Initial wall detailing

This article follows a typical workflow for initial wall detailing. You'll find guidance for how to:

Draw building outlines for wall layouts

Copy building outline to use for joist layout

Draw or add wall panels in wall layouts

Edit wall panels as required

Add openings to wall panels

Insert a primary reference mark in a border

Run integrity checks on walls

Draw a building outline from a floor plan

Detailers typically outline a building by drawing over the exterior walls of an architect's floor plan. (See how to import plans and set plans as blocks.) For each level that requires a wall layout:

1. Copy or move a floor plan to a border that you will use for a wall layout.

2. Focus on the border and center the plan (type CTR, press Enter and select the plan).

3. Assign the plan to a temporary layer.

4. Use the polyline to draw over the outer edge of the floor plan.

Repeat steps 1 - 4 in a separate border for each required wall layout.

TIP! Before you add wall panels, copy the building outline into the border that you will use for your upper-level joist layout or a foundation/slab layout (if needed) (Read how).

Now you can add panels to the wall layouts.

Assigning a temporary layer

A temporary layer makes it easier to keep your work aligned with an architect’s plans. You can use up to six temporary layers (LX, LX1, ...LX5). To assign items to a temporary layer:

1. Type LX (or LX1, LX2, etc.) and press Enter.

2. Select item(s) for the specified layer and press Enter

Type LT (or LT1, LT2, etc.) and press Enter to hide/show the plan as you draw the building outline.

Drawing a building outline with a polyline

You can outline a building by drawing a polyline over the exterior walls of a floor plan. If you assigned the plan to a temp layer, type LT (or LT1, LT2, etc.) and press Enter to hide or show the plan as you draw the outline.

1. Type P and press Enter.

2. Click to insert a starting point at the corner of an exterior wall.

3. Click the corner at the opposite end of the wall to draw the first segment and to start the next segment.

4. Continue drawing segments over the exterior walls.

5. At the last segment, type C and press Enter. The last segment will connect to the starting point and complete the polyline.

Copy a building outline to use for a joist layout

Use the building outline from an upper-level wall layout for that level's joist layout. To copy a building outline to the same relative position in another border:

1. Type CV and press Enter.

2. Click a building outline and press Enter.

3. Click inside a border where the joist layout will be. The outline will be pasted to the same relative position in the target border.

TIP! You can copy the ground floor building outline into a separate border if you require a slab/foundation layout. This is typically for modelling purposes only.

Draw or add wall panels in wall layouts

Detailers use two commands to input wall panels in layouts.

Command	Creation method	Use to...
ADD	By Points	draw a coded wall (i.e., Load Bearing, Non Load Bearing or Structural).
ADD	By Lines	turn a selected line or polyline into a coded wall.
PD	N/A	draw an uncoded wall to be coded layer. Useful for when you will not know which walls will be load-bearing, structural, or non-structural until you add upper-level joists and/or roof trusses.

CAUTION - Before adding wall panels - check truss settings (TSET) for correct roof load and wind load (which affect wall panels) and check panel settings (PSET) for correct material, stud placement, wall creation method, and other parameters. (Learn more.)

NOTE! The below assumes a polyline was used to outline the building from an architect's plan (assigned to a temporary layer) and that the external walls are all load bearing.

Adding external wall panels to a layout (ADD)

To turn a polyline into a coded wall, focus on a wall layout border, then:

1. Type ADD. A dialog appears.

2. In the Wall tab, select or enter:

• Panel Usage (e.g., Load Bearing)
• Floor Type (Concrete, Timber, or Steel)
• Base Level (i.e., distance from ground to the frame's bottom plate)
• By Lines for Creation Method.
• True for Code as you go

Change other settings as required.

3. Click Create.

4. Click the polyline, then click to set an offset direction. The polyline will appear as coded panels.

Repeat steps 1 - 4 in a border used for an upper-level wall layout.

Drawing internal wall panels in a layout (PD)

Use the PD command to draw uncoded wall panels when you do not know which walls will be load-bearing until you add upper-level joists and/or trusses. You will have to code these panels later using the LI command. To draw panels, focus on a wall layout border, then:

1. Type PD and press Enter.

2. Click to enter a start point for the wall panel.

3. Click to enter an end point for the panel.

4. Click to position the panel to the left or right of its centerline.

Repeat for each internal wall frame in the layout.

NOTE! Draw wall panels over openings. You will add openings later.

TIP! Draw internal wall frames starting with the room in the bottom left-corner of the border and proceeding in a counterclockwise direction.

Wall panel color key

Default Steelwise Color		Panel usage (i.e., coded as)
	Orange	Uncoded
	Red	Load Bearing
	Magenta	Structural
	Green	Non Load Bearing

NOTE! You can use a different color for a coded wall by changing the Drafting Colour setting when you type ADD or LI.

Edit wall panels as required

Use editing commands to move, lengthen/shorten, and adjoin walls correctly as needed.

TIP! Run integrity checks to help identify walls that need editing.

Extending or wall panel

To extend a selected wall to a target wall:

1. Type ME and press Enter.

2. Select a target wall (or hold Alt and select to extend to the target wall's far side).

3. Select the wall to extend.

Changing corner orientation

To change the orientation of two walls that form a corner:

1. Type MF and press Enter.

2. Select the wall that should be longer.

3. Select the other wall.

Cutting a wall

To cut a wall (e.g., a wall that exceeds maximum length):

1. Type MC and press Enter.

3. Select a wall.

4. Select point(s) where the wall should be divided.

Add openings to wall panels

Detailers typically add an opening by defining its header height and/or dimensions, selecting an input method, and selecting a location in a panel to place it. To add a door or a window:

1. Type UD or UW and press Enter.

2. Follow prompts to change settings or enter the header height (windows only), opening height, and opening width.

3. Select an input method (see below) and press Enter.

4. Select a location(s) in wall panel(s) to place the opening(s).

Openings are added with labels (including dimensions).

Input method	Info
Auto	Adds an opening offset from any intersecting wall by the default auto offset distance in PSET.
Centre	Centers an opening between two selected points in a wall panel.
Multiple	Adds a specified number of evenly spaced openings between two selected points in a wall panel.
Point Offset	Adds an opening offset by a specified distance between a selected point and the center of the opening.
Point	Adds an opening centered on a selected point in a wall panel.
Side	Adds an opening offset by a specified distance between a selected point and the nearer side of the opening.

Insert a primary reference point

Steelwise uses reference point to correctly transfer loads from a truss or joist to the affected walls.

WARNING! Each border can only have one reference point. The first reference point you place is the primary reference point. Each secondary reference point must be placed in the same corresponding position in each border.

To add a reference point:

1. Type REF and press Enter.

2. Click inside a border to insert a primary reference point (or hold Alt and click to insert a primary reference point in the selected border and a secondary reference point at the same location in every other border).

Run integrity checks on walls

FRAMECAD® recommends running integrity checks regularly throughout a project to help identify drafting and detailing issues. To run an integrity check:

1. Focus on a border with a wall layout.

2. Type IC and press Enter.

3. (Optional) Type S and press Enter to change options if needed. (Click for option details).

4. Press Enter to check all items in the border (or select items to check and press Enter).

A summary window appears if Steelwise detects any errors. A marker appears in the layout indicating where the errors were found.