Caged Ladder ( Modeling > press F2 > " Caged Ladder ")

Tool summary :

  • Connects a caged ladder to a beam. The tool also can be used to add a caged ladder that does not connect to anything.

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   Step-by-step instructions for adding a caged ladder :

Before beginning:

Decide whether you want the " Ladder type " to be Step Left or Step Right or Step Thru Type 1 or Step Thru Type 2 or Step Thru Type 3 or Roof Hatch Type . How you locate your work points depends, in part, on the ladder type. For a ' Step Thru Type 1 ' or ' Step Thru Type 2 ' or ' Step Thru Type 3 ' you need to locate work points at the full length of the ladder. For a ' Step Left ' or ' Step Right ' or ' Roof Hatch Type ' ladder, you can extend the ladder above the upper work point or cut it off below that work point by designating a " Number of rungs above finished floor ."

Navigate > Snap To Surface and left-click ( Locate ) the web of the beam to which you want to connect the ladder (see step 2 ). Invoke View > Relative Depth and enter a value such as ' 1-0 ' to back off to a plane that is one foot from the web of the beam. Of course, the value that you enter will depend on your actual modeling situation, and this is not the only way to get to a view that will work for locating work points. Also, it is not even required that you attach to a beam -- see step 2.

After creating the view in which you want to locate the caged ladder's work points, choose File > Views / Grids > Save View As and give the view a name. You may, for example, want to File > Views / Grids > Open this view later to locate points for intemediate hoops.

The workline of the ladder, which you will locate in step 3 , runs half-way between the ladder's two side rails, through the center of the ladder's rungs.

A ladder's work points do not have to be vertical.

1 . Invoke Add Caged Ladder using any one (1) of the following methods:

Add Caged Ladder
Prompt for Member Type

Method 1 : On your ribbon, click the Caged Ladder icon. If the icon is not currently on your toolbar, you can add it using the Ribbon Editor . In the Ribbon Editor for Modeling , choose Model -- Member > Caged Ladder .

Method 2 : Click the " Prompt for Member Type " icon (if it has been placed on your ribbon), then choose " Caged Ladder " as the member type to be added. Or you can use a keyboard shortcut ( F2 is the default), then choose " Caged Ladder " as the member type to be added.

Method 3 : Use the appropriate mouse binding in the appropriate mode. In Mode Configuration , Caged Ladder can be selected from the " Command group " called ' Model -- Member '

2 . The status line prompts, " Choose beam to connect to ."

Alternative 1 : Left-click ( Select ) the beam that you want the ladder to connect to. If you want to connect to multiple beams, select the beam that is at the highest elevation. You can choose to connect to the other beams on the " Intermediate Connection Members " tab.

Alternative 2 : Press the Esc key (or right-click and choose " Cancel ") to decline to select a beam.

3 . Locate two points to establish the ladder's workline. A ladder's side rails run parallel with the work line. Its rungs run perpendicular to the work line. The ladder is centered around its work line.

3a : The status line prompts, " Locate bottom of ladder ." Move your mouse pointer ( ) to place the point location target ( ) where you want the bottom of the ladder, then left-click ( Locate ).

3b : The status line prompts, " Locate top of ladder ." Move your mouse pointer ( ) to place the point location target ( ) where you want the top of the ladder, then left-click ( Locate ).

4 . The Caged Ladder window opens. The first choice you should make on this window is the " Ladder type ."

Alternative 1 : Press " OK " to close the Caged Ladder window and save the changes you have made to it. Go to step 5.

Alternative 2 : Press " Cancel " to close the Caged Ladder window and end the Add Caged Ladder operation. Do not continue.

5 . Depending on the choices you made to the Caged Ladder window, you may have to proceed to do possibility 1 and/or possibility 2.

Possibility 1 : If you selected ' User Select ' for " Bottom hoop location method ," you must now locate a bottom hoop.

Possibility 2 : If you selected ' User Select ' for " Top hoop location method ," you must now locate a top hoop.

Alternative 1 : Right-click ( Return ) if you are done adding caged ladders.

