Using the Drawing Assistant

When Draw | Drawing Assistant is executed, the Drawing Assistant tabs are displayed above the Substructures spreadsheet in the Structure window, as shown below. With the Drawing Assistant, there are several ways to create a 3D mode of the test article;

• Choose a Substructure A Substructure is a collection of Points, Lines, Surfaces, and FEA Objects. Substructures can be selected, moved, cut, copied & pasted like the other drawing Objects. Substructure properties are displayed in the Substructures spreadsheet. The Drawing Assistant is used to create structure models by added Substructures from the Substructure Library to the model. The FEA Assistant is used to add FEA Objects to a structure model. from the Substructure Library

• Create a new Substructure starting with a editable Substructure (a line, plate, cube, circle, cylinder, etc.)

• Extrude or Revolve a 2D Substructure to create a 3D Substructure

Structure Window Showing Drawing Assistant Tabs.

Substructure Tab

This tab contains a browser of the Substructures in the Substructure Library.

• Double click on a Substructure in the Library browser to add it to the current model in the Structure window.

Execute File | Save in Library to add any structure model to the Substructure Library.

Editable Substructures

The Substructures with green surfaces at the top of the Library browser are called editable Substructures.

• The dimensions and number of points in each direction can be changed on an editable Substructure.

• Depending on its coordinate type, the dimensions of an editable Substructure are;

• 1. • Rectangular: Width, Height, Length.

     • Cylindrical: Radius, Tangential Angle, Length.

     • Spherical: Radius, Tangential Angle, Elevation Angle.

Dimensions Tab

The Length, Width, and Height dimensions of the selected Substructure can be changed on this tab.

Position Tab

• The selected Substructure can be rotated about its Local or Global (X, Y, Z) axes using the controls on this tab.

• The Local origin of the selected Substructure can also be translated with respect to the Global axes.

Extrude Tab

• The selected 2D Substructure can be extruded into a 3D Substructure using the controls on this tab.   

Revolve Tab

• The selected 2D Substructure can be revolved into a 3D Substructure using the controls on this tab.