Member Attributes (on page 118)
Modify Additional Attributes (on page 247)
Defaults Solid Members
The Settings > Defaults > 3D Solids commands are a part of the FrameWorks Plus operating parameters. FrameWorks Plus maintains a set of default solid member parameters used in the placement of those members. These parameters are stored in the model database with the Save FWP Settings command and can be modified with this command. The attributes defined using this command relate to general properties and nongraphical information about the solid.
The Type pulldown menu allows you to change the solid member type. When you have modified the default parameters for a particular member type, click OK or Apply to make these new parameters active. Click Cancel to exit the command and dismiss the dialog box.
Name - Specifies the mode with which member names are assigned: Specify or Auto. When set to Specify, names are manually assigned using the string in the Name key-in field. The key-in field accepts any alphanumeric string, up to 24 characters in length. When set to Auto, names are assigned automatically according to the parameters defined using AutoName (on page 134).
Class - Member class is an integer value, ranging from 0 to 9, which can be used for grouping of members for reports and other operations.
FrameWorks Plus Reference Guide 133
Material - Defines the solid member's material type. Click Select to activate the Material selection box. The materials listed for selection are read directly from the material.dat file. For more information on the material.dat file, see Modify Material (on page 244).Grade - Displays the active grade name. This grade is assigned to the solid member. Click Select to activate the Material Grade selection box. The grades listed for selection are read directly from the grade.dat file. For more information on the grade.dat file, see Modify Material Grade (on page 244).
Named Groups - Activates the Default Named Groups dialog box, which is used to define the default named group to which the member is assigned at placement. For more information about the Default Named Groups dialog box and named groups in general, see Named Groups (on page 245).
More Attributes - Activates the More Solid Attributes dialog box, which is used to define default values for the solid. You can customize the selectable values for attributes by editing the
attributes.dat file, which is delivered in the ..\FWPlus\Data folder. For more information, see Modify Additional Attributes (on page 247).
If you plan to write a Steel Detailing Neutral File (SDNF) from a project, you must take administrative action to safe guard the attributes.dat file from unauthorized editing. FrameWorks Plus writes the code listed value (1, 2, 3, and so forth) of the attribute value to the SDNF, not the text string. For example, if you assign a coating of Painted to a member, FrameWorks Plus writes the code listed value of 4, not Painted, to the SDNF. Because the code listed values are written to the SDNF, you must send the attributes.dat file with the SDNF so that the receiving party can correctly interpret the SDNF. After the SDNF has been written, you cannot edit existing values in the attributes.dat file. For example, you cannot change the number 4 code list entry for Coatings to
134 FrameWorks Plus Reference Guide
be None because the SDNF was written with number 4 being Painted. Changing 4 to None would cause a miscommunication between you and the party you sent the SDNF to. The only edits to the attributes.dat file that would be okay would be to add values to a list. For example, you could add several more available coating to your list as long as you did not change existing coating entries.Apply - Saves the settings without exiting the dialog box.
OK - Saves the settings and exits the dialog box.
Cancel - Exits the dialog box without saving any changes.
See Also
Default Member (on page 217)
Defaults Solid Members (on page 132)
AutoName
The Settings > AutoName command is used to review and define the automatic member naming parameters. Like all other operating parameters, these values are stored in the FrameWorks Plus model database using the Save FWP Settings command.
FrameWorks Plus is flexible when assigning names to members. Names can be specified during member placement by simply keying in the name, or you can have FrameWorks Plus
automatically assign a name to each member as it is placed. The parameters defined using this command determine how the automatic names are created. For more information on assigning member names, see Member Attributes (on page 118).
You can change the active member type using the Type pulldown menu at the top of the dialog box.
Auto Increment - When on, FrameWorks Plus generates a unique name (using the defined settings) for each member as they are placed. The name's Index portion is automatically incremented after each member is placed.
Order - Specifies the order of the name components. If Suffix is active, it must be the last component in the name. You cannot define the same order number to two different components.
FrameWorks Plus Reference Guide 135
Label - Specifies a user-defined label for the member name. The Label can contain both letters and numbers up to nine characters long.Index - The index is a numerical parameter used in the formation of the name. The Index is automatically incremented by one if the Auto Increment parameter is on. You must type a value between 1 and 65,000.
Member ID - Adds the FrameWorks Plus member ID to the member name. FrameWorks Plus maintains three different member ID lists: one list for slabs, walls, and solids; one list for arc members; and one list for beams, columns, and braces. The member ID is unique to each list.
However, members in different lists can have the same member ID number.
Model ID - Adds the model's ID number to the member name. The model ID is unique to each model in a project and is displayed in the ( ).
Model Name - Adds the model name to the member name. The model name is unique to each model in a project and is displayed in the ( ).
Suffix - Specifies a name suffix. The suffix can contain both letters and numbers up to nine characters long.
Delimiter - Specifies the character to use to separate the different name components. The delimiter can be any ASCII character including a space. The default is an underscore ( _ ).
Preview - Displays the member name as currently defined. The name is formed by combining the prefix, index, member ID, model ID, model name, suffix, and delimiter in the specified order to form a single character string. The maximum length is 24 characters.
Apply - Saves the name settings for the active member type.
Cancel - Exits the command.
See Also
Default Member (on page 217)
Defaults Linear Members (on page 122) Defaults Solid Members (on page 132) Modify Additional Attributes (on page 247)
Levels
The Settings > Levels command defines the MicroStation levels to use for the different FrameWorks Plus graphics.
FrameWorks Plus stores only minimal graphics in the model design file to maintain small file sizes and optimal performance. The permanent graphics created by FrameWorks Plus and stored in the model design file fall into three categories: grid lines and labels, frozen (drawing) view graphics, and member lines. Apart from user-created graphics placed with standard MicroStation drafting commands, all the graphics in your design file fall into these three categories.
FrameWorks Plus provides a default level scheme when the model is created. Using this
command, you can review and modify the levels for the grid lines and labels, and define the range of levels to be used for frozen view graphics. You can use any levels you want. However, because FrameWorks Plus uses these level assignments to maintain proper displays in the model view, you should set these values before the model is built. The levels should not be changed after modeling has begun. Save the level assignments with the Save FWP Settings command.
Levels are defined for the member lines using Member Symbology (on page 137).