BW_Tutorial_Vol2_v3.0

2012

BuiltWorks Tutorial Volume 2. Truss creation

BuiltWorks Tutorial SolidACE, Ltd.

BuiltWorks Tutorial

Volume 2. Truss creation

This document has been created with the intention to help the user of BuiltWorks software application to

understand the basic tools, techniques and workflows working with BuiltWorks to create demo models for

self learning purposes. It is assumed that user of this manual is familiar with SolidWorks software from

Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp.

All effort was made to make this document complete and accurate; however no warranty or fitness is im-

plied. SolidACE Ltd. has neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or

damages in connection with or arising from the information provided in this manual or using the described

software applications.

The information is provided on “as-is” basis. The menu texts, titles of windows, button images or texts,

texts of dialogs and screenshot pictures may differ from the actual view of the software applications.

SolidACE and BuiltWorks logo are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Solid-

ACE Ltd. All other brands, product names and registered or unregistered trademarks are property of their

respective owners.

Copyright © 2012 SolidACE, Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lukiškių str. 3, VI floor

LT-01108, Vilnius, Lithuania

Email: [email protected]

www.solidace.com

v.3.0 January, 2012


Table of Contents

Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 1

Purpose of this Tutorial .................................................................................................................................. 1

Prerequisites .................................................................................................................................................. 1

I. Truss creating using earlier created sketch ........................................................................................... 2

II. Truss members editing........................................................................................................................... 5

III. Detailing Connection – Trim .................................................................................................................. 9

IV. Copying a Connection .......................................................................................................................... 12

V. Creating End Plates .............................................................................................................................. 15

VI. Assigning of material ............................................................................................................................ 17

VII. Generating a Drawing .......................................................................................................................... 19

User Notes ....................................................................................................................................................... 23


- 1 -

Introduction BuiltWorks is a software application for real-time steel design within the native SolidWorks environment,

providing tools for 3D solid parametric modeling, analysis and design, connection detailing and automated

generation of both drawings and bills of materials.

Purpose of this Tutorial

This tutorial explains creation of truss with BuiltWorks using SolidWorks sketch file.

Content of the tutorial:

Creating truss using earlier created sketch;

Editing truss members;

Detailing Connection;

Copying a Connection;

Creating End Plates;

Assigning of material;

Generating a Drawing.

After completing this tutorial you will know the main typical workflow of truss modeling and the tools that

BuiltWorks provides for that, and will be able to start creating your own typical steel trusses.

Prerequisites

To complete this tutorial you will need:

Required: SolidWorks 2010/2011/2012 (SP1 or later) installed on your system;

Required: BuiltWorks 2010/2011/2012 (according to the SolidWorks version) installed on your

system (please check www.solidace.com if you don’t have BuiltWorks);

Optional: truss sketch provided by this tutorial BW_Manual_2.sldprt (you can create your own

truss sketch using standard sketch tools of SolidWorks).

http://www.solidace.com/


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I. Truss creating using earlier created sketch

Start this tutorial by opening already created sketch file provided by this tutorial. SolidWorks allows users to create their own sketches of trusses. In this step you will insert truss members by selecting Sketch Segments. New member will be placed along the whole segment as it is drawn.

1. Open file BW_Manual_2.sldprt with already existing truss sketch.

Fig. 1 Truss sketch

2. Click Member button (BuiltWorks toolbar) and click on Member Group button.

Fig. 2 Creation of Members Group


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3. In dialog box Member Profile select field Database. From steel sections database select:

European > Tubes > Square EN 10210 > 120x120x6.0.

