Creating a Beam

The Beam tool allows you to place beams in floor plan, 3D view, and section view. Beams can be placed individually or in an array.

Placing a Beam

To start the command, select Building > Beam, or choose Architectural Beam from the drop-down menu of the Beam button.

1. Activate the view in which you want to place the beam.
2. Click to specify the start point of the beam.
3. Click again to specify the end point of the beam.

Alternatively, press Tab to move between the input fields and enter the required length and angle numerically.

After placing the first beam, you can continue placing additional beams. Press Esc or the right mouse button to finish the command.

Setting Beam Properties

Beam properties can be modified both before and after placement.

Before placement:

Right-click the Beam button, then select Properties.

To use a predefined beam style, start the Beam command, then double-click the required style in the Styles panel to activate it.

After placement:

Select the beam. You can modify its properties on the Dashboard, or click the Pencil icon to open the Beam dialog.

Setting the Reference Point

While drawing a beam, you can specify which point of the beam profile is aligned with the beam's reference line.

To change the reference point, select the New Reference Point command from the top menu. In the dialog that appears, click one of the squares to select the required reference point. The currently active reference point is indicated by a red square.

You can also quickly switch between reference points:

• select the Previous Reference Point command, or
• press the Space key.

Note: When placing a beam in a section view, the program aligns the beam with the section line in terms of its floor plan position. Therefore, selecting the appropriate reference point is particularly important when working in a section view.

Placing a Beam in 3D View

In 3D view, the elevation of the beam depends on the point selected during placement.

If Snap mode is active and you click a characteristic point of an existing building element, the beam adopts the elevation of the selected point.

If you click in empty space, the beam is placed at the elevation of the currently active floor level in the floor plan view.

Placing Multiple Beams in an Array

Beams can be placed not only individually but also as a group using an array.

Before starting the placement, open the Properties dialog and click the Array Placement button.

You can choose from the following placement methods:

By Value

When using the By Value option, you can numerically specify:

• the number of rows in the array,
• the number of columns,
• and the distance between the elements.

The program automatically creates the beam arrangement based on the specified values.

Graphically

The Graphical option allows you to define the arrangement directly in the drawing area.

1. Specify the position of the first element.
2. Specify the position of the last element in the row or column.
3. The program automatically distributes the elements between the start and end positions.

Place Individually

To disable group placement, select the Place Individually option. You can then place beams one at a time again.

Placing a Beam on Terrain

In 3D view, a beam can also be placed directly on a Terrain element.

To do this, enable the Place on Terrain option in the Properties dialog.

Then:

1. Click a point on the Terrain to specify the start point of the beam.
2. Click another point on the Terrain to specify the end point of the beam.

The program adjusts the two endpoints of the beam to the elevations of the terrain triangles at the selected points.

Note:
When determining the elevation of the beam, the program considers only the terrain triangles at the two endpoints. Any additional terrain triangles between the two points do not affect the geometry of the beam.