Baseplates

In this exercise we will learn to draw, modify and copy baseplates.

- Open the drawing Baseplates.dwg

- Click on the icon Endplates/Baseplates

- Select the column on intersection A1, on the inside of the building

Later on we will see why it is interesting to select the column on the inside of the building.

- Double-click the connection I Baseplate

By double-clicking it is quicker to select the connection.

- Select the column on intersection A2

- Then press <Enter> to end the command

Whenever you draw new connections the parameters for the new connections are shown at the end of the command.

- Modify the thickness of the plate to 15

- Click on the button next to the width 360 of the plate.

By pressing this button the value becomes editable. To compensate, Parabuild has made other values uneditable to you so that Parabuild can automatically calculate the other values.

- Modify the width of the plate to 280

- Do the same for the other width of the plate, click on and modify the width to 280

- Activate the tab Bolts

- Modify the top left edge distance to 70

- Modify the top right edge distance to 70

- Modify the right edge distance to 70

- Modify the bottom right edge distance to 70

- Modify the diameter for the anchor bolts to 20

We modified both baseplates simultaneously.

You can always see the number of macros that you are adjusting in the Title bar and in Groups of the Review Macro dialog box.

- Click on

- Click on the icon SmartCopy

- Make a frame around the baseplate in the corner, by first clicking top right and then clicking bottom left

- Then press <Enter> to end the selection

We used a frame to select the sphere of the macro.
This way we do not have to zoom in in order to select the sphere.
If you would select 2 macro's in the frame selection, then you're not sure which one of the 2 macro's will be copied.

- Select the column on intersection A3, on the inside of the building like shown on the image

The new macro is drawn immediately, but the command remains active so that you can keep copying the connection.

- Select the column on intersection A4, on the inside of the building like shown on the image

- Keep repeating this so that some more columns on grid A get their baseplate

- Select the column on intersection C4, on the left side (on the inside of the building)

- Then press <Enter> to end the command

We will now draw baseplates on grid C.
The visibility of these columns is often blocked by other columns and beams, so we will first isolate everything on grid C.

- Click on the icon View manager

- Click on the lamp that is located on the line of grid C

This is the quickest way to calm a crowded drawing.

- Click on the icon Review macro

- Make a frame around the baseplate on intersection C4

- Then press <Enter> to confirm the selection

- Click on the button next to the lower width 280 of the plate so that Parabuild calculates this value

- Modify the edge distance at top left to 140

- Then click on

If you consistently selected the column on the inside, then the baseplate is drawn bigger to the inside of the building.

- Click on the icon SmartCopy

- Make a frame around the baseplate on intersection C3

- Then press <Enter> to confirm the selection

- Select the column on intersection C4, on the inside of the building

- Repeat this for some more columns on grid C

- Then press <Enter> to end the command

If you always consistently selected the columns on the inside of the building, as well as during creation of the first as during copying, then all the baseplates should be aligned to the inside of the building.
This rule applies to all connections in Parabuild that are not symmetric or connections that can be mirrored.

- Click on the lamp next to the Restore visibility entry in the list of the View manager to restore the visibility of all objects.