Process and Create Solids

Please note :

• Process and Create Solids takes place in SDS2 Detailing and other full-featured SDS2 programs. It does not take place in SDS2 Model Review , SDS2 Fabricating or any other SDS2 programs that are designed primarily for review purposes.
• This topic is provides to help you better understand what happens during Process and Create Solids in a full-featured SDS2 program.
• Understanding Process and Create Solids can help you develop more efficient strategies for reviewing the 3D model.

On this page :

• What happens during Process and Create Solids
• After Process and Create Solids

Also see :

• Setup options that affect Processing
• Model complete date (prevents changes in the model)
• Existing member (allows Processing but prevents Detailing , etc.)
• Connection design locks (appear on edit windows after Processing )
• Member Processed ( Model > Status Display > Detailing and processing > )
• Member Solids Created ( Model > Status Display > Detailing and processing > )

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What happens during Process and Create Solids :

During Process and Create Solids in a full-featured SDS2 program , each member in the 3D model undergoes the phases of Process and Create Solids that are required. The first phases of the operation are referred to as Process ; the last phases are called Create Solids . The phases are as follows:

( Process begins) (in a full-featured SDS2 program )

Node matching (a phase of Process in a full-featured SDS2 program ) :

• This phase of Process checks the nodes where members intersect with other members to get the framing situation.
• Members always go through node matching when they first undergo Process and Create Solids , but node matching does not necessarily take place each time they undergo Process and Create Solids .

Calculating lengths (a phase of Process in a full-featured SDS2 program ):

• The Process program uses the results of node matching to calculate the geometry of member main material.
• These calculations are based on the work points you located in Modeling during member layout and also on any " Setbacks " applied to the member window. They are also based on cross referencing user-entered section size information with section size data in the local shape file .
• When " Loads " on member windows are set to ' Auto ', member lengths are considered in the calculation of member end reactions, which in turn set the required strength of connections.

Connection design (a phase of Process in a full-featured SDS2 program ):

• The connection design phase of Process looks at member windows and attempts to design the system connections specified on those windows
• System connections are designed based on connection design locks . For a connection design lock that has been locked ( ) by a user (of a full-featured SDS2 program ), connection design will use that user-entered value. For a connection design lock that is unlocked ( ), connection design calculates the value that it needs or looks to Job Options or Fabricator Options for the value it needs.
• The system connections that the program looks at include: 1) Home > Project Settings > Job > Auto Standard Connections (if ' Auto standard ' was specified as the " Input connection type" on the member review window). 2) Home > Project Settings > Job > User Defined Connections (if a user defined connection was specified for the member). 3) Member window " Input connection type " connections other than auto standard or user defined. The " Input connection type " is reviewable, in an SDS2 review station , on the Beam , Column , Horizontal Brace , Vertical Brace and Joist windows.
• Unless the connection is marked ' Graphical ' on its member window, connection design adjusts the strength of the connection based on the loads set on that same member window. When ' Auto ' is set for " Loads " on the member window, connection design looks at Design Settings settings in order to calculate the load.
• For clip angles , shear connections, end plates , bent plates , bolted moment flange plates and splice plates on beams, and for splices on columns, connection design is permitted to increment the user-input " NM bolt diameter " or moment " Bolt diameter " to a larger diameter (of the same units) if that diameter is checked ( ) in the " Available bolt diameters " setup list.
• Connection design is an iterative process which is repeated as many times as necessary to design a connection that stands up to loading conditions. If, by adjusting material thicknesses and dimensions and increasing the bolt size where necessary, connection design still cannot design a connection that stands up to the load, the connection fails. See connection failure messages .
• Limit states checked for in the design of connections are listed on the Design Calculations Cover Sheet . Information about the way that individual connections have actually been designed is provided in the Connection Design Calculations and Expanded Connection Design Calculations reports.

