offset copies and, when
prompted, confirm that you want to retain the copies (assuming
that they look correct in the graphical view). Dismiss the Copy
with Offset form when you have finished.
39. Reset the view limits and viewing direction so that you can see
the whole of the current design model (e.g. Limits>CE at the
SBFR and Iso>Three).
40. Study the Members List to see what elements have now been
created and where they fit into the hierarchy. Note that the
Sub--Frame now owns 32 Sections, comprising 16 columns and
16 beams, together with all of the necessary Secondary Nodes
and Joints needed to define their interconnections.
5.10
Completing the Initial Design

The final design model which we want to achieve in this part of the
exercise has beams running in an East--West direction to give the
structure stability, as shown in the following diagram:
5--24

Version 11.4
U
N
Origin
E
In creating these beams, we will include some variations of the ways

so far used to define the start and end positions of the beams.
Exercise continues:
41. Start by creating the three most southerly beams (shown black
in the diagram). Do this by creating a single beam and then
splitting it into three lengths to fit between the columns (see
Step 30).
42. Next, we will create the three beams directly to the north of
those which you have just created (shown striped in the
diagram). We will do this in a sequence of operations in which
the start of each section (after the first) will be situated
automatically at the end of the preceding section.
Set the String Method to Continuous on the Section form to
begin creating a chained configuration of sections. By default,
the start of the next section is assumed to be at the end of the
previous section (as shown in the 3D View); click the Redefine
Start button to override this.
On the Positioning Control form, set Pick Method to Intersect
to show that you will identify positions at the intersection points
of pairs of existing sections. To create the first beam, pick first
Column 3 and then Beam 2 (whose intersection is at the Start
Position of the first required beam, labelled A in the diagram),
then use the same method to pick the intersection which
identifies the end of this beam (B in the diagram). If Confirm is
On, click Accept to create the beam (otherwise your next picks
will simply redefine the end of this section).
Version 11.4
5--25
The start of the next beam will be positioned automatically at B

(as shown in the 3D View). Use the same procedure to pick
points C and D to create the next two beams. Click the
Redefine Start button on the Section form to define a new start
for another section or sequence of sections.
43. Complete the design using a combination of the techniques
which you have learned, plus any other options that you want to
experiment with (using the on--line help for guidance when
required). Switch Confirm to Off to speed up the process as you
gain confidence. If you make a mistake in the middle of defining
a section, click Redefine Start to go back a stage.
Dismiss the Section form when you are satisfied with your
results.
NOTE: If you simply copy beams, either singly or as a composite list,
the copies will be positioned but will not be connected
automatically.
5--26

Version 11.4
5.11
Saving Your Changes and Leaving Your Design

Session
44. To update the database so as to store the design model which you
have created so far, select Design>Save Work from the main
menu bar or click the
button. (It is wise to use this function
periodically as you build up a design, so that you do not have to

start from the beginning in the event of loss of work due to an
unforeseen interruption, such as a power failure.)
45. To save your current screen layout and display settings, so that
next time you use the application you can rapidly restart from
where you interrupted your design session, select Display>
Save>Forms & Display from the main menu bar.
46. To leave your current PDMS design session and return to the
operating system, select Design>Exit from the main menu bar.
If you had made any changes since your last Save Work
operation, you would be asked if you wanted to save them; in the
present situation, you will just be asked to confirm that you
want to leave PDMS.

Version 11.4
5--27
6
A Quick Way to Build a Regular
Structure
If a significant part of the model that you want to design comprises a
regular array of beams and columns, a special facility is provided to
speed up the creation of all the necessary elements to define the fully
connected structure. Even if your model is not completely regular in
layout, you might find it quicker to use this facility first and then to
modify the design as necessary, rather than build up the design
section--by--section as we have done so far.
In this chapter we will build a new structure using this method, so
that you can judge whether or not it is relevant to your own types of
design work.
Exercise continues:
47. Restart PDMS and enter the Design module, loading the
applications from macro files, as explained in Step 1. Notice how
the Project, Username and MDB have been remembered from
your last session, so that you do not need to enter them again:
you do, however, need to enter your Password for every session.
Enter the Beams & Columns application, as in Step 4. (We will
see later how to restore the screen layout which you saved
earlier.)
48. We will store our new model under a separate Structure element
in the hierarchy, so that it can easily be distinguished from the
design model which we created in the earlier parts of the
exercise. Navigate to Zone level and below this create a new
Structure, Framework and Subframework, giving them
different names from those specified in Step 6 (for example,
/REGSTRU, /REGFRMW and /REGSBFR, respectively).
49. Check that automatic Profile allocation is On and Primary Node
creation is Off, as in Step 8. (As you will see soon, storage areas
and specifications need not be set yet.)
Version 11.4
6--1
50. Select Create>Sections>Specials. The resulting Section

Creation form lists all available methods: the options available
depend on how your system has been set up, but they should
include the following:
51. To initiate the use of any available method, you click on it in the
list. In this case, select Regular Structure, then Dismiss the
form. You will see a Regular Structure form which gives you
complete control of the whole design process. In the following
steps, we will look at this form in three distinct parts.
52. The areas labelled Column Data and Beam Data let you set
the storage areas, profile specifications and justification p--lines
independently for the two types of section. Set these as follows
(replacing /REGSBFR by whatever name you gave the
Subframework in Step 48):
Note
6--2

Version 11.4
To enter each Storage area name, navigate to the

Subframe and type CE. The name of the current element
will be entered automatically.
To enter the Profile specifications, click the Profile button

to display the Section Specification form and pick the
required specification and pline settings.
53. The Grid Origin area lets you define how your structure is to be
positioned spatially. Enter the following settings:
The Datum setting defines the element whose reference axes

will determine the origin and orientation of the structure.
The Underside of Base--Plate setting lets you set the lowest
point of your structure (underside of baseplate) relative to the
datum axes. This lets you define the elevations of the structural
members relative to a plane which does not correspond to the
base of the overall structure. We have set this to 1000, so that
the bottoms of the columns will be truncated at an elevation of
1000 mm. (We will see the effect of this when we view the
completed model.)
54. The East Spacings and North Spacings lists specify the
relative spacing between adjacent columns in the given
directions. The Elevation list specifies the absolute elevations of
the beams representing the floor levels. Type in the following
values:
These settings will create 16 columns on a 4x4 rectangular grid,

with a uniform inter--column spacing of 3000 mm in the East
direction and 5000 mm in the North direction. The columns will
be 4000 mm high, to accommodate two floors at elevations of
3000 mm and 5000 mm relative to the datum plane, but with the
Version 11.4
6--3
bottoms of the columns truncated so that they do not extend

below the 1000 mm elevation specified by the baseplate setting.
55. Set the Trim sections to Plines button On, so that the beams
will have their lengths calculated to fit between the columns to
which they are connected.
56. With view limits set for zone and view direction set to Iso 3, click
the Preview button to display a stick representation of the
specified structure. It should have the following configuration:
5000
3000 1000
5000
3000
5000
3000
Shaded area is
datum plane
5000
3000
Origin
Y/N
Z/U
X/E
Check and, if necessary, correct the settings, then click Apply to

create the structure. The sections will first have the specified
profiles applied to give them their 3D geometry, then they will be
trimmed to length and connected. This process involves a lot of
calculation, and might therefore take a minute or two to
complete; progress will be shown in the status bar.
57. We will now modify the structure by removing beams as follows:
6--4

Version 11.4
*
*
*
*
*
*
To do so, select Delete>Identified and then pick the 14 beams

which are to be removed. Escape the prompt when you have
finished picking and confirm the deletion.
58. Finally, we will reduce the heights of the eight outermost
columns (marked * in the preceding diagram). Rather than
modify each one separately, create a new list (select Utilities>
Lists, as in Steps 31 and 32) and use the Add>Identified
option on the Lists/Collections form to add the columns into the
list by picking them with the cursor.
59. Select Position>Extend>By. When prompted to Identify
Section, pick any of the columns and then, on the resulting
Extend Section - Explicit form, select your new list as the item to
be modified.
The Extend option button requires you to specify which end of
the item is to be moved. We need to adjust the upper end of each
column, but is this its Start or its End? To check this, make any
one of the columns the current element and select Settings>
Graphics>Mark Section. The Start and End will be tagged in
the graphical view. Set the Extend button appropriately.
Set the Maintain Sections Node Positions to On so that the
positions of secondary nodes will not be affected by the length
adjustments. (This is only really relevant if you move the Start
positions. We are leaving the nodes in place here simply to
demonstrate another facility in the next step.)
Version 11.4
6--5
Set the Extension by to a Distance of --2000, since we want to

reduce the length of each item in the list by 2000 mm. Apply
the settings, then Dismiss the form. The result should be as
follows:
60. You will notice that the secondary nodes which were at the tops
of the deleted columns are still present, even though they no
longer serve any useful purpose. To delete these, navigate to the
Sub--frame and select Delete>Tidy Nodes. You will see a Tidy
Nodes form telling you that 8 redundant nodes have been
identified. Set the Mark Nodes for Deletion button to On to
tag these nodes in the graphical view, then click OK to delete
them.
61. Now, for practice, extend the bottoms of all sixteen columns
downwards by 1000 mm, so that they rest on the origin plane
(shown shaded in the illustration in Step 56).
62. Update the Design database to save your work (by selecting
Design>Save Work).
6--6

Version 11.4
In this chapter, we will revert to our original structure and add some
bracing members. We will then select some joints from the catalogue.
Finally, we will modify the structure by moving part of it to a new
position and then restoring the correct geometry between its members
semi--automatically.
7.1
Restoring a Previously Saved Setup

In order to continue developing the first structural model which we
created, we will reload the display setup which we saved earlier. If
you intend to continue from where you finish at the end of any PDMS
design session, it is quicker to use the Display>Save>... options to
save your current settings to a file which you can subsequently
reload, rather than to reload the applications from their source
macros each time you use the Design module.
Exercise continues:
63. If you are continuing straight on from the Regular Structure
part of the exercise, so that the Beams & Columns application is
still loaded, select Display>Restore>Forms & Display.
If you exited from PDMS after Step 62, restart PDMS and enter
Design (as in Step 1), but this time set the Load from option on
the PDMS Login form to Users Binary.
In either case, the result will be to load the display setup which
you saved in Step 45, so that your graphical view will show the
structural model which you created in the first part of the
exercise (stored in TESTSTRU).

Version 11.4
7-- 1
7.2
Trimming Connected Section Ends to Correct

Geometry
When you create a section connected to an existing section, the end
points of the new section are usually positioned automatically by
reference to the currently defined Pline Rule. If this rule has not
been set up properly, the geometry at the point of connection may be
inappropriate. For example, in plan view, the connection between a
column and an incoming beam may look like this:
or
rather than the intended configuration:
or
To correct this, you can trim the length of the incoming section to an
explicitly picked pline of the owning section. Before we develop our
model further, we will correct any errors of this type which might
currently exist (otherwise we could have problems connecting our
bracing correctly).
Exercise continues:
64. Zoom in to the graphical view and change the viewing direction
so that you can see the detailed geometry of each connection
point in turn, looking for any examples where an attached
section has been trimmed to the wrong length. If you find any,
correct them as follows.
Select Connect>Trim to Pline>Pick (force). When prompted
to Identify section end to be trimmed, pick one of the ends
which you want to correct (as shown shaded in the preceding
diagram). You will then be prompted to Identify pline to be
trimmed to; change the view if necessary and pick the pline
which corresponds to the required section end point (typically
7--2

Version 11.4
NAR/NAL for a web connection or TOS/BOS for a flange

connection, as shown by the black dots in the preceding
diagram). Note how the cursor shape changes when it is
positioned on a pline and how the status bar helps you by
identifying which pline is selected at any given moment. Press
Escape to action the change.
Repeat this sequence, alternately picking section ends and
plines, until all errors have been corrected. Note that, if you are
confident that you have made the correct selections, you can pick
any number of section/pline pairs before pressing Escape.
65. To check the current pline rule (if any), select Settings>Pick
Filters>Plines. You will see a Pline Filter form showing all
currently defined rules; this probably shows No Rule and
Normal, with the former selected. We will set a rule to give
appropriate results for the rest of this exercise. To do so, click the
Define Rule button to display the Define Rules form. Enter the
Name as Extremities (this will be used to identify the rule in
subsequent lists) and the Description as Flange or web face
for trimming at connection. Enter the Rule thus (taking care
to include the apostrophes and commas exactly as shown:
PKEY inset (TOS,BOS,NAL,NAR,FOC,BOC,TOC)
Click the Include button to add the new rule into the list. The
result is as follows:

Version 11.4
7-- 3
Click OK. Select the Extremities rule on the Pline Filter form
to make this the current rule (the form is dismissed
automatically).
NOTE: A full explanation of the ways in which pline rules are set
and applied is beyond the scope of this introductory guide.
Suffice it to say that the rule we have set here may be
interpreted as Select a pline which has any of the PKEY
settings specified in the list. (See Appendix D for diagrams
showing how these plines are positioned for typical
steelwork profiles.)
7.3
Adding and Modifying Simple Bracing

In the next part of the exercise, we will insert some simple diagonal
bracing and then use a short--cut facility to modify the spacing
between the ends of the bracing members and some reference plines.
We will create bracing members connected between columns, as
shown by the black sections in the following diagram:
(The letters and numbers identifying the columns and beams,

respectively, in the above diagram will be used for reference purposes
in the steps which follow.)
The first bracing member will be connected to Columns A and B and
its end positions will be specified in terms of their spacing from
Beams 1 and 2.
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Version 11.4
We will then use the Mirror Copying facility to create the other two
bracing members. This facility lets you create a copy of an existing
element and to reposition the copy automatically by reflecting it about
an axis in a specified plane (so that the original and copy elements
are mirror images of one another).
Exercise continues:
and reset the
66. Click the Default Profile Specification button
default specification to British Standard, Rectangular Hollow
Sections, 200.0x100.0x10.0 with Justification, Member Line
and Joint Line all set to NA. This will be the profile used for
the bracing members.
67. Select Create>Sections>Straight. Using Pick Type: Element
and Pick Method: Intersect on the Positioning Control form,
create a single bracing member with its Start at the intersection
of Column A and Beam 1 (A1 for short) and its End at B2.
IMPORTANT: When you pick the sections defining each
intersection point, your first pick defines the section to which the
connection is made. In this case, therefore, you must pick the
column before the beam when defining each end, otherwise the
bracing gap trimming facility will not work correctly. Do not
worry if the vertical alignment of the bracing member ends looks
wrong at this stage; we will correct this in the next step.
Dismiss the Section form.
68. Check that the bracing member is the current element and select
Modify>Bracing Gap. You will see a Brace Gaps form listing
the different ways of specifying the required gap. Ignore the
Default Gap setting and select Distance on picked Pline
from a fixed point, noting how the diagram on the form is
updated to show the relevant dimensions and picking sequence.
Click Apply; you will see a Brace Gap(s) form. Set Confirm to
On, but do not enter the Gap A data yet.
69. You are now in event--driven graphics mode, ready to pick the
plines from which the bracing gap is to be calculated. We will
first position the lower end of the bracing member (currently at
A1 in the preceding diagram). Using the diagram on the Brace
Gaps form as a guide, pick plines in the following order:
Version 11.4
7-- 5
A pline on the lower face of the bracing member, such as BOS. Pick
close to the connection, so that the gap is calculated for the correct
end.
A pline on Column A along which the gap is to be defined, such as

NAL or NAR.
A pline on the upper face of Beam 1, such as TOS.
Hint: You might find it easier to pick the plines if you switch
the graphics to a wireline view. To do so, select
Settings>Shaded from the 3D View menu or press F8.
Manipulate the view as necessary between picks to see each
required pline.
1. Pline on lower face
of bracing member
Bracing Member
Column A
Gap (to be set to 150mm)
Beam 1
3. Pline on upper face

of reference member
2. Pline along which gap

is to be measured
When you have picked the third pline, the calculated distance
for the current position will be shown in the graphical view and
will also be inserted into the Gap A text--box on the Brace
Gap(s) form. The Accept/Reject buttons are now active. Note
that the displayed distance is measured downwards (because of
the way the plines currently intersect), whereas we want to move
the bracing section upwards. To achieve this, change the Gap A
data to 150, check that the new position shown in the graphical
view is as required, then click Accept to move the section end.
70. Repeat the procedure to position the upper end of the bracing
member with a gap of 150mm measured down Column B from
Beam 2. Dismiss the Brace Gaps form.
71. Before we create the next bracing members, try this facility for
checking whether or not the ends of a section are connected.
With the bracing member as your current element, select
Utilities>Beams & Columns. From the menu bar of the small
7--6

