Connection Cube Edit ( Modeling ) ( new )

Tool summary :

  • Lets you customize and generate a report for a connection cube that you select.
  • Editing a connection cube opens the Connection Cube Edit window, on which you can format and output a connection cube report for the cube.
  • Connection cube reports can consist of 2D and 3D representations of the cube's connections, system-generated calculations similar to Connection Design Calculations and Expanded Calculations , and attachments that you provide.
On the Connection Cube Edit window, you can choose sheets and schedules, include details, and add additional notes and attachments to a connection cube report.

Also see :

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Connection cubes (topic)

A connection cube is an interactive object in Modeling within which you can generate a consolidated report for all connections present within the cube. Such reports are typically used by connection engineers, who check connections in the job one "structural node" at a time (which consists of several connections) instead of one connection at a time.

Tools are provided for adding an updating connection cubes:

  • Use Connection Cube Add to add a cube that contains member ends or connection components that you select.
  • You can also add member ends or components or remove them from an existing cube -- again, by selecting them.
  • You can, if you wish, remove connection cubes that you have added by selecting them in the 3D model or in the Model Tree and pressing the Delete key.

A connection cube detail is a generated 2D drawing of the member ends and components contained in a connection cube.

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   Step-by-step instructions :

1 . Before editing a connection cube, the display of " Connection Cubes " should be turned on in Display Options .

2 . In Modeling , open the Connection Cube Edit window using one of the following methods:

Method 1:  Hover a connection cube that you want to edit with your mouse pointer ( ), then double-click a connection cube that you want to edit. ( selection filter = ' Connection Cubes ' or ' Default ')

Method 2:  Hover a connection cube with your mouse pointer ( ), right-click, choose " Edit Other " on the context menu, then select the cube you want. ( selection filter = ' Default ')

Methods 3 & 4:  In Modeling , click the icon, or use a keyboard shortcut . For Ribbon Editor or Keyboard Shortcut Editor in the lightning interface, the Connection Cube Edit icon or keyboard shortcut can be found in the ' Model -- Connection Cubes ' command group. Then, select the connection cube that you want to edit by double-clicking it. (selection filter = ' Connection Cubes ' or ' Default ')

Method 5:  Preselect the connection cube, then use method 3 or 4 to invoke Connection Cube Edit

Method 6:  Use the Model Tree -- set " View by " to ' Connection Cubes ', right-click, and choose ' Edit ' (can also be used to preselect for Connection Cube Edit ).

Note: You cannot edit multiple connection cubes at the same time.

3 . On the Connection Cube Edit window, make selections to choose sheets and schedules, include details, and add additional notes to a connection cube report.

4 (optional). Add attachments to the report:

4a (a possibility). If no attachments have been added to the current Job , " Import " attachments for use in the connection cube report by clicking the launch button ( ) to open the Connection Cube Attachment Manager . You can also use the manager to remove attachments from the list. Connection cube attachments are stored inside the connection_cube/attachments folder in your current Job .

4b (a possibility): The " List of attachments " is empty. You can add to this list clicking the attach button ( ) to select attachments from the connection_cube/attachments folder. You can remove them from the list by clicking the detach button ( ). Attachments that you can add to the connection cube report are only found in the " List of attachments ."

4c : Select an attachment from the " List of attachments ."

4d : Press the " " button.

4e : The attachment that you selected in the " List of attachments " is added to the to-be-generated report, as shown by the green check mark ( ) next to its name, and by its addition in the " Table of contents ."

4f : You can change the order of an attachment by selecting it in the " Table of Contents ." Pressing or moves the attachment in the table and changes its order in the to-be-generated connection cube report.

4g : You can, if you choose, repeat steps 4c through 4f to add additional attachments.

5 . To generate a report, press the " Generate Report " button.

6 . When you are finished, click the " OK " button.

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   Connection cube settings :

------ General information ------

Nickname:   a string . This is the name by which the connection cube will be identified in the Model Tree and in the selection list when you Detail Connection Cubes .

------ Report Options ------

Checking ( ) a report item adds it to the " Table of contents " and to the connection cube report.

Coversheet:   and a file name or .

If this box is checked ( ), a coversheet is included when you " Generate Report ." First, use the Connection Cube Attachment Manager to add attachments to the connection_cube/attachments folder in your current Job . Then, type in the file name (if you know it), or press the " Browse " button ( ) to browse for the cover sheet attachment.

If the box is not checked ( ), a coversheet is not included.

Include applicable schedules of minimums:   or .

