Beiträge von jmiller

Much obliged for the responses Jim, Der_Planer, and Wil!

Joe

I've got that all down. But, when I am doing something complicated, it isn't always easy to keep track of that down there. When working with less than 0.5 degrees (for example, I was working on a 16 sided structure, and, was trying to rotate the view 5.625 degrees {360/32}). Knowing which increment I was on isn't intuitive.

Since it is sometimes quicker to use 7-1 than creating custom user coordinate systems, knowing your exact viewpoint is a nice check, and, was hoping there was an easy way to see more down there.

Joe

In the lower right hand corner of all of the modules (Wall/ Roof / DiCAM etc) the viewing angle is shown, which is quite handy to check at times. However, it always rounds up to the nearest integer, which, when you are rotating at non-integer angles. (For example, when working with an octagonal structure, it can be useful to adjust your rotation angle to 22.5 or 11.25, etc)

Is there some way to make this show decimal places as well?

Joe

I have two chamfered rising plates (each with a different slope) meeting atop a post that is rotated to bisect the rising plates angle in plan view. How do I create a mortise / tenon for this joint? The post top is cut sloped/skewed, which means the mortises in the rising plates will not be perpendicular to any surface.

FYI the plates are approximating the elliptical outline of the structure.

?

Joe

We incorporate it with other information that is already in a spreadsheet format, and so far it has taken a very minimal amount of effort to get things lined up. With the promised estimating powers of upcoming releases though, it will probably be something we can do away with.

Joe

Changing the names would cause other problems for me (but probably not for others), since I use the name (after I export the timberlist as a csv into a spreadsheet) to designate estimating and ordering parameters.

But, either renaming or adding markers does not take that long.

Joe

I get a lot of requests for individual labeled members as well. Especially with rafters (which are normally a lot of the "same" pieces) we try to put them in some order so all of the crowned pieces are in a consistent order. So each one is cut identical, but you may have a wavy roof if you just choose them arbitrarily out of a stack.

So far, I've just added markers to things that were otherwise identical, and, this works just fine. It is a bit tedious though.

Rumor is in a new version, they will address this...

Joe

As far as 3d DXFs, it always exports them into units of meters (I don't think there is a way to set the scale?).

In my DXF viewer (autocad), I scale them up the factor of 39.37, (1 meter / 1 inch) to convert back to english units.

Joe

Jorge,

Below is a post I made from earlier in the year RE exporting centerlines versus exporting Dietrichs axis lines, and it works in 6.02. (Your note about sending it to the engineer is what made me think of it.)

Joe

Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 9:35 pm
Post subject: Re: 3D DXF export of just center lines (axis)?

In DiCAM, if you use the 1-03-3 option to "transfer plane frames", you can automatically draw most of the element centerlines on each plane very easily. Since these are drawn as "assisting geometry" they can be exported into a 3d-DXF.

If you have a few "odd" elements (hips, valleys, etc) that cannot be transferred easily to a meaningful plane in the building, you can turn on the axis lines, use 4-5-1 (draw a free line) and draw a few lines from end to end of the member axis you still need. Then export the 3d-dxf with a "assisting geometry" turned on.

As far as engineering goes, this is much better than the axis lines, since this puts planar elements on the same plane, even if their axis don't quite line up (for example, if they are different thicknesses). It also creates all of the proper node locations for easily inserting into an engineering / finite element program. For more engineering softwares, you need a node (or line end) at each intersection in the structure.

All in all it shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes to export all of the centerlines of the elements in a format that can be direct input for the engineer.

Even if you were able to export the axis directly, he would still have to spend several hours making all of the centerlines match up.

Hope this helps,

Joe

Another oddity.

On a different member, the entire thing disappears when I add a drilling. The center lines of the drillings still show up, but that is it.

Joe

okie dokie.

At least it isn't just me.

Joe

Yes. They are wide enough to be shown (about 5 times larger than the minimum).

The last drilling on the list of processes is the one that is not showing properly. If I move it up the list, then it looks just fine, and the last drilling on the list disappears.

Joe

Occasionally I create a drilling which doesn't show up. The centerline of the drilling does, but, not the cutout of the member. Sometimes moving the drilling process up on the list helps, but, not always.

Does anybody know what is going on?

I hope I'm not just missing something like my last problem...

Joe

Never mind. Once I wrote "section of a cone", I thought "hey, wait a minute, I can draw a cone in D-CAM.

Joe

I am currently working on a project that has 60 round (turned) rafters spanning radially from a center carrying post. The round carrying post is tapered from 25" in diameter to 17" over the length. (Essentially a section of a cone.)

Is there an elegant way to model this in D-CAM? I could draw a 25" diameter log, and then cut a bunch of facets on it, but, any other way?

Joe

For moldings and other complex shapes, I normally draw the cross section of the member with lines, and then use the extrude command (2-5) to add length to it. This works quite well, and allows you to make all sorts of odd shapes, including ogees and the like.

There may be easier ways, but this how I've been doing it.

Joe

I don't recall exactly as I don't have the receipt here, but, I believe it was like $150US or there abouts. (?) That was a year or two ago, though, so...

Yes, it did cost extra to get that module, but the benefits of sharing the information with others (most softwares can read a DXF) outweighed the relatively minor cost.

Joe

You can export a 3d DXF and open that in AutoCAD.

Layers, text, dimensions, etc normally come through pretty well.

Joe

In DiCAM, if you use the 1-03-3 option to "transfer plane frames", you can automatically draw most of the element centerlines on each plane very easily. Since these are drawn as "assisting geometry" they can be exported into a 3d-DXF.

If you have a few "odd" elements (hips, valleys, etc) that cannot be transferred easily to a meaningful plane in the building, you can turn on the axis lines, use 4-5-1 (draw a free line) and draw a few lines from end to end of the member axis you still need. Then export the 3d-dxf with a "assisting geometry" turned on.

As far as engineering goes, this is much better than the axis lines, since this puts planar elements on the same plane, even if their axis don't quite line up (for example, if they are different thicknesses). It also creates all of the proper node locations for easily inserting into an engineering / finite element program. For more engineering softwares, you need a node (or line end) at each intersection in the structure.

All in all it shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes to export all of the centerlines of the elements in a format that can be direct input for the engineer.

Even if you were able to export the axis directly, he would still have to spend several hours making all of the centerlines match up.

Hope this helps,

Joe