Version 11.4
form which results, pick Tag>All ends. The ends of the current
section should both be tagged as Connected. (We will see
another way of checking connectivity later.)
Rather than create and position the other two bracing members
B4 C3 and C5 D6 by repeating the preceding sequence of
operations, we shall use a short--cut by copying the existing A1 B2
section. We will reposition each copy by defining it as a mirror image
of its original reflected in an appropriate plane.
Exercise continues:
72. Select Create>Copy>Mirror. You will see a Mirror form which
allows you to specify what you want to copy (Object), where the
copies are to be stored in the database hierarchy (to), and the
plane in which the copy position is to reflected.
73. Assuming that you are still at the bracing member, set the
Object to be copied to CE and set the to option to Rel. Set the
Type of mirror option to Mirror Copy (since we want to create
a new element rather than simply reposition the original one).
74. The plane in which we want to reflect the copied section is
represented by the shaded area in the following diagram:
Existing member
Copied member
B
E
This plane is specified in terms of its direction (i.e. the direction

of the normal to the plane) and of the position of any point
within it. The Mirror form provides several methods of
specifying these by picking items in the existing model; we will
Version 11.4
7-- 7
use Column B to define the position and will enter the direction
explicitly.
Select Cursor>Element from the Mirror forms menu and,
when prompted, pick any part of Column B. The position
identified will snap to the start or end of this column (depending
on where you picked) and its coordinates will be entered into the
East/North/Up text boxes automatically. You will see a symbolic
representation of the planes position and orientation in the
graphical view.
Note that the Plane Direction text box now shows the cutplane
direction of the columns start or end (namely Up or Down).
Change this to East and observe the reorientation of the
symbolic plane in the graphical view.
NOTE: If you want to enter the Plane Direction before you pick
the position, set the Lock button for the direction to On to
prevent its setting being updated when you pick the
position.
The form settings should now look like this (the Up coordinate
will be 9000 rather than 0 if you picked near the top of Column
B rather than near the bottom):
75. Click Apply to create the mirrored copy and, when prompted,
confirm that you want to retain the copy.
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Version 11.4
76. Using the same procedure, create the third bracing member
(C5 D6) by copying and reflecting the second member
(B4 C3).
77. The two copies which you have just created should be positioned
correctly, but will not yet be connected. To check this, instead of
using the Tag utility for each new bracing member as in Step 71,
select Query>End Connections. The resulting Highlight
Connections form lets you see the connectivity status of all
relevant members of the current element. Navigate to the
SubFrame TESTSBFR and click the CE button on the Highlight
Connections form to update the displayed data. The numbers on
the coloured buttons show the number of sections in each
category: they should show 38 sections with both ends connected
and 18 sections with neither end connected. Set the
corresponding Highlight buttons to On to colour the sections in
the 3D View; click on a coloured button if you would prefer a
different highlight colour.
NOTE: You might think that the upper ends of the columns should
be shown as connected. However, the beams at those points
are connected (via Secondary Joints) to Secondary Nodes
positioned along the columns, rather than to Primary Nodes
at the column extremities. Therefore, even though the
Secondary Nodes in this case happen to be coincident with
the tops of the columns, the diagnoses are correct.
78. To connect the ends of the two bracing sections to the
appropriate columns, select Connect>Connect and follow the
status bar prompts carefully. (Escape terminates each stage of
the process in the usual way.) Use the Highlight Connections
form again to confirm the results.
7.4
Adding Standard Bracing Configurations

To avoid the need for creating individual bracing sections as we have
just done, the application provides a quick way of adding some
predefined bracing configurations.

Version 11.4
7-- 9
To demonstrate this facility, we will first add a cross bracing

configuration (using angle sections) in the vertical plane and then a
diamond bracing configuration (using universal beam sections) in the
horizontal plane, in the locations shown by the thick black lines in the
following diagram:
U
E
Exercise continues:
79. Select Create>Sections>Bracing Configurations. You will
see a Bracing form.
This form does not use the default settings for section data, so
first set the following:
Storage area to the Subframe /TESTSBFR;
Profile to British Standard, Equal Angle, 70x70x6.0;
Justification to NAL (Neutral Axis Left: this will align the
angle sections back--to--back; see diagram in Appendix D);
Member Line and Joint Line to NA.
Hint: Use the same methods for entering this data as in Step 52.
Leave the Bracing Plane option set to Derived by Section so
that the bracing members will lie in the same plane as the
sections to which they will be attached.
80. In the Available Bracing Configurations list, select Cross
Bracing. Notice how the parameterised diagram shows the
details of the selected configuration. The diagram shows the
dimensions which must be specified (A, B) and the order in
which existing sections must be picked (1, 2, ...) so as to position
7--10

Version 11.4
and connect the bracing members correctly. For the cross bracing
configuration it looks like this:
Gap B
Pick 2
Pick 1
Gap A
Note: In our design this

datum is the lower end of
the column, since there is
no cross beam at this position.
Click Apply; you will see a Cross Bracing form. Set Gap A to
150 and Gap B to 300. Set Confirm to On.
You are now in event--driven graphics mode. Using the diagram
on the Bracing form as a guide, pick the two columns between
which the bracing members are to be connected. To achieve the
required configuration, make sure that your first pick is near the
bottom of the first column and that your second pick is just
below the cross beam on the second column; that is, pick
reasonably close to the required connection points for the bracing
members.
When you are satisfied with the configuration shown in the
graphical view, accept the creation of the sections forming the
bracing members and then dismiss the Bracing form.
81. Repeat the procedure used in Steps 79 and 80 to create the
diamond bracing at the top of the structure. Set the Profile to
British Standard, Universal Beams, 203x133x25, and the
Justification, Member Line and Joint Line all to NA.
In the Available Bracing Configurations list, select
Diamond Bracing. The parameterised diagram will show that
you need to specify the separations between the bracing
members for each pair of opposing sections. Click Apply to
display the Diamond Bracing form on which to enter this data.
Set both Gap A and Gap B to 500, leave the Confirm button
On, and pick the four beams (in the correct sequence, as shown
in the diagram) to complete the operation. Dismiss the Bracing
form when you have finished.
Version 11.4
7-- 11
NOTE: You must dismiss the Diamond Bracing form, thereby

leaving event--driven graphics mode, in order to change the
bracing configuration (as you did between Steps 80 and 81).
If you want to add more sections using the current bracing
configuration, however, you can simply continue picking
connection points in the graphical view.
7.5
Representing Joints
Although each connection has created a corresponding Secondary
Joint element in the Design database (shown in the Members List as
SJOIs, owned by SNODs), these do not yet have any geometry
associated with them and are not therefore shown in the graphical
view. In order to represent them properly, we must associate a
catalogue specification with each joint (in the same way that each
section profile is defined by an associated catalogue specification).
Joints have a number of attributes whose settings allow you to
position and orientate them and to modify the ends of sections
connected to them. We will look at the most important of these
attributes here, so that we can represent some simple joints in our
design model. The key to success lies in the optimum design of the
joint as defined in the catalogue, which is a specialised field beyond
the scope of this user guide.
The following topics illustrate the main features (do not try to
remember them all now; refer back here when necessary):
A Shelf Angle Joint as defined in the Catalogue:
(only the Neutral Axis pline is shown for clarity)
Z
Y
X
NA
7--12
Origin
Origin plane is X,Y plane through

origin.
Origin plane direction is Z.
Plines extrude in Y direction.
Pline direction is Z direction.
Note: Origin plane is shown by
heavy lines in the following diagrams

Version 11.4
Position and orientation of a Secondary Joint relative to a

Secondary Node:
Beta Angle (BANG) defines orientation about Z axis
Origin Plane Direction (OPDI)
defines orientation about X,Y axes
Z
Y
Position Line (POSL)

(here set to TOS) defines position
Owning Section
(2D view only)
SNode
TOS
NA
BOS
ZDIST defines position of SNode relative to POSS of Section
Connecting a Joint to the Start of an Attached Section:

Owning
Section
BOS NA TOS
SNode
BANG of Section
POSS
BANG of Joint
OPDI of Joint
TOS
NA
Attached
Section
BOS
JLIN of Joint set to BOS of Attached Section

JLIN of Attached Section set to NA of Joint
POSL of Joint set to TOS of Owning Section
Logical Connectivity:
JOIS of Attached Section points to Joint
CREF of Joint points to Attached Section
CTYA of Joint must match CTYS of Attached Section (for connection compatibility)
Note how the origin plane of the Joint is set with reference to the
Owning Section (via the POSL attribute), while its position within the
constraints of that plane is set with reference to the Attached Section
(by aligning the plines defined by the JLINs of both Joint and
Section). That is, with reference to the orientation of the diagram, the
Joint is moved horizontally by changing its POSL and vertically by
changing its JLIN. Both the Section and the Joint can be rotated
independently by changing their BANGs (the Section rotates about its
NA, the Joint about its OPDI).
Version 11.4
7-- 13
How the Section end configuration depends on the Joint to

which it is attached:
(using a wedge--shaped Joint to demonstrate the principles)
Owning
Section
NA
POSS offset along NA by Cutback (CUTB) of Joint
SNode
POSS
DRNS of Attached Section

determined by CUTP of Joint
Attached
NA Section
Joints Cutting Plane
Exercise continues:
For the purpose of this exercise, we will add some simple bolted
flanges where the beams are attached to the columns. Remember that
the joint elements (SJOIs in the Members List) already exist as a
result of connecting the sections together; we need only set a pointer
to the joint specification in the catalogue to define each joints
geometry.
82. Select Modify>Joints>Specification. When prompted to
Identify end of section joint is connected to, pick the end of any
N S beam (that is, any beam which abuts a column flange
rather than a web) where you want to insert a bolted joint. You
will see a Joint Specification form for the joint to which your
picked section end is attached.
83. The method for selecting from the available joint specifications is
the same as that which you used to select section profiles. Select
Column Connections, Column Flange, 6M24_flange,
leaving all other form settings at their defaults.
84. Click the Properties button. You will see a subsidiary Modify
Properties form which lets you specify some local dimensional
data for the selected type of joint. Set Thickness of Plt to 10,
Dist from TOS to 0, and Dist from BOS to 30 (we will see
what these do in a moment). OK the Modify Properties form and
7--14

Version 11.4
Apply the Joint Specification form to complete the setting of the

joint specification. (The geometry of most types of joint can be
modified via appropriate entries on a form such as this,
depending on how the catalogue has been set up.)
85. To see a correct representation of the joint, we must set up the
graphical view so that it displays holes (negative volumes) as
well as solid items (positive volumes). To do so, select Settings>
Graphics>Representation from the main menu bar and, on
the resulting Representation form, set Holes Drawn and
Update all Graphics to On. OK the settings. Zoom in close to
the beam end to see what the joint looks like. Notice how the
height and width of the endplate have been set automatically
from the dimensions of the beam and column, respectively, with
adjustments to suit the values entered on the Define Properties
form. This is possible because the joint dimensions in the
catalogue are specified as design parameters whose values are
derived from the attached and owning sections.
The joint should look something like this:
Section end
used to
identify joint
Dist from BOS = 30
Thickness of Plt = 10
Notice how the attached beam has been shortened to

accommodate the thickness of the plate and how the bolt holes in
the plate have generated corresponding holes in the column
flanges.
86. The position of the joint relative to the profile of the column (i.e.
its owning section) is determined by the joints position line. To
see the effect of changing this, select Modify>Joints>Position
Line. The Position Line form will show the current setting as
either BOS or TOS (depending at which end of the beam the
joint is situated). Change this to the opposite setting (i.e. TOS or
BOS), set the Re--trim attached section button to On, and
click Apply. The joint and its attached section end will move
thus:
Version 11.4
7-- 15
Section end
used to
identify joint
87. Reposition the joint correctly, then Dismiss the Position Line
and Joint Specification forms.
88. Rather than set each joint specification explicitly, we can apply
the specification for one joint to other joints. We will use this
facility to specify the joint at the other end of the beam which we
have just been looking at. To do so, select Modify>Joints>Joint
Like>Maintain Pline. When prompted to Identify end of
section to be copied like, pick the same section end as in Step 82
(i.e. the end shown in the preceding diagram). When prompted to
Identify section end to be modified, pick the other end of the
same beam. Press Escape for both of the next prompts (we are
only modifying one joint in this step). Zoom in close to the second
joint and notice how its geometry matches that of the first joint.
The position line settings for the two joints are, however, set
automatically to opposite flanges of the column (TOS for one,
BOS for the other), to give the correct alignment.
NOTE: If the joint were handed, such as a shelf angle, you would
also see that the second joint has been rotated automatically
about its vertical axis to match the start/end directions of the
section. This is not apparent for the endplate, but if you
select Query>Attributes you will be able to see which
attributes differ between the two joints.
89. Using the same method as in Step 88, set the specifications for
some of the other column flange joints.
7--16

Version 11.4
7.6
Dominant versus Subordinate Joints

When you reposition a joint which has one or more attached sections,
the effect on those sections depends upon whether or not the joint has
been defined as dominant or subordinate, as defined by the setting
of the joints Joint Freedom (JFRE) attribute.
If JFRE is set to False (the default for a new joint), the joint is said
to be subordinate (also described by saying that the section is
dominant). If JFRE is set to True, the joint is said to be dominant.
Consider the following effects, where the joints owning section is
moved thus:
Move owning Section
and Secondary Joint
Two attached
Sections connected
to Secondary Joint
Joint subordinate (Section dominant)

(JFRE = False)
Directions of Sections unchanged.

Attached Sections still have logical
connections to Joint, despite geometry.
Joint dominant
(JFRE = True)
Directions of Sections changed

to align with new Joint position. Logical
connections are maintained.
We will use this feature in the next part of the exercise.

Version 11.4
7-- 17
7.7
Moving Part of the Structure and Maintaining

Correct Geometry
In the next part of the exercise, we shall move the columns and beams
at the eastern end of our structure to increase the overall length of
the design model. This will require the horizontal beams and the
bracing member connected to the moved columns to be extended and,
in the case of the bracing member, realigned to maintain the correct
configuration.
The objective is to demonstrate the dominant joint concept (as
described in Section 7.6) and to show how you can easily restore
geometry between sections which has been disrupted by moving parts
of a structure independently.
The result which we want to achieve is as follows, where the black
sections will be moved explicitly and the broken lines indicate the
new final configuration:
The joints
marked * must
be dominant
*
*
* *
*
*
*
Note
realignment of
bracing
member
*
U
E
Exercise continues:
90. In order to make the bracing member realign itself to maintain
the specified bracing gap, the joint to which it is connected must
be dominant. To ensure this, we will make the joints dominant at
both ends of all bracing sections (as would be normal practice).
For the purposes of this exercise, we will also make dominant
the joints at both ends of each of the four N S beams between
the columns to be moved (i.e. the beams shown shaded in the
preceding diagram).
7--18

Version 11.4
Select Connect>Joint Dominant. Each joint is identified by

picking the section end to which it is connected. When prompted,
pick both ends of each bracing member created in Section 7.3
(six picks) and the ends of all relevant beams (eight picks). Press
Escape when you have finished.
NOTE: This part of the exercise has been designed to illustrate,
among other features, the concept of joint dominance. In
normal practice, only the joints at the ends of the bracing
members would be made dominant.
91. Use the Utilities>Lists facility to create a new list and use the
Add>Identified option to add into it the four columns to be
moved (shown black in the preceding diagram).
92. Select Position>Relatively (BY). You will see a Position By
form which lets you move an item by a given distance in a given
direction. Use the option button near the top--left of the form to
set the item to be moved to the list containing the columns
(Current List). Enter the required movement in the By text
boxes; in this case specify a move by 2000 mm in the East
direction.
When you Apply (and confirm) the settings, the columns should
move as follows:
U
E
At first sight, this appears to be a rather disastrous result.

