PLANTo3 Help
PLANTo3 Ribbon
Structural Boundary Line
1- Draw the structural boundary lines using AutoCAD polyline command.
2- Click on the Structural Boundary Line ribbon button.
3- The dialog box to the left appears where you can specify the Width of boundary line and the Dimension Distance/offset.
4- Click OK then you will be asked to select 2d Polyline.
Column Grid
1- Specify grid name.
2- Specify Bubble size.
3- If you check "Exact Length", the column grid will drawn be exactly from the start and end points you specify on screen, otherwise, the drawn column grid will start and end at the intersection points of dimension distance outline.
4- Move the cursor to a new point to draw the next column grid.
Units
Specifies drawing units system. It is important for calculating bill of materials and cost of components. This step must be done first in every new model/drawing.
View
This palette allows you to view the current drawing model by various options. Isolate, Hide and Show model components. There are 2 modes, one for the 3D stick Frame steel members where you can Isolate, Hide and Show one or more column grid's steel members. The other option allows you to also Isolate, Hide and Show Piping Components based on Name filtering, category (pipe, elbow, tee,...) or a specific line number.
Auto Frame
This palette allows you to automatically create 3D stick frame based on selected column grids and levels.
1- Specify No. of New Levels.
2- Specify Level Height (Applies to all levels by default).
3- Click calculate.
4- You can select a level and change its elevation using "Update Elevation".
5- You can add column extension to a selected level using :Column Extension" button.
6- Click "Create Levels" to draw the specified levels.
7- Select Levels and Grids (You can Select all for both). Click "Generate Frame" to draw the 3D Stick Frame.
8- "Delete Levels", deletes selected levels.
9- "Delete Frame", delete stick frame elements based on the selected levels and grids.
Manual Frame
This palette allows you to manually create 3D stick frame based on selected column grids and levels.
1- User the <Refresh> button to load the current levels and grids into the palette.
2- Use <Copy Floor> button to copy existing stick frame floor (level) to other specified levels.
3- <Check All> and <Uncheck All> allows you to check and uncheck all levels in the list.
4- Column, Beam, brace and Copy tabs has many options to draw 3D sticks.
Please watch the tutorial for more details.
Steel Modeling
This dialog box allows you to place structural steel members using the 3D stick frame.
1- Level Name, lists the available levels in the drawing if you created them.
2- Grid Name, lists the available column grids if you created them.
3- Check All for both Levels and Grids allow you to check all levels and/or grids listed.
4- <Insert Columns> button allows you to place current steel member shape in all checked levels and grids. (-Z Offset) allows you to specify how far first level columns extends below zero elevation for footings.
5- <Insert Beam> button allows you to place steel members in all checked levels and grids as horizontal beams.
6- <Insert Brace> button, allows you to place steel members in all checked levels and grids as diagonal beams.
7- <Insert Single> button, allows you to select 3D stick Frame sticks to be used as locations for steel members.
8- <Settings> button, loads AutoCAD steel member settings dialog box where you can specify which steel shape to be placed next time you use the above placement options. You can also use it to specify other options such as rotation angle and vertical offset.
BOM
This dialog box allows you to generate bill of material reports.
1- <Run for Selected Files> button, allows you to run the report for all selected files in the list.
2- <Run for Current Drawing Only> button, allows you to run the report for current drawing only.
3- <Open XML> button allows you to display previously generated BOM report that had been saved to an XML file (See BOM Report below).
4- <Browse> button, allows you to load the pricing file that had been saved from the BOM report dialog box(see below).
BOM Report
Please watch the above tutorial for details on how to use this report.