4. In the Member Orientation preview window select central base point.

5. Select top and bottom chords of truss. Sections 120x120x6.0 will be assigned.

Fig. 3 Select Member Profile, Profile Base Point and truss chords

6. Close dialog box by clicking the OK button.

7. Click Member button again and select Member Group.

8. In dialog box Member Profile select field Database. From steel sections database select:

European > Tubes > Square EN 10210 > 80x80x6.0

9. In the Member Orientation preview window select central base point.

10. Select grid members of truss. Sections 80x80x6.0 will be assigned.


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Fig. 4 Section assigning to truss grid

1. Close dialog box by clicking the OK button.

Fig. 5 Truss creating using earlier created sketch – Final result


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II. Truss members editing

In this step you will edit bottom chord and grid members of the truss by modifying their orientation in Member Orientation field. Bottom chord will be prolonged changing its Start Offset in Z direction, and extreme right and left members of truss grid will be Asymmetrically Offset in Y direction.

1. Left click on truss top and bottom chords group feature in FeatureManager tree and select Edit

Feature.

Fig. 6 Editing truss bottom chord feature

2. In Member Group dialog box Method of creation field select Beam-2 as a truss bottom chord. In

Member Orientation field enter 300 mm as Start Offset in Z Direction.

Fig. 7 Truss bottom chord member parameters


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3. Close dialog box by clicking the OK button. Bottom chord member will be extended on 300

mm from both ends.

Fig. 8 Truss chord member offset assigning

4. Left click on truss grid member group feature in FeatureManager tree and select Edit Feature.

Fig. 9 Editing extreme left truss grid member feature

5. In Member group dialog box Member of creation field select Beam-1 as extreme left truss grid

member. In Member Orientation field select Asymmetric and enter -240 mm as Offset of Profile in

Y Direction.


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Fig. 10 Parameters of truss grid member

6. Close dialog box by clicking the OK button. Extreme left truss grid member will be moved on

240 mm.

Fig. 11 Truss grid member offset assigning

7. Repeat the same action for extreme right truss grid member.


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Fig. 12 Truss members editing – Final result


- 9 -

III. Detailing Connection – Trim

In this chapter you will perform the detailing of Connections by trimming intersecting members.

1. Click Trim button (BuiltWorks toolbar).

Fig. 13 Creating a Connection

2. In Connection dialog box Members of connection field select truss bottom chord member in

graphic view.

Fig. 14 Selecting of truss bottom chord member


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3. Then select truss grid member and as Type of Cutting select By plane.

Fig. 15 Selecting of truss grid member

4. Then select next truss grid member and as Type of Cutting select By plane. Uncheck the trimming

option, which indicates that selected Truss Grid member (dark blue) is going to be trimmed to

another member of the Truss Grid (light blue) by Normal.

Fig. 16 Selecting of next truss grid member


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5. Click the OK button and cutting of truss grid members will be done.

Fig. 17 Creating a Connection – Final result


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IV. Copying a Connection

BuiltWorks provides Copy Connection functionality, which benefits to saving the time for connection detailing by copying the detailing rules from one connection to other places, where it can be applicable. In this chapter you will copy trimming rules for Truss bottom chord and Truss grid connection, which was created in previous chapter, to all remaining connections of the structure, where such Chord - Grid connection is applicable. Before starting to Copy Connections, you need to highlight the existing connections in the model – connections are marked with functional Connection marker (blue square).

1. Click Show Connections button (BuiltWorks toolbar).

Fig. 18 Showing existing connections

2. Left click on blue dot in graphic view. Select Copy Connection button.

Fig. 19 Copy connection


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3. Connection preview window will be opened. Truss chord member colored as red. Select truss top

chord member in the model graphic view.

Fig. 20 Selecting of truss top chord member

4. Select truss grid member.

Fig. 21 Selecting of truss grid member

5. As truss top connection include only two members, for request to select next member click Skip.

Connection for selected members will be created and all members will be cut by copying

connection rule.


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Fig. 22 Skipping of truss grid member

6. Repeat all actions for all truss connections and close copying connection preview window.

7. Hide blue dots representing created connections – push Hide Connections button.

Fig. 23 Copying a Connection - Final result

Note: You may want to zoom and rotate graphic model in preview window to understand better

what is highlighted in red blinking color, so that the appropriate member in model could be

selected. You can also zoom and rotate your model in graphic view before selecting needed

member. Note also, that connecting members in the model can come to each other in different

angles (from different side) than in the preview window – it is normal, because Copy Connection

function does not copy geometry, but rather applies a set of engineering rules, stored in the

connection which is being copied.


