Lengthen command for structural members

[david_peterson]

Not to go off on a rant, but.......
Why is it that I can copy, rotate, trim, extend, mirror, array, and just about every other modify command but lengthen? I'd like to be able to place my beam ends at the face of col flange or web, then go back and shorten them by 1/2". Super easy with the lengthen command in 2d, major pain in ADT with actual beams.

[BCrouse]

That is a good idea to have the ability to use the Lengthen command.



Brad

[cholmes]

I'm probably not understanding how you are using the lengthen command, because I have never used it, but can't you use the lengthen grips that are available on a structural member? You can input the total lenth, or the amount to lengthen (or shorten) with the available grip (there are three at each end, lenghten, end, and offset)

[david_peterson]

You are correct there, however you can't change length of the axis line (which is what I've decided to use) to show a gap between the beam to beam connection. You can only change the body. In my 2d world I x-ref a grid into my framing plan. Then I draw a bunch of lines and off set them. So I've got a bunch of beams framing into girder lines. I use the length command to shorten the length of the line by 9". So my command line would be
Len
de
-9
f (to use a fence)
I pick 2 points along the girder line, and all my lines shorten by 9".
I'd like to do the same with structural beams.
I hope this makes sense.

[cholmes]

That does make sense, and it just shows there are different ways to do things for everybody! For ADT structural members, I have set up the display using "beam sketch" and then set the offsets so that the ends are automatically pulled back, which allows the member to remain connected (very useful for 2006). Back in the pre ADT world I had to work with lines the same way as you are, but with ADT is is just so much easy to snap to grid intersections or other members, and not have to worry about coming back to shorten them later. I even have different display controls for each scale, with different offsets for each, which is nice.