Alternative 2 : Add another caged ladder by following these instruction beginning with step 3 .

6 . What you need to do next depends on the choice made to User and Site Options > Modeling > " Automatically process after modeling operation ."

Possibility 1 : If " Automatically process ... " is set to ' Process and create solids ', then Process and Create Solids of the newly added caged ladder will take place automatically. You don't need to do anything more to get the results that are discussed in step 7.

Possibility 2 : If " Automatically process ... " is set to ' Process ' or ' Do nothing ', the new caged ladder will be marked for processing and can only be displayed in stick form . You need to Process > Process and Create Solids before you can get many of the results that are discussed in step 7.

7 . Following are some of the results you get after adding a caged ladder:

Since Process and Create Solids will have been done automatically or manually in step 6, you can display the caged ladder in one of the three solid forms or use Detail Members to generate a shop drawing of the caged ladder.

Also as a result of step 6, connections to the supporting beams are generated, as are the various component materials that make up the caged ladder.

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Surface Finish : Click here for more information.

Graphical : You should check this box when you no longer want the caged ladder to undergo Process and Create Solids . For example, when you are ready to begin manually modifying the caged ladder using Edit Material , or by performing material cutting operations, or etc. Click here for more information.

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------ Ladder Information ------

Ladder type: Step Left or Step Right or Step Thru Type 1 or Step Thru Type 2 or Step Thru Type 3 or Roof Hatch Type . You need to have added the ladder to a beam to select ' Step Thru Type 1 ' ' Step Thru Type 2 ' or ' Step Thru Type 3 '.

Plan rotation: A number of degrees . This applies when you have added a ladder without selecting a beam.

Note: The rails of a ladder that connects to a beam run parallel with the work line of the beam . This field (" Plan rotation ") does not apply to such a ladder.

Add cage to ladder: Yes or No .

' Yes ' enables settings under the " Cage Selection " tab.

' No ' disables (grays out) the " Cage Selection " tab.

Add ladder side rail: Yes or No .

' Yes '

' No '

Note: To edit a caged ladder, you can double-click one of its side rails. If your caged ladder does not have side rails, you can still edit it using the Model Tree or Edit Member .

Radius cut top end of side rails: Yes or No .

' Yes '

' No '

' Yes ' cuts the corners at the top of the side rails based on the " Side rail radius cut at top of ladder ."

' No ' keeps the top corners of the side rails square.

Floor thickness at top of ladder: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) from the beam top flange to the finished floor surface. This distance is measured parallel with the ladder's work line .

Side rail bar width: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) that is the " Material width " of the bent plate layout side rails.

Side rail bar thickness: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) that is the " Material thickness " of the ladder's bent plate layout side rails.


Bar side rail material grade: A36 or A572 or etc. This is " Steel grade " of the bent plate layout side rails. If the steel grade you want is not on the list box ( ) for this field, you can use Home > Project Settings > Job > Material Grades > Plate Grades to add it to the list.

Side rail surface finish: None or Sandblasted or Red oxide or Yellow zinc or Gray oxide or Blued steel or Galvanized or Duplex Coating or Undefined 1 or Undefined 2 or Undefined 3 or Red oxide 2 or Any user added surface finish. This affects the colors of 'Solid ' members on erection views in the Drawing Editor . This also sets the color when "Output material color " is set to 'Surface finish ' for a VRML Export or a DWG/DXF Export . The "Color " ( not "Surface finish ") sets the color of this material in Modeling .

sand blasted red oxide yellow zinc user surface finish 1
gray oxide blued steel galvanized user surface finish 2

To assign a different surface finish, you can drop-down the current surface finish and select the one you want, or you can press the "file cabinet" browse button ( ) and double-click any surface finish that is on the list.

Auto or .

If this box is checked ( ), the side rail surface finish follows what is set at the top of this member edit window.

If the box is not checked ( ), the material surface finish can be changed to whatever is available in the list of surface finishes. To change the surface finish from what the member level has set, the auto checkbox must be unchecked.

