FAQ: How to create a user section in Advance Steel?

Note: The answer is referring to version 2015. This information may differ on other versions.

In addition to the existing profile database installed by Advance Steel, you can add new sections with any shape or name.

You can add two types of custom sections:

• Non-standard shapes

  Using the User Section feature you can add profiles with any shape. You can draw any type of cladding or special profiles that are not standard with simple AutoCAD drawing tools, and then add them into the profile database. You can use these shapes to create steel beams inside Advance Steel models.

• Standard shapes

  You can add new sizes to the existing profiles (for example a new size to the Flat section type to match a required dimension not present in the standard profile).

To define user sections

1. From the User Section menu (available in the ribbon > Extended Modeling tab ) select the Frame command to define the "Hype_Frame" layer as the current layer.
2. On this layer create a rectangular frame that defines the workspace where the user section is created.



3. Create the outer contour of the user section on the "Hype_OuterSection" current layer. The outer contour describes the standard shape of the section.

• If the user section is a hollow section type then define the inner contour on the "Hype_InnerSection" current layer. The inner contour described on this layer will define the standard shape.



• If the exact outer contour is different from the standard shape then define it on the "Hype_ExactOuterSection" current layer.



• If the exact shape of the inner contour for the hollow section type is different from the standard shape then define it on the "Hype_ExactInnerSection" current layer.



• The section class name for the user section is defined on the "Hype_TypeName" layer.



• Define the section name on the "Hype_SectionName" layer.


• To define the coordinate system that represents the local axis select the outer contour.



• For example, to position the reference axis in the top-left, select the command and when the "Snap on the outer contour at the point to insert a reference axis" message appears, click for placing using the snap points. If you do not click the point where the reference axis should be inserted then the axis will be positioned where the point is selected on the outer contour.





Verify that all contours and the section properties inside the frame are created on the "Hype_Frame" layer.



To save the section, use the "Generate selected section" command for a single section or the "Generate all sections" command for several sections.





The following message confirms that the section was successfully created.



To draw the new user section, choose a profile from the menu and in the properties dialog box, in the "Other section" category select the user section class. Select the section from this class.

To add a new size to an existing shape

Adding a new size to an existing shape requires editing the AstorProfiles database using the Table Editor from the Management Tools 2015 application or any other .mdb editor (e.g. Microsoft Access). The AstorProfiles2015.mdb database is located by default in C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Advance\Data\ .

• Start Management Tools: Home > Settings > Management Tools
• Start the “Table editor”
• Select “Open ODBC”



• Open AstorProfiles
• Open the table associated to the existing profile to which a new size needs to be added

To identify the table:

• In the AstorProfiles database, open “ProfileMasterTable”
• Scroll right and find the column associated to the Advance Steel product language currently installed (e.g. for an US English installation, the column is called USEnglish, for UK English installation, the column is called English etc)
• Use the “Find and Replace” option on the language column
• Search based on the Section Name displayed in the interface



• Once the definition line is found, note the table name from the “TableName” column and open it.

• Select the last line



• Enter a new line with the section size. The columns require the following settings:
• StandardName - the name that appears at the interface if the column with the installation language is left empty
• SectionName - the profile's internal name that can be used in other configurations. It will not appear at the interface or created documents. It can be the same as StandardName
• Standards - set it to 1
• Reserved - set it to 1 for a hot rolled section; 2 for a cold rolled section that is unwindable. For an unwindable section, the geometry needs to allow unfolding – the thickness has to be constant throughout the whole contour.
• OwnerText – set it to the current Author (new authors can be added to Advance Steel from the "Management Tools 2015 / Options" setting). A custom set Owner will allow the section to be merged to the next version.
• Next there are a series of geometric parameters. Those vary based on section type (I section will offer web/flange dimensions, RO sections will only offer inner/outer diameters etc.)
• Besides the geometric parameters the profile also accepts design parameters that are eventually used during joint design.
• Last set of columns contain the language translation. Using this a section can be named differently based on the product language used during installation, even if the section remains constant. If the translation column is left empty, Advance Steel uses the StandardName value.