However, as long as we have set all of the connectivity rules
correctly, particularly the joint dominance settings, we can easily
rectify the problem by reconnecting all of the sections which
should be connected to the columns.
Version 11.4
7-- 19
93. Select Connect>Trim to Section>All attached. When

prompted, pick each of the four columns in turn, then press
Escape and watch the results in the graphical view as the
correct geometry is restored.
(Note that Trim to Section differs from the Trim to Pline
option, which we used before, in that Trim to Section
maintains the existing pline connectivity, thereby retaining any
previously defined trimming, whereas Trim to Pline resets the
connectivity to an explicit or rule--defined pline.)
94. Save your design changes.
That concludes the introduction to the basic operations involved in

the design of a simple structural framework. In the next part of the
guide we shall see how to add some sheet cladding (floor plates and/or
wall panels) to our structure.
7--20

Version 11.4
In this chapter, we will change to another of the structural design

applications, namely the Panels & Plates application, and add a floor
plate to our existing structure. We will then modify this in various
ways to demonstrate some of the facilities provided for detailing
panels.
NOTE: The facilities which we will look at next let you add planar
material to the design model in any orientation. Throughout
this text, the term panel will be used for such items in all
descriptions, regardless of whether the element represents a
horizontal floor plate, a vertical wall panel, a sloping roof
panel, or any similar planar item.
8.1
Starting the Panels & Plates Application

In order to access the panel design facilities, we must leave the Beams
& Columns application and load the complementary Panels & Plates
application. Many of the options available in the latter application are
very similar to those which you have already learned to use from the
preceding chapters of this guide, so only the differences will be dealt
with in any detail.
Exercise continues:
95. Select Design>Structures>Panels & Plates from the main
menu bar (available from within all design applications, not just
the current Beams & Columns application), or click the
button.
The main menu bar and tool bar will change, although the
differences may not be obvious at a first glance. They will now
look like this:
Version 11.4
8--1
Look at each pull--down menu in turn; you will see that the
options in the upper parts of the menus are common to the
equivalent Beams & Columns menus, whereas many of the
options in the lower parts of the menus are specific to the Panels
& Plates application. (All menu options for both applications are
summarised in Appendix A for convenient reference.)
8.2
How PDMS Represents Panels

A Panel (PANE) element can be used to represent any sheet material
used to clad a structural model. Using a similar principle to that for
representing a Section (which is an extruded 2D catalogue Profile), a
Panel is represented by extruding a user--defined 2D shape. Its
geometry is defined by two types of data:
D
The panels planar area is defined by a Panel Loop (PLOO)

element, which is itself defined by linking together a set of
Panel Vertex (PAVE) elements, each of which has a specific
position in the panels 2D coordinate system. Each panel Edge is
defined by a line joining adjacent vertices.
The panel thickness is defined by setting the Height (HEIG)

attribute of the Panel Loop. This represents the distance through
which the 2D Panel Loop is extruded to form the 3D panel.
Panel (PANE)
= Panel Loop (PLOO)

Panel thickness =
HEIG of PLOO
8--2
= Panel Vertex (PAVE)

Version 11.4
Each Panel Vertex can have an optional Fillet Radius setting which
represents a circular arc which curves towards (positive radius) or
away from (negative radius) the vertex position, thus:
PAVE with +ve radius
PAVE with - ve radius
The default radius of zero denotes a point.
8.3
Setting Default Storage Areas

In the next part of the exercise we will set up some defaults to
customise the application to suit our planned method of working, just
as we did for the Beams & Columns application. We will specify
where the principal panel design elements are to be stored in the
design database hierarchy.
Exercise continues:
96. Rather than using the Settings>Storage Areas option, as in
Step 7, we will use a short--cut method to set default storage
areas for Panels and Panel Linear Joints (which we will look at
later). We shall store both types of element under the same
SubFrame which we have been using for our basic framework
design.
Navigate to TESTSBFR and then click the
(Panels) and
(Panel Linear Joints) buttons in turn. These automatically set
the storage areas to the current element.
The current storage area settings are shown like this:
Panel storage area

Version 11.4
Linear Joint storage area
8--3
8.4
Creating Simple Panels

We will first create a panel which defines the overall area of a large
floor plate and will then divide this up into more manageable sizes
such as might be specified for fabrication purposes. These panels will
represent the schematic areas only; we will defer detailed trimming of
the edges to fit around structural sections etc. until a little later.
Exercise continues:
97. Select Create>Panel. You will see a Create Panel form which
provides, among its other settings, various ways of specifying the
positions of vertices.
We will not enter the optional names for panels in this exercise.
Set the Justification to Bottom (this will let us position the
bottom face of our panels on the top of their supporting sections)
and set the Thickness to 30.
Leave the Representation set to Predefined: Default for now.
These settings (Levels and Obstruction) affect the way items
are shown in 3D views and how they are dealt with when
checking for clashes between design items; the defaults should
be adequate for our current purposes.
We will define the positions of four vertices, V1 V4, which
define the overall area of the floor plate shown shaded in the
following diagram (all bracing members omitted for clarity):
V1
V4
V2
V3
U
E
(The broken lines A A and B B show where we will later

split the panel into three.)
8--4

Version 11.4
The Create Methods buttons give you the following ways to

define each vertex:
lets you pick a point graphically using any of the standard
cursor picking options
lets you construct a point using the intersections of plines with
an existing panel
(not relevant here, since no panels exist yet)
lets you create a set of vertices which follow the shape of an
existing panel
(not relevant here, since no panels exist yet)
lets you specify a position by entering explicit coordinates
relative to the position of an existing element
lets you specify a distance and direction relative to the preceding
vertex
lets you construct a fillet arc by specifying its radius, then
picking two lines (tangents) between which the fillet is to occur
lets you construct a fillet arc by picking three points through
which it is to pass
lets you construct a fillet arc by specifying its radius, then
picking two points through which it is to pass, then picking a
control point defining its position
In the next steps, we will use two of these options to illustrate
the principles.
98. Click the
button. The Positioning Control form will show
that you are now in event--driven graphics mode, ready to pick
the position of the first vertex. Set Pick Type to Element and
set Pick Method to Intersect. Now pick the column and either
of the beams whose intersection coincides with V1 in the
preceding diagram. The text below the icon buttons on the Create
Panel form will change from No vertices currently defined to 1
Vertices defined (no Panel created).
NOTE: The first vertex defined for a new panel becomes the panels
origin by default. You can change this later if required.
Version 11.4
8--5
99. Repeat this point--picking procedure to define V2 and V3, in that

order. As soon as you have defined three vertices, the plane of
the new panel will be shown in the graphical view (as a triangle)
and a PANE element will be added into the Members List.
100. As a demonstration, we will position V4 relative to V3. Click the
button. You will see a Define Vertex form on which you can
specify the required offset. Set the Direction to West and the
Distance to 20000. Click Apply to create the vertex. The text
below the icon buttons on the Create Panel form will now say 4
Vertices defined (Panel created).
101. Leave the Display modification form button set to Off (you
would set this to On only if you wanted to modify the panel
vertices immediately). Click OK to complete the panel creation
operation. Note that the Members List now includes one PANE,
one PLOO and four PAVE elements (as defined in Section 8.2).
8.5
Measuring Distances/Directions in the Design

Model
When we completed the Define Vertex form in Step 100, we had to
enter the required distance between V3 and V4; that is, the overall
length of the structure in the East West direction. The figure
which we entered (20000) was derived from knowledge of the original
design data. Instead of calculating this, we could have measured it by
means of a useful utility, as follows:
Exercise continues:
102. Either select Query>Measure Distance or click the
button. You will see a Measure form and a Positioning Control
form which together let you measure the distance between any
two points or lines in the design model. On the Positioning
Control form, set Pick Type to Element and Pick Method to
Snap, then pick near the tops or bottoms (but not one of each) of
the columns through the V4 and V3 positions. Hint: Zoom in if
8--6

Version 11.4
necessary and pick carefully at the ends connected to bracing

sections to avoid snapping to the secondary nodes rather than
the column extremities.
The Information area on the Measure form will show the direct
distance between the Neutral Axes of the sections, the XYZ
components of that distance, and the direction of the second
point relative to the first. The data will also be shown in the
graphical view.
103. Experiment with some other graphical picking options to
measure a few other distances and directions, including some in
skewed directions, then dismiss the Measure form.
8.6
Splitting a Panel
We will now split our new panel along the axes of the intermediate
beams which support it (shown by the broken lines A A and
B B in the diagram at Step 97), thus forming three smaller panels.
104. Ensure that the panel is the current element (shown as PANEL
1 in the Members List) and select Modify>Split Panel. When
prompted to Pick ... to be split on, pick either of the beams
aligned along A A in the diagram. (You might need to change
the view direction so that the beam you want to pick is not
obscured by the panel; alternatively, you can pick either of the
other beams which are aligned parallel to A A in the required
plane.) The panel will be split along the picked line to form two
separate panels, each with its own panel loop and set of four
vertices.
105. Note that your current element is still PANEL 1, which is the
smaller of the two panels. Navigate to the larger panel, PANEL
2, and split this along B B to give a total of three panels.
(Note that you can only split a panel along the axis of an existing
element. To introduce a split line anywhere else, simply create a
section where you want the split to occur, split the panel, then delete
the section.)

Version 11.4
8--7
8.7
Tailoring Panel Edges by Editing Individual

Vertices
The edges of the panels which we have created run from vertex to
vertex along the centrelines of the beam flanges on which they rest.
While this may be an adequate representation for an overall design
layout, you will usually need to detail the edges more accurately for
fabrication purposes. To do so, you can add, delete or reposition
individual vertices which define the shape of the panel loop. To
introduce this concept, we will add intermediate vertices between
existing panel corners so that the edges fit round the columns which
intersect them. We will also set a radius for some of the vertices to
give rounded corners.
NOTE: When we split our original panel into three, new vertices
were created automatically, so the vertex numbers for the
current panels do not correspond to those of the original
panel. As you insert new vertices, the numbering will change
to accommodate them, so care is needed to check that you
are at the correct vertex for each panel editing operation.
Exercise continues:
106. Navigate to the westernmost panel (i.e. that between
V1 A A V4 in the diagram for Step 97) and select
Modify>Extrusion/Panel. You will see a Loop Vertex Editor
form which lets you modify the shape of the current panel by
manipulating individual vertices, edges between vertices, groups
of vertices, etc. Whatever methods you use for picking new
positions, all vertices are constrained to remain in the plane of
the panel loop (i.e., the underside of the panel) throughout these
operations.
Check that the options Settings>Confirm and
Settings>Confirm on delete from this forms menu bar are
both set to On.
The active gadgets on the form, and their titles, change to suit
the current circumstances as you use the form. As displayed now,
you will notice that many of the buttons (especially those
relating to Group and Line operations) are greyed out.
8--8

Version 11.4
The upper part of the form shows that the current focus is on
Vertex 1, while the lower part shows the coordinates and fillet
radius of this vertex, thus:
Navigate to vertex
by picking
Step through
vertices
The geometry of the current panel in Plan view (not to scale) is

as follows:
V2
V3
V7
L
V6
V1
V4
V8
Y
V1
Origin
at V1
V4
V5
New vertices
to be inserted
We will insert four new vertices between V4 and V1, as shown in

the inset view, so that this panel edge fits round the column
(note that V4 comes before V1 when defining this edge, since
vertex numbering is clockwise as viewed in the diagram).
107. Each new vertex is added to the sequence immediately after the
current vertex, so first navigate to V4 in either of the following
ways:
D
Click the select vertex/edge button

on the Loop Vertex
Editor form and pick the p--point at V4. Note that, because
this position is within the column, you might find it easier
to switch to wireline mode to see it.

Version 11.4
8--9
Use the up/down arrow buttons

next to the displayed
vertex number to step through the vertex list sequentially.
Notice how the current vertex and the edge direction to the
next vertex are shown in the 3D View as you do this.
If you know the number of the vertex you want, you can type it
directly in the Vertex number field. Do not forget, though, that
the numbering may change as you edit the list; it is usually safer
to pick a vertex graphically.
D
108. Click the Create points button

in the Mode Selection area
of the Loop Vertex Editor form. Set the Positioning Control to
Element Snap and position the vertex at the end of the beam
which joins the column from the direction of V4. A New vertex
tag is added to the graphical view so that you can check the
proposed position; if it is correct, click the Create button at the
bottom of the Loop Vertex Editor form to confirm the creation.
Notice that the new vertex is now the current vertex (labelled
<5>), ready for the next one to be added after it.
109. Position the next vertex, V6, at the intersection of the corner of
the column with the panel. To do so, click the
button again,
set the Positioning Control to Pline Snap, and pick the column
pline which passes through the required point (RBOS or LBOS;
see diagram in Section 5.2.1). If you cannot pick the pline you
want, select Settings>Pick Filters>Plines from the main
menu bar and reset the current filtering rule to No Rule (it is
probably still set to Extremities, as in Step 65).
110. Create V7 and V8 by using similar methods to those in Steps 109
and 108, respectively.
Rotate the graphical model as necessary and check that the
panel now incorporates a cut--out which fits round the column,
as shown in the diagram at the end of Step 106. At present the
panel edges are abutted against the column flanges. We will next
introduce a small clearance gap by moving the relevant vertices
using the explicit editing facilities.
111. To change from create mode to modify mode, click the
button and pick V5. Note how its current settings are copied into
the Vertex area at the bottom of the form (X, Y and Radius
8--10

Version 11.4
text--boxes). To introduce a 10mm clearance, change the setting

in the X box by adding 10 (the axes, shown at the panels origin,
are useful here for checking directions in the panels coordinate
system). Click the Modify button to confirm the new setting.
112. Repeat the procedure from Step 111, adding or subtracting as
necessary, to move V6, V7 and V8 to give a 10 mm clearance all
round, noting that V6 and V7 must be moved in both the X and
Y directions.
113. Pick V6 and change the Radius setting from the default of zero
to 15 mm. Update the V6 data to the new setting, then repeat
the process for V7.
The final result will be as follows:
V7
V6
PANEL
V8
V5
(Set the view to Look>Down and zoom in to see this in detail.

You might find it easier to see the detail if you switch to wireline
mode.)
8.8
Moving Panel Edges to New Positions

So far, we have aligned the panel edges along the centrelines of the
beam flanges on which they are supported. We will now move the
panel edges linking V4 V5 and V8 V1 to the outer edges of the
beams. We will specify the new position by aligning the edge with the
appropriate pline of the beam on which it rests (LTOS in the following
diagram), thus:

Version 11.4
8--11
V7
V6
PANEL
RTOS
Move edge
Move edge
TOS
V1
V8
V5
V4
LTOS
Exercise continues:
114. Still using the Loop Vertex Editor form, click the select edge to
modify button
in the Mode Selection area and then pick a
point on the panel near the edge between V4 and V5.

Notice how the upper part of the form now shows the current
focus as Edge 4, while the lower part shows the coordinates of
the Start of the edge (i.e. V4) and the length of the edge, thus:
Navigate to edge
by picking
Step through
edges
Notice also that the gadgets in the Line area are now active
(they were previously greyed out). These are examples of how
the form changes to suit current circumstances, as mentioned in
Step 106.
115. By default, the next modification would be applied only to the
Start position of the edge; as shown by the Start option, and the
fact that START is tagged in uppercase letters in the 3D View.
We want to move the whole edge (that is, we want to move V4
and V5 simultaneously), so change the option to Aligned, thus:
Pick the LTOS pline on the top outer edge of the beam and then
click the Modify button to move the panel edge to this position.
8--12

Version 11.4
116. Select Settings>Tag edges from Loop Vertex Editor menu.

Repeat the method of Steps 114 and 115 to move Edge 8
(V8 V1) to the outer edge of its supporting beam.
117. Use the same process to move the non--abutting edges of all
three panels to the outer edges of their supporting beams (but do
not modify any more edges to fit round columns yet; we will look
at other ways of doing this later).
8.9
Creating Negative Extrusions

In exactly the same way that you position Panel Vertex elements to
define the shape of a 2D Panel Loop and then extrude this by the
required thickness to create a 3D Panel, as illustrated in Section 8.2,
so you can also position Vertex (VERT) elements to form a 2D Loop
(LOOP) and then extrude this to create a 3D Negative Extrusion
(NXTR). The difference is that, as its name implies, the negative
extrusion represents a negative volume, that is, a hole. (We have
already encountered negative volumes used in the catalogue
definition of a bolted flange, where they were used to remove the end
of the section to accommodate the joint and to represent bolt holes
through both the joint and the flange of its owning column; see
illustration in Step 85.)
A negative extrusion is owned by the panel through which the hole is
required. When created, its justification is set automatically to be the
same as that of its owning panel, although you can move it later if
necessary.
We will use this facility to create a hole through the floor plate where
one of the columns passes through it. The negative extrusion will
have the same shape as that created by the interposed vertices (V5 V8)
in the preceding diagram, namely:

Version 11.4
8--13
V4
V3
PANEL
Panel V3
Panel V2
NEGATIVE
EXTRUSION
V2
V1
NOTE: Vertices V1 V4 in this diagram define the negative extrusion;

their numbering is independent of the panel vertices.
(Negative extrusion vertices are shown in italic to
distinguish them from panel vertices.)
Notice how the outer edge of the negative extrusion (V1 V2)
extends beyond the outer edge of the panel to ensure that the
hole always penetrates through the panel edge. Similarly, the
thickness of the negative extrusion should exceed the thickness
of the panel to ensure that the hole always penetrates completely
through the panel.
Exercise continues:
118. We will create the negative extrusion where a column passes
through the midpoint of the easternmost edge of the largest
panel (that is, at the opposite end of the structure from the
vertices added in Section 8.7). Navigate to that panel (which
should be PANEL 3 in the Members List) and select
Create>Negative Extrusion. You will see a Create Negative
Extrusion form (similar to the Create Panel form which you used
earlier).
119. To see the negative extrusion volume in the graphical view when
you create it, select Settings>Graphics>Representation and
set Holes Drawn to Off (we set this to On in Step 85; we will
see the effect of this setting in more detail shortly). Set Update
all Graphics to On and OK the change.
120. To achieve the correct justification and orientation for the
negative extrusion relative to its owning panel, click the
Surface button in the Settings area of the form, then pick the
8--14

