Beam Tool Settings

For a description of generic settings common to all tools in the Toolbox, see Working in Tool Settings Dialog Boxes.

The Beam tool is used for easy definition of beam structures.

See Beams for more information.

Beam Geometry and Positioning Panel

Beam Height: Enter a value for the height of the Beam.

Reference Axis Offset to Home Story: Enter a value here for the Beam’s elevation from the Home Story.

The reference axis for a normal Beam is always on the Beam’s upper face. By default, it is in the middle of the upper face, but can be offset.

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For profile Beams, the reference axis is the centerline of the profile.

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Bottom Elevation [to Reference level]: Calculates the current elevation of the Beam’s reference axis, as measured from the Reference level (by default, this Reference level is Project Zero). Click the pop-up arrow to change the Reference level, if needed.

Note: Reference levels are defined at Options > Project Preferences > Reference Levels.

For general information on levels, see Reference Levels Preferences.

Note: For inclined Beams, these elevations refer to the starting point of the Beam’s reference axis. For profile Beams, these height values refer to the height of the reference axis, which for profile Beams is the center of the profile.

Note: The Bottom Elevation shows the current elevation of the Beam reference axis. Thus, this value serves as a calculation tool only, not a link. If you change the position of a Reference level, the Beam will not change its position.

Home Story

Choose a Story to serve as the element’s Home Story.

The current story: The Beam’s Home Story will be the current story, on which it is placed.

Choose a story to which to link the Beam’s reference axis. Click Select Story to bring up the full list of stories in the project, if they are not all shown in the list.

The Beam’s reference axis is physically linked to its Home Story. If you later modify the Home Story’s position (e.g. redefine the floor level), the Beam will change its position.

If you change a Beam’s elevation so that its reference axis is moved to a different story, you have the option to make the Home Story change to match the element’s new location.

See Change Home Story by Elevation.

For more information, see Home Story.

Beam Structure

Rectangular or Complex: Click one of the two icons to choose either a basic beam with a rectangular cross-section, or else a profile (complex cross-section) beam.

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For more information on creating a complex (profile) beam, see Complex Profiles.

See also Use Standard Steel Column or Beam Profile.

For a rectangular (rectangular cross-section) Beam:

Enter a value for the Beam width.

Use the pop-up to choose its Building Material.

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For a Complex Profile Beam: use the pop-up to choose its Profile.

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Note: This pop-up shows only those Profiles whose “Use With” control includes Beams. Profiles are defined at Options > Element Attributes > Profile Manager.

Horizontal or Inclined: Click one of the two icons to create either a horizontal beam or an inclined beam.

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Slant Angle: If you choose the inclined beam, enter an inclination value in degrees.

Profile Rotation: If using a complex profile, you can rotate the profile by entering a rotation in degrees here.

See also Rotating Beam and Column Profiles.

Reference Axis Offset: Optionally, enter a value to offset the Reference Axis from the middle of Beam. By default, the reference axis runs in the middle of the Beam’s upper face.

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Beam Floor Plan and Section Panel

Floor Plan Display

Show on Stories: Choose an option to define which stories will display the beam.

All Relevant Stories: A beam will be displayed and editable on all stories which it intersects. Beams will be correctly joined with other elements on all stories where it is present.

Home Story Only: This beam will be displayed only on its Home Story.

Other options are to display the beam on All Stories; or its Home story plus one story up and/or down.

Floor Plan Display: Choose an option to define the Beam’s display on the Floor Plan.

Projected: shows cut part of element’s 3D model, plus its uncut (downward) part.

Projected with Overhead: shows cut part of element’s 3D model (i.e., as cut at the level of the Floor Plan Cut Plane), plus the element’s overhead part (i.e. the part of the element that is above the Floor Plan Cut Plane.

Cut Only: displays only the cut part, as cut with the Floor Plan Cut Plane.

Two additional abstract display options are available:

Outlines Only: the entire element’s outline is shown using its uncut attributes.