Width of ladder at bottom: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) between the interior faces of the side rails at the bottom of the ladder. This applies to every " Ladder type ." This distance is measured perpendicular to the work line of the ladder and is horizontal if the ladder is vertical.

For a ' Step Left ' or ' Step Right ' or ' Roof Hatch Type ' ladder, there is no " Width of ladder at top ' dimension since these types of ladders are the same width along their full length. A ' Step Thru Type 1 ' ladder is shown in this example.

Side rail radius cut at top of ladder: The cut radius (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) that is to be applied to the top corners of the side rails. This applies when " Radius cut top end of side rails " is set to ' Yes '.

A cut radius of 0 keeps the top corners of the side rails square (no cuts).

A small cut radius, such as one between 1/6 and 1/3 the width of the side rails, rounds the corners of the side rails while keeping the tops of the side rails flat.

A cut radius of half the side-rail width rounds the tops of the side rails. Larger radii do the same.

Side rail extension past top rung: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) from the top of the top rung to the top of the ladder. This distance is measured parallel with the ladder's work line .

Width of ladder at top: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) between the inside rails at the top on a ' Step Thru Type 1 ' or ' Step Thru Type 2 ' or ' Step Thru Type 3 ' ladder. This distance is measured perpendicular to the work line of the ladder.

Dimension to 1st bend above finish floor: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) from the top of the finished floor to the first bend of a ' Step Thru Type 1 ' or ' Step Thru Type 2 ' or ' Step Thru Type 3 ' ladder. This distance is measured parallel with the work line of the ladder.

Dimension 1st bend to 2nd bend above finish floor: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) from the top of the the first bend to the second bend on a ' Step Thru Type 1 ' or ' Step Thru Type 2 ' or ' Step Thru Type 3 ' ladder. This distance is measured parallel with the work line of the ladder.

Side rail bend radius: A number of degrees . This applies to ' Step Thru Type 1 ' and ' Step Thru Type 2 ' and ' Step Thru Type 3 '.

Enter sidewall setback at top of ladder: This applies to ' Step Thru Type 1 ' and ' Step Thru Type 2 ' and ' Step Thru Type 3 '.

Connect offset vertical to: Beam or Floor . This applies to ' Step Thru Type 2 ' and ' Step Thru Type 3 '.

Beam
Floor

' Beam ' results in the " Top Offset Connection " being bolted (or welded) to the beam .

' Floor ' results in the connection being moved to the " Floor thickness at top of ladder " above the beam. In the example above, there is no longer any surface to bolt the clip angle to, and therefore no bolt is generated.

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------ Rung Information ------

Type of rung spacing: First Rung Odd or All Rungs Equal .

' First Rung Odd ' uses the " Minimum dimension to first rung " to determine the first rung's position.

' All Rungs Equal ' distributes the rungs evenly using the " Rung spacing ." The first rung is placed the " Rung spacing " distance from the bottom of the ladder. The bottom of the ladder is at the bottom of the ladder's work line .

Minimum dimension to first rung: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) from the bottom work point to the top of the bottom rung.

The " Minimum dimension to first rung " applies when the " Type of rung spacing " is set to ' First Rung Odd '.

Rung spacing: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) from the top of one rung to the next.

Rung diameter: The diameter of the round bar material to be used for ladder rungs.

Rung hole size: The diameter (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) of the holes in the side rails that the rungs are inserted into.

Rung extended into side rails: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) that holes for rungs are sunk into the side rails. .

Rung material grade: A36 or A572 or etc. This is " Steel grade " of the round bar rungs. If the steel grade you want is not on the list box ( ) for this field, you can use Home > Project Settings > Job > Round and Square Bar Grades to add it to the list.

