I am designing a house for FN Queensland that will be a structural steel skeleton clad in a combination of various colorbond profiles and timber.
While I can readily find the steel columns button, I am at a loss as to how I can rotate them to form beams and hence inter-connect with columns.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Rob
Arkana
Hi Rob,
I was just wondering how you plan to use the model? If you are just planning to make images of it, which is the primary purpose of TFP and you are cladding the frame anyway, will you even see the internal frame?
TFP comes with automatic built-in framing which you can make visible by turning Framing on and wall surfaces off in the View Filter. It can be set to any share and size steel or whatever that you can think of. Individual beams however are not editable
I suspect however that this will not be suitable for what you are doing. It sounds like you may be talking about the typical Queensland 'stilt' home, in which case you may be able to customise a Deck on the ground floor and put the house itself on the first (second) floor.
If none of these options are suitable then you could use the Custom Member under Decorative in Interior Accessories for your beams. This can be re-sized, rotated etc to become almost anything. Do a Search for Useful Shapes as it explains how to import a Box, Cylinder etc that you could also use.
If I have missed the point in what you are trying to do just ask again.
By the way, it is good to have someone on board that speaks the same language!! Where do you actually live?
Allan
Hello Allan
Thanks for your thoughts.
The issue that I wrestle with is one of constructing the house frame from a combination of I beams and columns to form the skeleton. Many of these I wish to leave partially or fully exposed as an architectural point. The house is for me and my partner and we are using TFP as a basis of a brief for our designer.
No, The house is not a classic Queenslander or pole house in style. It is a combination of a master pavillion incorporating all central services withe the bulk of the self contained bedrooms being each a separate unit. Placed on a hill among 15 acres of virgin rainforest, we think it should look good and have fabulous views.
On your other point, the family has had many years around the building game with over 60 years in the timber and hardware industry in Melbourne.
So, the beams are all straight lengths and if I can introduce them into the drawing as 'decorative pieces' and make them appear as part of the structure then that would suit.
Thanks
Rob
Arkana
Hi Rob,
Now that I have a better picture of what you are doing, all I would do is build the walls straight from TFP and simply add the beams afterwards. You can use 3 of the Boxes I mentioned to make an 'I' shaped beam to your specific profile, Export it as a 3DS file and Import it again as your own beam to reuse. Turn off Collision and you can have them partially visible through the walls. Set the angle of the beams as you import them. Use Right-click Duplicate to Copy-Paste or Array to evenly space multiple beams.
Sounds an interesting project - hopefully you will post some images later when you are happy with it.
Allan
Hello Allan
I'll let you see it when it's over.
Regards
Rob
Arkana
Hi Rob,
I have just made a discovery that my help you with you special beams and easier than the export import process mentioned earlier.
If you use the Layout toolbar you can just draw a straight line. Once you have done this you can right click and Convert to Member (V14 - not in V12). This gives you all sorts of different shaped beams and one where you can even design your own custom shape.
Once you have done the conversion you can then click on the new beam and right-click select 'Adjust to Plane' (again V14 only). Now, when you click the roof for example it will attach the beam to the roof plane whatever angle it may be. If you set the properties accordingly it will also automatically make a mitre joint with an intersecting beam of the same type, although that may only be on right angle joins - haven't tested that. You may need to elevate by the thickness of the roof to make it sit on top. Use right click array to evenly space multiple copies of the original.
For the Verticals you can use the Columns and editing these you can get the same profiles.
The first image is just an example of a set of 'I' beams on a roof, while the second just gives an example of some of the profiles available.
Allan
Thanks Allan
I'm still in my first six weeks of V12 and serving my apprenticeship. V14 is still a way off!
Regards
Rob
Arkana
Hi Rob,
If you are using V12 then you can still use the column to create a single exportable member as you can change the profile of the column to what you want without using the boxes I mentioned.
It will still be rotateable when you import it again. Not as easy to position as the V14 Adjust To Plane option cut will still work,
Allan
Allan:
I know this is a very old topic but I Just wanted to let you know that your information on converting lines to members was just what I needed. Thanks
Joe
Hi Joe,
I am glad to hear you found it useful. Probably good too as it has raised the topic to the top again so others will see it who may not know of this functionality.
Not sure if this was mentioned earlier, but, once the beam has been created, it can also be lengthened or shortened, simply by draging the end as you can with walls. Via the Properties it can also be changed to another.profile if desired. Its a very useful tool as you have obviously found.
Allan