Version 11.4
upper face of the panel. The hole will penetrate into (or, in our
case, through) the panel thickness from this surface.
Set Hole Depth (equivalent to the thickness of the negative
extrusion) to 250. This large depth will make it easy to see the
volume of the negative extrusion once you have created it: a
depth slightly greater than the panel thickness would normally
suffice, since the application automatically adds 1 mm to ensure
that the hole always cuts through the referenced panel surface.
The settings should now be as follows:
121. Using any combination of the methods which you used to create
and modify panel vertices (Sections 8.4 and 8.7), create the four
vertices needed to define the required hole round the column, as
shown in the preceding diagram. For ease of positioning, align
V1 and V2 with the outer face of the column (although any
position beyond the panel edge would be satisfactory). Introduce
a clearance of 10 mm round the column and set the radii of the
two vertices within the panel area to 15 mm.
Note that the origin plane of the negative extrusion is its bottom
face, as shown by the positions of the graphical aids when you
are creating and modifying its vertices.
122. When created, the negative extrusion will appear as an outline
volume superimposed on the design in the graphical view. If you
have positioned it correctly, its upper face will just protrude from
the top face of the panel, thus:
Look>West:
Look>North:
Negative
extrusion
Negative
extrusion
V2
V1
Panel
V3
V2
(If not, use the Position>Relatively (BY) menu option to move

the negative extrusion vertically to a position where it cuts both
faces of the panel.)
Version 11.4
8--15
123. To see the result of applying the negative volume represented by

the negative extrusion to the positive volume of the panel, revert
to Holes Drawn On representation (see Step 119). Notice how
the negative extrusion creates a hole only through its owning
panel; it does not affect the column.
Note the effects of the Holes Drawn setting on the Representation

form:
D
When Holes Drawn is Off, negative volumes are shown as

outline shapes in the graphical view and can be picked using the
cursor (you must pick a visible edge, not an invisible surface).
Their effect of removing material from positive (solid) items in
the design is not shown. Use this mode when explicitly creating
or modifying a negative item.
When Holes Drawn is On, negative volumes are not shown

explicitly in the graphical view and cannot be picked using the
cursor (although you can still navigate to them using the
Members List as normal). Only their effect on positive volumes
through which they pass is visible. Use this mode for normal
design work to view a realistic 3D representation of the design
model.
That concludes the addition of simple panels to the structural

framework, including two methods for representing holes in the
panels where they fit round structural members. In the next part of
the guide, we shall look at ways of adding predefined catalogue
fittings to panels.
8--16

Version 11.4
In this chapter we will introduce the concept of Panel Fittings and

then incorporate such a fitting into our design to represent a manhole
giving access through a floor plate.
9.1
How Panel Fittings are Defined

A Single Panel Fitting (PFIT) is a catalogue item which can be used
to represent any type of geometric entity which is to be owned by, and
positioned relative to, a panel. Typically, the catalogue might include
panel fittings representing doors, windows, access manholes, lifting
lugs, and so on.
As with the bolted joint which we used earlier, panel fittings can
incorporate (or consist entirely of) negative volumes which represent
holes in their owning panels.
A panel fitting is positioned relative to its owning panels origin by
setting its Position (POSI) attribute and is orientated about an axis
perpendicular to the panel by setting its Beta Angle (BANG)
attribute. It can be justified to align its origin plane with the top face,
centre plane, or bottom face of the panel by setting its Justification
(SJUS) attribute. As an example, a stylised manhole might be defined
like this:
Z
Positive volume
representing lid
Negative volume
representing hole
through panel

Version 11.4
Beta Angle defines orientation

about Z axis
X
Origin Plane
determines justification
relative to panel
Origin
9--1
When you create a new panel fitting, it is positioned automatically at

the origin of its owning panel. You can then move it to the required
position in any of the standard ways.
9.2
Creating a Panel Fitting
Exercise continues:
124. Navigate to the panel in which you want to insert the manhole
and select Create>Fittings>Single. You will see a Create Panel
Fitting form giving access to all available panel fitting
specifications in the current catalogue. Because we are creating
a new panel fitting, rather than modifying the specification of an
existing one, the form is set to show New Panel Fitting as the
current element.
Select the Specification for Standard Access, Access Cover, Standard
Manhole Access, ACCESS_COVER (probably the only item in the list).
Set the Justification to Top outwards. These options let you specify the
panel plane (top, centre or bottom) to be used as the alignment datum and
the orientation of the fitting relative to this plane, like this:
Top
outwards
Centre
outwards
Top
inwards
Bottom
inwards
Centre
inwards
Bottom
outwards
125. By default, the fitting will be positioned at the origin of its

owning panel (as shown by the Position field). We will position
it by eye, using the cursor. Click the Pick Position button
set the Positioning Control to either Graphics Snap or

Graphics Cursor, and pick a point somewhere near the centre
of the panel area. OK the Pick Fitting Position form to transfer
the coordinates of the picked position to the Create Panel Fitting
form, then Apply the latter to create the fitting. The new panel
fitting is shown in the Members List as a PFIT owned by the
PANE.
126. With the PFIT as your current element, select Orientate>
Angle>90 Degrees to rotate the fitting within the plane of the
panel. (The default orientation has the Beta Angle set to zero.)
9--2

Version 11.4
127. To see the effects of changing the justification, select

Modify>Fitting and, on the resulting Modify Panel Fitting
form, try each of the Justification options in turn. Zoom in and
look at both faces of the panel to see how the negative part of the
fitting creates the necessary access hole. Reset whichever
justification you think is most appropriate before dismissing the
form.
NOTE: Sections can also own Fittings (FITTs rather than PFITs in
this case) which can serve a similarly wide range of
purposes. We will not look explicitly at these in the exercise,
but similar principles apply to their creation and
manipulation. You may want to experiment with these
yourself by switching to the Beams & Columns application;
see Appendix D.5 for some examples. Note that such a fitting
is positioned along its owning section by setting its distance
from the sections start (the Zdistance).
More complex fittings may be represented by Compound
Fittings, each of which can own a set of Subfittings. You will
see an example of how these may be used when we look at
Penetrations in the next chapter.

Version 11.4
9--3
10
Several of the design applications include the concept of a

Penetration to allow one or more items to pass through another such
that there is a logical link between the penetrating and penetrated
items (in contrast to, say, a negative extrusion which can be
positioned and dimensioned independently of any item which passes
through it or through which it passes). In this chapter we will use this
facility to show yet another way of creating a hole in a panel where a
section passes through it.
10.1
How a Penetration is Defined

Each type of penetration is a selectable catalogue item whose
dimensions are parameterised in such a way that they can be derived
automatically from the dimensions of the component which passes
through the hole. You can modify the final dimensions by specifying
clearance distances etc. to allow for any special requirements of the
local design geometry.
Such a penetration can be used where pipes or sections pass through
a panel, or, with some restrictions, through a section. The element
types used to represent a panel penetration are as follows:
D
The point along a pipe at which it passes through a penetration

is represented by an Attachment (ATTA) element owned by the
appropriate Branch.
The point along a section at which it passes through a

penetration is represented by a Fitting (FITT) element.
The point at which a penetration is positioned through a panel

is represented by a Compound Panel Fitting (CMPF) element
which owns a separate Subfitting (SBFI) for each associated
penetrating item.

Version 11.4
10--1
When you create a panel penetration, the application sets up cross-references between the ATTA or FITT and the CMPF/SBFI, like this:
FITT owned
by Section
ATTA owned
by Branch
Panel
Branch
SBFI owned
by CMPF;
CMPF owned
by panel
CREF of ATTA points to SBFI

CREF of SBFI points to ATTA
Panel
Section
SBFI owned
by CMPF;
CMPF owned
by panel
CREF of FITT points to SBFI

CREF of SBFI points to FITT
(These diagrams show only single penetrations, where each CMPF

owns just one SBFI. For a multiple penetration, each CMPF would
own one SBFI for each penetrating pipe or section.)
For our present purposes, we will consider only the case of a
structural section passing through a panel, so we will be concerned
with specifying a FITT and a SBFI for each penetration.
10.2
Creating a Steelwork Penetration

Our design model currently looks like this (bracing members and
manhole omitted for clarity), showing the two methods so far used for
allowing columns to pass through panels:
Vertices fitted
round column
PANEL 1
PANEL 2
PANEL 3
Negative
extrusion
Penetrationt
o go here
N
U
E
We will now add a penetration, as indicated in the above diagram, to

allow the column to pass through the corner of Panel 1.
10--2

Version 11.4
Exercise continues:
128. You can create a penetration for a section through a panel either
from the Beams & Columns application or from the Panels &
Plates application. The choice depends on which element is to be
dominant in determining the penetrations position and
geometry; that is, whether it is the section or the panel which is
to be regarded as the owner of the penetration. Here we want
the penetration to be owned by the section, so change to the
Beams & Columns application.
129. Select Utilities>Steelwork Penetration. This starts the
Steelwork Penetration subapplication, whose menu bar will be
displayed in addition to the existing Beams & Columns
Application menu. Both menus are active: one gives access to the
general steelwork design functions, the other accesses those
functions specific to penetration design.
130. From the Steelwork Penetration Application menu, select
Create>Penetration. You will see a Create Section Penetrations
form.
This form requires you to specify four types of data:
D
Whether the penetration is to allow for a single penetrating item or

for multiple items.
How you want to identify the panel(s) through which the penetration
is to pass (the penetrated items).
How you want to identify the section(s) which are to pass through
the penetration (the penetrating items).
The default specification of the catalogue penetration which is to be

used (the first penetration in the selected specification will be used
by default).
Set the Penetration Type option to Single Penetration.

Set both the Elements to be penetrated and Elements that
penetrate options to Pick using cursor, showing that you will
identify each item individually by picking it in the graphical
view.
Set the Defaults: Spec. option to Penetrations.
Version 11.4
10--3
Set the Confirm before penetrating button to On and click

Apply. You will be prompted to Identify item to be penetrated.
Pick the panel and Escape the next prompt. When prompted to
Identify items that penetrate, pick the column and Escape the
next prompt. Check that the picked intersection point is correct,
as tagged in the 3D view, and confirm the creation of the
penetration.
131. You will now see a Penetration Item List form; this is displayed
automatically so that you can complete the specification of the
penetration elements. It shows all data settings relevant to the
penetrating item (FITT) and the penetrated item (or hole; SBFI).
The upper scrollable list acts as a specific members list for the
rapid selection of, and navigation to, elements relevant to
penetrations. It displays the penetrating and penetrated items in
a hierarchic (indented) format. Leave the Show option set to
Items. The List option controls how the hierarchy is sorted.
Since our penetration is owned by the section rather than by the
panel, the options work as follows: Penetrating Items -Owner lists all FITTs for each section; Penetrating Items -Attached lists all FITTs for each panel (grouped by CMPF),
thus:
(We have only a single penetration, so the difference here is less

significant than when you have several penetrations.) Select
Penetrating Items -- Owner.
The middle list, labelled Penetrating Item, shows the relevant
attribute settings for the current FITT (as selected in the upper
list). It is in this list that you select the settings which you want
to modify.
10--4

Version 11.4
The lower list, labelled Hole Information, shows the relevant

attribute settings for the SBFI which is referenced from the
current FITT. This data is shown for reference only; we will see
how to modify it later.
Set the Navigate on selection button to On. Any item picked
in the upper list will then automatically become the current
element in the normal Members List.
132. We have only one FITT which we can modify, so select this in the
upper list. Its relevant attribute settings appear as follows:
We want to set the specification, so select SpecRef in this list

(the > symbol shows that this is an editable entry). You will see a
Modify Fitting form.
From the list of fitting specifications displayed, select Steel
Sections, Steel Sections, Rectangular, PENI/RECT. Set the
Justification to NAL or NAR (it does not matter which). The
Zdist(ance), which determines the position of the fitting along
its owning section, is set automatically from the calculated
penetration coordinates; leave this value as it appears. Leave the
Beta Angle (which determines the orientation of the fitting
about the section) at the default value of 0.
Click the Properties button. The resulting Modify Properties
form lets you set the local geometry for the fitting (similar to the
way in which we specified joint details in Step 84). Set the
X--Clearance and Y--Clearance to 20 so that the fitting
extends beyond the section extremities by 20mm in each
direction. Leave the X--Offset and Y--Offset set to zero, so that
the fitting is centred on the sections neutral axis. OK these
settings and Apply the Modify Fitting form.
When you have finished setting the specification for the FITT,
Dismiss the Penetration Item List form and its associated forms.
Version 11.4
10--5
133. Having fully specified the part of the penetration which relates
to the penetrating section (the FITT), we must now do the same
for the part which relates to the penetrated panel (the CMPF
and its SBFI).
Navigate to the panel and select Modify>Penetrations from
the Steelwork Penetration Application menu. The resulting
Penetration Display form lets you specify whether you want to
modify penetrating or penetrated items: select List
Penetration Holes and click Apply. You will see a Penetration
List form. This is very similar to the Penetration Item List form
which you used in the preceding step, except that the lists are
now based on the CMPF and SBFI data rather than the FITT
data. The navigation lists now look like this, so the
owner/attached definitions have been reversed when compared
with the equivalent lists shown in Step 131:
Note that the middle list now shows Hole Information ready
for modification, while the lower list now shows Penetrating
Item data for the referenced FITT.
134. Select the SBFI in the upper list. Before we modify the SBFIs
specification, we need to ensure that it is correctly aligned with
the FITT from which it is to derive some of its settings. To do
this, select Position>Align with Ref. from the Steelwork
Penetration Application menu.
135. Select SpecRef in the middle list to show the Modify Panel
Fitting form. Set the specification to Hole Penetrations, Hole
Penetrations, Rectangular, PENH/FITT/RECT2.
Click the Properties button to display the Modify Properties
form for the dimensions of the hole. Although you could set
10--6

Version 11.4
X--Length and Y--Length explicitly to match those of the

penetrating item, there is an easier way of doing this by copying
the data automatically from the referenced item (namely the
FITT). Leave all properties at their default values of zero and
OK/Apply the forms to set the SpecRef.
136. From the Steelwork Penetration Application menu, select
Modify>Copy like ref. The effect is to change the attributes of
the current SBFI to match the corresponding settings of the
FITT to which it refers. In this case, the effect is to set the X and
Y dimensions of the SBFI to be compatible with those of the
FITT. To check this, look at the Ref Data settings shown in the
Hole Information list on the Penetration List form:
137. Close all of the forms relating to penetrations and zoom in for a
close inspection of the new penetration. Save your design
changes to conclude this part of the exercise.
In the next part of the exercise, we will look at some ways of checking
the design model and outputting some design data derived from the
database settings.

Version 11.4
10--7
11
To ensure maximum design integrity, the structural applications let

you check the data in several ways so that any potential mistakes are
drawn to your attention. In this chapter we will look at one of these
checking facilities, namely the method of checking for clashes (spatial
interferences) between design elements.
Finally, we will look at three ways of outputting design data derived
from the structural model: the generation of a tabulated report
showing the material required to build the design (categorised by
section profile); the analysis of some mass properties of the steelwork
members (centre of gravity, surface area and weight calculations); and
the creation of a plot showing the structural layout.
NOTE: The facilities which we will be using here are available from
both the Beams & Columns and the Panels & Plates
applications (from all design applications, in fact), so it does
not matter which application you are currently using.

Version 11.4
11--1
11.1
Checking for Clashes

The types of clash identified depend on two factors:
D
The obstruction levels of the clashing elements
The current touch and clearance tolerances
Obstruction Levels
All design primitives and all catalogue primitives have an obstruction
attribute (OBST) which defines the physical type of obstruction which
the primitive represents:
D
A hard obstruction (OBST=2) represents a rigid and

impenetrable object, such as a steel beam or a plant vessel.
A soft obstruction (OBST=1) represents a volume which is not

solid but which needs to be kept clear for access.
Any primitive with OBST=0 represents a freely accessible

volume and is ignored for clash checking purposes.
Extent Of Clashing
As well as distinguishing between hard and soft clashing items, the
checking utility recognises three categories of clash between them,
depending on how far the two primitives intrude on each others
allocated space. These categories are:
D
A physical clash: the primitive volumes overlap by more than a

specified amount. This usually means that a definite
interference exists.
A touch: the primitives either overlap by less than the amount

needed to cause a clash or are separated at their closest point by
less than a specified distance. This may simply mean that one
item is resting upon another as intended, or it may indicate a
problem.
A clearance: the primitives are separated at their closest point

by more than the amount necessary to constitute a touch but less
than a specified clearance distance. This represents a near
miss, which you may want to investigate.
These three classes are illustrated below for the clash specifications:
11--2
Touch limits:
5mm overlap to 2mm gap
Clearance limit:
8mm
Version 11.4
so that the following criteria apply:

D
If the items overlap by more than 5mm, a clash is reported
If the items overlap by less than 5mm, a touch is reported
If the items do not overlap but are separated by less than 2mm,
a touch is reported
If the items are separated by more than 2mm but less than 8mm,
a clearance is reported
If the items are separated by more than 8mm, no interference is

found
overlap > 5mm
overlap < 5mm
A Physical Clash
gap < 2mm
Touches
2mm < gap < 8mm

A Clearance
The Clash Detection Process

Each element which is to be checked for clashes has its own geometry
checked against that of all other elements which are specified by a
current obstruction list. Items which are not in the obstruction list
are ignored during the clash checking operations. By default, the
obstruction list includes all elements in the database, so that each
element to be clash checked is tested against every other element. To
control the amount of checking carried out in a large database, you
can restrict the obstruction list to a few specific elements and/or you
can specify a 3D volume (the clash limits) within which the clash
checking is to be confined.
To highlight the locations where clashes are found, the clashing and
obstruction items are shown in contrasting colours in the graphical
view (two shades of red, by default).
Exercise continues:
138. We will start by using the defaults for all clash checking
settings. To see what these are, select Settings>Clasher>
Defaults to display the Clash Defaults form. Think about the
Version 11.4
11--3
meaning of each setting shown (refer to the preceding

introduction; ignore the reference to Branch, which relates to
piping designs only); then Cancel the form.
139. We will check the westernmost panel (PANEL 1) for clashes
against all other elements in the test framework. The default
obstruction list (all elements in the current design database) will
include the regular structure created in Chapter 6, so we must
edit the list to remove this. To do so, select Settings>Clasher>
Obstruction>List. You will see an Add/Remove Obstruction
Items form which is used in a similar way to the Members+Draw
form (as introduced in Step 12). Remove all current entries and
then Add the framework /TESTFRMW.
140. Navigate to the panel which you want to check and select
Utilities>Clashes. You will see a Clash Display form. The
left--hand side of this form controls the clash checking process;
the right--hand side consists of a 3D view in which you can look
in detail at any clashes diagnosed. Select Control>Check CE
from the forms menu bar to run the clash checking process and,
when completed, study the Clash List which shows all clashes
found.
You will see a hard--hard (HH) clash at both points where the
panel has a column passing through it, and a hard--hard touch
where the panel rests on each of its seven supporting beams and
where it abuts the adjacent panel. To see a summary of all
clashes found, select Query>Clash>Summary from the forms
menu. The resulting Summary form shows the total number of
clashes in each category:
Note, in particular, that there are no clashes where the panel

has been modified to fit round the columns.
11--4

Version 11.4
141. To study any clash in detail, select the corresponding line in the
Clash List and then select Query>Clash>Detail. The Clash
Detail form shows the extent of the clash, the identities of both
the clashing and obstruction items, and the calculated position
at which the clash was diagnosed.
Notice how the clashing items are highlighted in different
colours in the graphical view. To change these colours, display
the Clash Defaults form again (as in Step 138) and choose the
colours you want to use.
142. Experiment with some of the other options on the Clash Display
menus and then close the form.
NOTE: If the Auto Clash button is set to On, thus:

, each new
element that you create is checked immediately for clashes
as the design is built up. This can slow down progress when
you are adding many new elements, but is very useful when
you want to add a few new items to an existing design which
has already been checked for clashes.
11.2
Generating a Data Output Report

The reporting utility lets you read selected types of information from
the design database and present the output in a convenient tabulated
format. Each report can be customised by specifying some or all of the
following:
D
Where the output is to appear (on the screen or in a file ready for
printing).
Any introductory header which is to appear at the beginning of

the report.
The page length (if the report is to be paginated).
The page layout, including number and positions of columns,

column headings, etc.
Any headers and footers which are to appear at the top and
bottom of each page.
The selection criteria which define which data settings are to be

included in the report.

