Chapter 13

Drawing Commercial Structures

Objectives• Create columns, beams, and braces • Create structural member styles.  • Create and edit structural frames and

column grids with structural members.• Add, move, remove, mask, and clip column

grid lines.• Label and dimension a column grid.• Use the LayoutCurveAdd command to place

columns and other AEC objects symmetrically along a layout curve.

• Place a camera in the drawing using the Camera command.

• Create a video of animations.  

Foundation Framing Created with Structural Members

Accessing the Structural Member Catalog

• Select Manage tab. Choose Structural Member Catalog from the slide out menu of the Style & Display panel.

• Command prompt: AECSMEMBERCATALOG

Commands of the Structural Member Catalog

Steps to Creating a Structural Member Style

1. Select Structural Member Catalog from the slideout of the Style & Display panel.

2. Expand a folder in the left pane of the desired structural member category.3. Select the item in the left pane to display the contents in the lower right

pane.4. Select the structural member in the lower right pane.5. Create a style name by one of the following five methods:

• Double click the component name in the lower right pane.• Select Tools>Generate Style from the menu bar of the Structural

Member Catalog.• Select a member, and then type Ctrl+G.• Select the member, right-click and select Generate Member Style.• Select a member, then select the Generate Member Style icon from

the Structural Member Catalog toolbar.

6. Type a name in the Structural Member Style dialog box.7. Select OK to dismiss the Structural Member Style dialog box.

Accessing Bar Joists Using the Content Browser

Adding Structural Members• The commands to add a beam, column, or brace are located on the Column Grid

flyout of the Build panel of the Home tab. The structural tools are also located on the Design tool palette.

• The styles created from the Structural Member Catalog are specified in the style fly-out of the Properties palette when you add a column, beam, or brace.

Structural Column PropertiesGeneral

DescriptionLayerStyleBound SpacesTrim automaticallyMember Type

DimensionsA-Start offsetB-End offsetC-Logical lengthSpecify roll on screenE-RollJustifyJustify cross-sectionJustify componentsLocation

RotationElevation

AdvancedTrim planes

Establish the Working Elevation for Structural Members

• Click Elevation toggle in the Application Status Bar to open the Elevation Offset dialog box.

• Specify a Z value for the working plane.

Grip Edit

• Beam and column justification lines are connected

• Use the Ctrl key to remove connection when grip editing

Justification Locations of a Structural Member

Offsets and Logical Lengths of a Column

Steps to Adding a Column

1. Create a style from the components of the Structural Member Catalog

2. Select Column from the Design tool palette.

3. Specify the Style, Logical length, Start Offset, End Offset, Justify, Roll, and Trim planes of the column in the Properties palette. Specify Roll in Properties palette.

4. Specify the location of the column in the workspace.

Insert point or: (Specify a location p1 as shown at right.)

Offsets and Logical Length of a Beam

Steps to Adding a Beam

• Create a style from the components of the Structural Member Catalog.

• Select Beam from the Design tool palette.• Specify the Style, Start Offset, End Offset, Justify,

Roll, Layout type, and trim automatically in the Properties palette.

• Specify the location of the beam by specifying the start point using Node object snap and end point of the axis line as shown in the following workspace sequence.

Start point or: (Specify the start point of the beam.)End point or: (Specify the end of the beam.)

Start Offset Adjusted to Enable Assembly

Properties of a Structural Brace• General

– Description– Layer-S-Cols-Brce– Bound Spaces– Style– Trim automatically– Member type

• Dimensions– A-Start offset– B-End offset– C-Logical length– E-Roll– Specify rise on

screen– Rise– Justify– Justify cross-section– Justify components

• Rise– Specify rise on

screen• Advanced

Trim planes

Steps to Inserting a Brace

1. Create a style from the components of the Structural Member Catalog

2. Select Brace from the Design tool palette.

3. Specify the Style, Trim automatically, Start Offset, End Offset, Justify, Roll, and Rise of the brace in the Properties palette.

4. Specify the location of the brace by specifying the start point and end point of the axis line as shown in the following command sequence.

Start point or: (Specify the start point of the brace.)

End point or: (Specify the end of the brace.)

Modifying Ends with Trim Planes

Trim Automatically Set to No

• Structural Members connect to Justification Lines without Trim Automatically

Editing Style of Structural Member

1. Select a structural member, choose Edit Style from the General panel of the Structural Member tab.

2. Select a structural member, right-click and choose Edit Member Style to open Structural Member Style Properties dialog box.

Structural Member Style Properties-General Tab

Structural Member Style Properties-Design Rules Tab

Structural Member Style Properties-Materials & Classifications Tabs

Structural Member Style Properties - Display Properties

Converting an Arc to a Beam

• Select the Beam tool of the Design tool palette, right-click, and choose Apply Tool Properties to>Linework.)

• Select lines, arcs, or open polylines to convert into members: 1 found (Select the arc at p1 as shown above.)