Rung surface finish: None or Sandblasted or Red oxide or Yellow zinc or Gray oxide or Blued steel or Galvanized or Duplex Coating or Undefined 1 or Undefined 2 or Undefined 3 or Red oxide 2 or Any user added surface finish. This affects the colors of 'Solid ' members on erection views in the Drawing Editor . This also sets the color when "Output material color " is set to 'Surface finish ' for a VRML Export or a DWG/DXF Export . The "Color " ( not "Surface finish ") sets the color of this material in Modeling .

sand blasted red oxide yellow zinc user surface finish 1
gray oxide blued steel galvanized user surface finish 2

To assign a different surface finish, you can drop-down the current surface finish and select the one you want, or you can press the "file cabinet" browse button ( ) and double-click any surface finish that is on the list.

Auto or .

If this box is checked ( ), the rung surface finish follows what is set at the top of this member edit window.

If the box is not checked ( ), the rung surface finish can be changed to whatever is available in the list of surface finishes. To change the surface finish from what the member level has set, the auto checkbox must be unchecked.

Number of rungs above finish floor: The number of rungs that you want above the top of the finished floor. This applies when the " Ladder type " is ' Step Left ' or ' Step Right ' or ' Roof Hatch Type '.

  • The finished floor is at the elevation of the beam plus the " Floor thickness at top of ladder ."
  • The length of the ladder is based on the " Number of rungs above finish floor " along with the " Rung spacing " and the " Side rail extension past top rung ."
  • If the work line does not go above the finished floor, the ladder will still be extended. If the work line extends beyond the number of rungs that are added, the ladder's length above the finished floor will be determined by the number of rungs, not the work line.

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------ Common Connection Info ------

Connection material surface finish: None or Sandblasted or Red oxide or Yellow zinc or Gray oxide or Blued steel or Galvanized or Duplex Coating or Undefined 1 or Undefined 2 or Undefined 3 or Red oxide 2 or Any user added surface finish. This affects the colors of 'Solid ' members on erection views in the Drawing Editor . This also sets the color when "Output material color " is set to 'Surface finish ' for a VRML Export or a DWG/DXF Export . The "Color " ( not "Surface finish ") sets the color of this material in Modeling .

sand blasted red oxide yellow zinc user surface finish 1
gray oxide blued steel galvanized user surface finish 2

To assign a different surface finish, you can drop-down the current surface finish and select the one you want, or you can press the "file cabinet" browse button ( ) and double-click any surface finish that is on the list.

Auto or .

If this box is checked ( ), the connection material surface finish follows what is set at the top of this member edit window.

If the box is not checked ( ), the connection material surface finish can be changed to whatever is available in the list of surface finishes. To change the surface finish from what the member level has set, the auto checkbox must be unchecked.

Connection material grade: A36 or etc. This sets the " Steel grade " for the rectangular plate , bent plate , channel , angle or flat bar material that is used as connection material.

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Intermediate Connection Members Bottom Connection Information
Top and Intermediate Connection Info Top Offset Connection

Connection at top support of ladder: Bent Plate (Bolted) or Bent Plate (Welded) or Shear Tab w/ Angle or Shear Tab w/ Plate or No Connection . This is the connection type for connecting each side rail of the ladder to the web of the support beam.

Shear tab thickness: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) that is The " Material thickness " of the rectangular plate that is the shear tab when ' Shear Tab w/ Angle ' or ' Shear Tab w/ Plate ' is selected as the " Connection at top... " to the support beam web.

Connection angle size: This applies when ' Shear Tab w/ Plate ' is the " Connection at top... " to the support beam web. You can type in any angle section size that is in the local shape file . Red-color highlighting will indicate if your entry is invalid (not in the local shape file). Pressing the "file cabinet" browse button ( ) lets you choose an angle section from the list of angles in the local shape file.

Connection plate thickness: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) that is The " Material thickness " of the rectangular plate that is the connection plate when ' Shear Tab w/ Plate ' is selected as the " Connection at top... " to the support beam web.

Select hole type: Standard Round or Oversized Round .

  • For a ' Bent Plate (Bolted) ' connection, this is the " Hole type " in the bent plate.
  • For a ' Shear Tab (Angle) ', this is the " Hole type " in the angle.
  • For a ' Shear Tab (Plate) ', this is the " Hole type " in the plate, not the shear tab.