Framing situations (a phase of Process in a full-featured SDS2 program ):

• This, the last phase of Process , checks beams that frame to the same supporting beam or column web, but are on opposite sides of the web. This is done in order to design connections that share bolts through that web.
• The program does this checking based on data fields and node matching. At this point, no graphics the user can see have yet been created.
• If connections designed in previous phases of Processing exhibit interference problems, the program may send the connection back through the design phase of Processing to rectify this problem and will fail the connection if it can't find a design that works.
• Beam-to-beam and beam-to-column framing situations will be checked. The program does not, however, check braces.
  Consequently, it is important that the user review the 3D model to double check what the program has designed.
• Some connection failure messages that may result from framing situations checks are " Stiffener opposite and other connection interfere " " Locked OSL bolts and opposite connection interfere " " Locked beam stiffener interferes with opposite stiff " " Stagger interference cannot be changed due to locks ."

( Process ends)

( Create Solids begins) (in a full-featured SDS2 program )

Creating 3D material (a phase of Create Solids in a full-featured SDS2 program ):

• This phase of Create Solids creates 3D material, thus allowing the affected members to be displayed in any of the three solid forms .
• The program derives specifications such as a material's weight/length from the local shape file . Solids are created for the member's main material as well as for any submaterial that is used for connections.
• The program creates member views based on information from connection design. When the member is detailed, these views will be shown on the detail.

Matching holes (a phase of Create Solids in a full-featured SDS2 program ):

• During this phase of Create Solids , the program generates holes in the main material of members so that they exactly match the hole patterns on connections that fasten to those members.
• This phase ensures that holes are properly aligned when the bolts go through them.

Generating bolts (a phase of Create Solids in a full-featured SDS2 program ):

• During this phase of Create Solids , the program inserts bolts through holes that match.
• Bolts are inserted through holes that were automatically matched (in the previous step) as well as through holes that were interactively matched (using Add Hole in a full-featured SDS2 program ).
• Material thicknesses derived from the local shape file along with the " Maximum bolt stick-thru " set in Bolt Settings are used to calculate the bolt lengths.

Cleaning up submaterial (a phase of Create Solids in a full-featured SDS2 program ):

• During this phase of Create Solids , the program evaluates the counts of submaterials.
• If material has been altered since it last underwent Process and Create Solids , that material is assigned a new piecemark so that like materials have the same minor mark and materials that are different have different marks.
• If the box is checked for " Show submaterial quantity on details " in setup, the program automatically marks for detailing any previously-detailed materials whose quantities have changed.

Assigning piecemarks (a phase of Create Solids in a full-featured SDS2 program ):

• This phase of Create Solids ensures that member piecemarks assigned to members are unique and that members that are exactly alike are assigned the same mark.
• Standard piecemarks are assigned to clip angles and/or end plates and/or shear plates and/or user base/cap plates for which the user has entered submaterial marks on the appropriate setup windows in the Master Fabricator .
• Members that have not yet received a piecemark are assigned a member piecemark at this time.

( Create Solids ends)

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Things you can do after Process and Create Solids :

• Print a Connection Design Calculations Report or Expanded Connection Design Calculations Report .
• Conduct searches ( Process > Search ) for members whose connections have specific characteristics (e.g. failed connections or connections that connection design has changed).
• Review connection design locks .
• Find the calculated values for items that are marked Auto on beam , column , vertical brace or horizontal brace edit windows (e.g. " Shear load ," " Minus dimension " & " Material setback ").
• Use Model > Status Display > Search > Failed connections to display members with connection design failures in your choice of color.
• View structural members in solids form ( Model > Change All to Solid ) in order to visually inspect framing conditions and assess the validity of connection design.
• Use Navigate > Surface to view to a surface of a material in solids form.
• Use Model > Member > Isolate to view a member in isolation from the model. The views you can look at in isolation are the same views that appear on the member detail.
• Use Model > Material > Find Material to isolate members that include a particular material. Usually you would do this in order to inspect the member/material or make modifications.
• Do a clash report ( Reports > Clash Report ) to find materials that are too close together (under a specified tolerance).
• Note: To conduct searches and output a Design Calculations Report , solids creation does not necessarily have to be completed. Completion of the " Design " phase of Processing is all that is required.

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