topic Re: Weld path and missing welds in Revit API Forum

Weld path and missing welds

jorge.bslu — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 11:34:10 GMT

Hi,

I need to import all welds from a Revit (AS) Steel Connection.

For a WeldPattern (actually a WeldPoint) object, I get from API just a 3D point but not information about the weld's path, I mean, the 3D location of the weld.

In the following apex, I also see that welds for haunch plates are connection a Beam and 3 Plates, which add more complexity to import welds since welds normally connect 2 parts.

Is there any way to get the location of each weld' chord through API ?

BTW, in this example, welds 5 to 7 are quite confusing and it seems like there is a missing weld between the haunch web (triangle) and the haunch flange.

I'd appreciate any help/clue about getting weld's 3D-path?

Indeed, I am wondering how AdavanceSteel can check such welds without that information.

*Revit 2023

Re: Weld path and missing welds

RPTHOMAS108 — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 13:06:54 GMT

Are you seeing anything physical for welds represented in the Revit views or is it just the crosses that indicate locations?

You can tab into those location crosses (Subelements) and they contain parameters, but those parameters don't contain location information. For example there is length (if populated) but not a start or end point,

So I'm thinking you may be asking too much of what is available unfortunately.

If your task is to populate the below parameters from what exists as a similar set of information elsewhere then I think that is possible. Again it perhaps wouldn't be straightforward unless Subelement welds in same order as numbered in dialogue.

Re: Weld path and missing welds

jorge.bslu — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 13:02:24 GMT

I am asking for start-end points, not the typical cross on the screen (weldPattern.CenterPoint).
That are indeed, bad news for me 😞

Re: Weld path and missing welds

RPTHOMAS108 — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 17:34:50 GMT

Yes to do that I think you would have to infer a relationship between location of point and edges of solid objects in the geometry. Not an easy or risk-free prospect.

You can perhaps see that the weld is classed as 'double fillet' which I assume means each face and so find the two edges (of the attached object) nearest to a weld point when it is of that type but very problematic. Also some of the points appear to be on the corners between two edges rather than the midpoint of an edge. Probably when you flatten the points out into the 2D representation in the dialogue then it is less ambiguous. You would also have to take note of parameter aspects such as 'All around for end plate' because the associated welds points don't appear to merge for such.

Re: Weld path and missing welds

jorge.bslu — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 14:24:09 GMT

Currently I am implementing a 3D analysis of "contact faces" from solids, which is not secure and simple (welded faces are not always parallel, nor in contact)
As you say, the location of CenterPoint sometimes lies on shared edges, or at some distance from the face, etc. etc .... There are welds that are connecting more than 2 parts, complicating the analysis ...
But, for verification purposes, Revit (AdvanceSteel) needs the location of welds, so, that data should be somewhere.

Re: Weld path and missing welds

RPTHOMAS108 — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 17:27:03 GMT

You may be better off interacting with the advanced steel objects directly.

There is an example in Revit API under SteelElementProperties.GetSteelElementProperties (under DB.Steel).

This may give you move information than is available directly through Revit alone. I tend to assume that the information you require will only be there if there is a graphical need to represent it however i.e. there wouldn't be a point of exposing such information to Revit if it didn't need it.

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