Match holes to support beam: Yes or No . This applies when ' Bent Plate (Bolted) ' is the " Connection at top support of ladder ."

Yes holes to be matched to the beam 's web when you press " OK " (so that Create Solids is performed).

No results in a hole of the type specified by " Select hole type " being generated in the bent plate, but not in the beam.

Add connection bolts: Yes or No . This applies when ' Bent Plate (Bolted) ' is the " Connection at top support of ladder ."

Bolt diameter: The diameter (inches or mm) of the shank of the bolt. The diameter of holes used for the connection is based on the " Bolt diameter " that is selected here.

diameter
  • For a ' Bent Plate (Bolted) ' connection, this is the " Bolt type " of the bolt that connects the bent plate to the web of the beam .
  • For a ' Shear Tab (Angle) ', this is the " Bolt type " of the field bolt that connects the angle to the shear tab.
  • For a ' Shear Tab (Plate) ', this is the " Bolt type " of the field bolt that connects the plate to the shear tab.

Bolt type: A307 or etc. This is the bolt type of the bolt for connecting the ladder to the beam 's web ('Bent Plate (Bolted') or to a shear tab welded to the beam's web (' Shear Tab (Angle) ' or ' Shear Tab (Plate) ').

  • For a ' Bent Plate (Bolted) ' connection, this is the " Bolt type " of the field bolt that connects the bent plate to the web of the beam.
  • For a ' Shear Tab (Angle) ', this is the " Bolt type " of the field bolt that connects the angle to the shear tab.
  • For a ' Shear Tab (Plate) ', this is the " Bolt type " of the field bolt that connects the plate to the shear tab.

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Intermediate Connection Members Bottom Connection Information
Top and Intermediate Connection Info Top Offset Connection

Top offset connection at top of ladder: Bent Side Rail (Bolted) or Bent Side Rail (Welded) or Clip Angle (Bolted - Bolted) or Clip Angle (Bolted -Welded) or Clip Angle (Welded -Bolted) or Clip Angle (Welded - Welded) or No Connection . This applies when the " Ladder type " is ' Step Thru Type 2 ' or ' Step Thru Type 3 '.

Hole type: Standard Round or Short Slot or Long Slot . This is the hole in the " Connection leg " for a ' Bent Side Rail (Bolted) ' or a ' Clip Angle (Bolted - Bolted) ' or a ' Clip Angle (Bolted-Welded) '. You can also specify a " Hole type " on the " Leg to ladder " for a ' Clip Angle (Welded - Bolted) ' connection.

Bolt diameter: The diameter (inches or mm) of the shank of the bolt to be inserted into the hole. The choice you make sets the " Hole diameter " of the hole. For a ' Clip Angle (Bolted - Bolted) ', the leg-to-ladder bolt diameter follows the connection-leg bolt diameter.

diameter

Bolt type: A307 or etc. This is the bolt type of the shop bolt for connecting the side rail to a clip angle, or the field bolt for connecting the clip angle to the beam 's web.

Connection angle size: You can type in any angle section size that is in the local shape file. If you type in an invalid section size, you will be notified that you have done so.

Leg direction: Horizontal or Vertical . This is the toe direction of the long leg of the " Connection angle size ."

' Horizontal ' makes the long leg of the angle perpendicular to the workline of the ladder, so that it becomes the connection leg.

' Vertical ' makes the long leg parallel with the workline of the ladder, so that it becomes the ladder leg.

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Top and Intermediate Connection Info Top Offset Connection
Intermediate Connection Members Bottom Connection Information

Add intermediate ladder connection: Yes or No . This applies only if you selected a beam in step 2 .

' Yes ' lets you select beams from the list of beams that are in approximate alignment and at lower elevations than the beam that you selected when you added this caged ladder. The beams you select will use the " Connection at top support of ladder " and other, related settings under the " Top and Intermediate Connection Info " tab.

' No ' results in connections being applied only to the beam that you selected in step 2 .

