system line beams

[Anonymous]

hi,

beam stretching we can do now with the system line (there are more ways) in any direction in the UCS, we can stretch in every direction we want.

In some particular ocasions this is handy but in the most cases you want to stretch over the system line in the direction of the beam(orthogonally)

Can't there be a switch made in the MT for on/off function for the stretch function over the system line only?

thanks

[ChristianBlei]

Hi,

this function is just a must. The default settinh has to be move along center line. You even should get a warning if this option is turned off and you start dragging a grip.

BR,

Christian

[iwafb]

Agree...

Stretch along axis by default. Alt+click (or whatever) for directional stretch...

Cheers...

[haedicu]

Thank you for this idea.

We will take it in consideration for our future roadmap.

best regards

Udo

[Anonymous]

this would be awesome!! hope its gone further than future consideration!

[Drawtech]

Just use the trim/extend tool?

_AstM9CommTrimExtend

I often create a temporary beam in the plane I need to trim/extend/stretch to and then you can trim multiple beams to it.

Delete the temporary beam after.

[Austruct]

Stretching items along an axis (X) “SYSTEM LINE”

[Austruct]

There needs to be a way to stretch items (beams/columns) only along the length of the system line {axis (X)}, without having to set the UCS and lock the X axis.

For example: stretching an item using grips to a snap point not in the same plain.

An option within MT should be provided. (To Permanently lock the direction of the system line once an item/shaft is inserted.) 

[Austruct]

Vote this post up

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/advance-steel-ideas/stretching-items-beams-columns-along-it-s-system-l...

[George.Fouler]

Yep, this is a must.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely a must. Would make modelling a heck of a lot faster and more accurate in a lot of cases

[Drawtech]

As mentioned previously, why don't you guys just use the trim/extend tools (_AstM9CommTrimExtend) to "stretch" a beam along its own system line?

I use this often - just draw a temporary beam on the plane you want to trim to, trim any required beams to it, then delete the temporary beam.

...as such I would not describe this feature request as a "must" as there are already very good tools to do the same thing.

I would rather the development time were spent on something we cannot already do!

[Anonymous]

hi,

you are telling it by yourself why we want it.

this is it:

I use this often - just draw a temporary beam on the plane you want to trim to

Every extra beam or what ever you have to draw takes time.

Just get the grip and drag and drop it, way faster dude.

[Drawtech]

Yes drawing a temp beam takes a few seconds, but how would your requested functionality work?

You select a beam node to stretch

pick a point

...where does the beam stretch to?

i.e. it cannot stretch exactly to the point since it must stretch along its own system line, therefore the new end point must "line up" with the picked point.

...but in what plane should it line up?

The way I suggested has no such ambiguity - the temp beam defines the plane where the new endpoints will be.

It can be horizontal, vertical or at any angle and need not be at the same level as the beam(s) to be trimmed.

I don't mean to "put down" your request, just suggesting alternatives that we already have.

Why not give some examples of how your requested functionality should work. 🙂

[Anonymous]

hi,

you seem not to be a former Pro-Steel user, ask any AS User that has Pro-STeel before AS and you wont ask why why why.

examples, come on, think outside the box.

end off discussion.

[Drawtech]

You are correct, I have never used Pro-steel

...detailing for 30 years and 3D modelling for 20years

Lots of experience on the drawing board, 2D AutoCAD, Tekla for many years and Advance for the last 16 years, but no, no Pro-steel.

If pro-steel has a better way to do something, that is fantastic - I am genuinely interested to see what it is.

Not everyone has used Pro-Steel so please enlighten us.

Despite my 3D experience, I cannot see how what you suggest actually works in practice (i.e. what plane the new end point would end up on relative to a picked point).

...although Pro-steel clearly has a feature to rave about so please tell us more.

...and in order for development to implement it, they will also need examples so there is no misunderstanding of what you are asking for.

It is also worth noting that users of other software sometimes ask for things that may not be necessary in another software package because there are other ways of doing the same thing.

There may be other tools in AS that will be closer to what you are looking for (e.g. point filters or the 2D snap lock) but without showing exactly what you are asking for via examples, who knows...

Take the Workplane functionality in AS.

...in Tekla it was vital and no doubt requested by ex Tekla users, but in AS, while it has a few uses, I have never found much use for it despite also being an experienced Tekla user since in AS the model view functionality does much the same thing.

...so wasted dev time in my view.

There are various functionalities I have been waiting for in AS for 16 years and still waiting for.

...hence dev time being spent on things we can already do efficiently another way seems wasteful.

...but anyway, if you can show how much better this functionality is in pro-steel, I would be very interested to see what it does and more than happy to be enlightened.

If it's that good, I may even vote up your idea! 🙂

[Anonymous]

now, imagine a beam in your model, no matter in which direction, even in sloped positions or in three direction it doesn't matter.

imagine you want to lenghten or shorten this beam to a point in your 3D model and it doesn't matter where that point is, just click on the beam and drag and drop the sytem line grip to that point and the beam only changes the lenght in the direction off the system line.

So, you dont have to set the UCS on the beam, draw a temporary one or what ever, dont use the X-Y-Z filter, just changes the lenght by drag and drop.

KISS. (keep it stuped simple)

good luck

[ChristianBlei]

Gentlemen,

Please do not get personal.

I also have the feeling that there are functions in ProSteel that are simpler and more intuitiv than the As equivalents. Like cut at a line.

But as DrawTech wrote. AS and ProSteel are 2 different CAD systems with different design of functionality. Both lack functions or structure and both  can be improved. ProSteel e.g. has no multi user functionality, AS has not hierarchical assembly structure (and the As API is in its very beginning steps......)

For me anything that would make AS better is worth an idea. And I appreciate all people that invest their time and are active in the forum and in the idea station. Which ideas will get realized is not depending on some conceptional superbrain, but on market demands. Ideas and voting for ideas may help to show what is needed and asked for. And of course there are general focuses that Autodesk has for its product portfolio: (Bim) Integration, Cloud services, make acquisitions fit for the markets that Autdesk is in, e.g. And there are limiting budgets for the platforms....

ProSteel has a general setting to lock the motion of grips for straight beams (I am not sure about arc beams). If grips are locked than they can only be moved  in the direction of the system line. Using the grip to change the length is then pure AutoCAD. You select a grip and drag it to a new point, that you can select using point snaps. The orthogonal projection of the new point to the system line is the new grip point. Easy.

Prosteel users sometimes mess up their models if the unchecked the grip lock and forgot about it.

I am stiil pretty new to Advance Steel.

br,

Christian Blei

[Anonymous]

hi,

nothing personal against anybody, agree with you that every thing that makes better is worth an idea.

and yes, AS and ProSteel are different programs, used Pro steel for several years with pleasure but wont go back from AS.

good luck and no hard feelings for nobody.

[Anonymous]

This is the one feature i miss most from switching from ProSteel to Advance. 

[sdetail]

It would be nice to have the option of stretching shapes along its axis only instead of having to always use the xy filters

all the time while we stretch or reduce the length