Frame Wright Help...Anybody???

[Anonymous]

I need to cut a hole in a series floor joists for a circular stairway. How is this possible?

[Dwight]

When posting on ArchiCAD TALK, one usually says what version of the software they are using since a problem like yours would have different solutions depending on the version they operated.

Assuming that you are in Version 9.0:

If you need to maintain structural integrity in your joists, then they'll need to be completely remodeled with trimmer joists, but if you just want to cut a hole, the Solid Element Operation [SEO] lets you use any element to cut a void from another. You could make a slab the size of your opening and tell it to cut the joists. There are SEO layer and SEO setup tricks in the manual.

[Ralph Wessel]

Kristen wrote:
I need to cut a hole in a series floor joists for a circular stairway. How is this possible?

An exact solution depends on the way you intend to frame the opening, but hopefully the attached illustrations will give you enough information to work it out.

Image 'Step1.jpg' shows a simple set of joists. I start by using the FrameWright 'Split' tool to cut an opening, and then inserting a couple of trimmers at the opening (see 'Step2.jpg'). Finally, I use the FrameWright 'Insert Equal Curve' tool to place a radial piece of timber in one corner, and then use ArchiCAD's 'Multiply' tool to copy it to the other 3 corners ('Step3.jpg')

Hope this helps.