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Top and Intermediate Connection Info Top Offset Connection
Intermediate Connection Members Bottom Connection Information

Connection at bottom supports of ladder: Bent Side Rail (Bolted) or Bent Side Rail (Welded) or Clip Angle (Bolted - Bolted) or (Clip Angle (Bolted - Welded) or Clip Angle (Welded - Bolted) or Clip Angle (Welded - Welded) or No Connection .

Hole type: N/A . This is the hole type for a ' Bent Side Rail (Bolted) ' and is always ' Standard Round '.

Hole diameter: This is " Hole diameter " for a ' Bent Side Rail (Bolted) ' connection or the leg to floor on a ' Clip Angle (Bolted-Bolted) ' or a ' Clip Angle (Bolted-Welded) ' connection.

Clip angle size: This applies when ' Clip Angle (Bolted - Bolted) ' or ' (Clip Angle (Bolted - Welded) ' or ' Clip Angle (Welded - Bolted) ' or ' Clip Angle (Welded - Welded) ' is the " Connection at bottom ... " You can type in any angle section size that is in the local shape file . Red-color highlighting will indicate if your entry is invalid (not in the local shape file). Pressing the "file cabinet" browse button ( ) lets you choose an angle section from the list of angles in the local shape file.

Long leg toe direction: Vertical or Horizontal . This is the direction of the long leg of the " Clip angle size ."

' Vertical ' makes the long leg parallel with the work line of the ladder, so that it becomes the ladder leg.

' Horizontal ' makes the long leg of the angle perpendicular to the work line of the ladder, so that it becomes the connection leg to the bottom support.

Hole type in clip angle: Standard round or Short slot or Long slot . This applies to the leg to the ladder. It applies when ' Clip Angle (Bolted - Bolted) ' or ' Clip Angle (Welded - Bolted) ' is the " Connection at bottom ... " This sets the " Hole type " in the clip angle only. The " Hole type " of the matching hole in the ladder will be ' Standard round '.

Bolt diameter: The diameter (inches or mm) of the shank of the shop bolt for fastening the clip angle (bolted-bolted or welded-bolted) to the ladder. The choice you make here sets the " Hole diameter " of the hole in the vertical leg of the clip angle and the matching hole in the side rail of the ladder.

diameter

Bolt type: A307 or etc. This is the bolt type of the shop bolt for fastening the clip angle (bolted-bolted or welded-bolted) to the ladder.

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Bar hoop material grade: This applies when you select ' 4 ' ' 5 ' or ' 6 ' as the " Top hoop type " or ' 1 ' '1A' ' 2 ' or ' 3 ' as the " Bottom hoop type ."

Hoop surface finish: None or Sandblasted or Red oxide or Yellow zinc or Gray oxide or Blued steel or Galvanized or Duplex Coating or Undefined 1 or Undefined 2 or Undefined 3 or Red oxide 2 or Any user added surface finish. This affects the colors of 'Solid ' members on erection views in the Drawing Editor . This also sets the color when "Output material color " is set to 'Surface finish ' for a VRML Export or a DWG/DXF Export . The "Color " ( not "Surface finish ") sets the color of this material in Modeling .

sand blasted red oxide yellow zinc user surface finish 1
gray oxide blued steel galvanized user surface finish 2

To assign a different surface finish, you can drop-down the current surface finish and select the one you want, or you can press the "file cabinet" browse button ( ) and double-click any surface finish that is on the list.

Auto or .

If this box is checked ( ), the hoop surface finish follows what is set at the top of this member edit window.

If the box is not checked ( ), the hoop surface finish can be changed to whatever is available in the list of surface finishes. To change the surface finish from what the member level has set, the auto checkbox must be unchecked.

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Top Cage Intermediate Cage Bottom Cage Vertical Bars

Add top cage hoop: Yes or No . This applies when " Add cage to ladder " is set to ' Yes '.

' Yes ' enables settings for specifying the type of top hoop that you want.

' No ' disables ( grays out ) the " Top Cage " settings.

