Editing commands

Command name: TRUSS_SUPPORT

Space(s): Detail spaces

Purpose: Adds a support point to a truss or joist. This is in addition to support points that Steelwise automatically generates (when you type TTD or JJD) based on where the truss or joist intersects with an underlying support line.

Usage:
With a detail sheet in focus:

1. Type AS and press Enter.

2. Click on a location on a member.

A support point appears at the selected location (with reactions).

Additional info:
• Steelwise determines support type (i.e., pinned, x-roller, y-roller) based on its location and existing support point. Type LI, press Enter and select a support point to change its type.
• NOTE! A truss or joist typically has one pinned support. Do not add multiple pinned supports unless required by an engineer.

Command name: TRUSS_BOX

Space(s): Detail spaces

Purpose:
Boxes an entire member (or a specified length of a member) along its wide (web) axis or its weak (flange) axis (for trusses and joists only) to reinforce a wall panel, truss, or joist. (For trusses only) updates member labels and material summary list, and reengineers trusses.

Usage:

1. Type BM and press Enter.

2. (Optional for trusses and joists) Hold Alt to box along the weak (flange) axis.

3. To box entire member: Select a member and press Enter.

    To box a length of a member: Select a start and end point on a member.

Steelwise updates the member to indicate boxing and updates tooling (if entire member is boxed).

Additional Info:
• CAUTION! Boxing a webbed chord along its wide axis will create notch tooling in intersecting webs (for tabbing over the boxed chord) that leave their flanges unsupported and at risk of buckling under load when in compression. FRAMECAD recommends boxing chords along the weak (flange) axis or consulting an engineer for advice.

Command name: COPY

Space(s): Layout space; Detail Spaces

Purpose: Copies selected item(s) to specified location(s).

Usage:

1. Type C and press Enter.

2. Select item(s) to copy and press Enter.

3. To copy to a single location: Select a base point and displacement point*.
or type D (Displacement) and press Enter to specify a distance (along x and y axes) from item(s) where the copies will go.

    To copy to multiple locations: Type O (Mode) and type M (Multiple) to copy from a selected base point to multiple selected displacement points*.

4. Press Enter to escape the command.

Steelwise copies the item(s) to the specified displacement points (i.e., locations).

Additional Info:
• * TIP! Turn Orthogonal mode on (type ORTHO, press Enter, and type ON) or hold Shift to copy item(s) only to point(s) on their horizontal or vertical axis.

Command name: MEMBER_INHERIT

Space(s): Layout space; Detail spaces

Purpose: Copies the properties of one item to one or more other items.

Usage:

1. Type IP and press Enter.

2. Select a member to copy its properties.

3. Select member(s) that will inherit the copied properties.

Command name: TRUSS_ADDWEB

Space(s): Detail spaces

Purpose: Adds one or more web members (of the same type as existing web members) to a wall panel (i.e., in a webbed head), truss or joist.

Usage:

For wall panels:

1. Type IW and press Enter.

2. Select a start point (in a head or a top plate) and end point (in a head or a top plate).

Steelwise inserts the web member (with fixings and tooling), relabels web members, and updates the material summary at the top of the detail sheet. Repeat to add another web.

For trusses:

1. Type IW and press Enter.

2. Select a start point (in first chord) and end point (in second chord) for each member to be inserted.

3. Press Enter to insert members (automatically spacing two or more members).
or
    Type A and press Enter to insert two or more members (overriding automatic spacing, except where start/end points overlap existing members).

Steelwise inserts each member (with fixings and tooling), relabels all members, and updates the material summary list at the top of the detail sheet.

For joists:

1. Type IW and press Enter.

2. Type E (entity method) to insert an array of diagonal web members between two selected vertical members.
or
    Type P (point method), select start and end points for web members, and press Enter.

Steelwise inserts the members (with fixings and tooling), relabels all members, and updates the material summary list at the top of the detail sheet.

Additional info:
• NOTE! For trusses – Steelwise will offset a new web member from an existing web member if its starting/end point overlaps an existing web member.

• NOTE! For wall panels – Steelwise automatically inserts a horizontal or vertical member when its start and end points form a near horizontal or near vertical line (i.e., the line’s angle ≤5°).

Command name: MEMBER_MOVE

Space(s): Layouts space; Detail spaces

Purpose: Moves selected item(s) to a specified location.

Usage:

1. Type M and press Enter.

2. Select item(s) and press Enter.

3. Select a base point and displacement point*
or
    Type D (Displacement) and press Enter to specify the distance (along x and y axes) from the item(s) to relocate the item(s).

The item(s) are moved to the specified displacement point (i.e., location).

Additional info:
• * TIP! Turn Orthogonal mode on (type ORTHO, press Enter, and type ON) or hold Shift to move item(s) only to a point on their horizontal or vertical axis.

Command name: MEMBER_BREAK

Space(s): Layouts space; Detail spaces

Purpose: Shortens multiple items or breaks multiple items into two along a specified break line. Used for editing wall, joist, or truss layouts or for editing panel/frame members in detail sheets.

Usage:
1. (Optional) Draw a reference line through the panels/frames/members where the break will occur. This makes it easier to use entity snaps when you set start and end points for the break line.

2. Type MB and press Enter.

3. Click an item to set a start point and a second item to set an end point.

4. To shorten items: Click a side of the break line to delete.
    To break items into two segments: Right-click to break all relevant items in two.

The items are now shortened at the break line or broken in two and relabeled.

Additional Info:
• WARNING! Do not use the MB command to break a raking wall in two. The heights in the resulting walls will be incorrect. Use the MC command instead.
• Remember to delete the reference line (if you used one).

