Structural Steel

I am looking for a recommended steel add-on to AutoCAD that would draw joists in elevation and in section. Along with that, is there anything out there that would be recommended to use to help draw slabs and deck? I need something that I can choose the appropriate deck type as well as the slab thickness. I've been told there's something out there, but I've forgotten what it is.

Thanks!

 

draw it yourself and save them into block drawings to be used as needed. I have many of them.

Then there are the 'detailing' packages; most of which are expensive and useless as I can attest have one that cost $3000 and I have never used.

 

ditto, i downloaded some shapes from net that werent even close, i draw my own shapes based on info from manufacturers, trust that

 

http://www.softdraft.com/StructuralShapes.htm

--
Paul Bromell - Metalstuff

joists in elevation and in section. Along with that, is there anything out
there that would be recommended to use to help draw slabs and deck? I need
something that I can choose the appropriate deck type as well as the slab
thickness. I've been told there's something out there, but I've forgotten
what it is.

 

you can go to the autodesk website and get a list of add-ons for autocad...
http://partnerproducts.autodesk.com/compatiblewith/autocad.asp

joists in elevation and in section. Along with that, is there anything out
there that would be recommended to use to help draw slabs and deck? I need
something that I can choose the appropriate deck type as well as the slab
thickness. I've been told there's something out there, but I've forgotten
what it is.

 

Maybe not exactlly what you are looking for - but I've found this very
useful.

STL.LSP Version 1.0
(C) Copyright 1998 by Al Rogers
E-mail:

lisp files can be downloaded (ZIP file from March 2002) from
http://www.cadalyst.com/cadalyst/ need an email address and password to
register but well worth it.

Regards D Meek

 

That's what we use. We do structural and we have found it to be a
life-saver. The only problems occur with layer control while drafting
certain views of the shape. If you are drafting an elevation view of an
HSS, for example,and you can't have the outer wall on one layer and the
inner wall on another. So you have to manually change it to be by layer,
but it's not a major ordeal.

 

Only problem I had was that the cross section is a pline and not a block
which would have an insertion point in the center. Also, blocks would be
more useful as you can rename a block or multiple blocks through AutoLISP to
change sizes on demand. It took a while to do this but I found that
modifying the code to do blocks was much more efficient.

 

It's actually not a pline (well, sort of...)- its a region. You can adjust
the insertion point to be any one of several points, depending on the shape.
We use top center more often than not for sections. and details

BTW, I thought blocks only had insertion points in the center when you
specified so, otherwise the insertion point could be anywhere.

 

Program documentation in v1.1 calls it a polyline. No region found in the
routine.

I use center for columns in plan.

 

You are correct- the W,C,L,&T shapes are indeed polylines. But when I
select either HSS section and open the properties box- It says region.

 

I made my own years ago, using lsp routines that are initiated from an add-on pull-down. These can be extruded into solids, cut and are plans, top
plans or elevations. They can have denterlines (both ways) and can be hatched. The only problem I have had is not being able to keep up-to-date with
the AISC manual - too expensive for a retired structural draftsman.

 

I'm running v1.1 1998 and don't see an HSS section. In the program I don't
find "region" anywhere as anything, text or command. Must be a different
version. Screen capture in files section.

 

Tubing has become HSS. File posted in customer files.

 

can i have a copy if that program too...

 

The file is available in Customer Files -

http://discussion.autodesk.com/thread.jspa?threadID=326449

 

its only a picture of the program... i was asking for the lisp... sorry
for the confusion...

 

Actually, the file in question is a screen shot of the program. I cannot
post the program in customer files because I didn't write it, we purchased
it a few years ago.

 

We are talking about two different programs that do similiar things. The
one I am talking about was in Cadalyst Magazine as below. That explains the
region thing. I posted a screen capture too in the files area which shows
the difference.

;Tip1779: STL.LSP STEEL SHAPES OF ALL TYPES AND SIZES
; (C)2002, Al Rogers $50 Bonus Winner

;STL.LSP Version 1.1 - Al's STEEL MILL
;(C) Copyright 1998 by Al Rogers