To Create a Slab or Roof Slab Tool

Use this procedure to create a slab tool or a roof slab tool and add it to a tool palette. You may want to create your own tools if you are placing multiple slabs or roof slabs of specific styles that have the same properties.

For example, you are creating an office building that has a complex roof system. Although all sections of pitched roof use the same roof slab and edge style, each roof slab has a different slope. To work efficiently, you can create a roof slab tool for each slope, and select the appropriate tool to place the roof slabs with the correct slope for each section of the roof.

You can use any of the following methods to create a slab or roof slab tool:

• Drag a slab or roof slab that has the properties you want to a tool palette.
• Drag a slab or roof slab style from the Style Manager to a tool palette, and then customize the properties of the new tool.
• Copy an existing slab or roof slab tool, and then customize the properties of the new tool.
• Drag a slab or roof slab tool from a tool catalog in the Content Browser, and then customize the properties of the tool.

1. Open the tool palette on which you want to create a tool.
2. Create the tool:

   If you want to…	Then…
   create a tool from a slab or roof slab in the drawing	select the slab or roof, and drag it to the tool palette. Tip: Drag the slab or roof slab by a point on its perimeter, not by one of its grips.
   create a tool from a slab or roof slab style in the Style Manager	Click Manage tabStyle & Display panelStyle Manager , locate the style you want to copy, and drag it to the tool palette. Click OK to close the Style Manager.
   copy a tool on the current palette	right-click the tool, click Copy, and click Paste.
   copy a tool from another palette	open the other tool palette, right-click the tool, and click Copy. Reopen the palette where you want to add the tool, right-click, and click Paste.

3. Right-click the new tool, and click Properties.
4. Enter a name for the tool.
5. Click the setting for Description, enter a description of the tool, and click OK.

   This description is used as the tool’s tooltip on the tool palette, and to describe the tool if it is stored in a tool catalog.

6. Expand Basic, and expand General.
7. Click next to Description to enter a description of the tool.
8. If you do not want to use the default layer key, click next to Layer key to select a layer key.
9. If you want to override the default layer names, click next to Layer overrides to select a layer override.
10. Select a slab or roof slab style.
11. For Style location, select the drawing file containing the style to be used for this tool, or select Browse and use a standard file selection dialog box to select the file.
12. Specify a value for Bound Spaces:

    If you want to…	Then…
    allow the slab or roof slab to be used as a bounding object for associative spaces	select Yes.
    prevent the slab or roof slab from being used as a bounding object for associative spaces	select No.
    use the bounding settings from the slab or roof slab style	select By Style.

13. Select Projected or Direct for Mode.
14. Expand Dimensions.
15. Enter a value for Thickness.
16. Enter a value for the vertical offset distance from the insertion point for Vertical Offset.
17. Enter a value for the horizontal offset distance from the insertion point for Horizontal Offset.
18. Select the justification:

    If you want to align the …	Then…
    top of the slab or roof slab with the first specified point	select Top.
    center of the slab or roof slab with the first specified point	select Center.
    bottom of the slab or roof slab with the first specified point	select Bottom.
    slopeline of the slab or roof slab with the first specified point	select Slopeline.

    Note: This justification is used only when inserting the slab and is not retained as a parameter of the slab. Justification is intended primarily for Direct mode.

    The slopeline is the position of the slab or roof slab baseline relative to its bottom face. The thickness offset in the style determines the distance between the baseline and the bottom face.

19. Select a direction, or define how the slab or roof slab is drawn relative to the baseline.
20. Enter a value for the depth of the overhang for Overhang.
21. Select a style for Perimeter edge.
22. For Edge style location, select the drawing file containing the edge style used for slabs created with this tool, or select Browse and use a standard file selection dialog box to select the file.
23. Click OK.