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Creating Custom Profiles for the Framing Member tool

blog, Public Posts, Vectorworks jonathan

In a previous post, I was showing Steve Scaysbrook how to create a custom profile for the Framing Member. In the movie I worked through the steps to create a custom profile. I also wanted to follow this up with the step-by-step instructions.
 
 

The first step is to get the information you need. Go to the web site with the product you want to draw or have the technical information handy. When you make these custom symbols, it is very important that make them exactly the right size. In the example in the movie, I used the web site from the manufacturer of HyJOIST, Carter Holt Harvey.
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When you have the sizes, you can draw the profile.The profile can be created from separate objects, but the objects cannot be grouped together. Vectorworks will convert the objects, they will not end up exactly as you have drawn. In the image on the left I have indicated the original object and the converted one. Notice how the parts of the symbol are added together.
 
The next step is to create a symbol. The object has to be a symbol before you can use it with the Framing Member tool.  When you create the symbol, be careful how you set the insertion point, ensure that you use a consistent insertion point.

 

  • Go to the Menu bar.
  • Choose Modify > Create Symbol…

 
 
 
 
 
This opens the Create Symbol dialog box. Ensure that you choose Next Mouse Click. If you don’t Vectorworks will use the plan projection center for the object, which will cause your symbols to jump around when you change the Framing Member from one size to another. 

  • Click on the OK button to finish.
  • Choose the top/center for the insertion point.

 
 
 
 
 

  • Do not create a symbol folder for the custom profiles.
  • Click on the OK button to finish creating the symbol.

 
 
 
 
When the symbol is finished, it will be available in the Resource Browser.

  • Locate the symbol.
  • Right-click on it.
  • Choose Export…

The symbol needs to the exported to the correct folder so that the Framing Member too can locate it.
 
 
 
 

  • Locate the Framing Member folder in your User or Workgroup folder.
  • Click on the OK button to finish exporting the symbol.

 
 
 
Now when you use the Framing Member tool, you will be able to access all your custom profiles.
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Using Custom Profiles with the Framing Member tool

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Comments

  1. This is fine for 2d drawings, sections and the like, but the next step is using the profile for modelling so you can have a 3d structural drawing. Very handy to check your structural model for problems, alignments, conflicts, etc. (BIM!)

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