Top hoop type: 1 (bent plate layout * ) or 2 (bent plate layout * ) or 3 (bent plate layout * ) or 4 (bent plate layout ** ) or 5 (bent plate layout ** ) or 6 (bent plate layout ** ) or 7 (angle * ) or 8 ) * (angle or 9 (angle ** ) or 10 (angle ** ). * = for step thru and roof hatch type ladders. ** = for step left/right type ladders.

Top hoop location method: User Select or User Input .

' User Select ' positions the top hoop based on the point that you locate when you press " OK " to close this window. At that time, the status line will prompt, " Locate top of top hoop ." For a perfectly vertical ladder, you can left-click ( Locate ) when the target ( ) is at the elevation (Z coordinate on the X, Y, Z display ) where you want the hoop. For a ladder that was input at an angle, you should locate a point along the ladder's work line .

' User Input ' positions the top hoop per to the " Dimension to top of top hoop ."

Top hoop width: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) that is the " Material width " of the bent plate layout used to form a " Top hoop type " of 1 through 6. A hoop's width runs parallel with the work line of the ladder.

Top hoop thickness: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) that is the " Material thickness " of the bent plate layout used to form a " Top hoop type " of 1 through 6. A hoop's thickness runs perpendicular to the work line of the ladder.

Hoop type at ladder side of step thru opening: 1 (90° bend) or 2 (straight).

Step thru offset dimension: A positive or negative distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ).

0 (zero) aligns the ladder side hoop with the rungs. A positive distance moves the material away from the front of the ladder. A negative distance moves the material toward the front of the ladder.

Dimension to top of top hoop: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) from the finished floor to the top of the top hoop. The finished floor elevation is the elevation of the top flange of the beam that was located in step 2 plus the " Floor thickness at top of ladder ." This dimension is parallel with the work line of the ladder and is vertical if the ladder is vertical. The dimension sets the top hoop location when ' User Input ' is selected as the " Top hoop location method ."

Top hoop angle size: The section size of the angle material to be used for the top hoop.

  • To enter an angle section size, you can type in the section size that you want, or you can press the "file cabinet" browse button ( ) and double-click a section size from the list of available angles in the local shape file .

Long leg direction: Vertical or Horizontal . This applies when the " Top hoop angle size " is an angle with unequal legs.

' Vertical ' causes the toe of the long leg of the angle to point down. If you added the ladder in an elevation view (as suggested in the step-by-step instructions), you will see the long leg of the angle in that view.

' Horizontal ' causes the toe of the long leg of the angle to point laterally. If you look down on the cage of the ladder from a plan view, you will see the long leg of the angle in that view.

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Top Cage Intermediate Cage Bottom Cage Vertical Bars

Add intermediate cage hoops: Yes or No . This applies when " Add cage to ladder " is set to ' Yes '.

' Yes ' enables settings for specifying the type of intermediate hoop that you want.

' No ' disables ( grays out ) the " Intermediate Cage " settings.

Intermediate location method = Auto .

This example applies when the " Intermediate location method " is set to ' Auto '.

The type of hoop that is used for the intermediate hoops is the " Bottom hoop type ."

The " Dimension to bottom of bottom hoop " (" Bottom Cage " tab) and the position of the top hoop set the area where the intermediate hoops can be auto spaced. The position of the top hoop is the " Dimension to top of top hoop " in the " Top Cage " tab.

The " Maximum intermediate hoop spacing " sets the spacing between intermediate hoops, beginning from the 1st intermediate hoop (bottom intermediate).

The " Maximum intermediate hoop spacing " also sets the total number of hoops that are generated to fill the available space.

For documentation on intermediate hoop settings, see the hoop type documentation under the " Bottom Cage " tab.

Intermediate location method = User Select .

Set " Intermediate location method " to ' User Select '.

After you press " OK " to close this window, you will be prompted to locate each hoop and to input its settings.

INCL points were used to locate the points in this example. Each point was located along the work line of the caged ladder. The same view that was used to locate the top and bottom work points for the caged ladder was used to locate these points. See "Before beginning" in the step-by-step instructions .

