A workplane in Advance Steel is a named modeling plane that you can tie members to. Advance Steel makes one automatically for each level, but you can also make your own: in the Project Explorer, right-click in the Workplanes pane, choose Create Workplane and pick one of three methods. Then use Attach Elements to tie members to it.
What are workplanes used for?
Members attached to a workplane are held by it. A column attached to a workplane at its top and another at its bottom fits between the two. If the workplane moves, the attached end points move with it. And you can’t extend an attached member below its workplane.
That’s what makes levels in Advance Steel work: change a level’s elevation and everything tied to it follows. Manual workplanes give you the same control for things that aren’t on a floor level, like a sloped roof plane or a platform. For the level side of this, see levels in Advance Steel.
How do I create a workplane?
- Open the Project Explorer and go to the Workplanes pane.
- Right-click in the pane and choose Create Workplane.
3. In the Choose the Definition Method dialog, pick one of three methods: – At the current UCS, in the XOY plane – By three points – By origin and Z direction
Each one is described below. All three end the same way: you name the workplane, and Advance Steel draws it as a dashed rectangle with the name on it. The name also shows up in the Workplanes pane.
At the current UCS, in the XOY plane
Use this when the UCS is already where you want the plane.
- Pick a point in the model where the workplane goes.
- Type a name and press Enter.
By three points
Use this for sloped planes, like a roof.
- Pick the first point.
- Pick the second point.
- Pick the third point.
- Type a name and press Enter.
By origin and Z direction
- Pick the origin point.
- Pick the first point for the Z direction.
- Pick the second point for the direction. Polar tracking helps here.
- Type a name and press Enter.
How do I attach members to a workplane?
- In the Workplanes pane, right-click the workplane name and choose Attach Elements.
- Select the members you want to tie to it.
- Red points show up at the end nodes of the selected members. Select the points that should be attached and press Enter.
The members with selected points are now tied to the workplane.
What should I know before using workplanes?
- Attached members can’t go below the plane. You won’t be able to extend them past it.
- Use two workplanes to control a height. Attach the bottom points to one and the top points to the other, and the members stay between them.
- Pick only the points you mean. If you select both ends of a beam, the whole beam follows the workplane.
What to do when a workplane doesn’t do what you expect
- The member doesn’t move with the workplane. The wrong end point was attached. Attach Elements again and pick the right points.
- You can’t stretch a member. It’s held by a workplane. That’s by design; move the workplane, or attach the point to a different one.
- The workplane is in the wrong place or tilted. If you used the current UCS method, the UCS was off. Check the UCS and create it again. See UCS in Advance Steel explained.
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