Command name: MEMBER_CUT

Space(s): Layouts space; Detail spaces

Purpose: Breaks a selected item into two items. Use this command to break a wall panel, joist, or truss in a layout into two, to break a member of a wall panel, truss or joist in a detail sheet into two, or to splice a truss member in a detail sheet.

Usage:

To break any item into two:

1. Type MC and press Enter.

2. Click an item.

3. Click a location on the item to cut and press Enter.

The item is broken into two items joined at the selected cut location. (For detail sheets only) Steelwise relabels all items.

To splice a truss member:

1. Type MC and press Enter.

2. Hold Alt and click a truss member.

The member is broken into two joined members. Steelwise automatically boxes the members where they join (if necessary) and relabels the detail sheet.

Command name: MEMBER_DIVIDE

Space(s): Layouts space; Detail space(s)

Purpose: Breaks a selected item into a specified number of segments (of equal length) or into a system-determined number of segments (up to a specified maximum length).

Usage:

1. Type MD and press Enter.

2. Type Q (quantity) to divide into a set number of segments of equal length.

or Type D (distance) to divide into any number of segments of up to a set maximum length.

3. Select an item.

Steelwise divides the items and (in Detail spaces only) updates labelling and material summary.

Command name: MEMBER_EXTEND

Space(s): Layouts space; Detail spaces

Purpose: Extends or shortens selected item(s) so that their end(s) join a specified side of a target item.

Usage:

1. Type ME and press Enter.

2. Click a target item (for other items to join its near side)

or Hold Alt and click a target item (for other items to join its far side).

3. Type E (entity selection) to select by clicking item(s) to extend/shorten.
or Type P (point selection) to select by drawing a line through items to extend/shorten.

Steelwise moves ends of selected items to meet the target item’s near or far side.

Command name: MEMBER_FILLET

Space(s): Layouts space,

Purpose: Sets how two items join in a corner. Most commonly used to determine which wall panel will have its end join the side of the other wall panel in a corner of a wall layout.

Usage:

1. Type MF and press Enter.

2. Click the item to be joined at its side.

3. Click the item to be joined at its end.

Command name: PANEL_MIRROR

Space(s): Layouts space; Detail spaces

Purpose: Allows you to create a mirror copy of selected item(s). Especially useful for creating layouts for twinned (paired) structures.

Usage:

1. Type MI and press Enter.

2. Select item(s) and press Enter.

3. Select a mirror point and place mirrored items.

4. Type Y to delete original items or type N to keep original items.

Additional Info:
• NOTE! The MI command does not mirror labels in layouts.

Command name: MEMBER_JOIN

Space(s): Layouts space; Detail space(s)

Purpose: Turns two contiguous items (i.e., items joined at a shared end) into a single item. Use to join wall panels, trusses, or joists in a layout, or to join wall panel, truss or joist members in a detail sheet.

Usage:

1. Type MJ and press Enter.

2. Select two items and press Enter.
Steelwise joins the items.

Command name: MEMBER_LENGTHEN

Space(s): Layouts space; Detail spaces

Purpose: Lengthens or shortens a selected item by a specified amount.

Usage:

1. Type ML and press Enter.

2. Enter a positive or negative amount by which to lengthen or shorten an item.

3. Click close to the end of an item to lengthen or shorten.

Command name: MEMBER_OFFSET

Space(s): Layouts space; Detail spaces

Purpose: Copies a selected item to a location offset from (and parallel to) that item by a specified distance.

Usage:

1. Type MO and press Enter.

2. Enter an offset distance*.

3. Select an item.

4. Select the offset direction.

Steelwise places the copy offset from the selected item by the specified distance.

Press Esc to exit the command.

Command name: MEMBER_UPDATE

Space(s): Detail space(s)

Purpose: Ensures accurate fixings after editing a wall panel, or truss or joist frame. Adds missing (or removes redundant) fixings/screws from the panel/frame. 

Usage:

1. Focus on the relevant detail sheet.

2. Type MU and press Enter.

Additional Info:
• NOTE! Ends of web member must overlap with chords/plates for MU to update fixings.

Command name: MEMBER_CROSS

Space(s): Layouts space; Detail spaces

Purpose: Breaks a selected wall panel, truss, joist or member into segments where it intersects with one or more selected panels/frames or members.

Usage:

1. Type MX and press Enter.

2. Select the item to break, then select intersecting item(s).

Steelwise turns the item set to break into segments.

Press Enter to close the command.

Command name: LAYOUT_ERASE

Space(s): Layouts space; Detail spaces

Purpose: Deletes all or selected wall studs, trusses, or joists (from their respective layouts) or selected member(s) (from a detail sheet).

Usage:

Focus on a border with a layout or on a detail sheet in a Detail space, then:

1. Type SE and press Enter.

2. Select item(s) to delete and press Enter.

or (Layouts space only) press Enter to delete all applicable items.

Additional info:
• NOTE! For wall layouts – The command deletes studs only.
• NOTE! For detail sheets – The command removes members plus any tooling/fixings.

Command name: STRIP

Space(s): Layouts space; Detail spaces

Purpose:
• Removes all Steelwise properties from selected items, turning items into polylines.
• Typically used to prevent duplicate items or label, frame/panel building, or reporting errors when copying walls, trusses, joists, members or other items.
• Particularly useful when copying a wall layout to use as reference geometry to create a related joist layout (for example).

Usage:

1. Type STRIP and press Enter.

2. Select item(s) and press Enter.

Additional Info:
• WARNING! Never use the EXPLODE command to strip data from items. Exploded items will still contain Steelwise properties and cause duplicates or errors.