Advance Steel custom commands-share your ideas

[acbsdesign]

Hello,

It will be nice to learn more about custom commands / combination of Autocad and Advance Steel commands improving productivity. 

To colleagues willing to share-Thank you.

Here is a tiny example:

"Hide parts with identical numbers"-used when parts are detailed using drawings styles.

^C^C_AstM5equalpartsMarkSame \;AstM4CommSelectMarkedObjects ;_AstM4SwitchReprMode off

And another one:

"Hide Similar Advance Steel Objects":

^C^C_SelectSimilar \;_AstM4SwitchReprMode off

Regards, 

Ilko Dimitrov

ACBS

[acbsdesign]

Gary,

These are the same shortcut menus, no separate shortcut menus if we are talking about the mouse right click.

In my installation, if I right click I have the same menu if it is a line, or if it is a beam.

[acbsdesign]

Not a custom command, but it is a time saver for miscellaneous metals fabricators having their company standards for stairs and how they hang from the structural steel. 

Below is a link to how we can insert a threaded rod assembly, including the hole drilled in the main beam, welds, and an unlimited number of nuts and washers.

Inserting Threaded Rods Assembly as a custom connection template

[Masibanda-CE · Accepted solution]

Taking a cue from Sebastion's "Add weld point" I gave this a try for adding plys to a bolt group and it works the same ... the command continues until you hit escape.

*^C^C_AstM4CommCreateConnection;INCL

Cheers,

Gary

[acbsdesign]

And another one  -  beveling HSS edges:

*^C^C_AstM14CommAddFeatEdge

[Sebastian_Eiche · Accepted solution]

and maybe additional for such joints (which I often create for customers too), I add a special weld.

first of all, by inserting the threaded rod, you could also use a new round profile by adding it to the databases which is called threadedrods or something so the title of the detail will maybe look better.

By using the assembly detailstyle, you had to add a weld to "connect" the specialparts for showing it in the detail. Most users use the "dummy" weld for such things, I use another one, and for this I create a screencast.  The reason for this is, a few customers don't use "threaded rods" they use normal round and create the thread part in their shop, and for this it's necessary to know how long this part is. 

So an information should be shown in the detail automatic...here we are:

• I open the weldtemplate.dwg from the folder: C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Advance Steel 2019\*installed language*\Shared\Support\Symbols  -->(please create a backup and open the dwg with "pure" AutoCAD)
• add a new layer I used WM_Thread
• add a text on this layer and type what you want, I only create an example..save the file
• now the open the management tool and open the table editor, open the databases and filter for "weld"
• in the AstorBase, there's a table called "weldtype" here we could add weldtypes, in my video I use the number 24, and define the layer which I define in the weldtemplate. Therefore you will find some knowledge articles here in the forum, but short: the weldtype define which layer is set to "on" in the symbol on the detail.dwg.
• So now you could create a weld in the model which is called Thread. I decide to have a text on the upper side and the length in downside--why?
• If I create a weld and use the thickness from the upper side, the text and the token will not look good becaue they will clash. So I use the "standard" length in the upper weld which is not shown in the detail symbol (this is a default!) 

So the result is a weldsymbol on the detail which automatic label my thread length I insert in the double weld property.

screencast: click hard on this link

[Sebastian_Eiche · Accepted solution]

ok and because I have good day today: some other trick which I think not everyone know.
You want to create a few objects with the same properties, and this is working with material and coating and so on, but not really with maybe the Lot/Phase. 

The properties which are transfer to next object (of the same group) could be define by the user itself! 
How? 

You only had to right click on the dialog title, for each register, the properties will be shown, which you could transfer, but this option only appears, if you create a new object.

And if you  now combine this information with for example the weld command from the other side of this thread, your workflow should much better.

Video needed? -->click on me<--

[acbsdesign]

Sebastian, can you please have more of those good days. We are all learning in one way or another.

The one with the properties is a really good option, I will be using it. 

The one with the leader, hmm, threaded end is usually shown with a hatch or something and a dimension, not a leader.

Thank you for sharing.

[Sebastian_Eiche]

yes I know not everyone will use it. Another situation for such extra welds is to show an extra information. I also show this sometimes to people which often work with folded plates or beams which have one side painted/special coated. So some use a punchmark to define the side, and a weld be another opportunity

[Anonymous]

Sebastian,

The transfer properties trick is amazing!

To transfer model role will save me so much time, thank you.

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[acbsdesign]

I have a tiny one, when we need to add multiple corner cuts for already detailed material:

Corner Cuts-Continuous:

*^C^C_AstM14CreateCornerFeat

https://autode.sk/2CsGmGU

[mick-CNF]

Copy with Adjustment.

[acbsdesign]

Yes, there is Copy with Adjustments, but for plates with different sizes it is not always working, thank you for reminding.

[acbsdesign · Accepted solution]

And another tiny but mighty:

Isolate identical parts:

_^C^C_AstM5equalpartsMarkSame \;AstM4CommSelectMarkedObjects ; _AstM10ViewSelObjects;;_AstM4CommUnmarkObjects;;

https://autode.sk/2ubyq8u

[mick-CNF]

It appears to work properly for all plate sizes if you copy from the largest plate to the smallest but not the other way.

Maybe the devs can look at it?

[acbsdesign]

Try to get used to the Isolate Identical Parts I just posted, It is a time saver.

[Anonymous]

I like the Isolate Identical Parts command, thank you!

What Icon you using for that? And also for the hide identical parts?

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[acbsdesign]

Hi,

A few of the custom commands above have saved me hundreds of hours.

I do not see myself working even for an hour using the interface that is out of the box.

Attached please find the two icons, but they are not consistent with the overall color scheme, so if you or someone else is proficient with Photoshop or similar, it will be great to have them improved or to have new icons.

I will be absolutely delighted to get better ones:)

Thank you for sharing.

[Adrian.Mangan]

Hi Sebastian,

Question for you, I have created a weld symbol previously for CJP weld (see screenshot), the CJP text I add through the usual way "Proceeding" just helpful that I have 1/4" gap and 45 degree bevel prep.problem being I can not eliminate the weld thickness value which I would ideally like to have reduce in size and in place of my 1/4" value. My values of 1/4 and 45 are hard values. I usually do not have to change these but if I did I would just put in desired location and explode, change values and group everything.

Any ideas how to eliminate this value?

Thank you for your help in advance

[Sebastian_Eiche]

there's a default for the welding standard thickness: Weld size in drawings. this default thickness is automatically not shown in the details

[Adrian.Mangan]

https://youtu.be/Kjhc-2Nudow