Version 11.4
11--5
Once such a report has been designed, its specification can be saved
for future use in the form of a report template file. The ways in
which you define how a given report is to be generated and presented
are beyond the scope of this exercise, but we will look at the results of
the process by using a pre--prepared template which outputs a
material take--off list for each type of steel profile used in our design.
(You will probably use your companys standard templates for most
reports anyway, in which case this is the method you would normally
use in practice.)
Exercise continues:
143. Select Utilities>Reports>Run to initiate the reporting process.
You will see a File Browser listing all files in the current
reporting directory (specified by your System Administrator as
part of the project setting--up procedure). Select the
...\REPORTS\TEMPLATES directory. All files with a .tmp suffix
are report templates. Select steel_mto.tmp, which has been
designed to produce a material take--off report for steelwork
sections. Click OK on the File Browser.
144. To run the report defined by the chosen template, you must
specify two things (as determined by the rules within the
template): where the report is to appear, and what part of the
database hierarchy is to be read when extracting the required
types of data. When you OK the File Browser to specify the
template, a Report Details form will appear which lets you do
this.
Leave the Filename text--box empty (which will send the report
to the screen automatically). In the Hierarchy text--box, enter
/TESTFRMW, since we want to list the material take--off for the
whole of the design model. Click OK to run the report.
145. The tabulated report output will be displayed in a Command
Output window which is opened automatically, like this:
11--6

Version 11.4
This report shows the total cut length for each of the steel
profiles used in the design and the number of lengths into which
each profile is divided. (Do not worry if part of the heading
seems inappropriate for your project; this wording is written into
the template simply as an example of the type of heading which
you might want to use.)
11.3
Querying Mass Properties

You can calculate the surface area, volume, mass and the position of
the centre of gravity (CofG) of a structural item from a knowledge of
its geometry and the properties of the material from which it is made.
The calculation can be set to derive either a gross or a net result; for
example:
D
Gross weight is the weight of material needed before any

negative geometry (such as end preparations) is applied. This
data is appropriate for material cost estimating etc.
Net weight is the weight of material after any negative

geometry is applied. This data is appropriate for determining
as--built weights for loading calculations, transport planning etc.
(The detailed way in which positive and negative geometry is used in

calculations is determined by the Representation Level settings.
These are beyond the scope of this introduction and we will use the
default levels throughout this exercise.)
Version 11.4
11--7
In the same way that the geometry of a section profile, joint, fitting
etc. is specified by setting the design elements SpecRef attribute to
refer to an entry in a Catalogue database (as explained in Section
5.1), so its material properties are specified by setting its Material
Reference (MatRef) attribute to refer to an appropriate entry in a
Properties database. It is the material density which is the
significant property used in the mass calculations.
In the next steps of the exercise, we will first specify the material for
each structural element in our design model and will then use this
data to derive some mass--related details.
Exercise continues:
146. We will specify the same material for all structural items
(sections, joints, fittings, panels etc.), so first navigate to the
subframework TESTSBFR and then select Modify>Material
from the main menu. You will see a Set Material form listing all
available material specifications in the Properties database.
Leave the option set to CE and set Cascade Material to all
offspring to On. (The latter will set the MatRef for all elements
below the current subframework to the selected material
automatically.)
From the Materials list, select GR275 (density 7850.00 Kg/M3)
and click Apply. The whole framework will be highlighted in the
graphical view to show that all design elements have been
selected for modification to the selected material. Confirm the
change.
147. Select Query>Mass Properties. You will see a Mass Properties
form which lets you make all necessary calculations based on the
current material density. Set the upper option to CE (still at
subframework level), set the Results option to Gross, and click
Apply.
The calculated gross surface area, volume and mass for the
whole subframework will be shown in the Mass Properties list,
together with the position of the centre of gravity. The centre of
gravity will also be tagged in the graphical view.
11--8

Version 11.4
148. Change the Results option to Net, set the Append to list
button to On (so that you can compare the next result with the
existing one in the list), and click Apply again. Note the
difference between the calculated net and gross weights; this
small difference is due to the material removed for joint
allowances, panel cut--outs, etc.
149. Set the upper option to Pick, click Apply, and perform similar
calculations for individual items or groups of items which you
pick using the cursor. (Use Escape to terminate each picking
sequence in the usual way.)
11.4
Plotting the Design Model

PDMSs drawing module provides very powerful facilities for
generating annotated and dimensioned plots of all or part of the
design model. We will use just a small part of this power to produce
an isometric plot of our structural layout using default settings only.
Exercise continues:
In order for the drawing facilities to apply the correct rules for
representing structural items, we must set a design attribute which
will tell the drawing module how to interpret the design data. The
attribute used for this purpose is the Function attribute of the
parent Zone.
150. Navigate to the Zone which you created in Step 6 (/TESTZONE)
and select Modify>Attributes. You will see a Modify Attributes
form listing the current settings for the Zone. The Function
attribute will probably say unset; it is this setting which we
need to change.
Select the Function line in the list. You will see a small
Function form showing the current setting. Edit the text to
replace unset by Steelwork. OK/Apply the changes.
We must now switch from the DESIGN module, which we have been
using to create the design model, to the DRAFT drawing module.
Version 11.4
11--9
151. Select Design>Modules>Draft>Macro Files.

When the DRAFT applications have been loaded from their
macro files, you will see the DRAFT General menu bar and tool
bar, and an empty 2D view window (the Main Display, analogous
to the 3D View which we have been using in DESIGN), thus:
Drawing sheet will

be displayed here
We must next set up an administrative hierarchy to define how plots

are to be stored (in a real project this would probably have been done
for you already). The parts of the hierarchy with which we are
concerned here are as follows:
11--10

Version 11.4
DEPARTMENT
(DEPT)
REGISTRY
(REGI)
LIBRARY
(LIBY)
DRAWING
(DRWG)
SHEET
(SHEE)
LIBRARY
(LIBY)
Standard symbols, annotations etc.
VIEW
Design database elements to be drawn
152. Select Create>Department and name the element

STRUCDEPT. Click OK. You will now see a Department
Information form. Attributes set at Department level are
cascaded down to all lower levels. To set them, click the
Attributes button to display a Department Attributes form. On
the latter form:
D
Select the A4 drawing sheet size (note that this sets the
Width and Height automatically).
Leave all pen definitions, hatch patterns and terminators at

their default settings.
From the Ruleset Reference options, select

/DRA/PRJ/REPR/GEN/STRU.
Set Backing Sheet Reference to Reference and select

/DRA/MAS/BACKS/MET/A4_Land. This will apply
standard borders and data areas to all drawings created in
this Department.
The settings should now look like this:

Version 11.4
11--11
Click Apply, then Dismiss.
Check that the Create Registry button on the Department

Information form is set to On and OK this form. You will see a
Create REGI form.
153. Name the Registry STRUCREGI and click OK. You will see a
Registry Information form. Note that all attribute settings for
the Registry have been copied from its owning Department (any
individual attribute cascaded in this way can be overwritten at a
lower level if required).
Set Create Drawing to On and select Explicitly. Click OK.
You will see a Create DRWG form.
154. Name the Drawing STRUCDRWG and click OK. You will see a
Drawing Definition form. Enter the Title as Structural View.
Note that the Date and Drawn By entries are derived
automatically from your system log--in data. Click Apply, then
Dismiss.
11--12

Version 11.4
That completes the setting up of the drawing administration

hierarchy; we are now in a position to define the content of a drawing
sheet ready for viewing and plotting.
155. Select Create>Sheet>Explicitly and OK the Create SHEE
form. The Main Display view will show the backing sheet
specified in Step 152. You will also see a Sheet Definition form.
Note that all settings have been cascaded down from
Department level. Click Apply, then Dismiss.
The detailed design data, extracted directly from the Design database,
is applied to the sheet in the form of individual Views.
156. Select Create>View>User--defined and OK the resulting form.
A User-defined View form will be displayed, and a default
rectangle will be added to the Main Display to show where the
design data for this view will be plotted.
We will plot a single view on the sheet, so we will first resize the
default view area to fill the available space. To do so, select
Frame>Size>Cursor from the User-Defined View menu and,
when prompted, pick points just inside the top--left and
bottom--right corners of the drawing area within the backing
sheet layout.
On the User-defined View form, enter the Title as ISO3 View;
set the Type to Global Hidden Line; and set the Direction to
ISO3 (select this using the options from the middle Direction
gadget).
The part(s) of the design model which are to be plotted are
specified by means of a drawlist (similar to the way in which the
content of a 3D View was specified in DESIGN). Select
Graphics>Drawlist from the User-Defined View menu to
display the Drawlist Management form. In the Reference List
Members list, navigate to the subframework holding the design
model (/TESTSBFR) and click the Add button to add it to the
drawlist.

Version 11.4
11--13
We must now set the drawing scale so that the plotted model
representation fits sensibly into the area available on the sheet.
First click the Auto Scale button on the User-Defined View form
and notice how the precisely calculated scale is displayed in the
adjacent text--box. To modify this to the nearest smaller standard
scale, click the Nearest button. The chosen standard scale will
now be displayed (e.g. 1/200). Click Apply to implement the new
scale calculation. The final settings will look something like this:
Click the Update Design button to plot the drawlist element(s)

in the Main Display at the chosen scale, thus:
11--14

Version 11.4
This is as far as we will go with Draft in this exercise, although the

full range of 2D drafting facilities available is extensive, allowing you
to add dimensioning and labelling data derived directly from the
design model, and to add any other specific 2D annotation which you
require.
In the next, and final, chapter, we will look at some of the facilities
available for creating and modifying some nonlinear structural design
elements.

Version 11.4
11--15
12
So far we have built our design model entirely from straight steelwork
sections. In this final chapter we will add some nonlinear sections.
In order to provide some reference points for use when routing a
curved section, we will construct a temporary working grid.
12.1
How PDMS Represents Curved Sections

Curved structural items are represented by Generic Section
(GENSEC) elements, the geometry of which is defined by sweeping a
2D catalogue profile along a path. This path is represented by a
Spine element, owned by the GENSEC, whose route is specified in
terms of a sequence of member Spine Points (POINSP) and
Curves. For example:
End POINSP
CURVE
PROFILE
CURVE
Start POINSP
= SPINE
= POINSP
The Beams & Columns application menu provides options for creating
two versions of the GENSEC:
A ring section, restricted to an arc of a circle (up to a full circle),
comprising two Spine Points separated by a single Curve.
A more general curved section, comprising any number of Spine
Points and Curves.
Version 11.4
12--1
12.2
Creating a Semicircular Platform

In order to demonstrate the principles, we will create a semicircular
ring section which projects out from our existing structure. The ends
of the ring section will be positioned near the ends of the topmost
beam at the western end of the structure, and it will be supported
from below by two straight sections, like this (only sections shown,
not panels):
Looking Down:
End
Support
180
Ring
Section
Existing
diamond
bracing
Support
N
Start
E
Looking East:
End
End
Inset 100
Inset 100
Start
U
N
Existing
cross
bracing
Exercise continues:
157. In the Beams & Columns application, set the default profile
specification to British Standard, Equal Angle, 70x70x10.0,
12--2

Version 11.4
with Justification, Member Line and Joint Line all set to

NA.
158. From the main menu bar, select Create>Sections>Ring. You
will see a Ring Section form, the buttons on which provide many
different ways of specifying the sections geometry.
We do not want to create a full circle, so set Circle Definition:
Arc to On.
We will define the path of the section (the GENSECs Spine) by
picking the two positions at its ends plus a third point which
specifies how the arc is directed (that is, whether it curves
towards the East or the West). The diameter of the circle will be
derived automatically from the distance between the first two
positions. To do this, click the Derived diameter button
(fourth button, second row).
To define the start of the ring section (prompt says Define ...
first point), set the Positioning Control to Pline, Distance 100
and pick near the southern end of the NA pline of the beam. You
will probably need to unset the pline picking rules
(Settings>Pick Filters>Plines)and zoom in very close to
distinguish between the plines.
To define the end (prompt says Define ... second point), use the
same procedure at the northern end of the same pline.
The third prompt says Define ... control point. The point you
pick will determine the plane in which the ring section lies (the
plane through all three points) and the direction in which the
section curves (depends on the position of the third point relative
to the line joining the first two points). We want the ring section
to lie in a horizontal plane and to curve towards the west, so pick
any point on the NAR pline of the beam. (This has the same
elevation as the NA pline and lies to its west.)
159. We will now create two straight sections which run from the
mid--point of the beam below the ring section, and which support
the ring section at points equispaced along its length (as shown
in the preceding diagram).
Version 11.4
12--3
Select Create>Sections>Straight. Both sections will have the

same start point, so on the Section form set String Method to
Radial. Set the Positioning Control to Pline, Mid--Point and
pick the TOS pline of the lower beam.
To position the upper ends of the two supports, set the
Positioning Control to Element, Fraction 3 and pick the ring
section twice, about one third of its length from each end, then
Escape.
You may, if you wish, modify the angle sections to give more
realistic geometry at their ends, although the current
configuration is adequate for our present purpose.
160. We will complete the semicircular platform by positioning a floor
plate inside the supporting angle section.
Change to the Panels & Plates application. Select
Create>Panel.
On the Create Panel form, set Thickness to 20 and
Justification to Centre. We will define the panel boundary by
picking points around the ring section (GENSEC) whose shape it
is to follow. Click the Derived arc passing through three points
button
Pick the three points defining the panel boundary as follows:

S
First point: snap to one end of GENSEC.
Second point: snap to mid--point of GENSEC.
Third point: snap to other end of GENSEC.
Escape the next prompt. The 3D View will show a circle, half of
which follows the ring section, as a construction aid. Notice that,
although you have only picked three points, the message 4
vertices defined is shown. These vertices are positioned thus:
12--4

Version 11.4
First pick
V1
V4
Third pick
fillet radius
fillet radius
V2
V3
Second pick
Click OK to complete the panel creation.
12.3
Creating a Runway Beam with Multiple Curves

To demonstrate how you can create and modify a section which
follows a multiply--curved path, we will position an overhead runway
beam along the southern end of the structure, thus:
7
End
Start
Y
Grid
origin
N
E
12
20
= existing structure
= working grid (1000mm spacing)
= runway beam (curved section)
The upper face of the runway beam will, for convenience, be

positioned against the lower faces of the beams from which it is
suspended. In practice, you would probably want to interpose hangers
or bolted flanges to support the runway beam.
Version 11.4
12--5
To make it easier to position the points and curves defining the

GENSECs spine, we will first create a horizontal working grid as a
working aid (as shown in the diagram).
Exercise continues:
12.3.1
Defining a Working Grid

