(Design > Design Extras > TrussMaker)
For general information, see TrussMaker.
Choose a construction type using the three large buttons on the left of the screen of the TrussMaker settings dialog box:
•Timber Construction: click this button to construct wooden trusses.
•Hollow Section: click this button to construct rectangular or circular hollow trusses.
•Rolled Steel Profile: click this button to construct steel trusses using a variety of profile options.
After setting a construction type, use the controls on the three tab pages to define the truss.
This tab page defines the appearance of the truss in floor plan, section and 3D views and is identical for all three construction types.
Floor Plan and Model Attributes
Enter a pen number and pen color, line type and surface setting for the line of the truss.
Enter a vertical offset for the truss:
•to Story: this value is the elevation of the truss from the current story.
•to Project Zero: this value is the elevation of the truss from Project Zero.
Resolution of Arcs: Enter a value to set the segmentation of any curves that you used to define the outline of the truss.
Note: The value you enter in the Resolution of arcs field is relative to the complete circle, not the arc segment.
Use this tab page to assign distinct parameters (e.g., thickness, diameter or profile) to each part of the truss.
Note: To define the different parts of the truss, you must assign different pencolors when drawing the truss outline on the floor plan.
To select a part to work on, either click its pencolor icon, or corresponding button/field, or its outline in the Truss Preview. The thick outline in the preview and a black diamond next to the pen color indicate which part of the truss you are working on. The available parameters depend on the construction type of the truss you are creating.
Width: Enter a value to set the width of the element.
Height: Enter a value to set the height of the element.
Thickness: Enter a value to set the thickness of the element.
Cross Section: Displays the cross section of the selected profile type.
In addition to the above, the Hollow Section type of truss has a number of additional settings.
Profiles: Click a radio button to choose either a rectangular or circular profile.
If you choose a circular profile, such truss elements are defined by their diameter and resolution rather than height and width.
Thickness: Enter a value for the thickness of the truss part.
For a Rolled Steel Profile only:
Click the Profiles and Positioning pop-ups to choose a shape and placement option for your Rolled Steel Profile.
This tab page is only available for the Rolled Steel Profile construction type. These controls allow you to use customizable junction plates at the points where the truss elements meet.
Choose a radio button to set whether your truss will include junction plates.
•Without junction plates: Check this radio button if you do not want to use junction plates. If you choose not to use junction plates, the corresponding options are grayed in the dialog box.
•With junction plates: Check this radio button to use junction plates.
When joining two identical profiles, choose a radio button to set whether your truss will include junction plates:
•Don’t use junction plate
•Use junction plate.
Choose a radio button to set the geography of the steel junction profile:
•Use center of gravity
•Use midpoint of bounding box.
In the Junction Plates section, T stands for the cross-section value, L for the length of the junction plate from the intersection point of the profile axis and M for the minimal overlapping length of the profile and the junction plate. Depending on the geometry (the angle between the profiles), either L or M will be used to determine the actual junction plate length - whichever results in a longer junction plate.
T: Enter a value to set the thickness of the plates (cross-section).
L: Enter a value for L (length of junction plate).
M: Enter a value for M (minimal overlapping length between profile and junction plate).
When you have finished customizing your truss, click the Save button at the bottom right of the dialog box. You will then be prompted to name the new truss object and place it in your active library.