Creating Pillars Using Reference Planes

This task explains how to create pillars on a reference plane.
1. With your 3-D session open, click the Beam button . The Beam dialog box displays with the Geometry tab selected.
  2. Select from the Category drop down list. (This task uses Pillar as an example.)

You can select More to display the Class Browser, and select Pillar.

The name of the pillar is assigned automatically, using the object naming rules. If you want to assign your own name to the pillar, uncheck the Automatic box and enter a name. 
  3. Select Reference Planes from the Type drop down list.

  4. Select Top or End in the Limits section to limit the pillar. You can:
  • Select an object (plate, stiffener, or plane) in your 3-D session, and the pillar is limited at that location.
  • Right click to display a drop down list and select Select Reference Plane to display the Plane Systems dialog box. (You can select Delete Limit to delete a limit.)

The selected objects display under the Object column.

  5. For Location, in the Transversal and Longitudinal fields, you can:
  • Select transversal planes and longitudinal planes in your 3-D session. They display in the Transversal and Longitudinal fields. (You can select more than one plane and the planes display as elements.
  • Right-click and select from the list of GSD stacking commands.

You see the pillars display in your 3-D session as you make your selections.
  6. When selecting transversal and longitudinal planes, you can click the Elements List button , and the Transversal Plane and Longitudinal Plane dialog boxes display.

The Transversal Plane and Longitudinal Plane dialog boxes list the planes you selected.

 

You can use the dialog boxes to replace a plane with another plane.

  1. Select the plane (transversal or longitudinal) you want to replace from the list, and click the Replace button.
  2. Select a plane in the 3-D session. This plane displays in the dialog box list in place of the original start transversal or longitudinal plane.
  7. You can also remove planes from the Transversal Plane and Longitudinal Plane dialog boxes. Select the planes you want to remove from the list, and click the Remove button.
  8. You can enter an offset value (negative or positive) in the Offset field to offset the location.

Click OK when you are done.
  9. You can change the values of a pillar by double clicking on the pillar in your 3-D session.

The Beam dialog box displays. Change the values as required.

Some fields are not available, and cannot be changed (such as Category).