Custom Steels
Custom Steels allows to place user profiles using the characteristics of the tool IPROSteels, such as the points of attachment and the cuts at the ends. User profiles are to be stored in the library ICMechanical.
For a detailed explanation to create a custom steels, see here.
Components
The first drop down button that is used to select the category of custom steel profile. The second drop down button is used to select the type of steel profile.
This button allows you to select the display of steel: details, icons or tiles.
The last icons group is use to activate the attachment point (more info here).
below is a preview of the selected profile, the icon to activate the cuts at the ends (more info here) and a combo to select the profile details (if present, more info here),
the green arrow lets you choose how to give the feature: only this steel, to all those in the assembly, or to all of the scene.
Parameters
- Material - Using this combo box, the user could select the code of the material related to the component.
- Length - In this text box the user can insert the value of the length of element, the icon at right (wand) allows to detect the size until the first element that intersects forward. Dec. - is the combo box that allows you to choose the precision for the inclusion of the measure.
BOM Information
The bottom section of the dialog contains the items useful to set the information related to the component. The section is divided in two parts: BOM Information and Custom Information.
BOM Information section contains the same options of the other components.
Part Number can also be generated using the Numbering tool
For a detailed explanation of the other items see BOM information
Status bar
If you click on icon Library Data Manager starts to modify the description and the rules to create the bill of materials.
Steel Cut Settings
Steels components have a drop down section that enables you to set the properties of the cut end to the element. These are the items and the options available in this section:
- Start Section - This check is used to activate the cut into start, there are two options, the first is a combo box for select the orientation of the cut at step of 90°, the second is a text box for define the angle of inclination.
- End Section - This check is used to activate the cut at the end, there are two options, the first is a combo box for select the orientation of the cut at step of 90°, the second is a text box for define the angle of inclination.
Create Attach Points
Steels components have a three buttons that enables you to set the attachment points of the steels associated to the other steels. In fact IPROSteels can automatically create and associate start and end to any steels placed in the scene. These are the items and the options available in this section:
- First button - align the new element with the reference.
- Second button - align alongside the head of the reference.
- Third button - align over the head of reference.
By clicking on the buttons repeatedly, the element that is being placing, will rotate with respect to the four faces in the side or in the head.
| Second bt - align alongside the head | Third bt - align over the head |
|---|---|
 |  |
Placement of Associated Steels
The Custom Steels has some useful behaviors which improve your productivity. In fact when you drop the tool over an existing steels component, Custom Steels automatically gets the existing parameters and associate the new component to the existing one. Furthermore, if you activate Create Attach Points, the new steels will be connected to the end.
Custom Steels along a 2D or 3D path
Automatically positions Custom Steels along a 2D or 3D path, even with the ability to offset.
Before drop the command in the scene, select a 2D profile or a 3D curve, then select Place Along Selected Path, this creates as many custom steels as there are lines in the path and cuts off the ends at the bisector.
Edit of Steels length
You can change the length of the steels editing the component with a double click. Anyway if you select the IShape length of the component, you can change it dragging the handle in the desired position. Furthermore all the BOM Information, Part Name and Custom Data are updated.
How to create a custom library
In the Profiles folder (path: ..\ICMechanical\Library\Profiles) you can create a personal folder in which to save your profiles a FileName.ics file with the profile, and a FileName.jpg file with the preview image to be shown in the dialog box (if the .jpg is not present, the preview of .ics is used).
How to create a multiple profiles for choose detail
- Create two or more Intellishape into a same Part,
- in each 2d section draw the appropriate profile steel,
- profiles and intellishape must all be in the same position,
- the center of the profile must match the origin of the 2d section,
- change the name to Intelishape and precede it with the symbol
_(the name given to intellishape is what shows up in the combo box), - suppress all the Intellishape except the one is to be used as default.
The data structure behind Custom Steels
All components Custom Steels has behind him one data file - IPROLib_BOM.ini placed in the Profiles folder (path: ..\ICMechanical\Library\Profiles).
This file is used to manage the automatic generation of PartNumber, Description and Custom data.
As you can see, under each FolderName it is possible to place several records. Every record refers to a particular file.
You can add the name of your folder and fill in the various fields; if you do not, the data (Name, PartNumber, Description, Material) to fill in the BOM will be as set in each individual file.
Every record contains these fields:
- FolderName -> Folder containing the 3D file
- ComponentName-> Name of the Component
- PartNumber-> Code of the Component
- Description -> Description of the Component
- CustomDataFile-> DataFile containing the custom data to add for this kind of component more info
- Material -> Directly assigns the material in the CustomProfiles.dat file more info
- MaterialFile -> Material file to show in the Material ComboBOX, if not specified the CustomProfiles.dat file is loaded
You can edit this file with Library Data Manager
For example, this is the structure of a IPROLib_BOM.ini file
# Parameters used in these schema are:
# <C> FileName of element
# <L> Sizebox Length of the component
# <N> Folder of element
# <M> Material
# <A1> Start taper Angle for Steels
# <A2> Start orientation Angle for Steels
# <O1> End taper Angle for Steels
# <O2> End orientation Angle for Steels
#
# Character ";" is used as separator
#
# All other characters are left unchanged......
#
# The <DEFAULT> record is used if the component name is not
# defined inside the file. In other words, when you want apply
# the same record to all the entries of a FolderName,
# set ComponentName as <DEFAULT>
#
# FolderName; ComponentName; PartNumber; Description; CustomDataFile; Material; MaterialFile
#
AluFlex Item; <DEFAULT>; ALU<C>x<L>; ALUFLEX <C>x<L>;
Serie2000; <DEFAULT>; S2000<C>x<L>; S2000 <C>x<L>; Steel.dat
Bosch_Rexroth; <DEFAULT>; BOSCH<C>x<L>; BOSCH <C>x<L>; DIN2440
Bosch_Rexroth; 38429035 Profil 60x60; 38429035; Profil 60x60;
Bosch_Rexroth; 38429052 Profil 45x45; 38429052; Profil 45x45;
...
...
FBV; Profilo30x30_1C; P030030C1; <C> H<L>; CustomFBV1C.dat
FBV; Profilo30x30_2A; P030030C2A; <C> H<L>; CustomFBV2A.dat
...
...