161. From the Beams & Columns Application menu, select
Utilities>Working Plane. The resulting Working Plane form
lets you define a plane onto which all graphical picks will be
projected, with an optional grid superimposed on the plane to
help you position graphical picks without needing to refer to
existing parts of the design model.
From the Working Plane forms menu, select Define>Linear
Grid. The resulting Working Plane - Linear Grid form lets you
define the number and spacing of the grid lines, and the position
and orientation of the grids plane. Set both the X and Y
Spacing to 1000 and enter the Number of visible lines as 40.
(The grid behaves as though it is of infinite size; this setting
controls only the size of the grid shown in the 3D View.)
162. The default position of the planes centre and its orientation are
shown by the blue square in the 3D View. Leave the
Orientation as it is (Y is N, Z is U, X is E). We want the
elevation of the plane to be at the lower faces of the beams, so set
the Positioning Control to Pline, Intersect and pick the BOS
plines for the two beams which meet at the required origin (see
preceding diagram). The Position should be East 0, North 0,
Up 4696.6 (the latter is the height of the column less the depth
of the beam).
Click the Preview button to see the grid in the 3D View. Set the
Detail toggle to On and click Preview again to number the grid
lines. OK the Working Plane - Linear Grid form.
163. On the Working Plane form, set the Active and Visible toggles
to On (so that the grid will be both effective and visible in the
graphical view).
Set the Working Grid Snap to On, which means that when you
later pick positions on the grid, the picked point will always
snap to the grid intersection nearest to the cursor position.
12--6

Version 11.4
Select Control>Close from the Working Plane forms menu to

complete the operation.
12.3.2
Creating a Curved Section

NOTE:
In the following steps, we will identify positions along the path of the
spine by their (X,Y) coordinates on the working grid; for example, (X
20, Y0) is the position of the south--eastern corner of the overall
structure.
164. Set the default profile specification to British Standard,

Joists, 203x152x52kg/m. Set the Justification to TOS, so that
the upper face of the runway beam will coincide with the
working plane and, therefore, with the undersides of the
supporting beams. (See generic type DINI in Appendix D.3 for a
diagram of a similar profile.)
165. Select Create>Sections>Curved. You will see a Curved Section
form, the buttons on which provide various ways of specifying
the path of the sections spine. Because our section follows a
complex path which does not conform to the simplified standard
geometry provided by most of the buttons, we will use a
free--form definition which will let us build up any sequence of
spine points and curves. Click the Free definition button
Notice that the Working Plane toggle at the left--hand side of

the Positioning Control form is now set to On. This provides a
way of switching the working plane on or off without having to
display the Working Plane form each time. The red highlight on
the toggle button is intended as a reminder when the working
plane is active, since you can get unexpected results if you forget
it is on when you make graphical picks.
166. You are now in event--driven graphics mode, ready to pick the
sequence of positions which will define the spine. Set the
Positioning Control to Screen, Snap. Any cursor pick you make
will be projected onto the working plane and will then snap to
the nearest grid intersection point (remember that you set
Working Grid Snap to On when you defined the grid in Step
163). If you make a mistake at any stage, the Undo button on
the Curved Section form lets you delete one or more points in
reverse order.
Version 11.4
12--7
With reference to the grid coordinates, pick position (X0, Y2) to

define the start (origin) of the GENSEC.
Set the Radius to 2000 and pick (X4, Y2) to define the position
of the first curve.
With Radius still set to 2000, pick the following positions, in
this order: (X4, Y6), (X8, Y6), (X8, Y2), (X18, Y2), (X18, Y6),
(X20, Y6). When you pick the last position, you will be warned
that it is not possible to fit in a curve with 2000 radius so close to
the preceding position and will be asked if this represents the
end point: click Yes to complete the operation. Close the Curved
Section form.
12.3.3
Modifying a Curved Section

167. To demonstrate how easily you can modify a curved section, we
will reroute part of the runway beam as follows:
7
End
Start
1
Y
0
6
12
20
= original path
= modified path
= curve number (at new fillet position)
Check that the new GENSEC is the current element and select
Modify>Sections>Definition. You will see a Modify Section
(Curved) form which lets you edit the position and/or radius for
each individual point/curve in the spine.
Set the first Spine Point option to Start and pick the new start
position at (X0, Y1). Click the Modify button to implement the
move.
12--8

Version 11.4
Change the first Spine Point option to Curve and set the
second Spine Point option (up/down arrows) to 1. Move Curve
1 to (X4, Y1), leaving its Radius set to 2000.
NOTE:
The graphical aids show the position and radius of the current and
adjacent curves as you modify the spine shape. The X and Y
Attributes on the Modify Section (Curved) form show the coordinates
relative to the GENSECs origin (start), not in terms of the working
grid positions.
Move Curve 4 to (X8, Y1) and change its Radius to 3000.

Select Curve 5 and change the third Spine Point option from
Fillet to Centre:
Notice how the graphical aid now shows the radius centre at
(X16, Y4) instead of the radius fillet at (X18, Y2). Move the
centre to (X15, Y4), press Modify, then change the Radius to
3000.
The latter operation illustrates the two ways of specifying a
curves position:
Fillet position
Radius
Centre position
168. Repeat the clash checks which you carried on the earlier version
of the design model in Section 11.1. Think about the reasons for
the extra clashes which are diagnosed for the current design.
169. Save your design changes and exit from PDMS.
12.4
Conclusion
That concludes both the tutorial exercise and this introduction to
some of the ways in which PDMS and the Cadcentre structural

Version 11.4
12--9
applications can help you in your design work. We hope that working
through this book has given you an insight into the potential power of
PDMS and that you will have gained sufficient confidence to explore
some of the more advanced options on your own.
For further technical details, refer to the sources of information listed
in Appendix E.
If you have not already done so, you are strongly advised to attend
one or more of the specialised PDMS training courses, which will
show you how to get the maximum benefits from the product in your
own working environment (see Section 1.3).
12--10

Version 11.4
Part III
Reference Appendices

Version 11.4

This appendix shows the principal menu hierarchies in a quick-reference format, to allow you to find the option you want rapidly.
A.1
The Beams & Columns Application Menus

Design
Save Work
Get Work
Extract Control...
Session Comment...
General...
Equipment...
Pipework...
Cable Trays...
HVAC Designer...
Structures
Hangers & Supports...
Design Templates...
Modules
Exit
Panels & Plates...

Walls & Floors...
ASL Modeller...
>
>
Monitor...
Compare
Spooler
Draft
Isodraft
Export
Paragon
Specon
Propcon
* Lexicon
* Admin...
>
>
>
>
>
>
Users Binary...
Default Binary...
Select Binary...
Macro Files...
Saint...
Note: These modules are available only if you are logged in as a Free user (e.g. System)
Display
Graphical View
View Control...
Plot View...
Members...
Advanced Members...
Drawlist...
Command Line...
Save
Restore
Forms & Display

Forms & Display As...
Forms As...
Display As...
>
>

Version 11.4
Forms & Display

Forms & Display From...
Forms From...
Display From...
A--1
Query
General...
Attributes...
Properties...
Project
DB Changes...
Measure Distance...
Axes...
End Connections...
Mass Properties...
Status...
Users...
Teams...
DBs...
MDBs...
User Rights...
>
Picking...
View...
Representation...
Colour...
Aid CE Arrow...
Settings
System...
Graphics
Naming...
Units...
Clasher
Properties...
Pick Filters
>
Mark section
Unmark section
>
Auto Clash
Defaults...
Obstruction
>
* Purposes
>
>
Define...
Relationships...
* Check Defaults...
Storage Areas...
Tolerances...
* Draft Edge Defaults...
List...
Limits...
Elements...
Plines...
Ppoints...
* Note: These options are available only if you are logged in as a Design administrator.
Utilities
Data Consistency...
Data Checker...
Clashes...
Autonaming
Working Plane...
Constructs...
Lists...
Claimlists...
DB Listing...
Reports
Quick Reports...
Export
Reference Data...
Beams & Columns...
Steelwork Penetration...
A--2
>
>
>
CE only
CE offspring
Run...
Create...
Modify...
Delete...
Run...
Create...
Modify...
Delete...
Dump Attributes...
Select Driver...

Version 11.4
Create
>
Copy
Site...
Zone...
Group...
Structure...
Framework...
Sub-- Frame...
Sections
Compound Joint...
PNode at SCTN End
Fitting
>
Offset...
Rotate...
Mirror...
Straight...
Curved...
Ring...
Bracing Configurations...
Multiple attached...
Specials...
>
Single...
Compound...
Sub-- Compound...
Modify
Name...
Attributes...
Attributes Global...
Angle...
Like
Lock...
Hierarchy
Group...
Properties...
Re-- evaluate Rules
Unlink from Original
Sections
Joints...
Fitting
Bracing Gap...
>
>
>
>
>
Draft Edge Drawing...

Material...
picked element
current element
CE into list
Specification...
Definition...
Justification...
Member Line...
Joint Line...
Include...
Reverse Order...
Reorder...
Split...
Splice...
Merge...
Specification...
Position Line...
Joint Line...
Joint Like
CutPlane...
Mitre Ends
>
Maintain Pline
Use copied Pline
Definition...
Position Line...
Delete
CE
Identified
List
Name...
Members
Tidy Joints...
Tidy Nodes...
>
Selection...
All

Version 11.4
A--3
Position
Orientate
Explicitly (AT)...
Relatively (BY)...
Extend
Drag Explicitly...
Align Secondary Nodes
>
Through...
By...
Axes...
Rotate...
B Angle
Flip
>
- 180 Degrees
- 90 Degrees
0 Degrees
90 Degrees
180 Degrees
Connect
Disconnect
Connect
Trim to Pline
Trim to Section
Joint Dominant
Joint Subordinate
Window
Members
3D View (1)
etc.
depending on
current
windows
A--4
>
>
Pick
Pick (force)
All attached
Pick
All attached
Help
On Context
Contents
Index
About

Version 11.4
A.2
The Panels & Plates Application Menus

Design
Save Work
Get Work
Extract Control...
Session Comment...
General...
Equipment...
Pipework...
Cable Trays...
HVAC Designer...
Structures
Hangers & Supports...
Design Templates...
Modules
Exit
Beams & Columns...

Walls & Floors...
ASL Modeller...
>
>
Monitor...
Compare
Spooler
Draft
Isodraft
Export
Paragon
Specon
Propcon
* Lexicon
* Admin...
>
>
>
>
>
>
Users Binary...
Default Binary...
Select Binary...
Macro Files...
Saint...
* Note: These modules are available only if you are logged in as a Free user (e.g. System)
Display
Graphical View
View Control...
Plot View...
Members...
Advanced Members...
Drawlist...
Command Line...
Save
Restore
Forms & Display

Forms & Display As...
Forms As...
Display As...
>
>

Version 11.4
Forms & Display

Forms & Display From...
Forms From...
Display From...
A--5
Query
General...
Attributes...
Properties...
Project
DB Changes...
Measure Distance...
Axes...
Joint Connections...
Mass Properties...
Status...
Users...
Teams...
DBs...
MDBs...
User Rights...
>
Settings
System...
Graphics
Naming...
Units...
Clasher
Properties...
Pick Filters
* Purposes
>
>
>
Auto Clash
Defaults...
Obstruction
>
Define...
Relationships...
* Check Defaults...
Storage Areas...
Tolerances...
* Draft Edge Defaults...
*
Picking...
View...
Representation...
Colour...
Aid CE Arrow...
>
List...
Limits...
Elements...
Plines...
Ppoints...
Note: These options are available only if you are logged in as a Design administrator.
Utilities
Data Consistency...
Data Checker...
Clashes...
Autonaming
Working Plane...
Constructs...
Lists...
Claimlists...
DB Listing...
Reports
Quick Reports...
Export
Reference Data...
Panels & Plates...
Penetrations...
A--6
>
>
>
CE only
CE offspring
Run...
Create...
Modify...
Delete...
Run...
Create...
Modify...
Delete...
Dump Attributes...
Select Driver...

Version 11.4
Create
Offset...
Rotate...
Mirror...
>
Copy
Site...
Zone...
Group...
Structure...
Framework...
Sub-- Frame...
Panel...
Negative Extrusion...
Fittings
Single...
Compound...
Sub-- Compound...
>
Modify
Name...
Attributes...
Attributes Global...
Angle...
Like
Lock...
Hierarchy
Group...
Properties...
Re-- evaluate Rules
Unlink from Original
Representation...
Extrusion/Panel...
Justification...
Specification...
Thickness...
Split Panel...
Fitting...
Draft Edge Drawing...
Material...
>
>
picked element
current element
CE into list
Include...
Reverse Order...
Reorder...
Delete
CE
Identified
List
Name...
Members
Tidy Joint...
>
Selection...
All

Version 11.4
A--7
Position
Orientate
Axes...
Rotate...
B Angle
Explicitly (AT)...
Relatively (BY)...
Panel Origin
Level Vertices
>
- 180 Degrees
- 90 Degrees
0 Degrees
90 Degrees
180 Degrees
Connect
Disconnect
Connect
Trim
Window
Members
3D View (1)
etc.
depending on
current
windows
A--8
>
Panel
Edges
Edge
Vertex
Help
On Context
Contents
Index
About

Version 11.4
A.3
The Penetration Application Menus
Control
Display
Settings
Navigate
Create
Modify
Close
Scrap View on/off
Clip Box...
Penetration List...
Active Item
Referenced Item
Identify Penetration Hole
Identify & Select
Penetration Hole...
1 To 1 Penetration...
Penetration...
Defaults...
Angled Penetrations...
Name...
Penetration Hole...
Penetrations...
Merge Penetrations...
Undo Merge
Penetration Shape...
Copy like ref.
Delete
Position
Delete Penetration
Delete Multi Penetration
Tidy Multi Penetrations
Orientate
Rotate...
Align with ref.
Angle...
Penetration...
Link Penetration
Align with ref.

Version 11.4
A--9
A.4
The 3D View Menus (Right--Hand Mouse Button)
Zoom F2
Pan F3
Rotate F5
Walk F6
Up
Down
North
South
East
West
Plan North
Plan South
Plan East
Plan West
Explicit...
One
Two
Three
Four
View Control
Look
Iso
Limits
Rotate
Clipping
Settings
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
CE
Owner
Pick
Drawlist
Obstruction
Window
Clipbox
Restore
Explicit...
CE Origin
CE Centroid
Pick Origin
Pick Centroid
Limit Box
Clip Box
Explicit...
Enable
Capped
Colour...
CE
Owner
Limits Box
Pick item
Explicit...
Eye
F7
Shaded
F8
Borders F9
Perspective F4
Background...
Save View
Restore View
Copy like view
Long Menus
Save 1
Save 2
Save 3
Save 4
>
>
Restore 1
Restore 2
Restore 3
Restore 4
shows option is selected

Note: If Settings>Long Menus is Off, fewer options will be available.
A--10

Version 11.4
A.5
The 3D Aid Constructs Menus
Control
List...
Save...
Load...
Settings
Create
Modify
Move
Cut
Copy
Paste...
Toolbar...
Definition...
Position
Radius
Extend
Project onto Plane
Repeat
Size...
Close
Delete
Pick
All Constructs
>
Offset...
Rotate...
Mirror...
Toolbar...
Through 3 points
Fillet...
Point to tangent
Point to tangent, radius <val>...
Tangent to 2 points, radius <val>...
Tangent to tangent...
Tangential to 3 lines
Offset...
Rotate...
Mirror...
Copy
Circle
Line
Work Point
Plane
Grids
>
>
>
>
>
>
Diameter 3 points
Diameter <val> 3 points...
Diameter 2 points
Diameter <val> centre...
Radius 3 points
Radius <val> 3 points...
Radius 2 points
Radius <val> centre...
Derive
Explicit...
Toolbar...
Between 2 points
Angle from line...
Two planes
Bisect two lines
Point to tangent
Tangent to tangent
Derive
Explicit...
Toolbar...
Derived position
Explicit...
Toolbar...
Through 3 points
Explicit...
Toolbar...
Linear...
Radial...
Plant...

Version 11.4
A--11
A.6
Control
The Reference Definition Application Menus
Display
Graphics
Settings
Create
Modify
Tag Gridlines
Untag Gridlines
Close
Gridlines...
Planes...
Gridline
Plane
Storage Areas
Active Plane
>
Area...
Grid...
>
>
Area...
Element...
Define...
for Gridlines
for Planes
Explicit (AT)...
Relative (BY)...
Name...
Position
Orientation
>
>
Definition...
Plane
>
Explicit...
Definition...
Set to
Size
>
>
Design Point
Pline
Intersection
3 Points
times 2
Half Size
A.7
Control
Close
A--12
The Lists/Collections Menus
Add
CE
CE Members
Identified
Selection...
List...
Remove
CE
CE Members
Identified
from List
All
Selection...
List

Version 11.4
A.8
The Working Plane Menus
Define
Control
Close
A.9
Pick
Reposition
Plane...
Linear Grid...
Radial Grid...
Plant Grid...
The Section Cut Plane Menus
General
CE
Owner
Perpendicular
Cursor
Intersection
Points
Elements
Design Points
Element
Design Point
Pline
Start Cut Plane
End Cut Plane
to Element
to Design Point
to Pline
Element
Design Point
Plines
>
>
>
to Design Point
to Element
to Pline
to Pline
to Design Point
to Element

Version 11.4
A--13

This appendix gives a brief explanation of the meanings of the
principal icons which you will encounter on the forms and menus. It
is intended as a reference guide for use while you are learning to use
the applications; you will soon become familiar with the icons once
you have used them a few times.
B.1
Switching Between Structural Applications

These buttons, in the main application window, let you switch rapidly
between the structural applications. (The icon for the current
application will be inactive.)
Switch to Beams & Columns application.
Switch to Panels & Plates application.
Switch to Walls & Floors application.

