Command - PrB_AutoApplySettings


With this command you can define how the software that automatically applies macros must react to new situations. The automatic applying is among other things started when we obtain a macro from the library. You must define these options for the macro source (the macro that resides in the drawing in the library).

The new, unconnected base profiles that the draftsman selects are compared to the base profiles of the macro from the library. With the aid of the options set with this command it will be decided firstly if the automatic applying is possible. If applying is possible, then the order and the location of the points that you selects in this command determines how the macro will be applied in all situations.

 

When starting this command you are first asked to select the macro of which you want to adapt the options. These options are stored inside each macro separately.

 

Afterwards you are asked to select the base profiles of the macro one for one.

The order in which you select the base profiles will also later determine the way the macro will be applied: for example an haunch connection: you select first the column and then the beam. When this macro is then being applied somewhere else then one must also select first the column and then the beam so that the connection will be oriented correctly.

Sometimes not only the order in which you select the base profiles matters, but also the position on the profile that you indicate can play a role for some connections. A bit further we explain this with some examples.

 

After you have selected all base profiles there will appear a dialog box with some options:

We will explore the options in this dialog box :

Does the orientation of the base profiles have to be the same?

If you enable this option, then the orientation of the base profiles of this macro will be compared with the orientation of the new base profiles and applying will be refused if the orientation differs too much.

This option must always be enabled except for some special macros that allow an orientation difference.

 

Don’t allow mirrored situations

The macro will never be applied if the new situation would be a mirrored macro.

Example: A connection with a U profile as base profile.

 

Allow but avoid mirrored situations

Avoid mirrored situations if possible, but mirror if it cannot be applied differently.

 

Allow mirrored situations

Always apply mirrored situations.

 

 

The following connection is an example where mirrored situations play a key role and it also explains the importance of where you select a base profile.

 

The above image is the image of the macro source itself (the drawing that resides in the macro library). The indicated points 1 and 2 were clicked in the Macro apply settings command. The bottom profile is therefore the first; the upper is the second base profile. The above image only illustrates the settings of the source macro, because it influences the way the macro will be applied.

 

With the following four scenarios we illustrate what happens if during the application of the above connection, the base profiles are indicated on other locations.

For each scenario the left image shows the selection that was made for applying of the macro. The right image is the result after the macro was applied with those selections.

 

Scenario 1:

    

The result of this scenario is no surprise: the base profiles were selected on exactly the same spots as those of the macro source. The macro is copied to exactly the same place as the source macro.

 

Scenario 2:

          

In this scenario the first base profile was selected on another spot, on the other side of the upper flange. The result is that the bent plate is also placed on that side of the flange. The bent plate was mirrored over 1 axis.

 

 

Scenario 3:

          

In this scenario the second base profile was selected on another spot, on the other side. Again we get a mirrored plate but at the opposite side of the second profile.

 

 

Scenario 4:

          

In this last scenario both the first and the last base profile were selected on another spot. The result is a double-mirrored plate.


 

As you can see, some macros can be copied in a lot of ways. With other macros, such as a haunch or an apex connection, only the order of the selection matters.