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V. Creating End Plates

In this chapter you will perform another Connection detailing function – create the End Plates for the members (truss top and bottom chords End Plates). Note, that creating the End Plate also creates the connection – the rule of creating End Plate with all parameters can be copied to another place equally as copying the connection with trimming rules. Connection can have a combined set of rules (some members trimmed, some have end plates added) and all these rules will be applied in another place where connection is copied.

1. For End Plate creating click End Plate button (BuiltWorks toolbar).

Fig. 24 End Plate

2. Select top chord of truss.

3. In End Plate dialog box Parameters field enter: Plate thickness - 20 mm;

The profile type of the end plate – Rectangular; Plate Dimensions: Plate length – 280 mm, Plate

width – 220 mm.

Parameter 1 means, that member with end plate will be shortened on plate thickness. Enter Offset

of Profile in Y Direction – 30 mm.

Fig. 25 End Plate parameters dialog box


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4. Click the OK button and end plate will be created.

5. Repeat the same actions for end plate creation for another truss top chord member side.

6. For creating bottom truss chord end plates select bottom chord member. In End Plate dialog box

enter Plate thickness – 5 mm, The profile type of the end plate – Quadratical, Plate dimension –

112 mm. Parameter 0 means, that member with end plate will not be shortened on plate thickness.

Fig. 26 Creating bottom truss chord end plate

7. Repeat the same actions for end plate creation for another truss bottom chord member side.

Fig. 27 Creating End Plates – Final result


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VI. Assigning of material

In this chapter you will assign the materials to all members of the truss structure. Note, that if all the members of the structure are from the same material it is useful to assign the material using Solidworks Feature Manager. The same material will be assigned to all the members at once.

1. In SolidWorks FeatureManager design tree right click Material > Edit Material.

Fig. 28 Editing Material

2. Select Plain Carbon Steel material in the opened window and then click Apply and Close buttons.

Fig. 29 Selecting of material


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3. In the SolidWorks FeatureManager design tree right click on Cut list feature and select Update.

Fig. 30 Updating of cut-list

Note, by updating Cut list you are updating the existing SolidWorks properties of cut list with a

BuiltWorks properties of cut list. It contains data of each member material, length, weight and etc.


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VII. Generating a Drawing

In this final chapter of the tutorial you will learn how to automate the preparation of Drawings of the designed structure and insert the Bill of Materials (BOM). Drawings and BOMs are used later in manufacturing and erection of the structure. BOM for BuiltWorks model is created basing on cut-list properties of both – SolidWorks documents as well as BuiltWorks custom properties.

1. To generate drawings for members select Drawing Generator button (BuiltWorks toolbar).

Fig. 31 Selecting of Drawings Generator

2. In opened Drawings generation window mark members for which you want to generate drawings

and push Generate button.

Fig. 32 Drawings generation dialog window


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3. Drawings for selected members will be created. Click OK to open created drawing file.

Fig. 33 Created drawing

4. Insert Weldment Cut List into drawing – select Annotation toolbar > Tables > Weldment Cut List

button.

Fig. 34 Creating of Weldment Cut List


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5. In Weldment Cut List dialog box for Table Template browse to BW_cut list.sldwldtbt file.

Fig. 35 Weldment Cut List dialog box

6. Click OK button and insert Weldment Cut List table in the drawing.

Fig. 36 Cut List in the drawing

Note, if you want to add some additional information, like member material or thickness, to

Weldment Cut list table, it can be modified by inserting additional columns in to the table.

7. Insert all necessary dimensions using Smart Dimension command from Annotation toolbar.


- 22 -

Congratulations! You have completed this tutorial.


- 23 -

User Notes

We appreciate your feedback and comments about BuiltWorks functionality and this document.

Please send your suggestions of requests to us by email [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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