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📺Curved members and segmented members
The first set of excerpts focuses on modeling curved geometries such as arches and circles. A preliminary method involves selecting a straight member, splitting it into multiple components (e.g., 18 components), and then adjusting the coordinates of the nodes to position them along a curve or circle. For defining a circle, parameters like radius, center, and angular increment are used. For defining an arch, the "position on arch" function is used, specifying a start and end node and defining the camber (or rise).
Crucially, this segmented approach results in members that are "little straight facets" rather than physical curves. For proper structural representation, "proper curves" or "physical curved members" are required. These can be created directly using several methods:
- By Height: Defining the start and end nodes and specifying a height, curving the member about its major or minor axis.
- Center, Start, and End: Defining the center point of the curve, followed by the start and end points . The order of start and end points influences the resulting curve due to an anti-clockwise fashion convention .
- Three Points: Defining the start, finish, and a third point inside the curve .
Physical curved members are considered more useful because they are correctly recognized for area loading and can be physically designed as curved members, whereas faceted members would be treated as complex polygonal surfaces for loading purposes .
| Start Time | End Time | Summary of Content |
| 00:00:07,520 | 00:00:17,560 | Introduction to curved members, arches, and circles. |
| 00:00:40,440 | 00:00:56,000 | A member is selected and split into 18 components to prepare for curving. |
| 00:01:07,040 | 00:01:23,960 | Nodes are moved into a curve or circle using the position coordinates menu, which offers circles and arches, unlike the change coordinates menu. |
| 00:01:38,880 | 00:02:07,120 | Demonstrating creating a segmented circle in plan view by specifying the center and setting the radius (e.g., 5). |
| 00:02:23,039 | 00:02:44,880 | The circle is completed by setting the start angle to 0 and the increment to 20 degrees for 18 segments. |
| 00:03:02,480 | 00:03:12,400 | An undo operation is performed, and the focus shifts to the more powerful position on arch tool. |
| 00:03:36,960 | 00:03:58,800 | An arch is created using the camber setting (e.g., 3 meters rise), which lifts the member from the horizontal theoretical line . |
| 00:04:11,840 | 00:04:22,240 | The equal spacing option is used to space the nodes equally around the arch, rather than retaining the original local axis positions . |
| 00:04:56,520 | 00:05:18,440 | By setting the rotation to 90 degrees, the arch is transformed into a horizontal curve . |
| 00:05:38,000 | 00:05:40,720 | It is noted that the resulting shapes are little straight facets, not physical curved members . |
| 00:06:05,800 | 00:06:19,040 | The process shifts to creating a proper curved member directly, rather than just playing with coordinates . |
| 00:06:19,680 | 00:06:59,750 | A single curved member is created from existing facets; although it is a single curved member, it retains the nodal definitions in the background . |
| 00:07:59,120 | 00:08:03,840 | Three different methods for defining physical curve members directly (Add a curved member) are introduced . |
| 00:08:05,200 | 00:08:24,800 | Method 1: Curving by Height about its major axis . |
| 00:08:44,720 | 00:09:00,400 | Demonstrating Method 1 for a curved balcony using the minor axis . |
| 00:09:12,240 | 00:09:41,040 | Method 2: Defining the curve using Center, Start, and End points (curving with the minor axis) . |
| 00:10:02,000 | 00:10:18,400 | Adjusting the center point results in a more accentuated pushed out curve . |
| 00:10:27,840 | 00:10:38,480 | The order of selecting start and end points is important, as the curve generally follows an anti-clockwise fashion . |
| 00:12:08,080 | 00:12:12,080 | Method 3: Curving between three points . |
| 00:12:44,240 | 00:13:03,200 | The three-point method requires selecting the start, finish, and then the third point (inside the curve), demonstrated using the minor axis . |
| 00:13:34,400 | 00:15:02,800 | Applying the position on arch function to curve a whole facade horizontally (using 90 degrees rotation and 3-meter camber), noting that retaining local values brings the columns out with the curve . |
| 00:15:20,880 | 00:15:56,080 | Following the facade curve, the members are still straight facets and require converting using the create curve tool if physical curves are desired . |
| 00:16:00,400 | 00:17:09,200 | A key benefit of physical curved members is that they are correctly recognized for area loading and can be physically designed as curved members, which is more useful than faceted members . |