Create Connection Groups

Learn how to create connection groups, defining a master connection and creating multiple slave connections.

Define a Master Connection

1. Select any part of the connection.
2. Right click and select Advance Joint Properties from the contextual menu.
3. In the properties dialog box, in the Name field, enter the name of the master connection.

Create Slave Connections

The master connection is used as a template for other connections in new locations. The slave connections receive the same name automatically.

1. In the Tools tool palette, click (Create joint in a joint group).
2. Select any part of the template connection (e.g. the plate of a base plate joint) and press Enter.
3. One by one, select the elements on which the slave connections will be created and right click after each one.

For example, to create base plates, the columns to which the base plate will be copied should be selected one by one.

Note: If the selected elements differ in geometry from the elements connected by the master connection (e.g. they have a different section), the slave connections are not the same as the master connection and cannot be part of the group. In this case, a warning message is displayed. The slave connections can be created, but not as part of the group. Otherwise, the connections are created, but are highlighted.

Create multiple slave connections

The master connection is used as a template for several other locations in the same time. The slave connections receive the same name automatically.

The connections are created all at once, with identical parameters to the one copied. As all created connections are part of the same group as the original connection, the slaves receive the same name automatically.

Note: If the original connection is not in a group it will become the master of the new group.

1. On the Tools tool palette, click .
2. Select any part of the master connection (for example, the plate of a base plate joint) and press Enter.
3. Select all the elements, in all desired locations, corresponding to the first selected element to be connected by the connection and press Enter.
4. Select all the elements, in all desired locations, corresponding to the second selected element to be connected by the connection and press Enter.
5. If the connection requires a third element, select the corresponding element in all desired locations and press Enter.

• The connections are placed at every possible locations, all at once. All the connections are added to the same group as the original connection.

Example: To create column-beam connections, all the columns to which the connection will be copied should be selected at once, then all the beams.

Add connection to a connection group

Identical independent connections can be added to an existing connection group.

Note: Only one connection can be added at a time.

1. On the Tools tool palette, click .
2. Select any element of the connection to add to the group and press Enter.
3. Select the master connection and press Enter.

Using the same process you can add other connections to the connection group.

The connections are linked. Any modifications in the master connection is instantly transferred to all the connections in the group.