To add a custom profile size in Advance Steel, open the Table Editor (Management Tools), find the table for that shape (for example rectangular hollow sections), copy an existing row, change the name and dimensions, then save and restart Advance Steel. The new size then shows up in the section drop-down like any other.
The Advance Steel section library is big, but sooner or later you’ll need a size that isn’t in it. For example, the rectangular hollow sections in my library start at 2x2x1/8, and smaller tubes are definitely out there. You don’t have to build a whole new profile for that. You can add the size to the existing table, and it shows up in the drop-down like any other size. Here I’ll add a 1x1x1/8 tube. It takes a few steps, but none of them are hard.
Before you start, close any open projects you don’t need and back up your database, or at least note what you change. You’re editing the installed library.
How do I add a custom profile size?
Step 1: Open the Table Editor
- Go to Home tab > Settings > Management Tools.
- Start the Table Editor.
- Click the Open Installed Databases icon in the upper left corner. It can take a few seconds.
- Open AstorProfiles.
Step 2: Find the right table
Each profile type has its own table, and you need to add the size to the right one. The easiest way to find it is by the section name you see in the Advance Steel interface:
- In the AstorProfiles database, open ProfileMasterTable.
- Use Find and Replace to search for that section name in the language column.
The language column is the one for the language your Advance Steel is installed in. You’ll need to scroll right to find it. For a US English install it’s called USEnglish; for UK English it’s English.
- When you find the line, note the name in the TableName column and open that table.
Step 3: Add the new size
- Select the last line of the table.
- Go to the last row and enter a new line for your size.
Here’s what goes in the columns:
- StandardName: the name shown in the interface if the language column is left empty.
- SectionName: the internal name of the profile, used in other configurations. It doesn’t show in the interface or on drawings. It can be the same as StandardName.
- Standards: set to 1.
- Reserved: 1 for a hot rolled section, 2 for a cold rolled section that can be unfolded. For it to unfold, the thickness has to be the same all around the shape.
- OwnerText: set to the current author. You can add authors in Management Tools under Options. Setting your own owner lets the section carry over when you upgrade to the next version.
Next come the geometric parameters. They depend on the section type.
Enter the dimensions in millimeters, even on an imperial project. Multiply inches by 25.4, so 1″ is 25.4 mm and 1/8″ is 3.175 mm.
After the geometry there are other properties that are used for connection design. The last columns are translations. They let the same section show a different name depending on the install language. If you leave the translation empty, Advance Steel uses the StandardName.
Step 4: Update and use the new size
- Close the Management Tools.
- On the Home tab, Settings panel, click Update Defaults.
- The new size is now in the drop-down:
When you select it, the member updates on screen:
You can position the new size with the regular Positioning settings. Nothing extra to set up in the library.
That’s it. The new size is in your library.
If the shape you need doesn’t exist at all, not just the size, see creating a new custom profile in Advance Steel.
Why doesn’t my new size show up?
- Advance Steel is still running with the old database. Close and reopen it.
- It’s in the wrong table. Check you added the row to the table for that shape family.
- A required column is blank. Copy a full existing row and change only what you need.
Should I add a size or create a new section?
If the shape exists and you only need another size, add a row like this. If the shape itself isn’t in the library, create a new custom section.
