STRUCTURAL RULES 101 CAD MANAGER BIT Structural rules can be found by default in the ...\WorkSpace\TriForma\stf_si\rules folder. Use the following config in your Triforma.cfg to point to your own rules. STFFILE_DRAWINGRULES = $(TFDIR)rules/your.rul WHAT ARE THEY? Structural Rules are used to change the appearance of Structural 3D elements so that they appear more like how they would traditionally on a structural drawing. By default, if no structural resymbolization rules are applied to a drawing definition, each part´s uses its default Drawing Attributes, assigned in TriForma > Dataset > Parts (refer to TriForma for Projects 101). If you set up a resymbolization rule, you create symbology overrides to be used for certain items in that drawing. A good example is representing beams or columns with single lines, or hidden beams being represented by a hidden line: Using the Structural Resymbolization Rules Manager, you can specify not just line symbolization for structural members, but also for cut members, hidden lines, and footprints. The Structural Resymbolization Rules are also where you specify the labelling rules for your drawing. You can set text height, symbology, position relative to the member, and you can choose which data elements, such as Mark or Grade, that you want to include in your drawings. After setting up resymbolization rules, they are used in conjunction with Drawing Extraction Manager to produce your resymbolized output. For each drawing extraction you can specify which rules to apply and in what order. You can only apply one rule per member and this will be the first one in the rule list within Drawing Extraction Manager. WHERE TO FIND THEM: Go to the pull down: Structural>Drawing Rules Manager to open the Drawing Resymbolization Rules Manager dialog box. When you install Structural you will get a set of predefined rules provided for you. STRUCTURAL RULES The rules called BEAMS apply to steel beams in the model; the rules called COL or COLUMN apply to the columns and so forth. WHAT IS A RESYMBOLIZATION RULE? Rules have two basic parts: member resymbolization and labels. Member resymbolization refers to the footprints or lines that represent the physical member itself. Footprints often are assigned to columns, since many drawings are for a top view and the “footprint” of a column is the top view of it. You often need footprint rules to change the appearance of a small column, especially at smaller scale drawings. For example, a 152x152x37UC is only 1.5mm across on a 1:100 drawing, so an increased size “footprint” column is needed instead of the column’s actual appearance. Lines can be single or double, and can represent visible or hidden members. Labels often identify the section name of the member, but can also display the member reference, dimensions, distance from the top, and so forth. There are four different categories of rules. Some rules, such as the Top/Side Resymbolization rules, let you create a single line or double line and a label for the resymbolized top/side member. Other rules, such as the Footprint Resymbolization rules, let you create a footprint graphic and a label for the resymbolized footprint. • • • • Top/Side Resymbolization — you can create single line graphics, double line graphics, and labels. For members in “forward view”. Footprint Resymbolization — you can create footprint graphics and labels. For “cut” members. Top/Side Annotation — you can create centrelines and labels Footprint Annotation — you can create centrelines and labels CREATING A RESYMBOLIZATION RULE In the Drawing Resymbolization Rules Manager dialog box, click on the New button. The Edit Structural Rule Assignment dialog box appears. The dialog box appearance will change, depending on the Rule type you select. The first two rules, Top/Side Resymbolization and Footprint Resymbolization, apply to how the members, labels, and center lines are resymbolized (or redrawn) when a drawing is extracted. The second two rules, Top/Side Annotation and Footprint Annotation, apply only to the annotation, or center lines and labels. The members will be drawn using the default settings in the Drawing Extraction Manager. 2 of 6 STRUCTURAL RULES A Top/Side Resymbolization rule applies to resymbolization of a top or side view of a member (for example, a beam) using either single line or double line graphics in the drawing. This rule will apply to both the member graphics and the label. Set the label appearance using the Labels tab. A Footprint Resymbolization rule applies to the resymbolization of the end of the member (for example, the foot of a column). This rule will apply to both the member graphics and the label. Set the label appearance using the Labels tab. A Top/Side Annotation rule applies to annotation for a top or side view of a member (for example, a beam). This rule will apply only to the centre lines and labels of the annotation. The member appearance will not change from the native MicroStation TriForma settings in the Drawing Extraction Manager. 3 of 6 STRUCTURAL RULES A Footprint Annotation rule applies to the resymbolization of the end of the member (for example, the foot of a column). This rule will apply only to the center lines and labels of the annotation. The member appearance will not change from the native MicroStation TriForma settings in the Drawing Extraction Manager. HOW TO APPLY A RULE: Once you’ve written the rule you need to apply it to your extraction. Open Drawing Extraction Manager from TriForma>Tools>Drawings and Reports>Drawings and Reports. Click on the Drawing Extraction Manager tool from the dialog box. Create your drawing definition as normal. You will notice, when using Structural that you have an extra tab in the Edit Drawing Definition dialog box called Structural Rules. Select the New button to assign a Structural Rule from the Drawing Resymbolization Rules Manager. 4 of 6 STRUCTURAL RULES There are several ways to add rules to elements in your file. You can be as broad as assigning one resymbolization rule to all beams, or you can be as specific as assigning a different rule to each member of the steel family. It’s likely you will either assign your Rule to a Part and family or to a Single Selection Set. Setting Structural elements to All means that all structural elements will be in the criteria set, but if you rule only applies to beams, then only the beams will be resymbolized. In the screenshot below there are two rules. Both apply to all structural elements in the file. The first rule though will only apply to the beams and the second will only apply to the columns. The first column shows the order the rules are processed in. 5 of 6 STRUCTURAL RULES Using the Single Selection Set use the Add button to add single elements to a set. In the screenshot below you can see the ID’s of two structural elements added to the selection set. In the screenshot below, the single ID elements have been assigned the built in No Display rule. This means that because these two elements have been assigned the first rule in the box that no other rule processes after it will affect those elements. 6 of 6