• Select lines, arcs, or open polylines to convert into members: ENTER (Press ENTER to end the selection.)

• (The Convert to Beam dialog box opens; respond to the Erase Layout Geometry checkbox. Click OK to dismiss the Convert to Beam dialog box.)

• (Edit the Properties palette to assign the structural style.)

Converting Linework to Structural Members

• The Structural Column, Structural Beam, and Structural Brace tools located on the Design tool palette each include a shortcut menu option to convert linework to the structural member.

• Therefore you can draw an arc, line, or polyline and convert the geometry to a structural member. The linework becomes the axis line for the structural member.

Accessing the Style Wizard

• Command prompt: MEMBERSTYLEWIZARD

• Select Manage tab. Choose Structural Member Wizard from the Style & Display slide-out menu.

Structural Member Style Wizard-Page 1

Structural Member Style Wizard-Page 2

Structural Member Style Wizard-Page 3

Steps to Creating a Bar Joist

1. Select Content Browser from the Tools flyout menu of the Home tab.

2. Double click on the Design Tool Catalog-Imperial

3. Select the Structural >Bar Joist catalog.

4. Click and drag the steel joist from the catalog to the drawing.

5. The BeamAdd command is current and the bar joist style is the current style, verify that the justification is Baseline. Select the start and endpoint locations of the joist.

Justification of a Bar Joist

Accessing Structural Grids

• Command prompt: COLUMNGRIDADD• Select Column Grid from the Build panel or the Design tool palette.• Column grids are developed to uniformly place structural columns in the plan view.• The grid can be rectangular or radial in shape.

Structural Column Grid Properties• Basic-General

– Description– Shape– Boundary

• Dimensions– X-Width– Y-Depth

• X AXIS– Layout type– Number of Bays– Bay Size– Start offset– End offset

• Y AXIS– Layout type– Number of Bays– Bay size– Start offset– End offset

• Column– Style– Dimensions– Start offset– End offset– Logical length– Justify– Justify cross-section– Justify components

• Location– Rotation– Elevation– Additional Information

• Advanced– Trim Planes

Rectangular Layout Types

• Manual–The Manual option is only available for editing existing column grids. The Manual option creates a Bays button in the Properties palette. The Bays button opens a Bays along the X Axis dialog box which list the distance to line for each bay of the grid.

• Space Evenly–The Space evenly expands the X-Axis allowing you to specify the Number of bays, Bay size, Start offset, and End offset.

• Repeat–The Repeat option allows you to specify the bay distance.

Rectangular Structural Grid

Radial Column Grid

Accessing the LayoutGridClip Command

• Command prompt: LAYOUTGRIDCLIP

• Select a column grid choose Set Boundary from the Clipping pane of the Column Grid tab.

• The clip is defined by a closed polyline.

• Clipping a column grid allows you to only see that part of the grid, which is inside the closed polyline.

• The clip can be applied when the grid is inserted or added to an existing grid.

Placing Hole in a Column Grid

• (Select a column grid, choose Add Hole from the Clipping panel of the Column Grid contextual tab.)

• Select layout grids: 1 found (Select the column grid at p1 shown below.)

• Select layout grids: ~EnterKey~(Press the ~EnterKey~ to end the below.)

• Select a closed polyline for hole: (Select the polyline at p2 as shown below.)

• (Press the ~EscKey~ to end the command and view the column grid as shown below at right.)

Defining the Column for the Grid• Columns can be inserted at each intersection of the

column grid by selecting a style from the Style drop-down list in the Properties palette as shown at right.

• The content of the drop-down list includes the structural member styles created from the Structural Member Catalog and used in the drawing.

• The column style will be inserted at each intersection of the column grid, however you can erase selected columns from the grid.

• The properties such as logical length, start offset, end offset, justify, and justify using overall extents are set in the Dimensions section of the Properties palette of the column grid.

• Columns inserted in the column grid can be edited independent of the remaining columns by selecting the column and changing their style or other properties in the Properties palette.

Grips of the Rectangular Column Grid

Adding and Removing Column Grid Lines

• The Column Grid tab allows X Axis and Y Axis edits:– Add Grid Line– Remove Grid Line– Layout Mode

• Choosing the Layout Mode allows you to change the grid as follows: – Manual– Repeat– Space Evenly

Steps to Adding a Grid Line• (Select the column grid with Manual layout type, as shown below; and

choose Add Grid Line from the X Axis panel.)• Enter X length <10’-0”>: 15’ enter (Column grid line added 15’ from the

insertion point along the x axis as shown at right below.)

Labeling the Column Grid

• Command prompt: COLUMNGRIDLABEL• Select a column grid and choose Label from

the Label panel of the Column Grid tab.

