topic Re: TrussMaker ( Can it be this limited? ) in Modeling

TrussMaker ( Can it be this limited? )

Gerald Hoffman — Tue, 23 May 2023 13:13:51 GMT

I don't normally use TrussMaker but I am doing some condo projects with
Steel roof framing and thought I would give it a try. I started doing my 1st girder truss which has a W 12x35 bottom chord and TS 6x6 Top chords and webs. I have looked at the manual which was a little thin on this but I don't seem to be able to select these different steel sections in the same truss window.

Anyone know if I am just missing something or if this is possible in a workaround.

Thanks in advance.

Re: TrussMaker ( Can it be this limited? )

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:59:15 GMT

Hello Gerald,
You compose your truss lines using different pen colors
for each different member type making up your truss then
select each pen color and select the cross section you want
for that member.
Peter Devlin

Re: TrussMaker ( Can it be this limited? )

Gerald Hoffman — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:05:12 GMT

Peter,

Thanks for the reply. Yes I did that but when you get into the dialogue box to select the different type of members it seems you can only select either W sections or box/round sections but not both. I actually have 3 different colors as the TS sections of the top chords are a different thickness from the webs.

Re: TrussMaker ( Can it be this limited? )

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:50:23 GMT

Hello Gerald,
Yes, I see what you mean.
You might try making two trusses
to compose your truss and use SEO
to fix the joints then group the two
objects and save as a new library part.
Fairly lame work-around I know.
Peter Devlin

Re: TrussMaker ( Can it be this limited? )

Steve Jepson — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 19:49:50 GMT

Gerald,

Can you show us the truss you want to model?

Re: TrussMaker ( Can it be this limited? )

Gerald Hoffman — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:30:11 GMT

Steve,

Here is a pdf of the truss. You will see that the bottom chord is a W 12x35 and the rest of the truss is made up of TS 6x6's.

Thanks for taking a look.

Re: TrussMaker ( Can it be this limited? )

Steve Jepson — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:21:44 GMT

like this

Re: TrussMaker ( Can it be this limited? )

Steve Jepson — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:31:29 GMT

this is the object

Re: TrussMaker ( Can it be this limited? )

Gerald Hoffman — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:31:30 GMT

Steve that is pretty close although the tails of the top chords don't overshoot the extent of the W12x35 but close enough for this thread. It looks to me like you made the upper part using TrussMaker without the bottom member and added that in afterwards. If not please explain your method as in my version of TrussMaker I cannot select a W12x35 as the bottom and the square TS members in the same operation.

Cheers,

Re: TrussMaker ( Can it be this limited? )

Steve Jepson — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:48:42 GMT

yes, it is not accurate. Just an illustration.

No truss maker at all. All slabs. I stretched the .pdf to scale in ArchiCAD.

Then drew the critical lines. at designated pitch. The .pdf is there only so I don't have to keep scrolling around to see it. Lines are drawing per dimensions.
From here, there are to many ways to list. You could use walls, fills, slabs, what ever you feel like at the time. I used walls 6" wide with centerline, and and some with reference lines on the edge to place the web members and the top chord. Then I exploded them, cleaned up the lines, which now outline the web members and top chord. Next I set the slab thickness to 6" clicked inside the lines and all of web members and the top chord are made at the same time with just one click.
I use a wall 6.5" wall ( looked up the width from ArchiCAD steel sections, my book is to far away) for the top and bottom chords of the w 12X35

I used a slab 1/2" thick for the web. The magic wand does most of this with one click.

Next i drew a cross section through it so I could move the parts to the proper place,

I used walls for those flanges on the bottom chord.

The last step is to view it in 3d from the top and save it as an object.
that way it will be placed vertical in the drawing.

Re: TrussMaker ( Can it be this limited? )

Gerald Hoffman — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:00:25 GMT

Steve thanks for doing all that work. I could do that as well and do make objects in this fashion if required but the point of this thread question was to eliminate all of those steps and be able to use TrussMaker for what it was designed for. My point is that it seems to be quite limited. If you have trusses with different section types it does not seem possible to do it in one process.

If I had one or two trusses like this I would just do it like you did although it is not really BIM. Sections would not show properly etc. This project has over 50 different truss configurations this just being one of them.

Re: TrussMaker ( Can it be this limited? )

Steve Jepson — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:11:24 GMT

Yes, I understand your question. Yes, I think it is very limited.

I wanted to illustrate why I think the truss tool is not worth it.
Same goes for the Stair Maker. Not worth it.

Setting the a slab thickness and using the magic wand is far less steps than you need to do in making the truss maker work, and the end result you get from the truss maker is seldom exactly what you want.

Another advantage to modeling the trusses is that you can get the welds to show up exactly where they are. In sections your truss will be perfect. Even weld lines will show up if you model it.

It is totaly BIM. The object/truss will have an ID and will show up in a schedule. I use the same ID that the truss has on the truss diagram.

I don't think I have ever managed to create a truss using the truss maker that was perfect. Even on very simple trusses.