Tendon Editor
Once the support beam has been defined (~SBBMDEF, ~SBSMDEF and ~SBSMMDF commands), the tendons can be created or modified using the tendon editor.
The tendon editor window has the following structure:
The object tree is a schematic representation of the group of points and tendons defined. All the properties of the object tree elements can be watched in the tabs of the main window and some of them can be modified in the properties window., in this window the grey data can not be edited by the user and the black one are editable.
There are three tabs in the main window. The first one, Elevation and Plan View, shows the plan view and the elevation view of the support beam. The second tab Cross Section, shows the cross section of the support beam and the third tab, Elevation and Data Table, shows a prestressed losses table.
In the upper part of the window there is a tool bar. Its appearance will change depending on the elements selected at each moment.
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Object Tree
It has three main groups:
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- Cuts. This is the basic entity of the support beam. When the support beam is defined from a beams model, each cut represents a node. If it comes from a solid model, the cut is associated to the solid section captured at each location.
- Points. The points which will define the tendons are located on the cuts. There are two groups of points: plan and elevation. These two groups are independent, an elevation point can exist without its corresponding plan point, etc.
- Prestressing Tendons. Two geometries (plan and elevation) are defined using second order Bezier curves between each two points.
Clicking the mouse right button on the different elements of the tree, a menu will appear, showing the actions that can be perfomed over the element or group of elements.
For the Points (plan or elevation view), the actions are:
- Insert elevation view point, Insert plan view point and Insert point (~PCEPDEF, ~PCPPDEF commands).
- Delete point (~PCEPDEL, ~PCPPDEL commands).
- Copy point (~PCEPGEN, ~PCPPGEN commands).
- Move an elevation point to the centre of gravity of the section where it is located (Move to CoG) (~PCEPMDF command).
- Move an elevation point to the upper or lower fiber, taking into account the cover defined for the cut where it is located (Move to upper fiber, Move to lower fibber) (~PCEPMDF command).
For the Prestressing Tendons, the menu allows to perform the following actions:
- Insert tendon (~PCTNDEF command).
- Delete tendon (~PCTNDEL command).
- Copy tendon (~PCTNGEN command).
- Insert point in the tendon (~PCTNMDF command).
- Remove point from the tendon (~PCTNMDF command).
- Copy point (~PCEPGEN, ~PCPPGEN commands).
- Move an elevation point to the centre of gravity of the section where it is located (Move to CoG) (~PCEPMDF command).
- Move an elevation point to the upper or lower fiber, taking into account the cover defined for the cut where it is located (Move to upper fiber, Move to lower fibber) (~PCEPMDF command).
It is also posible to change the tendon’s geometry using the following tools, located in the right button menu:
- Set straight line -> Align slopes. From the selected point a straight line is drawn to the tendon’s next point, and the slopes of both points are changed (~PCTNMDF command).
- Set straight line -> Change 1st point. A straight line is drawn from the tendon’s next point to the selected one, and the coordinate and slope of the selected point are changed. (~PCTNMDF command).
- Set straight line -> Change 2nd point. A straight line is drawn from the selected point, and the coordinate and slope of the tendon’s next point are changed (~PCTNMDF command).
- Set parabola -> Change 1st slope. The slope of the selected point is changed to allow a vertical axis parabola to go through the selected point and the tendon’s next point (~PCTNMDF command).
- Set parabola -> Change 2nd slope. The slope of the tendon’s next point to the selected one is changed to allow a vertical axis parabola to go through the selected point and the tendon’s next point (~PCTNMDF command).
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Properties Window
This window, located under the object tree, has three aims:
- To show the properties of each object or group of selected objects. Each time an item is selected (cut, point, tendon, etc.) the window will show all of its properties.
- To allow to modify data. The selected item will have properties that can be changed. To change them, the value shown in this window has to be changed by placing the cursor on it and typing or selecting the new value.
- To be used as a dialog in certain actions. In some cases, as for example when a new point is created, it is necessary to type in a series of values or properties. The Properties window will change its appearance to be used as a dialog.
Tool Bar
The tool bar is located at the upper part of the tendon editor. It is made up of a group of buttons and combo boxes. The tool bar has two areas, the fixed area, which will have the same appearance at any time, and the variable area, which will change depending on the situation, showing only those buttons which are applicable.
The fixed area of the tool bar has the following components:
                                    Exit
saving all changes.
                                    Exit
without saving changes.
                                    Save changes.
                                    Show
this help document.
                             Undo
or redo the latest changes.
                                     Calculate
the prestress losses (~PCLOSS command).
                                    List
the tendon properties (general properties, points and losses) (~PCTNLST command).
   Elevation view scale.
          Plan view scale.
The variable area of the tool bar has a series of buttons which will be activated and deactivated depending on the situation, the selected item at that moment, etc. The actions that can be performed with these buttons are the same as the one that can be done through the right button menu in the object tree.
Elevation and Plan View Tab
Plan and Elevation view
The right button menu it depends of the context and all the options are available in the tool bar.
This two areas of the tendon editor are used to graphically represent the cuts, points and tendons, on the model. The vertical scale can be changed using the combo boxes of the tool bar. By clicking with the right mouse button on any of the two views, the following options will be displayed.
- Zoom In: A zoom of the model is done. The center of the image is the point where the right click was done.
- Zoom Out: A zoom out of the model will be done.
- Zoom Box: A box can be created by clicking the two corners of it on the screen. A zoom will be done to this box.
- Fit: The initial view of the model is displayed, showing the complete extents of it.
- Auto-Fit: If enabled, it will show the complete extents of the model, even if the window is resized.
- Move: The graphics shown in the window can be panned with this utility.
- Distance: The distance between two points is calculated by clicking on the desired two points of the screen. The result will be shown on the lower bar of the window. An automatic snap will be done to the characteristic points of the model.
- Angle: The angle between two segments is calculated by clicking on the three points of the screen which define the segments. The result will be shown on the lower bar of the window. An automatic snap will be done to the characteristic points of the model.
To edit a cross section is possible clicking the right button, pushing the toolbar button View Cross Section, or changing to the Cross Section tab.
Cross Section Tab
This tab shows the cross Section in a selected cut. Showing the tendons and being possible edit some tendon data.
Elevation and Data Table
In this tab, losses prestressed data are showed. The graph display the selected data in the property window. This tab is just for information, set editing value in to the support beam are not available in this tab, visualization options are possible to set in the property window.
Related commands: