Creating a 3D Beam System

You can create non-planar beam systems in which the elevation of a beam is defined by its sketch lines.

See also Creating 3D Beam Systems on Ruled Surfaces.

3D beam system

Note that sketched beam lines

• Can only define slope when they are created using the Pick Supports tool.
• That have a beam as their support always define slope.
• That have a wall as their support have a Defines slope property that you can edit. The default value is true.

The elevation of the end of a beam in a beam system is determined as follows:

• If the end of the beam connects to a sketch line that defines slope, the beam is connected to the top of the associated support.
  

   

  Define slope

• If the sketch line does not define slope, then the end of the beam is elevated to a plane defined by the endpoints of the 2 nearest sketch lines that do define slope.
  

   

  Beam system elevated by nearest sketch lines

• If there are no lines in the sketch that define slope, the beam system behaves like a 2D beam system.

To add a 3D beam system

1. On the ribbon, click Beam System.

   Where is it?

   

   • Structure tabStructure panelBeam System
   

   • Home tabStructure panelBeam System
2. On the Properties palette, under Constraints, select 3D.