Member Copy ( Modeling )

Tool summary :

Also see :

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   Example :

Four to-be-copied columns:

The four columns copied three times using with a ' Linear ' or ' Single ' copy:

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   Step-by-step instructions :

The following instructions assume that you are using a 3-button mouse. You must do either step 1d (preselection) or step 4 (in-tool selection) to perform this operation.

1 . Before using this tool:

1a : (for a ' Single ' copy) : Place construction lines so that there are INCL points in your view for a ' Single ' copy operation. This is not necessary if you plan to do a ' Fill ' or ' Linear ' copy.

1b (tip) : If you plan to do a number of member operations, set the selection filter to ' Member ' before you begin.

1c (optional) : Set " Automatically process after modeling operation " to ' Process and create solids ' (or, possibly, to ' Use Site Default ') if you want the copies of member to automatically undergo Process and Create Solids in step 9.

Select Items bindings (step 1d)

1d (optional) : In Select Items mode with the selection filter set to ' Default ' or ' Legacy Default ' or ' Beams ' or etc., use the Select or Select + mouse bindings (or draw an area box ) to select the member(s) that you want to copy. When selected, the members will be displayed in the " Primary selection color ," which is green. Use Select- if you want to deselect members.

2 . Invoke Member Copy using any one (1) of the following methods:

Method 1 : Click the icon. The icon can be taken from the group named ' Model -- 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 > Member > Copy .

Method 3, 4 or 5 : Member Copy 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 .

3 . Skip this step if " Z filtering " is off or if User and Site Options > Modeling > " Prompt to temporarily turn off Z-filtering before some tools " is turned off.

3a (if " Z filtering " is on) : A yes-no dialog opens. On it is the message: " Temporarily turn off Z filtering? " Press the " Yes " button if you do not want " Z filtering " to apply to this operation. " Z filtering " will be turned back on after step 8 . Press the " No " button if you want the distance entered to " Z filtering " to apply to member copies generated during this operation.

4 . Skip this step if you already selected one or more members is step 1d.

Select Item(s) bindings

4a . (if you didn't do 1d) : The status line prompts you to " Select member(s) to copy ." Use the Select Item(s) mouse bindings to Select and/or Select + one or more members. You can also select the member(s) by drawing an area box or using the Model Tree . Press the Enter key or right-click ( Menu ) and choose " OK " on the context menu when you are done selecting members and are ready to go to step 5.

5 . The Member Copy Information window opens. First choose the " Copy function ," then select the options you want applied to that function. Pressing " Status " opens another window. Press " OK " when you are ready to go to step 6.

Copy function: Single or Linear or Fill .

' Single ' generates a single copy of the selected members ( step 1d ) with options for " Mirror " and " Rotation ." You must locate a ref point and a 2nd point ( steps 6&7 )

VIDEO One member is selected, and two copies of that member are made using the ' Single ' function for Member Copy . (Recorded in SDS2 Detailing , v7.2.)

 ' Linear ' generates multiple " Copies " of the selected members in the " Linear copy direction " that you specify.

VIDEO same video that is shown below, for ' Fill '.

 ' Fill ' generates multiple copies of the selected members to fill the " X-spacing ," X number of " Copies " and " Y-spacing " and Y number of " Copies ."

VIDEO The ' Fill ' function is selected, and values of ' 5-0 ' for " Y-spacing " and ' 2 ' for " Copies " are entered. Selecting ' Linear ' and ' Vertically ' and entering the same values for " Y-spacing " and " Copies " would produce exactly the same result. (Recorded in SDS2 Detailing , v7.2.)

Linear copy direction: Horizontal or Vertical or Both . This applies when ' Linear ' is the " Copy function ."

VIDEO A joist is selected and Member Copy is selected on the context menu. On the Member Copy window, " Linear " and " Horizontal " are selected as the copy function and direction. A " Number of copies " of ' 5 ' is entered at an " X spacing " of 5 feet. The resulting joists are generated in the model. (Recorded in SDS2 Detailing , v2015.)

 ' Horizontal ' copies horizontally per the " X-spacing " distance and the number of " Copies ."

' Vertical ' copies vertically per the " Y-spacing " distance and number of " Copies ." 

' Both '  copies diagonally per the " X-spacing ," " Y-spacing " and " Copies ."

Mirror image: or . This applies when ' Single ' is the " Copy function ." Be aware that, when a member is mirrored, the second point you locate in step 7 to position that mirrored member will be the mirrored opposite of the reference point located in step 6 .