Overhead All: the entire element’s outline is shown using its overhead attributes.

The Show Projection pop-up contains three options. (These are available only when the Floor Plan Display option is set to one of the “Projected” options.)

to Floor Plan Range: Choose to show the element on a range of stories (the current story, plus a given number of stories above and below it.)

If you choose this option, then you can set the desired range (i.e. the number of stories on which to show this element in either direction) in Floor Plan Cut Plane Settings.

to Absolute Display Limit: Set a fixed lower limit (by default, this is Project Zero), then show all parts of the element above this limit.

If you choose this option, then go to Floor Plan Cut Plane Settings to set the Absolute Display Limit for this element.

Entire Element: The element will be displayed on all relevant stories.

For details, see Floor Plan Cut Plane Settings Dialog Box.

Cut Surfaces: In this section, set the attributes displayed for cut surfaces both in Section and on the Floor Plan.

For a rectangular Beam:

Define the cut line type and pen

For either a rectangular or a complex profile Beam:

If needed, override the fill foreground/background pens of this element (defined by default in the Building Material). To do this, choose Foreground, Background or Both from the Override Cut Fill Pens pop-up to access the respective controls.

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Outlines: Use these settings to define line types and pen colors to element outlines that fall above (Overhead) and/or below (Uncut) the Floor Plan Cut Plane.

Overhead Lines will be displayed if the Floor Plan Display pop-up is set to “Projected with Overhead” or “Overhead All”.

Uncut Lines will be displayed if the Floor Plan Display pop-up is set to “Projected” or “Outlines Only.”

Symbols: Use these controls to define settings for the beam’s symbolic components.

Beam End Lines: These options let you show or hide one or both end lines of the beam. (The end line is the contour line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the beam.)

Show Reference axis: Check this box to display the beam’s centerline in the 2D window.

If you check the “Show Reference axis” box, then choose a Reference Axis Line type and Reference Axis Pen color for the axis line.

Beam Model Panel

This panel affects the 3D display of the Beam.

Override Surfaces: Click the toggle button of any or all five pop-ups if you wish to override the surface assigned to this element (in its Building Material). You can override any or all of the five surfaces the left side, top, right side, bottom and both ends.

See also Override Surfaces With Surface Painter.

Note: Left side is defined by the left hand, looking from the first point to the next point of the Reference Axis of the Beam.

For a profile Beam, there are two surface override possibilities: Extrusion surface and Ends surface.

Note: You can also apply a Custom surface to any edge(s) of the profile element.

See Apply Custom Surface or Line to Profile Edge.

Click the chain icon to assign the last surface chosen to all faces and edges. Deselecting the chain icon will restore the surfaces that you originally set for each face/edge.

Note: The chain icon is available when all the surfaces use overrides.

For more information, see Surfaces.

Junction Order

Junction Order is relevant

when two Beams meet whose Building Materials have the same priority

when 3 or more Beams meet in a junction

A higher Junction Order number takes priority over the lower.

When 3 or more Beams meet in a junction, the relative Junction Order of each Beam determines which two Beams are joined first.

After the two highest-order Beams are joined, any additional Beams (of lower Junction Order) are joined subsequently.

Custom Texture Alignment: If this message is activated, it indicates that the currently selected beam (already placed in the project) has been assigned a custom 3D texture.

In this case, the Reset Texture button is also activated. Click to restore the origin of the Texture of the selected beam.

For more information, see Align 3D Texture.

Beam Hole Panel

Shape: Click one of the two icons to define either a rectangular or a circular Hole shape.

Contours on Plan: Click one of the two icons to select between alternative floor plan symbols for Hole (show outline of the Hole, or show its axis only.)

Size: Enter the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the Hole. For a circular hole, you will enter a diameter.

Position: Enter a value to set the distance of the center of the Hole from the top surface of the Beam.

For a detailed description, see Create a Hole in a Beam.

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