Steel Beams Modeling

[Conrado Dominguez]

In a given model, the steel beams for the Second Floor are below the Floor Elevation by a dimension equal to the Floor deck.

With the beam placed on the 2nd floor level and their own layer, the seconf floor plan (2D) displays correctly using the Display order to have the floor deck obscure the beams below.

Question is, how can I have the same beams displayed in the floor below as overhead objects (dash lines) ?

Is it using dash line for the symbol line and Home and one Story below my only choice ?

Any tips welcome

[Erika Epstein]

If you don't need to see the beams on the second floor, assigning them instead to the first floor gives you the option to choose the overhead line type.

[Conrado Dominguez]

Thanks Erica.

Unfortunately is a complicated structure and I do need to see the beams in both floors. Also, I do not know if you noticed but the the Steel Beams 15 Library Parts do not give us the option of Projected with overhead.

Ultimately, I am placing the Beams coinciding with the way they are shown in the structural drawings and then using the Floor Plan View as Trace Reference to align elements below.

[Anonymous]

Structural work can be a bit tricky since the drawing conventions are different from architectural standards.

Do you need them to display for output or just for coordinating modeling? If the former you could overlay drawings in the layout. For the latter I usually just use references in plan and do most of my modeling and adjustment in 3D. Another trick is to open the structural drawing as a library part and use it for reference in 3D.

[Conrado Dominguez]

I'll try next time the Library Part suggestion, altough I am satisfied with "Place Extenal Draing" in a Worksheet and then using it as a Trace Reference.

Tnaks for the tip.