Apex connections

In this exercise, we will perform the following actions:

  - Drawing a ridge joint

  - Setting different center distances between bolts

  - Drawing an end plate against a plate of a ridge joint

- Open the drawing Apex connections.dwg

- Click on the icon Apex

- Select a rafter

- Select the other rafter

- Double-click the connection Apex Haunch

- Press <Enter> to end the command

- Open the tab Reinforcements

- Modify the horizontal length of the reinforcement to 458

- Open the tab Bolts

- Modify the top edge distance to 50

Instead of entering a single number we will now enter 3 different center distances seperated by a space.

- Replace the number of vertical bolts to "200 80 80"

The bolt patterns in all the connections can be used this way to draw the bolts at different center distances.
Most of the time the starting edge will be set correctly, but it is possible to switch the order of the bolts.

- Click on the button in the middle of the bolt pattern

- Deactivate the top left setting Switch bolts startposition

- Reactivate the setting Switch bolts startposition to correct the bolts

- And then click to close this window

- Click on the icon End/Baseplates

- Select the tube underneath the ridge joint

- Double-click the connection Tube endplate to plane

- Zoom in on of the reinforcing plates and move the to above the top plane. The click the left mouse button twice without moving the mouse to select the plane underneath.

- Then press <Enter> to confirm the plane selection

- Finally press <Enter> to end the command

- Modify the edge to tube distances to 30, 30, 60 and 60 as illustrated.

It is possible that you have to switch the edge to tube distances vertically and horizontally.

That is because the tube is symmetrical, and the rotation of the plate depends on the edge of the tube that was selected during the placement of the end plate.

- Modify the thickness of the plate to 10