 If this box is checked ( ), the new members are mirror images of the originals (their right and left are reversed). 

If the box is not checked ( ) , the new members are brought into the 3D model as exact copies of the originals.

Angle of rotation: Any positive or negative (-) angle from 360 to -360 degrees. This applies when ' Single ' is the " Copy function ."

 ' 0 ' does not rotate the copies of members.

A  ' positive number ' rotates the copies of members counterclockwise.

A ' negative number ' rotates the copies of members clockwise.

Warning : In a view other than a plan view, rotating copies of members may cause members that are invalid to be added. A warning is generated if this is the case; it is advisable that you right-click ( No ) when prompted in step 8 to confirm the copy. 

X-spacing: A positive or negative (-) distance that defines the spacing along the X screen axis , which runs horizontally. This applies only when ' Fill ' is the " Copy function " or ' Both ' or ' Horizontal ' are the " Linear copy direction .

A ' positive distance ' adds copies to the right of the selected members. 

A ' negative (-) distance ' adds copies to the left of the selected members.

Copies: The number ( 1 or 2 or 3 ...) of times horizontal you want the " X-Spacing " to be duplicated.

Y-spacing: A positive or negative (-) distance that defines the spacing along the Y screen axis , which runs vertically. This applies only when ' Fill ' is the " Copy function " or ' Both ' or ' Vertical ' is the " Linear copy direction ."

A ' positive distance ' adds copies above the selected members.

A ' negative (-) distance ' adds copies below the selected members.

Copies: The number ( 1 or 2 or 3 ...) of times vertical you want the " Y-spacing " to be duplicated.

------ Copy Member Options ------

Sequence of copied members: As is or a sequence .

' As is ' gives the copies of members the same sequence as the members that the new members are copies of.

A ' sequence ' applies the sequence that is entered to the copies of members.

Copy user piecemarks: or . Regardless of the choice you make here, all members that were assigned user piecermarks before the Member Copy operation will keep those user piecemarks. This option only affects the new members.

 If this box is checked ( ), copies of members are assigned the same user piecemark as the members they are copies of.

If the box is not checked ( ), user piecemarks are removed from the copies of members and, in step 9 or during Process and Create Solids , will be replaced with system piecemarks .

Warning : It is the user's responsibility to ensure that all members under a user piecemark are exactly the same. Piecemarking does not do this for you. To ensure equivalency of members that are batched under a mark, that mark needs to be a system piecemark .

Allow swapping of ends: or . This option is enabled (not grayed out) only when the option to " Mirror image " is checked.

 If this box is checked ( ) and the member being single copied and mirrored is a beam , horizontal brace , vertical brace or joist , the copy of that member will be set to " Swap member ends ." You might do this so that the mirrored member is assigned the same piecemark as the member that it was mirrored from.

If the box is not checked ( ), " Swap member ends " will be turned off (not checked) on the member copies. If the member being mirrored has different ends, it will receive a different piecemark in step 9 (or during Process and Create Solids ).

Copy custom properties: or . By default, this box is checked if User and Site Options > Site > " Custom property items to copy " > " Member/Group member " is checked.

 If this box is checked ( ), the Edit Properties settings that have been applied to members or group members that you are copying will be copied to each copy of those members.

If the box is not checked ( ), the Edit Properties settings of the new members that are created as a result of this Copy operation will be default settings.

Copy components: or . By default, this box is checked if User and Site Options > Site > " Member component items to copy/repeat " > " Component data " is checked.

 If this box is checked ( ), then custom components that have been added to members that you are copying will be copied along with the members. Also copied will be the connection design locks ( ) set by users. Consequently, if the framing situation for the new members is the same as the framing situation for the original members that they are copies of, the connections on the new members will be exact copies of the connections on the original members. However, if the framing situation for the new members is different than it was for the original members, the retaining of the connection design locks and custom components may not be enough to keep the connections exactly the same and may even result in a connection failure.

If the box is not checked ( ), the newly copied members will not have their custom components copied with them. The connection design locks that are locked ( ) on the to-be-copied members will be unlocked ( ) on the copies of those members.

For auto standard connections, connection design may change the connection type even if you have connection design locks set and " Copy components " is checked. For example, if you copy a beam whose right end frames to a column flange with an auto standard clip angle and the copy of that beam does not frame, on its right end, to another member, the auto standard connection on the new beam's right end will be changed to a plain end if auto standard connection setup specifies that a plain end connection be applied for such a framing condition.