Column Grid Labeling Dialog Box

Labels Applied to a Column Grid

Dimensioning the Column GridDimension using the AEC Dimension Standard Style

Dimension using the AEC Exterior Center of Opening Style

Applying Dimensions to the Column Grid

• (Select AEC Dimension-Exterior from the Dimensions palette.)• Select the column grid at p1.)• Specify insert point: 1 added

(Column grid is dimensioned as shown at left.)

Accessing Ceiling Grids

• Command prompt:• CEILINGGRIDADD• Select Ceiling Grid from the Build panel or the Design tool palette

Steps for Placing and Centering a Ceiling Grid1. Select Reflected or Reflected Screened

display configuration from the Drawing Window status bar.

2. Select the Ceiling Grid tool from the Design palette.

3. Choose Select object from the Boundary edit field of the Properties palette. Select a space as shown at p1.

4. Select Specify on screen, move the pointer to the workspace, and respond to the following command line prompts:

Insertion point or : (Select a point near p2.)

New size or: (Move the pointer near p3, right-click choose SNap to center)

Rotation or <0.00>: 0 (Type 0 to specify rotation)

Insertion point or: enter (Command ended.)

Changing the Ceiling Grid

• After the ceiling grid is placed, the following features can be changed in the Properties palette: layout type, bay size, start offset, end offset.

• The X Axis and Y Axis panels include tools to add lines, remove lines and change the layout mode.

Adding and Removing Ceiling Grid Lines

• Command prompt:• CEILINGGRIDXMODE or• CEILINGGRIDYMODE• Select the ceiling grid; then right-click and

choose X-Axis>Layout Mode or Y-Axis>Layout Mode

• When you select the Layout Mode command for either the X or Y axis, the Manual option allows you to add or remove ceiling grid lines.

Accessing CeilingGridXAdd and CeilingGridYAdd

• Command prompt:• CEILINGGRIDXADD or • CEILINGGRIDYADD• Select the ceiling grid; then choose Add Grid Line from the X-Axis or Y-Axis

panels• Select the ceiling grid; then right-click and choose X-Axis>Add Grid Line or Y-

Axis>Add Grid Line

Applying CeilingGridXAdd Command

• (Verify that Ortho is toggled ON in the Status Bar and grid layout mode is Manual.)

• (Select the ceiling grid; then right-click and choose X-Axis>Add Grid Line)• Enter X length <10’-0”>: (Select a point near p1 as shown at left.)• (Ceiling grid line added as shown at right.)

Adding Boundaries and Holes

• Command prompt: CEILINGGRIDCLIP• Select a ceiling grid and choose Set Boundary from the Clipping panel.• Select a ceiling grid, right-click, and choose Clip• The CeilingGridClip command has three options:

– Set Boundary– Add hole– Remove hole

Creating Holes in the Ceiling Grid• (Select ceiling grid at p1 as shown below and choose Add Hole from the

Clipping panel.)• Select a closed polyline or AEC entity for hole: (Select the column at p2.)• Ceiling grid clip [Set boundary/Add hole/Remove hole]: ~EnterKey~ (Press

the ~EnterKey~ to end the command.)• (Ceiling grid modified as shown at right.)

Changing the Size of the Ceiling Grid

• Command prompt:• CEILINGGRIDDIM• Select the ceiling grid, right-click, and choose

Resize• The Resize option allows you to type values in

the command line for the X-Width and Y-Depth dimensions of the ceiling grid

Applying CeilingGridDim

(Select the ceiling grid, right-click, and choose Resize.)

Enter X length <10'-0">: 25' ~EnterKey~ (Specify new size the horizontal direction.)

Enter Y length <10'-0">: 35' ~EnterKey~ (Specify new size in the vertical direction.)

Accessing Layout Curves

• Command prompt:• LAYOUTCURVEADD• Access the Content Browser, select Stock Tool

catalog>Parametric Layout and Anchoring, select Layout Curve

• A layout curve can be created from a straight line, arc or other AutoCAD entity.

• Walls and Boundaries can be used as the layout curve.

• The nodes of the layout curve are placed on the G-Grid-Nplt layer which has the no plot layer property.

Applying Layout Curves

• Select a curve: (Select the arc at p1.)

• Select node layout mode [Manual/Repeat/Space evenly]<Manual>: S ~EnterKey~ (Select the Space evenly option)

• Start offset <0”>: 2' ~EnterKey~

• End offset <0”>: 2' ~EnterKey~

• Number of nodes <3>: 5 ~EnterKey~

• (The Column command can then be used to place columns along the arc using the Node object snap.)

Accessing the Camera• Select the Render tab. Choose Create Camera from

the Camera panel.• Select Camera from the Massing tool palette of the

Design palette set.

Viewing the Model

• Select Camera from the Massing tool palette• Specify camera location• Specify target location

Camera Properties

Camera View

Accessing Animation Motion Path

• Choose Animation Motion Path from the Animations panel of the Render tab.

Accessing Animations

• Insert a camera• Choose Animation Motion Path from the Animations panel of the

Render tab• Specify path and target for the camera to follow as shown above.