Xsteel Tutorial Drawing classifier

Introduction
Overview
The Classifier adds an extra level of control to drawing properties for different types of part.
It can be applied to
Appearance
Dimensioning
Labeling
Parts are classified using filtering options
Several different settings of properties can be set up in a drawing or view, based on part classification.
This means it is now possible to alter the appearance and information presented on the drawing of different
objects for example beams, columns, cold rolled can have different labeling and color on a GA drawing;
endplates, shear tabs, gussets and cleats can have different positioning dimensions and different part labels on
an assembly drawing.

Example Uses

General Arrangement Drawing

In this drawing filters have been set up for columns, RHS sections and colour and labelling. Also some secondary parts have
been filtered.

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Assembly Drawing

In this detail from a rafter drawing different positioning dimensions have been set up -
End PlateBy bolt
Cleats By part
Haunch None
Also Shop Bolts have been set as Exact Solid

Using the Classifier

Overview
The classifier is set up using existing drawing dialog boxes. In this first release there is no special user interface.
The classifier makes use of the Drawing and View Filter, the Drawing and View Properties and Property Attribute
sub dialogs.

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Naming Convention
Property Attribute sub dialogs must be saved with names of the form-

filter_<PropertiesName>_<FilterName>

where <PropertiesName> refers to the name of the saved Drawing or View Properties setup
<FilterName> refers to the saved drawing filter used to filter the required objects

for example-

filter_GAPlan_column

could be used as a name to save attribute settings for columns within GAPlan drawing properties.

Filters
Drawing or View Filters are used to filter the object or objects that a named set of property attributes will be
applied to. These can be saved at the drawing or view level. If several filters can select the object, alphabetic
order defines which filter is used when properties are tied to the object. If several filters can select the object such
that one is view level and others at drawing level, then the view level filter will always be used.

Properties
The Drawing or View Properties are set up to include filtered attribute pages. The sub dialog pages that can be
used by the classifier are

Part
Part Mark
Bolt
Bolt Mark
Reinforcement
Reinforcement Marks
Component
Component mark
Weld
Dimensioning

It is also possible to set up sub dialog pages within the View Properties of a particular drawing. Classifier property
settings set at the Drawing Property level will affect the entire drawing. Those set at the View Property level will
affect only that view.

Set up and save the common drawing properties in the usual way.
Then set up sub dialog attributes for filtered selections and save these pages following the naming convention

Attributes
The attributes on a property sub dialog can be set then the dialog saved using the filter_propertyname_filtername
convention

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When setting up classifier properties be careful not to set the unclassified properties inadvertently by pressing
apply while setting up a classified set.

Limitations
Not all the properties on the sub dialogs are available to the classifier.
Property attributes that cant be set by the classifier -
Part Marks -
Visible (to turn off part marks set a blank label for the selection)
Merge marks

Bolt Marks -
Visible (to turn off part marks set a blank label for the selection)
Bolt size limit

Neighbour parts -
All options in Visibility tab page.

Welds
Visibility (Size limit and Site/workshop option).

Example Procedure
To change the appearance of columns in a GA drawing

1. Firstly set up and save the desired properties for the drawing as a whole in the normal way. In this
example the properties are saved as example
2. Define a Filter for the Columns and save as column. Then Cancel the filter dialog. (Do not Apply the
filter!)
3. On the Property dialog open the Part attributes sub dialog and select the appearance tab. Change the
color of Visible lines to cyan. Using the classifier naming convention save as filter_example_column.
Then Cancel the dialog (Do not Apply or this will change the color of everything!).
4. To test the classifier setup reload the standard drawing properties and select Modify, then load the
drawing properties example and select Modify. The Columns will now appear as cyan color.

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Step 1 Firstly set up and save the desired properties for the drawing as a whole in the normal way. In this
example the properties are saved as example

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Step 2 Define a Filter for the Columns and save as column. Then Cancel the filter dialog. (Do not Apply
the filter!)

Step 3 On the Property dialog open the Part attributes sub dialog and select the appearance tab. Change the color
of Visible lines to cyan. Using the classifier naming convention save as filter_example_column. Then Cancel the
dialog (Do not Apply or this will change the color of everything!)