Version 11.4
B--1
B.2
General Defaults
Automatic clash checking Off / Automatic clash
checking On (current element clash checked after
each modification).
Set default specification for Profiles.
Set default storage area for Sections and GENSECs.
Set default storage area for Primary Nodes.
B.3
Creating and Modifying Beams and Columns
B.3.1
General Defaults
Primary Node creation Off / Primary
Node creation On (Primary Nodes created
automatically when new sections are
created).
Profile Off (new sections have no
catalogue reference) / Profile On (new
sections have automatic cross--reference
to current default catalogue profile).
B.3.2
Specifying Section Start and End Positions

Enter explicit coordinates for start or end position.
Specify end position in terms of its distance and direction

from the start position.
B--2

Version 11.4
B.4
Creating Curved Sections

Use buttons to pick position; enter Radius for next curve.
Free Definition: Pick three or more points in sequence to
define section of any shape (constrained to be planar).
Right Angle: Pick three points to define right--angled
(L--shaped) section.
Closed Rectangle (Fillet): Pick three points to define
closed rectangular section, where direction changes are
defined by fillet positions outside rectangle.
Closed Rectangle (Centre): Pick three points to define
closed rectangular section, where direction changes are
defined by radial centre positions inside rectangle.
Open Rectangle (Fillet): Pick three points to define open
rectangular (U--shaped) section, where direction changes
are defined by fillet positions outside rectangle.
Open Rectangle (Centre): Pick three points to define
open rectangular (U--shaped) section, where direction
changes are defined by radial centre positions inside
rectangle.
Swan Neck: Pick three points to define section with two
opposed right--angled bends.
Obloid: Pick two points to define centres of semicircular
ends, plus third point to show in which of the straight sides
the section start/end are to be positioned.

Version 11.4
B--3
B.5
Creating Ring Sections

These options provide various ways of constructing a circle. The ring
section will then follow all or part of the circumference of this circle.
Where ambiguity might occur, arcs are defined as minor arcs.
Through 3 points: Pick three points through which circle
is to pass. For an arc: first point will be start of ring section;
third point will be end of ring section.
Derive from a picked item: Pick design element from
which radius and centre of circle can be derived. Ring
section will be superimposed on this circle; you can then
reposition new section as required.
Fillet: Enter radius on separate form. Pick two linear
design items which are tangential to required circle. For an
arc: point of contact with first line defines start point; point
of contact with second line defines end point. Plane of ring
section is normal to both lines and through first line.
Tangential to 3 lines: Pick three linear design items.
Circle will be constructed to fit between these tangents.
Plane of ring section is normal to, and midway between,
first two lines.
Fixed radius, tangential to a circle: Enter radius on
separate form. Pick position towards which circle is to be
directed (control point), then pick design item from which
circle can be derived. Ring section will be tangential to
derived circle, on side specified by control point.
Fixed radius, passing through 2 points: Enter radius
on separate form. Pick two positions defining start point
and end point for ring section, then pick position towards
which circle is to be directed (control point).
Tangential to a circle: Pick position defining centre of
ring section, then pick design item from which circle can be
derived. Ring section will be tangential to derived circle and
radius will be distance from first pick to tangent point.
Tangential to 2 circles: Enter radius on separate form.
On two coplanar circular design items, pick positions near
to points at which ring section is to touch tangentially; then
pick position near to centre of ring section.
B--4

Version 11.4
Derived diameter: Pick two positions representing

opposite sides of circle (so that distance between picks
defines diameter), then pick position towards which circle is
to be directed (control point). For an arc: first point will be
start of ring section; second point will be end of ring section.
Derived diameter on working plane: Working plane
must be active. Pick two positions representing opposite
sides of circle (distance between picks defines diameter).
Picked positions will be projected onto working plane and
ring section will lie in this plane. For an arc: first point will
be start of ring section; second point will be end of ring
section.
Fixed diameter: Enter diameter on separate form. Pick
position of centre of ring section, then pick two positions
aligned with start and end of ring section (in that order).
Ring section lies in plane through the three points.
Fixed diameter on working plane: Working plane must
be active. Enter diameter on separate form. Pick position of
centre of ring section. Ring section will be 180 arc, created
anticlockwise from X--axis of working plane.
Derived radius: Pick position of centre of ring section,
then position of start point of ring section (distance between
picks defines radius). Then pick position aligned with end
point of ring section. Ring section lies in plane through the
three points.
Derived radius on working plane: Working plane must
be active. Pick two positions representing centre and start
of ring section (distance between picks defines radius).
Picked positions will be projected onto working plane and
ring section will lie in this plane. Ring section will be 180
arc, created anticlockwise about Z--axis of working plane.
Fixed radius: Enter radius on separate form. Pick
position of centre of ring section, then pick two positions
aligned with start and end of ring section (in that order).
Ring section lies in plane through the three points.
Fixed radius on working plane: Working plane must be
active. Enter radius on separate form. Pick position of
centre of ring section. Ring section will be 180 arc, created
anticlockwise from X--axis of working plane.
Define explicitly: Displays form on which to enter centre,
radius, plane orientation, and subtended start/end angles
for ring section. These can each be typed in explicitly or
picked graphically.
Version 11.4
B--5
B.6
Creating and Modifying Panels
B.6.1
Specifying Panel Vertex Positions

Pick position graphically using any standard
cursor--picking method.
Construct position using intersections of two plines with
existing panel.
Create vertices which follow outline of existing panel.
Identify position relative to position of existing element.
Specify position in terms of distance and direction from

preceding vertex.
Construct fillet arc with specified radius between two
picked tangent lines.
Construct fillet arc passing through three picked points.
Construct fillet arc with specified radius, passing through

two picked points, with bulge in picked direction.
B.6.2
Modifying Vertices or Edges of Panel Loops

Selects all vertices in the loop, so that you can modify them
as a group.
Lets you select any number of individual vertices so that
you can modify them as a group.
Lets you pick an edge to be modified. The adjacent Edge
area shows the current edge number.
B--6

Version 11.4
Lets you pick a vertex to be modified. The adjacent Vertex

area shows the current vertex number.
Lets you create a new vertex, which will be allocated the
next number in the sequence after the current vertex.
Lets you navigate to a vertex or an edge by graphical
picking.
Reverses group definition by implicitly renumbering group
vertices in the opposite sense (clockwise/anticlockwise). The
origin moves to the other side of the gap. Note that this
change affects only the groups behaviour; it does not affect
the vertex numbering for the panel loop.
Moves open--side of group, and origin, one position
forwards (i.e. in same sense as vertex numbering).
Moves open--side of group, and origin, one position
backwards (i.e. in opposite sense to vertex numbering).
Expands group area by moving each edge outwards, by
distance entered in text--box, normal to its own direction.
This affects all edges, including those in cut--outs, so
excessive expansion can give invalid loop geometry.
Contracts group area by moving each edge inwards, by
distance entered in text--box, normal to its own direction.
This affects all edges, including those on panel protrusions,
so excessive contraction can give invalid loop geometry.
Moves Start vertex along edge direction to align it through
a picked position or to intersection with a picked line. Edge
length can change during this operation.
Moves End vertex along edge direction to align it through a
picked position or to intersection with a picked line. Edge
length can change during this operation.
Moves free vertex (lowercase tag) around reference vertex
(uppercase tag) to align edge with a picked line. Edge
length is unchanged.
Rotates group or edge anticlockwise through specified
angle. Edge length is unchanged.
Version 11.4
B--7
Rotates group or edge clockwise through specified angle.

Edge length is unchanged.
Lets you move vertex group by inserting it at a different
position in the loop sequence. Group will be inserted after
current vertex.
Moves current vertex, edge or group such that new
positions are derived by reflecting original positions about a
picked line (i.e. gives mirror image).
Deletes current vertex, edge or group.
Lets you manipulate a fillet arc at the current loop vertex.
B.6.3
Connecting Panels
Makes a vertex--to--vertex connection.
Makes an edge--to--surface connection.
Makes an edges--to--surface connection.
Makes an edge--to--surface connection by dragging edges as

necessary.
Makes an edge--to--edge connection.
Makes an edges--to--edge connection.
Makes an edge--to--edge connection by dragging edges as

necessary.
B--8

Version 11.4
Makes an edge--to--section connection.

Makes an edges--to--section connection.
Makes an edge--to--section connection by dragging edges as
necessary.
Trims all edges of a panel to suit its current connections.
B.7
Standard Bracing Configurations

(These are not icons, but they show the standard configurations
represented by the listed options on the Bracing form. Letters A, B
show specified gaps; numbers 1, 2 ... show order of picking sections
between which bracing members are to be connected.)
B
2
1
A
Cross Bracing
B2
1
A
A/K Bracing (1), 4 picks
4
B2

1
3
A
4
B2

1
A
1
A
B
2

Version 11.4
Single Bracing (1)
B--9
2 B
Single Bracing (2)

A 1
2 B
Knee Bracing (1)
1
A
B2
Knee Bracing (2)
A
1
B2
A
1
Diamond Bracing
B--10

Version 11.4
The Structural Design Database
The part of the Design database hierarchy which holds structural elements is as
follows (elements in italics, e.g. RELEASE, are for analytical purposes only):
STRUCTURE
(STRU)
FRAMEWORK
(FRMW)
optional
ROUTING PLANE GROUP

(RPLG)
SUBFRAMEWORK
(SBFR)
LOAD CASE DESCRIPTOR

(LCDE)
PANEL
(PANE)
SECTION PRIMARY NODE

(SCTN)
(PNOD)
ROUTING PLANE
(RPLA)
PANEL LINEAR JOINT

(PALJ)
PANEL FITTING
PANEL LINEAR JOINT
negative
(PFIT)
(PALJ)
PANEL LOOP
COFITTING
primitives
(PLOO)
PANEL VERTEX (COFI)
(PAVE)
PANEL VERTEX
NEGATIVE EXTRUSION
(PAVE)
(NXTR)
LOOP
PRIMARY JOINT
PRIMARY COMPOUND JOINT(LOOP)
(PJOI)
(PCOJ)
RELEASE
NODAL LOAD
(RELE)
(NOLO)
VERTEX
GENERIC SECTION NODAL DISPLACEMENT
SUBJOINT
(VERT)
(SUBJ)
(GENSEC)
(NODI)
JOINT LINE DATUM
(JLDATUM)
SPINE
(SPINE)
SPINE POINT
(POINSP)
CURVE
(CURVE)
POSITION LINE DATUM

(PLDATUM)
FIXING
(FIXI)
SECONDARY NODE
FITTING
SECTION LINEAR JOINT
(SNOD)
(FITT)
(SELJ)
SECTION POINT LOAD
(SPLO)
SECTION VERTEX
SECONDARY JOINT
(SEVE)
(SJOI)
NODAL LOAD
RELEASE
(NOLO)
SECTION DISTRIBUTED LOAD
(RELE)
(SDLO)
NODAL DISPLACEMENT SECONDARY COMPOUND JOINT
(NODI)
(SCOJ)
SUBJOINT(SUBJ)

Version 11.4
C--1
This appendix gives a much--simplified introduction to the way the

structural catalogue is used in creating the design model and lists the
principal features of some standard catalogue components to which
you may want to refer when creating your design model. (For full
details of the way in which the catalogue is built up and used, see the
PDMS PARAGON Reference Manual.)
D.1
The Basic Features of the Catalogue

All profiles, joints, fittings etc. used in the design are selected from
the Catalogue database by setting the Specification Reference for
the corresponding design element so that it points to the required
catalogue entry.
Each catalogue item is defined in terms of two subsidiary sets of data:
D
A Geometry Set, which defines the overall physical shape of

the item in terms of a set of 2D and/or 3D basic shapes (known
as primitives). A sectional profile is made up of 2D
primitives only (which are extruded to form a 3D section in the
design model); a joint or a fitting is made up of 3D primitives
which define its complete volume. A geometry set can include
negative 3D primitives to represent holes.
A Point Set, which defines a number of reference points and

directions superimposed on the geometric shape so that
individual parts of that shape can be identified and
manipulated. These reference points can include p--points,
which represent a 1D point position and a direction, and p--lines
(or plines), which represent a 2D line and a direction.

Version 11.4
D--1
A range of catalogue components with similar overall geometry will

all reference the same geometry set and point set, so that the amount
of data needed to represent all possible items is kept to a minimum.
The dimensions of the items are not fixed in the catalogue but are
expressed in terms of design parameters. Values are allocated to
these parameterised dimensions when the item is used in a specific
part of the design model: they may either be set explicitly or derived
from associated dimensions of other design components to which the
item is to be connected.
D.2
P--line Identification
Each p--line is identified by a two, three or four letter code (known as
its PKEY) which identifies its relative position in the 2D profile
(remember that each p--line is extruded in the design model to
represent a line running along the length of a section). The most
commonly referenced PKEYs use the following naming conventions
(each profile uses only a subset of these):
BBH
BBHL
BBHR
BLW
BLWT
BOC
BOS
BRW
BRWT
FOC
HBA
HOA
IOC
LBOA
LBOC
LBOS
LBTS
LTBA
LTBS
LTOC
LTOS
D--2
Bottom bolt hole

Bottom bolt hole, left
Bottom bolt hole, right
Bottom left of web
Bottom left web top
Bottom of channel
Bottom of steel
Bottom right of web
Bottom right web, top
Face of channel
Hole, bottom of angle
Hole, outside of angle
Inside of channel
Left bottom of angle
Left bottom of channel
Left bottom of steel
Left bottom top of steel
Left top bottom of angle
Left top bottom of steel
Left top of channel
Left top of steel
Version 11.4
LTTA
NA
NAB
NAL
NALO
NAR
NARO
NAT
RBOA
RBOC
RBOS
RBTS
ROA
ROC
RTBS
RTOC
RTOS
TBH
TBHL
TBHR
TLW
TLWB
TOAX
TOAY
TOC
TRWB
TOS
TRW
Left top top of angle

Neutral axis
Neutral axis bottom
Neutral axis left
Neutal axis left outside
Neutral axis right
Neutral axis right outside
Neutral angle top
Right bottom of angle
Right bottom of channel
Right bottom of steel
Right bottom top of steel
Right of angle
Right outside of channel
Right top bottom of steel
Right top of channel
Right top of steel
Top bolt hole
Top bolt hole, left
Top bolt hole, right
Top left of web
Top left web, bottom
Top of angle, X orientation
Top of angle, Y orientation
Top of channel
Top right web, bottom
Top of steel
Top right of web

Version 11.4
D--3
D.3
Some Standard Profiles

The following pages illustrate the principal catalogue profiles,
showing the p--lines and parameterised dimensions associated with
each.
D--4

Version 11.4
Generic Type: BOX

PARA 2
TOS
PARA 4
LTOS
RTOS
PARA 7
PARA 3
NA
LEFT
RIGH
PARA 1
PARA 6
LBOS
RBOS
BOS
Other Parameters:
PARA 5 = Weight per unit length

Version 11.4
D--5
Generic Type: ANG

PARA 2
PARA 10
PARA 5
NAT
TOAX
RTTA
TOAY
PARA 8
RTOA
PARA 4
NAB
LOA
HBA
PARA 7
PARA 9
NA
NAL
NAR
PARA 1
HOA
PARA 3
LBOA
RBOA
Other Parameters:
D--6

Version 11.4
Generic Type: TUBE

HH
GG
FF
EE
II
DD
JJ
KK
CC
NA &
NAGG
NAEE
NAII
LL
NAMM
MM
BB
NACC
NAKK
NAAA
NAOO
AA
PARA 1
NAWW
XX
NN
NAQQ
NASS
NAUU
WW
OO
VV
PP
UU
QQ
RR
SS
TT
PARA 2
There are three types of Pline:

S AA-- XX every 15 degrees round the circumference
S NAAA-- NAWW every 30 degrees from the centre
S NA equivalent to NAGG
Other Parameters:

Version 11.4
D--7
Generic Type: BEAM

PARA 2
TLW
LTBS
PARA 4
TOS
LTOS
RTOS
TRW
TBHL
TBHR
TLWB
RTBS
TRWB
PARA 6
PARA 3
NA
PARA 8
PARA 1
NALO
NAL
NAR
BLWT
NARO
BRWT
BBHL
LBTS
LBOS
BBHR
BLW
BRW
BOS
RBTS
RBOS
PARA 12
Other Parameters:
PARA 7 = Cross Sectional Area
PARA 9 = Nominal Depth
PARA 10 = Nominal Width
PARA 11 = Surface Area per unit length
D--8

