Structural steel sections & profile manager

[Anonymous]

Assuming that I'd get a chance to test ArchiCAD in a project... (Been only looking at the demo for a few hours and it looks quite appealing, I must say.)

How does one - in real world - (i) create and (ii) manage even a modest selection of steel sections? Is there something in the profile manager I don't get?

I mean: if I have the standard hot rolled sections from channels to IPE & HE A/B/C, stock sizes of RHS, SHS and RHS etc., is there an efficient way to store & select sizes? Can the profile be a parametric object?

[TomWaltz]

You don't. The steel sections are built into the Object library already.

The "beam" and "column" tools are really not effective for steel shapes. They are better for structural wrapping (drywall, fireproofing, etc) or for trimwork.

[Anonymous]

TomWaltz wrote:
You don't. The steel sections are built into the Object library already.

I've noticed. OK - I know very little about ArchiCAD, this may be perfectly obvious to everyone else but me:

How do I make the steel section beam Library Object to be in an angle (vertically) and have its ends vertical as they would be with the Beam Tool?

In addition, how do I make it default that an Object Library Beam goes into IF-class beams? The object I'm looking at has no IF-class whatsoever ("Undefined").

---

I'm not here to start another argument, but comments like "you don't" are simply annoying. A defence mechanism for fundamental flaws in one's religion? (Right, I did it again... bugger...)

[TomWaltz]

Petri wrote:
I've noticed. OK - I know very little about ArchiCAD, this may be perfectly obvious to everyone else but me:

How do I make the steel section beam Library Object to be in an angle (vertically) and have its ends vertical as they would be with the Beam Tool?

In addition, how do I make it default that an Object Library Beam goes into IF-class beams? The object I'm looking at has no IF-class whatsoever ("Undefined").

---

I'm not here to start another argument, but comments like "you don't" are simply annoying. A defence mechanism for fundamental flaws in one's religion? (Right, I did it again... bugger...)

I was just about to answer your question. They are all easy tasks... until I saw that little comment. I wasn't trying to be sarcastic or caustic at all. I was just answering your original question.

Maybe you can find someone else to help who will be less annoying to you.

[Anonymous]

TomWaltz wrote:

Maybe you can find someone else to help who will be less annoying to you.

I don't think so. I've established that ArchiCAD cannot do certain things that are essential to my work and that the Defenders of Faith will fiercely attack anyone who questions the doctrine.

Never mind. I'll get the job done with software that does not require a membership of a Church and adherence to its arcane and ridiculous rituals.

[TomWaltz]

Right... you can't figure it out, so it can't be done... you don't like the way someone answered your question (and use a software that does not work the way your old one did), so we're a cult...

[Djordje]

Petri wrote:

TomWaltz wrote:

Maybe you can find someone else to help who will be less annoying to you.

I don't think so. I've established that ArchiCAD cannot do certain things that are essential to my work and that the Defenders of Faith will fiercely attack anyone who questions the doctrine.

Never mind. I'll get the job done with software that does not require a membership of a Church and adherence to its arcane and ridiculous rituals.

Hmmmmm ...

You should understand that you don't know everything. The fact that someone wants to tell you how something is done in a certain environment is not preaching. It is pure help.

As long as you are happy, get the job done. Or not. But, never blame the tool. Most of the software usage problems are between the chair and the keyboard. No software can do anything. It is us who know - or not - how to do it using a certain software. It is also us who make the mistake of expecting the software we know less or not at all to work as the one we know. Road to hell.

Just look into the parameters of the steel beam, and it will be obvious. The end cutting planes angles are pretty obvious, even if you refuse to learn.

If you want to change one library part to another, pick up its properties by ALT click, open the Library manager, transfer the parameters by CTRL ALT click on the preview thumbnail in the library folder, change to that library part.

Does not hurt at all. And, it is no shame not to know anything - one should be ashamed of not looking for knowledge.

Off the soapbox ...

[Anonymous]

TomWaltz wrote:
Right... you can't figure it out, so it can't be done... you don't like the way someone answered your question (and use a software that does not work the way your old one did), so we're a cult...

It is symptomatic to a cult that "you don't" and "you do" in one.

But AFAK, never mind indeed. Referring to Djorde's post, I think I made a serious error in downloading the Finnish version of ArchiCAD. Not only have the good M.A.D.-men & -women invented new words in the Finnish language (which is, mind you, theoretically quite OK), they have not translated the help system!

Furthermore, I'm in Demo mode. The said M.A.D.-men & -women do not know how to activate the trial mode. There may be features and functions that are classified as "copy" (not doable in Demo mode.)

Despite & nevertheless, ArchiCAD seems to offer quite a lot of things my old software doesn't. In a very limited timeframe I have to assess the usefulness (both for myself and the client) of ArchiCAD. I need to convince myself that the additional capabilities are worth more than the capabilities I lose. In this process, I have absolutely no use for comments that require subordination to The Way of ArchiCAD and donning a turmeric-yellow robe & showing respect to The Guru. I just need to know if the program can do things that are essential.

Right. Where am I? Kill process DIATRIBE...

Profile Manager:

Capture element’s profile: If a Wall/Column/Beam element is selected in the active model window, click this button to capture the element in the Profile Editor window as a new profile element.

"Capture" looked very promising, but was disabled. Obviously, as I finally realised, not because of the Demo mode, but because of the concept. In demo mode, I cannot establish whether I can paste something in the Profile Editor window. If I can, I think I'll manage (not in an ideal fashion, but nevertheless).

Regardless, would it be too difficult (or against the Doctrine - here I go again!) to enable a selected polygon to be captured? Better still, the "shape" of an object.

What is the shape! Maybe the fill, maybe whatever is defined as "something". It's 15 years since I did GDL-programming, but surely there is a mechanism in GDL for structuring the 2D-component?

[Anonymous]

Just look into the parameters of the steel beam, and it will be obvious. The end cutting planes angles are pretty obvious, even if you refuse to learn.

Thank you very much for your encouraging and ever-so-positive attitude! The other patronizing guy calls himself Guru, so you must be either Buddha or Vishnu.

No, they are not obvious. I'm sure they are obvious to the Initiated & Blessed, but not to us Pagans.

[Djordje]

Petri wrote:
Thank you very much for your encouraging and ever-so-positive attitude! The other patronizing guy calls himself Guru, so you must be either Buddha or Vishnu.

No, they are not obvious. I'm sure they are obvious to the Initiated & Blessed, but not to us Pagans.

At the cost of endangering my life, I will reveal the secret of initiation:

Sit for an hour with someone who knows Archicad. Don't try to decipher everything by yourself. Preferably your dealer/reseller, as he has an interest in selling the software to your company, and has to put up with your rants and overall anger.

Trust me, I know your anger - it sprouts from not understanding what's happening and not asking for help. I felt it in 1994, with a small difference of having nobody to ask. When I finally found somebody, I did not react as you did, but listened. Holding your ground is well and good, being unreasonable and insulting people is not.

Now if you'll excuse me, even deities can't escape the mobs, gotta hide ...