Beam Tool

[Brett Brown]

Hi All, How do you show a beam with a solid fill in plan when 9 times out of ten it is above the cut plane. The solid fill is to block out the part of the column it is sitting on. I've tried all the displays and nothing seems to work. I have been told by Support that even complex profiles can't have a fill in plan view. Is this correct? I made a profile beam with the "X" in it for when cutting but it has no fill in plan. It seems to work when a beam cuts a column in Section,so how do you make it cut in Plan. Hope you can understand my explanation of what I am trying to do and can advise me of correct settings to achieve this.

[__archiben]

Brett wrote:
Hi All, How do you show a beam with a solid fill in plan when 9 times out of ten it is above the cut plane.

if it's above the cutplane what is it that you need to see?

The solid fill is to block out the part of the column it is sitting on. I've tried all the displays and nothing seems to work.

maybe it's the display of the column that you need to work on?

I have been told by Support that even complex profiles can't have a fill in plan view. Is this correct?

for beams, yes it is. complex profile columns or walls can have a plan 'cut fill'.

I made a profile beam with the "X" in it for when cutting but it has no fill in plan. It seems to work when a beam cuts a column in Section,so how do you make it cut in Plan. Hope you can understand my explanation of what I am trying to do and can advise me of correct settings to achieve this.

can you draw what you need to see? i'm not getting what it is about an overhead beam that you want to see in plan? unless of course this is for a reflected ceiling plan?

~/archiben

[Brett Brown]

Hi Ben, All I want to have is the beam have an outline and centre line (which it does) and be non transparent (might be a better way of explaining). Is there a reason why GS don't have a cut fill for the beam complex profile? Using a beam profile as joists and they don't block out the bearers below. Have been using the Cadimage Timber Member for this successfully. Thought the custom profile beam would work better. Perhaps not.

[Link]

You may want to support this wish.

Cheers,
Link.

[Brett Brown]

Thanks Link, Done. Unfortunately not many votes since April.

[__archiben]

Brett wrote:
Hi Ben, All I want to have is the beam have an outline and centre line (which it does) and be non transparent (might be a better way of explaining).

turn the column layer off? i'm not being facetious - i just can't think of a drawing type/specific instance where i want both to show and yet the the beams to hide the columns where they meet . . .

Is there a reason why GS don't have a cut fill for the beam complex profile? Using a beam profile as joists and they don't block out the bearers below. Have been using the Cadimage Timber Member for this successfully. Thought the custom profile beam would work better. Perhaps not.

i would imagine that it's something to do with dumb limitations of complex profiles: they only work in one direction along one axis. that said, however, walls and columns use a 'wipeout' cover fill when they're shown in 'outline' (either manually or projected). you could try using a column at 90º (if it will let you) set to 'outlines only' . . . seems like way too many hoops to jump through though! so again, it goes back to the "why" of your situation: why do you need the columns to be wiped out? what kind of drawing is it that you are producing?

~/archiben

[Brett Brown]

The beams are checked into top of posts so don't cover all of columns (Roof Framing Plan) I use a fill to do what I want but it is an extra process so hence the question why the beam tool doesn't have a "wipe out"?

[__archiben]

Brett wrote:
The beams are checked into top of posts so don't cover all of columns (Roof Framing Plan) I use a fill to do what I want but it is an extra process so hence the question why the beam tool doesn't have a "wipe out"?

fair enough . . . at what scale?!

~/archiben