Autodesk AutoCAD Structural Detailing - Steel provides additional options for bolts:
Finding holes without bolts in selected elements or in a whole structure
To access this option, type _RBCS_inq_emptyholes in the command line and select elements. The program starts searching for holes without bolts and displays results.
Adjusting direction of drilling to the element coordinate system
This option is used to select a drilling direction independently of the current coordinate system of a model. Selection of a drilling direction is based on the local coordinate system of a selected element.
To access this option:
- select the Drill/Bolt option, specify parameters and click Drill
- select objects to drill
- when the command line displays: Specify location for first hole [adjust direction to the Element], type e and select an object. Two arrows display then: red (parallel to the direction X of the local coordinate system of a profile or to the selected plate edge) and green (indicates the drilling direction and changes position depending on a selected option). You can select one from 2 directions for plates (+Z and -Z) and one from 4 directions for profiles (+Y, -Y, +Z and -Z).
The option does not work for:
- bent profiles
- if a selected edge of a plate or profile is not rectilinear
- a selected plate edge does not lie in the plane parallel to the plane of the plate (important for bent plates).
Modification of drilling and bolts
The context menu in the Object Inspector dialog has 2 additional options, that are available after selecting a bolt.
- Modify bolts - when selected, it opens the Bolt settings dialog where you can modify parameters of bolts.
- Modify drilling - when selected, it opens the Holes dialog equipped with the Apply button as shown in the image below.
Use the Apply button to modify bolt and hole parameters and spacing in the model previewing results of the modification at the same time.
- Modify properties by dialog (available on the Parts Edition tab) - When you select holes and click this option, it opens the Holes dialog, where you can modify the diameter and shape of only these selected holes. This option allows manipulating independently the diameter and shape of holes in connected objects.