Group Member Create

Group Member Create ( Modeling )

Tool summary :

Combines under a single piecemark those members that you select.
The members that you associate in this manner can be detailed as a single member using Detail Member Groups .
You might, for example, use this tool to group members that make up a truss.
See the step-by-step instructions .

Also see :

Modeling (where Group Member Create is a tool)
Member piecemark (assigned to members that are grouped)
Group Member Edit (window)
Automatically process after modeling operation ( User and Site Options > Modeling > )
Isolate Group Member (to add views to the member)
Detail Member Groups (to detail the member)
Special considerations for group members (member isolation)
Submember piecemarking options (setup for group submember piecemarking)
Status Display ( Member status > Grouped member )

page 1 | contents | model > group member > | model -- group member | group member

Step-by-step instructions :

Before using this tool:

Set " Automatically process after modeling operation " to ' Process and create solids ' (or, possibly, ' Use Site Default ') if you want the newly created group member to be processed automatically in step 4.
Go to a view that shows all of the members that you want included in the member group.
Step 1 (preselection) is optional. If you don't do step 1, in-tool selection is required -- see note 2 .

1 (optional) : In Select Items mode, Select + or draw an area box (as shown) to select the members you want grouped. They are displayed in the User and Site Options > Modeling > " Primary selection surface color "). Select- can be used to deselect members.

2 . Invoke Group Member Create . If you didn't do step 1, see note 2 before going to step 3.

3 . The status line prompts you to " Select main member ." Left-click ( Select ) the member that you want to be the " Main member ."

4 . The one or more members selected in step 1 (or step 2 -- see note 2 ) are now a single member group. The submembers will automatically be piecemarked if " Automatically process after modeling operation " is set to ' Process and create solids '.

Note 1: To invoke Group Member Create ...

Method 1 : Click the Group Member Create icon, which is pictured above. The icon can be taken from the group named ' Model -- Group Member ' and placed on a toolbar (classic) or the ribbon (lightning).

Method 2 : If " Modeling layout style " is ' Classic ', you can use the menu system to choose Model > Group Member > Create Group Member .

Method 3, 4 or 5 : Group Member Create can also be configured to be invoked using a keyboard shortcut , the context menu , or a mode . For the lightning interface, this configuration is done using Customize Interface .

Note 2: If you didn't do step 1 (preselection), then after step 2 Group Member Create prompts you to use Select Item(s) mode for in-tool selection of the members you want. This prompting also occurs if a material or bolt or something other than one or more members was selected in step 1. Press the Enter key or right-click ( Menu ) and choose " OK " on the context menu to signal you are done selecting members and are ready to go to step 3.

Select Item(s) bindings

Note 3: If you select a member that is already a part of a different group member, Group Member Create gives you a yes-no confirmation dialog with a warning that identifies the offending member.

Note 4: When you select the member that you want to be the " Main member " in step 3, you are also selecting the default "MAIN VIEW" of the group member since, by default, the box for " Main view locked to main member " is checked. The "MAIN VIEW" of the group member is the only view that will be shown on the group member's detail unless you add additional views in isolation or by using Section View in the Drawing Editor or by using " Add View " on the Group Member Edit window.

Note 5: Group members are assigned a single member piecemark that has the " Piecemark Prefix " that is set for " Group Member " in Home > Project Settings > Fabricator > Piecemarking > Member Descriptions .

Note 6: If User and Site Options > Modeling > " Automatically process after modeling operation " is ' Process and create solids ', submembers are assigned piecemarks in step 4. If that option is ' Off ', you will have to Process > Process and Create Solids to have piecemarks assigned and be able to display the affected members in a solid form .

Note 7: The selection made in setup to " Submember piecemarking options " determines how submember piecemarks are assigned. If you want the submembers to keep their current piecemarks, select ' Combine all like submember and member piecemarks ' before performing this operation.

	1 (optional) : In Select Items mode, Select + or draw an area box (as shown) to select the members you want grouped. They are displayed in the User and Site Options > Modeling > " Primary selection surface color "). Select- can be used to deselect members.
	2 . Invoke Group Member Create . If you didn't do step 1, see note 2 before going to step 3.
	3 . The status line prompts you to " Select main member ." Left-click ( Select ) the member that you want to be the " Main member ."
	4 . The one or more members selected in step 1 (or step 2 -- see note 2 ) are now a single member group. The submembers will automatically be piecemarked if " Automatically process after modeling operation " is set to ' Process and create solids '.