Steel Shape Profiles vs. Library Objects

[Laura Yanoviak]

Can anyone tell me a significant advantage of using the new steel shape Profiles over the steel shape Library Objects? It seems odd to have to create a redundant library of parts (Profiles) for use with the Beam and Column Tools.

[TomWaltz]

There is none. More than anything, there is also no way to organize/sort the profiles into any kind of group or subset, so you would have dozens of profiles to sift through any time you used them.

I would stick with the Library Object, which is already there and works quite well.

[Dwight]

and objects might also get counted correctly in a material take off.

[Anonymous]

The profiled beams have the advantage of being freeform and cleaning up to each other, columns, and walls. I agree with Tom and Dwight that for predefined structural steel (W sections etc) the library parts are better.