6. Trimming, Splitting, and Extending Profile Members

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In this tutorial, we’ll introduce Path Mode, and demonstrate several options for trimming, extending, and splitting profile members.

Start with a model like this, with lines along the floor that will be used as a framing plan.

 

 

For the first profile, which will be for the columns, open the Profile Browser, go to the Samples folder, and choose the square tube section. Keep the placement point at the center. In this example, to make the various parts easier to see, this profile has a blue material. 

 

For the first column, click Build, click any corner to start, and drag it up 10’.

 

Copying this column to the other points would be easier without the column itself showing. So select the column, then click Path Mode. 

 

 

This reduces the column display to its path and the profile itself at the center. Now you can select the column and easily locate the copy points. 

 

To get the actual columns back, select all of the column paths, then click Revert Path mode. 

 

For the beams, go back to the Samples folder and choose the W6. The color for the beams in this example is orange, and placement point to is set to Top Middle. Also, set junctions to Miter Joint so that each beam will be created separately. 

 

Select the columns and switch them back to Path Mode, so that the beam points will be easy to see. Click Build again, and draw out the beams using the column end points. Six of beams in this example meet at right angles, but one column is offset and goes off at an angle. 

 

 

Select the column paths again and click Revert Path Mode. Later we’ll fix the intersections at the columns. (And we’ll cover Path mode more in depth in a later video.)

 

Next we need to beef up the columns to accommodate the beams.

Use Get Attributes to reload the column profile properties, then click Select Member by Attributes. Choose all properties, Apply, and now all columns are selected.

 

 

Change the profile name to HSS 10, increase the dimensions to 10” x 10”, and click Edit Member Properties. All properties are still selected, so click Apply to update all of the columns. 

 

Now the beams need to be trimmed back. One way to do this is with the Trim to Face tool, which we used in the previous tutorial. 

For the face to trim to, click this face of this column. 

 

 

Now you can trim these three beams to the same plane. Trim to Face works for angled intersections as well, cutting the beams to perfectly meet their columns.

 

Press Esc to reset the trimming, then proceed along the structure trimming the rest of the beams to meet the columns. 

 

 

Now say we want to add in some joists between beams, along the six horizontal lines selected in this example. 

 

Copy these lines up to the level of the top of the beams, and leave the lines selected.

 

 

From the Samples folder choose the angle section. Press the End key to rotate as shown below, press Home to get the placement point, and make the profile yellow.

 

Click Build along path to create the joists. They may not all be facing the same way, but we’ll fix that later.

 

The angles now need to be trimmed to meet the beams. If you use Trim to Face here, you can only trim to either the web or flange of the beam. 

The tool to use instead here is Trim to Solid. 

 

 

Like with the Trim to Face tool, click 1 is the solid to trim to, which is the 90 degree beam. Then click all three angles, which are now trimmed perfectly to the beam. 

 

 

Press Esc to reset, and trim the ends along the angled beam.

Reverse any angles that are facing the wrong way. After reversing, the trimmed ends update correctly.

 

 

You can also change the profile of one of the joists. Find a channel profile, then select one joist and edit its properties, choosing to update only the profile. Again the trims at both ends remain correct.

 

Undo to get the angle back.

Now we need to trim the joists to the center beam. 

If you use Trim to Solid or Trim to face on this beam, you’ll cut half the joist, rather than split it. Instead, click the Extend or Split tool. 

 

Click a joist to select it, then before clicking again, tap the Ctrl key, or Option on the Mac, to get the split line. Click along the center beam, to split the joist in two.

Repeat this split for the other joists, and use Trim to Solid to fix the intersections. 

 

 

Now remove the angled beam. To remove the trims along the joists that met the removed beam, first select the joists.

 

 

Click Remove Trims.

 

 

This tool removes the trims from both ends of the profile members.

 

 

Next we’ll use this wall and molding example to show more about the Extend or Split tool.

 

 

Switch to X Ray mode to see the door openings in the plan. 

 

 

Click Extend or Split, then click the wall profile member. Profile builder needs to know the end that will be affected, and the closer end to your mouse appears in bold. Click this side.

 

 

Tap Ctrl and click this side of the door. Now there are two wall profile members. 

 

Now we want to bring this three-section wall back to the other side of the door. Click the wall so that the end you’re moving is bold.

 

 

Then pull it back to the other side of the door.  

 

 

Use Ctrl to split the wall at the other opening, then move this side of the other wall back. 

 

 

This tool can only work on members that have a start and end, so this closed-loop molding can’t be split. 

 

 

What you can do is double-click the molding and click Edit Path. Keep the rest of the model showing, and trace a line along one opening and erase it. 

 

 

After closing the group, that part of the molding is gone.

 

 

Now you can split the molding at the other opening, and move the other side back.