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segment and use the same profile height location and orientation. For example, in Figure 20.6, notice the four angled supports in the corners attaching to the legs. Because they are parallel in pairs, all four of these supports could not be made in a single group. Later in this section, when those path segments are actually used to place Structural Members, the additional requirement of using an angle profile means that the profiles each need to be rotated differently from one another, and thus cannot be used in a single group.

Using custom profiles

Most of the custom profiles that you will need may be simply new sizes of existing profiles. You can easily create a custom profile by opening an existing profile, editing it, and saving it under a different name using the Save As command. It is important to note that when creating a weldment profile, you must select a sketch prior to initiating the Save As command. Weldment profiles are library features, and use a *.sldlfp filename extension. Each size must be saved as a separate library feature in order to appear in the selection list. While library features are configurable, the configurations are not selectable for weldment profiles.

Other sources for custom profiles include 3D Content Central, which has a large number of erector-set aluminum extrusion profiles and the accessory hardware for those systems. Toolbox also has a Structural Steel sketch generator, shown in Figure 20.9, which enables you to generate most standard shapes. If you have Toolbox installed on your system, then you can find this tool in the Toolbox menu.

Weldment profiles are a great candidate for storing in your special library folder, separate from the SolidWorks installation directory. To establish this library location, you can choose Tools⇒Options⇒File Locations⇒Weldment Profiles. Also keep in mind that if you share design duties with other users, then either the library location should be shared among users on a network or the libraries should be copied to each user's local library. You can also share library data through a Product Data Management, or PDM, program.

If you are creating completely new custom profiles, then remember that when locating the profile relative to the path segments, you can use any sketch point. As a result, you should provide ample selections for pierce points. Virtual sharps function well around filleted corners, as well as sketch points at the centroid of a shape.

In addition to sketch geometry, the library part files should also contain custom property information about the structural shape, such as part number, supplier, material, and so on. This information propagates to the cut list.

FIGURE 20.9

The Structural Steel sketch generator interface

Adding corner treatments

Any intersection of sketch lines at mutual endpoints within a single group, except as noted in this section, creates a situation that requires that the corners be cut to match. Figure 20.10 shows an example of the options that are available when lines meet at right angles. Notice that within a group, you have the option to set a weld gap at the intersections.

FIGURE 20.10

Corner treatment options

To access the toolbar with the Corner Treatment options, you can click the pink dot at the intersection of the path segments. Default corner treatment settings are made in the Structural Member PropertyManager, but you may need to adjust them individually.

Two situations do not require corner treatments. The first situation is when a line intersects another line at some location other than an endpoint in the same Structural Member feature — for example, a support meeting the main member in the middle. In this situation, the member that ends in the middle of the other member is trimmed to a butt joint. The second situation is when an intersecting member is created by a later Structural Member feature. You deal with this situation by using the Trim/Extend function, which is described later in this chapter.

Note

You may encounter a situation where it seems like a good idea to create collinear