Version 11.4
Generic Type: DINI

PARA 2
PARA 4
TOS
LTOS
PARA 7
RTOS
TBHR
TBHL
PARA 6
PARA 3
NA
PARA 8
NALO
NAL
NAR
PARA 1
NARO
BBHL
BBHR
PARA 10
(as percentage)
LBOS
BOS
RBOS
PARA 11
PARA 4 measured midway between TOS and LTOS
Other Parameters:

Version 11.4
D--9
Generic Type: BSC

PARA 2
LTOC
TOC
PARA 4
RTOC
TBH
PARA 5
NA
PARA 10
FOC
IOC
ROC
PARA 1
PARA 3
PARA 7
BBH
PARA 9
(degrees)
PARA 8
LBOC
BOC
RBOC
PARA 13
PARA 4 measured midway between LTOC and RTOC
Other Parameters:
D--10

Version 11.4
Generic Type: DINU

PARA 2
PARA 14
LTOC
TOC
RTOC
PARA 4
TBH
PARA 5
NA
PARA 10
FOC
IOC
ROC
PARA 1
PARA 3
PARA 7
BBH
PARA 9
(as percentage)
PARA 8
LBOC
BOC
RBOC
PARA 13
PARA 4 measured midway between the PARA 14 limit and RTOC

PARA 14 is usually either zero or equal to PARA 3
Other Parameters:

Version 11.4
D--11
Generic Type: TEE
PARA 1
PARA 5
LTBS
PARA 4
TOS
LTOS
RTOS
TBHL
TBHR
TLWB
RTBS
NA TRWB
PARA 7
NALO
NAL
NAR
NARO
PARA 3
LBOS
PARA 2
RBOS
BOS
Other Parameters:
PARA 10 = Original Depth
PARA 11 = Original Width
PARA 12 = Original Weight
D--12

Version 11.4
Generic Type: DINT

PARA 1
PARA 13
TOS
LTOS
RTOS
PARA 4
PARA 14
PARA 16
(as percentage)
PARA5
TBHL
NALO
TBHR
PARA 7
NA
NAL
NAR
PARA 3
NARO
PARA 2
PARA 15
BOS
PARA 3 measured midway between TOS and BOS

PARA 4 measured midway between LTOS and TOS
Other Parameters:
PARA 10 = Original Depth
PARA 11 = Original Width
PARA 12 = Original Weight

Version 11.4
D--13
D.4
Some Standard Joints

The following diagrams illustrate the principal types of joint in the
catalogue, showing the parameterised dimensions (as described on
the corresponding forms) which must be specified when each joint is
connected to a section in the design.
D.4.1
Column Connections
Column Flange:
c
a
Dist from TOS = a

Dist from BOS = b
Thk of Plt = c
Column Web:
c
a
d
d
b
Dist from TOS = a

Dist from BOS = b
Thk of Plt = c
D--14
Notch Depth = d

Version 11.4
D.4.2
Cleated Connections
Bolted Web:
4M20_bolted_web_cleats
Length of cleats = a
Length of cleats = a
Cutback Bolted Web:
Welded Seat:
Extension Width of Bottom Angle = a

Version 11.4
D--15
D.4.3
End Preparations
Single Clearance:
a
Radius of Rathole = a
Double Clearance:
Flush_p_cutback:
a
Flush_p_cutback_with_snipe:
a
D--16

Version 11.4
D.4.4
Baseplate Connections
30mm_thick_attached_baseplate:
a
Dia of Bolt = a
30mm_thick_user_defined_baseplate:
c
e
Depth of Plt = a
Width of Plt = b
Bolt wrt Depth = c
Bolt wrt Width = d
Dia of Bolt = e
c
d
d
b

Version 11.4
D--17
D.4.5
Double Notched End Plates

Dble Notch End Plate:
4M6_10mm_thk_plt
D.4.6
Single Notched End Plates

Sgle Notch End Plate:
a
b
D--18
1st Row = a
2nd Row = b
3rd Row = 0
(in this example)

Version 11.4
D.5
Some Standard Fittings

The following diagrams illustrate some typical fittings from the
catalogue, showing the parameterised dimensions (as described on
the corresponding forms) which must be specified when each fitting is
added to the design.
D.5.1
Stiffeners
Single Full Depth:
10mm_flange_stiffener
Double Full Depth:

8mm_double_stiffener
Single Partial Depth:

8mm_single_stiffener
a
Short length = a
b Long length = b

Version 11.4
D--19
D.5.2
Fire Insulation
Parallel Flange Beam:
Top Flange Top Thickness = a

Top Flange Width = b
Top Flange Bottom Thickness = c
Web Thickness = d
Bottom flange Top Thickness = e
Bottom flange Width = f
Bottom Flange Bottom Thickness = g
c
b
Position Line NA
Zdistance (measured from POSS of

section) determines start of insulation
D.5.3
Lifting Lugs
General Lifting Lug (GEN--LL):
d
e
Height of Pad Eye = a

Width of Pad Eye = b
Vertical Distance = c
Shape Radius = d
Hole Radius = e
Pad Eye Thickness = f
(not shown)
b
Lifting Lug, Bolted:
D--20

Version 11.4
This guide is intended only as an introduction to those parts of PDMS

most relevant to structural design. As such, it describes only the main
concepts needed to get you started. Should you need more detailed
information about any topic, the following documents are available.
E.1
On--Line Help
For detailed instructions on the use of the forms and menus via which
you control the application, on--line help is provided as an integral
part of the user interface.
The Help option on the menu bars gives you the following choices:
Help>on Context
This gives you help on any window currently visible in the display.
When you select this option, the cursor changes to a question mark
(?). Move the question mark into the window on which you want help
and click the left--hand mouse button.
Help>Contents
This displays the Help window so that you can find the required topic
from the hierarchical contents list.
Help>Index
This displays the Help window so that you can find all topics relevant
to a selected keyword.
Help>About
This displays information about the current operating system on your
computer and about the versions of PDMS and its applications to
which you have access.

Version 11.4
E--1
Pressing the F1 key at any time will display the help topic for the
currently active window (equivalent to Help on Context for the
current window).
E.2
PDMS Introductory Guides

The following guides introduce the principal PDMS facilities to new
users (this Structural guide is part of the set):
Industrial Building Design Using PDMS
DESIGN Accessways, Stairs and Ladders Application User Guide
Introduction to PDMS Design Templates
Drawing Production Using PDMS
Introduces the range of facilities
available in the DRAFT module.
Reporting from PDMS
Introduces the database reporting utility
available from within most PDMS
applications, including the use of
expressions to select relevant data.
E.3
PDMS Reference Manuals

The full PDMS documentation set includes a number of reference
manuals which give detailed explanations of all the technical concepts
involved. These manuals also describe the underlying command
syntax which can be used to control PDMS directly (thus bypassing
the forms and menus interface).
Those particularly relevant to structural design work include:
DESIGN Reference Manual
Covers concepts and commands for all

design disciplines.
DRAFT Reference Manual
Explains the commands for the PDMS
2D drafting facilities.
PARAGON Reference Manual Explains how to set up a PDMS
Catalogue.
E.4
General Guides
The following guides are intended for use only by experienced PDMS
users who want to write their own applications:
E--2

Version 11.4
Plant Design Software Customisation Guide

Explains how to write your own
application macros using PML
(Cadcentres Programmable Macro
Language) and how to design your own
forms and menus interface.
Plant Design Software Customisation Reference Manual
Supplements the Customisation Guide.
Includes a list of PML 2 Objects,
Members and Methods. For Forms and
Menus objects, the command syntax
relating to the objects is included.

Version 11.4
E--3
Some Sample Plots
This appendix comprises some examples of typical (though relatively

simple) plots showing the sorts of structural designs which may be
created using PDMS with the CADCENTRE structural applications.

Version 11.4
F--1
Index
3D view, 3--4
A
Application
Beams & Columns, 4--1
definition, 1--3
loading, 8--1
Panels & Plates, 8--1
Attachment, pipe penetrations, 10--1
Attribute, definition, 4--2
Clash checking
auto checking, 11--5
checking process, 11--3
clash limits, 11--3
extent of clash, 11--2
obstruction levels, 11--2
obstruction list, 11--3
principles, 11--2
Clash limits, 11--3
Clashing extent, 11--2
Clearance, definition, 11--2
Collection. See List
B
Bottom of steel (BOS), 5--2
Bracing
creating individual members, 7--4
creating standard configurations,
7--9, B--9
modifying bracing gaps, 7--5
Button
control, 3--9
option, 3--8
radio, 3--7
toggle, 3--7
C
Catalogue database, 5--1
Compound panel fitting,

penetrations, 10--1
Control button, 3--9
Copying
mirror option, 7--7
offset option, 5--21
Current element, definition, 4--3
Curve, definition, 12--1
Curved section
creating, 12--6
definition, 12--1
modifying, 12--7
D
Database hierarchy, 4--2
Centre of gravity calculations, 11--7
Draft data, 11--11

Density, 11--8
Check box, 3--7
Design parameters, D--2
Clash, definition, 11--2
Design session, ending, 5--25

Version 11.4
Index--1
Index
Display
restoring, 7--1
saving, 5--25
Distance, measuring, 8--6
G
Generic Section (GENSEC),
definition, 12--1
GENSEC, definition, 12--1
Draft applications, loading, 11--10
Geometry set, D--1
Draft database hierarchy, 11--11
Graphical view, 3--4
Draft module, 11--10
Gross weight, 11--7
Drag, panel edge, 8--11

Drawing sheet, Draft, 11--13
Drawlist, 5--9
H
Hard obstruction, 11--2
Help, on--line, 3--9
E
Edge
definition, 8--2
dragging, 8--11
picking, 8--9
Element, definition, 4--2
Holes
negative extrusion, 8--13
penetrations, 10--1
I
Isometric view, 5--10
End position
definition, 5--2
identifying, 6--5
Ending design session, 5--25
Escape key/button, 5--19
Event--driven graphics mode, 5--13
F
Fillet radius
definition, 8--3
setting, 8--11
Fitting, section penetrations, 10--1
Forms and display
restoring, 7--1
saving, 5--25
Framework (FRMW)
creating, 4--4
definition, 4--2
Function attribute, setting for Draft,
11--9
Index--2
J
Joint
beta angle, 7--13
connection references, 7--13
cutback, 7--14
cutting plane, 7--14
dominant/subordinate, 7--17
joint freedom, 7--17
origin plane direction, 7--13
position and orientation, 7--13,
7--15
position line, 7--13, 7--15
secondary, 5--20
selecting from catalogue, 7--14
specifying, 7--12, 7--14
Joint line, definition, 5--5
Justification
definition, 5--5
specifying, 5--16
Version 11.4
Index
L
Leaving design session, 5--25
Limits, setting for view, 5--10
Linear grid, defining, 12--5
List
adding members, 5--21
creating, 5--21
definition, 5--20
scrollable, 3--8
Loop (LOOP), definition, 8--13
M
Mass calculations, 11--7
Mass properties, querying, 11--7
Material reference (MatRef), 11--8
MDB selection, 3--2
Measuring facility, 8--6
Member, definition, 4--3
Member line, definition, 5--5
Members list, 3--4
Menu, pull--down, 3--5
Menu bar, 3--4, 3--5
Module, definition, 1--3
Module selection, 3--2
Mouse buttons, functions, 3--4
Multiple database selection, 3--2
N
Negative extrusion (NXTR),
definition, 8--13
Negative volume, 8--13
Net weight, 11--7
Neutral axis (NA), 5--2
Version 11.4
Node
definition, 5--2
deleting, 6--6
primary, 5--3
secondary, 5--3, 5--20
O
Obstruction levels, 11--2
Obstruction list, 11--3
On--line help, 3--9
Option button, 3--8
Owner, definition, 4--3
P
P--point, definition, D--1
Panel (PANE)
creating, 8--4
definition, 8--2
Panel edge
definition, 8--2
dragging, 8--11
picking, 8--9
Panel fillet radius
definition, 8--3
setting, 8--11
Panel fitting (PFIT)
beta angle, 9--1
definition, 9--1
justification, 9--1
position, 9--1
Panel loop (PLOO), definition, 8--2
Panel origin, definition, 8--5
Panel thickness, definition, 8--2
Panel vertex (PAVE)
definition, 8--2
modifying, 8--8
picking, 8--9
Panel vertex creation, 8--5
Index--3
Index
Panning view, 5--11
Reports
Parameters, D--2
generating, 11--5
principles, 11--5
templates, 11--6
Representation, setting graphical
view, 7--15
Password entry, 3--2

Penetration
creating, 10--2
definition, 10--1
detailing, 10--4
Physical clash, definition, 11--2
Pick mode prompt, 5--10, 5--13
PKEY, D--2
Representation level, 11--7

Ring section
creating, 12--3
definition, 12--1
Rotating view, 5--11
Pline
definition, 5--2, D--1
examples, 5--2
identification, D--2
Pline rule
S
Save work facility, 5--25
function, 7--2
setting, 7--3
Plotting facilities, 11--10
Scrollable list, 3--8
Point set, D--1
Section, extending/shortening, 6--5,

7--2
Primary node, automatic creation,

5--4
Saving design changes, 5--25

Screen layout, saving, 5--25
Secondary joint (SJOI), 5--20
Secondary node (SNOD), 5--20
Section (SCTN), definition, 5--1
Primitives, D--1
Sheet, Draft, 11--13
Profile (PROF)
Site
definition, 5--1
specifying, 5--4
Project selection, 3--2
creating, 4--4
definition, 4--2
Snap function, 5--14
Prompt, cancelling, 5--19
Soft obstruction, 11--2
Prompts, 3--6
Specification reference (SpecRef), D--1
Properties, setting, 7--14
definition, 5--1
specifying, 5--4
Spine, definition, 12--1
Properties database, 11--8

Pull--down menu, 3--5
R
Radio button, 3--7
Regular structure, creating, 6--1
Index--4
Spine Point (POINSP), definition,

12--1
Split facility
panels, 8--7
sections, 5--19
Version 11.4
Index
Start position
definition, 5--2
identifying, 6--5
Status bar, 3--4, 3--6
Status form, 3--6
Storage area, specifying, 5--3, 8--3
Structure (STRU)
creating, 4--4
definition, 4--2
Subfitting, penetrations, 10--1
Subframework (SBFR)
creating, 4--4
definition, 4--2
Submenu, 3--5
U
User name entry, 3--2
V
Vertex (VERT), definition, 8--13
Vertex creation (panels), 8--5
View
3D/graphical, 3--4, 5--9
centre of interest, 5--12
panning, 5--11
representation setting, 7--15
rotating, 5--11
zooming, 5--11
View direction, 5--10
Volume calculations, 11--7
Surface area calculations, 11--7

T
Text box, 3--7
Tidy nodes facility, 6--6
Toggle button, 3--7
Tool bar, 3--4, 3--6
Top of steel (TOS), 5--2
Touch, definition, 11--2
Training courses, 1--2
Trimming sections, 7--2

Version 11.4
W
Weight calculations, 11--7
Working grid, 12--5
Working plane, 12--5
World, definition, 4--2
Z
Zone
creating, 4--4
definition, 4--2
Zooming view, 5--11
Index--5

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Structural Design Using VANTAGE PDMS

Copyright 1994 through 2002 Cadcentre Limited

Cadcentre Ltd, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HB, UK

Read This First

What PDMS Offers You

Setting Up the Database Hierarchy

Structural Design Using VANTAGE PDMS

Creating a Simple Structure

A Quick Way to Build a Regular Structure

Enhancing the Basic Structure

Adding Panels and Plates

Structural Design Using VANTAGE PDMS

Using Panel Fittings

Penetrating One Item With Another

Checking and Outputting Design Data

Adding Some Curved Steelwork

The Menu Hierarchies

What the Icons Represent

Structural Design Using VANTAGE PDMS

Creating and Modifying Beams and Columns . . . . . . . .

The Structural Design Database

Structural Catalogue Guide

Other Relevant Documentation

Some Sample Plots

Structural Design Using VANTAGE PDMS

Structural Design Using VANTAGE PDMS

Read This First

The Scope of the Guide

Learning to Use PDMS

Structural Design Using VANTAGE PDMS

Read This First

A hands--on tutorial exercise, which gives a step--by--step

Explanations of the underlying concepts, given at the points

The intention is that you should work progressively through the

Further Training in the Use of PDMS

Structural Design Using VANTAGE pdms

Read This First

Modules are subdivisions of PDMS which you use to carry out

Applications are supplementary programs, used in conjunction

Place the mouse cursor over a specified point, then

Place the mouse cursor over a specified point, then

Click on the required item to select it.

Place the mouse cursor over a specified point, then

Type text into the specified dialogue box, then press

Structural Design Using VANTAGE PDMS

Read This First

How the Guide is Organised

Chapter 1 (this chapter) summarises the scope of the

Chapter 2 gives a general overview of the main design

Part II explains, with the help of a worked example, some

Chapter 3 gives you a general guide to using the PDMS

Chapter 4 explains how PDMS stores its design data and

Chapter 5 guides you through the steps needed to create a

Chapter 6 demonstrates a useful facility which provides an

Chapter 7 shows how to add diagonal bracing members,

Chapter 8 shows how to clad the structure by adding

Read This First

Chapter 9 introduces the concept of panel fittings.

Chapter 10 shows how to configure those locations where