The type of hoop that is used for each of the intermediate hoops can be selected by you after you locate the hoop's work point. For documentation on intermediate hoop settings, see the hoop type documentation under the " Bottom Cage " and " Top Cage " tabs.

To stop adding intermediate hoops, press " No " on the yes-no dialog that asks you if you want to add another intermediate hoop.

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Top Cage Intermediate Cage Bottom Cage Vertical Bars

Add bottom cage hoops: Yes or No . This applies when " Add cage to ladder " is set to ' Yes '.

' Yes ' enables settings for specifying the type of bottom hoop that you want.

' No ' disables ( grays out ) the " Intermediate Cage " settings.

Bottom hoop type: 1 (bent plate layout) or 1a (bend plate layout) or 2 (bent plate layout) or 3 (bent plate layout).

Bottom hoop width: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) that is the " Material width " of the bent plate layout used to form a " Bottom hoop type " of 1 through 6. A hoop's width is measured parallel with the work line of the ladder and is vertical if the ladder is vertical.

Bottom hoop thickness: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) that is the " Material thickness " of the bent plate layout used to form a " Bottom hoop type " of 1 through 3. A hoop's thickness is measured perpendicular to the ladder's work line .

Dimension to bottom of bottom hoop: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) from the bottom of the ladder's work line (located in step 3) to the bottom of the bottom hoop.

Caged Ladder uses this distance to set the bottom hoop location when ' User Input ' is selected as the " Bottom hoop location method ." The distance is measured parallel with the work line of the ladder and is therefore vertical if the ladder is vertical.

Bottom hoop location method: User Select or User Input .

' User Select ' positions the bottom hoop based on the point that you locate after you press " OK " to close this window. At that time, the status line will prompt, " Locate bottom of bottom hoop ." For a perfectly vertical ladder, you can left-click ( Locate ) when the target ( ) is at the elevation (Z coordinate on the X, Y, Z display ) where you want the bottom of the hoop. For a ladder that was input at an angle, you will probably want to locate your point along the ladder's work line .

' User Input ' positions the top hoop per the " Dimension to bottom of bottom hoop ."

page 1 | contents | F2 > miscellaneous steel > caged ladder | top

Top Cage Intermediate Cage Bottom Cage Vertical Bars

Add bottom cage hoops: Yes or No . This applies when " Add cage to ladder " is set to ' Yes '.

' Yes ' enables settings for specifying the type of bottom hoop that you want.

' No ' disables ( grays out ) the " Intermediate Cage " settings.

Vertical cage bar thickness: The vertical bars are bent plate material. The thickness that you specify here is the " Material thickness " of that bent plate material.

Dimension to 1st vertical bar (clockwise): The distance from the center line of the ladder to the center of the nearest vertical bar that is in the clockwise direction. This distance is measured perpendicular to the work line of the ladder.

page 1 | contents | F2 > miscellaneous steel > caged ladder | top

"Properties" opens the Edit Properties window, on which you can make entries to custom properties . If, at the time it was created, your current Job was set to use a legacy flavor, the window that opens is named Custom Properties , not Edit Properties .

The Edit Properties window can also be used to read " Log " entries or review or type " Notes ."

The " Properties " button is disabled ( grayed out ) when a new custom member is being added.

Tip: Model > Member > Properties is an alternative to this button. It opens the Edit Properties window directly, without your first having to open a member edit window.

" Status " opens the Member Status Review window, which can give you additional information about this caged ladder, and which you can use to enter status information.

"OK" (or the Enter key) closes this window and saves the settings on it. For an Add Caged Ladder operation, you need to right-click ( Return ) to end the operation after pressing " OK ."

Solids on "OK": If the appropriate choice is made to User and Site Options > Modeling > " Automatically process after modeling operation ," then this member will automatically be regenerated ( Create Solids will take place) after your press " OK ." Otherwise, you will have to manually Process and Create Solids in order for changes you made on this window to be fully updated in the 3D model.

"Cancel" (or the Esc key) closes this window without changing (or adding) the caged ladder you are editing (or adding).

"Reset" undoes any changes made since you first opened this window. The window remains open.

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