Use custom joints

Create a template joint

Before starting

Make sure all features and joint boxes related to the objects in the joint are visible.

  1. On the Custom connections tool palette, click .
  2. From the dialog box, select the appropriate definition method for the joint placement.
  3. According to the selected definition method, select and confirm the appropriate beams and members as prompted.
  4. In the User template dialog box, make the necessary settings:

    • In the Name field, enter the name of the joint. This name will identify the joint in the Custom connection explorer.
    • Click on and select all objects that will be created by the joint (beams, plates, features, welds, bolts and joint boxes).
    • In the Drivers selection prompts boxes, enter the desired prompts.

  5. Close the dialog box.

A blue connection object appears around the template joint.

Note: To make the custom joint available in the Custom joints explorer you must save the model with the template joint in the following path:

\ProgramData\Autodesk\Advance Steel 2016\Shared\ConnectionTemplates

Change the set of connecting elements of a custom joint

  1. Open the .dwg file containing the joint template.

    2. All saved template joints should be placed in the following path: \ProgramData\Autodesk\Advance Steel 2015\Shared\ConnectionTemplates

  2. Right-click the joint connection object (blue box) and select Properties from the context menu.
  3. In the User Template dialog box, click .
  4. Select all objects that will be created by the joint (beams, plates, features, welds, bolts and joint boxes) and press Enter.

  5. Close the dialog box.

    6. The blue connection object includes now the new set of selected objects.

  6. Save the file.

Insert a joint template

  1. On the Custom connections tool palette, click .
  2. In the Connection Template Explorer dialog box, select the desired joint. Only the files from the Connection Templates folder are displayed.
  3. Click OK.
  4. Select the appropriate elements to connect as prompted. The prompts were defined during the template creation.

The custom joint is created.

Once the joint placed, it can be copied and grouped to efficiently place identical joints in multiple locations.

Modify a custom joint

  1. Right click on the connection object (blue box) of the custom connection to modify and select the Custom connection properties.
  2. In the User template dialog box, enable Allow object modification.

Once the option is enabled, most parts of the joint can be edited using their properties dialog box.

User template dialog box

Allows you to define the situation in which the joint will be used and the connecting elements.

Name

Enter an appropriate name for the custom joint. Once the template joint is defined, the name appears in the Connection Template Explorer.

Clicking this button temporarily closes the dialog box so that you can select all objects related to the custom joint (beams, plates, features, bolts, joint boxes, etc).

Drivers situation

Defines the situations in which the custom joints will be used. The set of available options varies according to the selected definition method.

One beam with end

One beam and point

Two beams

Three beams

Drivers selection prompt

Enter the desired prompts. As each prompt start by default with "select", type only the name of the element that should be selected.

Parent topic: Custom Joints