If this box is checked ( ), relevant schedules of minimums are included when you " Generate Report ." These may include the Schedule of Minimums for Structural Members and the Schedule of Minimums for Single Plate Shear Connections .

If the box is not checked ( ), schedules of minimums are not included.

Include 2D detail:   or .

If this box is checked ( ), a 2D line drawing detail of the connection(s) is included when you " Generate Report ."

If the box is not checked ( ), a 2D detail is not included.

Tip 1:  In order to " Generate Reports " for a cube when "   Include 2D detail " is checked, a detail for the connection cube must exist. The Detail Selected Connection Cube tool provides a convenient way to detail those, and only those, cubes.

Tip 2:  You can create preset views for inclusion on the connection cube's 2D detail when you use Connection Cube Isolate .

Include material solids U3D:   or . A U3D file output from an SDS2 project includes 3D solids representations of members in a connection cube when you " Generate Report ." The U3D file can optionally be " Export with " bolts, holes and welds.

If this box is checked ( ), a U3D representation of the structural node is embedded in the report that you generate.

If the box is not checked ( ), a U3D representation is not embedded.

Also see: U3D (more information about embedded U3D files)

Export with:  Choosing '   Holes and/or '   Bolts and/or '   Welds adds bolt and/or weld and/or hole data to a report's embedded U3D illustration when you " Generate Report ." This applies when "   Insert material solids U3D " is checked; otherwise, this option is disabled ( grayed out ).

Include allowable strength summaries:   or .

If this box is checked ( ), allowable strength summaries for connections are included when you " Generate Report ," provided that they are not graphical .

If the box is not checked ( ), such summaries are not included.

Include expanded calculations:   or .

If this box is checked ( ), expanded connection design calculations are included when you " Generate Report ."

If the box is not checked ( ), expanded calculations are not included.

------ Additional Notes ------

Entering text to the " Additional Notes " field adds a section containing that text when you " Generate Report ." If this field is left empty, an Additional Notes section is not added to the report. Long lines of text (typically those longer than 100 characters) will be wrapped to fit the page width of the generated report.

------ List of Attachments ------

The " List of Attachments " shows those that are attached to the connection cube. You can then add these attachments to a connection cube report.

  Launch connection cube attachment manager

Opens the Connection Cube Attachment Manager .

Connection cube attachments -- including cover sheets -- are stored inside the connection_cube/attachments folder in your current Job . You can use the manager to add attachments to that folder or to remove them.

  Attach to connection cube

Opens the Attach to Connection Cube selection window, from which you can add attachments stored in the connection_cube/attachments folder to the " List of attachments ."

On the Attach to Connection Cube window, click an item in the list, or hold down the Shift key and click multiple items. Clicking the " Attach " button in the window adds the selected attachments to a the connection cube report and to the " List of attachments ." Press " OK " to close the window.

  Detach from connection cube

Removes attachments from the " List of attachments ." Click an item in the list to select it for removal, or hold down the Shift key and click multiple items.

  Add attachment to report

Adds attachments you select to the to-be-generated connection cube report, and creates entries for them in the " Table of contents ." Click an item in the list to select it for addition, or hold down the Shift key and click multiple items. Then press the " Add... " arrow. Once added, such items are shown with a green check mark ( ) next to its entry in the " List of attachments ."

------ Table of Contents ------

The " Table of contents " displays attachments and other items in the to-be-generated report. You can change the order of an attachment (but not a report item) by selecting it in the table and pressing an arrow key.

  Move attachment up one position

  Move attachment down one position

  Remove attachment from report

Remove an attachment (but not a report item) from the " List of attachments ." Click an attachment in the table of contents to select it for removal, or hold down the Shift key and click multiple items. Then press the " Remove... " button.

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The " Generate Reports " button, when pressed, generates the connection cube report.

A possibility: "   Include 2D detail " is checked, but the connection cube has not been detailed. In that case, a dialog will ask you whether you want to detail the connection cube. If, at that point, you click " No ," the report will be generated without a 2D detail. A warning that the "drawing cannot be found" will alert you to this. The Detail Selected Connection Cube tool provides way to detail cubes in advance of generating a report -- doing so will prevent the warning.

Auto view:   or .

If this box is checked ( ), the file that you output when you press " Generate Reports " will be written to the " Save location " and will open in the default PDF viewer installed on your workstation.

If the box is not checked ( ), the file that you output when you press " Generate Reports " will be written to the " Save location " but will not open in another application.

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