"Status" opens a window that is set up per User and Site Options > Site > " Member status items to copy/repeat. " That window lets you override User and Site Options to set which Member Status Review settings you want to copy ( Copy ) or to not copy ( Copy ) from the original members to the new members.

Red lettering indicates that the corresponding setting in User and Site Options > Site > " Member status items to copy/repeat " is opposite to the choice ( or ) made here.

In User and Site Options ," Member category " is not checked. Here, for Member Copy , the " Member category " is checked. Therefore, its lettering is red .

The following chart shows the defaults you get when you choose to not copy the status settings from the original members. That is, when you choose Copy .

Default settings for Member Status Review
(" Model complete date " is on the member edit window)
To get these defaults: Press " Status " here and choose " Copy " for each field. If line 1 is blank in setup for " Member category " and " Member routes ," the default entry for those fields is no entry. ' BEAM ' is shown for " Member description " only because the copied member was a beam.

"OK" closes the Member Copy Information window and continues the Member Copy operation. Go to step 6 if you selected ' Single ' as the " Copy function ." Go to step 8 for a ' Linear ' or ' Fill ' copy.

"Cancel" closes the Member Copy Information window and ends the Member Copy operation. No members will be copied. Do not continue.

6 . Go to step 8 for a ' Linea r ' or ' Fill ' copy. If, in step 5, you selected ' Single ' as the " Copy function ," the status line prompts, "Locate a reference point:" Locate- Pan -Return mouse bindings become active along with Locate options.

VIDEO The ' Single ' option for Member Copy is used along with the point locator DxDy to enter a " Z " value of ' 3-0 ' to copy the new member to an elevation 3 feet higher than the original member. (Recorded in SDS2 Detailing , v7.2.)

bindings

Alternative 1 : Select the Locate icon you want (unless it's pressed already), then place the mouse pointer ( ) so that the point location target is where you want the reference point (for instance, on a member's exact point), then left-click ( Locate ). Go to step 7.

Alternative 2 : Right-click ( Return ) to end the ' Single ' copy and keep everything as it was before step 2. Do not continue.

7 . The status line prompts, "Locate second point:"

VIDEO same as the video shown in step 6.

bindings

Alternative 1 : Place the mouse pointer ( ) so that the point location target snaps where you want the reference point designated in step 6 to be placed when the copy is generated, then left-click ( Locate ). Go to step 8 .

Alternative 2 : Right-click ( Return ) to end the ' Single ' copy operation at this time. If you have done single copies, go to step 9.

Tip 1: To copy the member(s) to a higher or lower elevation while in a plan view, use DXDY .

Tip 2: If " Mirror image " was selected, be aware that the point you locate in this step will position a member that is the mirrored opposite of the member you are copying from; consequently, the left end and right end of the mirrored member will be flipped, and you should position this point accordingly.

8 . Member Copy checks for members in the area moved into and does not copy any member (except miscellaneous members) that would overlap members that have already already been input. The screen redraws to show a preview of in stick form of where the newly copied member(s) will be placed (if you accept the copy). Yes - No mouse bindings are activated, and the status line reads, "Confirm copy"

bindings

Alternative 1 : Left-click ( Yes ) if the preview copy is what you want (then go back to step 7 in the case of ' Single ' copy).

Alternative 2 : Right-click ( No ) to start over (or go back to step 7 in the case of ' Single ' copy).

Note: For a ' Single ' copy, a copy of the members you selected (in step 1d or 4) is placed exactly the distance that the point you located in step 7 is from the reference point you located in step 6. If you did a ' Linear ' copy, the members selected in step 3 are duplicated horizontally, vertically or diagonally on the screen. If you did a ' Fill ' copy, an area on the screen are filled with copies of the members you selected in (step 1d or 4).

9 . The copies of members and the original members they are copies of will be displayed in stick form.

If User and Site Options > Modeling > Automatically process after modeling operation " is ' Process and create solids ', the copies of members will have automatically undergone Process and Create Solids , and you can, if you so choose, display them in a solid form at this time. If that option is set to ' Process ' or ' Do nothing ', you will have to Process > Process and Create Solids before you will be able to display the member copies in a solid form.

Note: For a ' Single ' copy, this operation does not end until you right-click ( Return ) in step 7. Process and Create Solids cannot be performed on member copies (either automatically or manually) until the copy operation has ended.

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