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Step 4. To test the classifier setup reload the standard drawing properties and select Modify, then load the
drawing properties example and select Modify. The Columns will now appear as cyan color.

Using Classifier at the View level

To change properties on a single view of a multiple view drawing edit and save View properties rather than
Drawing properties. The figure below achieves a similar result to the example above but for a single view -

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Automatic Drawing Creation

Once the properties have been set up and saved they can be applied during automatic drawing creation in the
normal ways such as using the Drawing Wizard or loading and applying a set of properties before creating
drawings.

Examples:

In this example we will use drawing classifier to control dimensioning, part presentation, part marks and bolt
marks.

The model used in the examples below can be downloaded from Tekla Extranet and has all the needed files
included: the model, profile and bolt catalogues, drawing attribute files.

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Classifier setting 1:
All workshop bolts drawn as exact.

Drawing view filter:

Shop_bolts.vf (filtered by type = Workshop, bolt standard not NE*)

Bolt presentation settings:

filter_beam_shop_bolts.vs
filter_column_shop_bolts.vs

Assembly drawing properties, where this setting is used:

Beam.ad
Column.ad

With default settings:

Automatic bolt presentation for shop bolts when using drawing classifier:

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Classifier setting 2:
Studs have different bolt marks than other bolts in assembly drawings for beams

Drawing view filter:

stud.vf (filtered by Bolt standard NE*)

Bolt mark properties:

filter_beam_stud.vsm

Assembly drawing properties , where this setting is used:

beam.ad

With default settings:

Automatic bolt mark content for studs when using drawing classifier:

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Classifier setting 3:
Secondary part marks for other than plate profiles contain also profile in column and beam assembly
drawings

Drawing view filter:

Secondarypartsnotplates.vf (filtered by secondary parts not profiles PL* FL* BPL* PLT*)

Part mark properties:

filter_beam_Secondarypartsnotplates.vpm
filter_column_Secondarypartsnotplates.vpm

Assembly drawing properties , where this setting is used:

beam.ad
column.ad

With default settings:

Automatic part mark content when using drawing classifier:

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Classifier setting 4:
Columns are drawn with different color into GA drawings

Drawing view filter:

columns.vf (filtered by name *COLUMN*)

Part properties:
filter_ga_columns.vp

GA-drawing properties , where this setting is used:

ga.gd

With default settings:

Automatic part presentation for columns when using drawing classifier:

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Classifier setting 5:
Normally, complex assemblies, like trusses, tend to get very large number of dimensionlines, so in this
example we try to get only vertical parts dimensioned

Drawing view filter:

vertical.vf (filtered by part name "VERTICAL")

Dimensioning properties:
filter_truss_vertical.adcd

Assembly drawing properties , where this setting is used:

truss.ad

With default settings (minimum dimensioning):

Automatic dimensioning allowed for vertical parts when using drawing classifier:

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Classifier setting 6:
Truss members get profile into part mark and forced to be aligned

Drawing view filter:

truss.vf (filtered by part name " *CHORD* VERTICAL DIAGONAL")

Part mark properties:

filter_truss_truss.vpm

Assembly drawing properties , where this setting is used:

truss.ad

With default settings:

Automatic part marking when using drawing classifier:

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Classifier setting 7:
Anchorbolts marked differently in GA drawings and drawn as "Bounding box" to speed up the drawing

Drawing view filter:

anchors.vf (filtered by X* part position prefix, this is set in the baseplate macro properties)

Part and part mark properties:

filter_ga_anchors.vp

GA-drawing properties, where this setting is used:

ga.ad

With default settings:

Automatic anchor part presentation and part marks when using drawing classifier:

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Classifier setting 8:
Baseplates dimensioned differently than other plates in column assembly drawings

Drawing view filter:

baseplate.vf (filtered by part name BASEPLATE, this is set in the baseplate macro properties)

Dimensioning properties:
filter_column_baseplate.adcd

GA-drawing properties , where this setting is used:

column.ad

With default settings:

Automatic baseplate dimensioning when using drawing classifier:

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