Advance Steel is a great tool and it has an extensive library of shapes in a lot of different sizes, however, sometimes it does not have the size that you need. This is a little trick on how to add a size to an existing library. For example, Rectangular Hollow Section starts at 2x2x1/8 in the library and we know that smaller sizes are available. So how to add a smaller size into your library, such as 1×1 for example? It is not that complicated and requires few steps. I will add here 1x1x1/8.
Go to the Ribbon > Home tab > Setting > Management Tools:
Start Table Editor:
Click on the Open Installed Databases icon in the upper left corner:
(please be advised that it might take a few seconds).
Open Astor Profiles:
Open the table associated to the existing profile to which a new size needs to be added.
HINT: How to identify the table? Search based on the Section Name displayed in the interface:
Look in the AstorProfiles database, and open the ProfileMasterTable.
Use the Find and Replace option in the language column:
Scroll right and find the column associated to the Advance Steel product language currently installed (e.g. for an US English installation, the column is called USEnglish, for UK English installation, the column is called English etc).
Once the definition line is found, note the table name from the TableName column and open it.
Select the last line:
Go to last row and enter a new line with the section size.
The columns require the following settings:
StandardName – the name that appears at the interface if the column with the installation language is left empty.
SectionName – the profile’s internal name that can be used in other configurations. It will not appear at the interface or in created documents. It can be the same as the StandardName.
Standards – set this value to 1.
Reserved – set it to 1 for a hot rolled section; 2 for a cold rolled section that is unwindable. For an unwindable section, the geometry needs to allow unfolding; the thickness has to be constant throughout the whole contour.
OwnerText – set it to the current Author (new authors can be added to Advance Steel from the Management Tools, Options category). A custom set Owner will allow the section to be merged to the next version.
Next, enter a series of geometric parameters. These vary based on section type.
You have to enter dimensions as metric values. To convert from imperial to metric, you can do it simply by multiplying its inch value by 25.4, so the 1 in in metric is 25.4 (millimeters) as you can see in the picture below:
Besides the geometric parameters, the profile also accepts design other parameters that are eventually used during connection design.
The last set of columns contains the language translation. Using this, a section can be named differently based on the product language used during installation, even if the section remains constant. If the translation column is left empty, Advance Steel uses the StandardName value.
Close the Management Tools.
Click Update Deafults on the Ribbon in Home tab in the Settings section:
You will find a new section in the drop-down menu:
After selection of the new size of the profile, the graphical representation will be updated on the screen:
You can adjust the positioning of the profile in a new size without making any additional tweaks to the library, just simply use a section Positioning:
The process of adding a custom size for an existing profile is completed.