Reusable Bolt Components that are compatible with DECAsteel are created using the Bolts tab in the Builder dialog.
The Component dropdown lists the compatible Bolt components in your model. If the bolt settings are not visible, that means there are no DECAsteel bolts currently in your model.
Creating a Bolt
It is highly recommended to create your bolts in an empty model, then save them to your library. From there, you can import them into other projects and / or save a template file that already includes your most commonly used bolts.
Click the 'Create Bolt' button to create a new bolt and add it to your model:
After clicking this button, you will be prompted to set the name of the bolt and the settings to base it on. This allows you to use an existing bolt in your model as a template for the new one.
Click OK to create the new component. Now, you can modify the settings for the new bolt.
Editing Bolts
Warning: Making changes to bolts that are being used by connections in your model is not recommended and could lead to unexpected results. Ensure bolt settings are correct prior to using them in a connection.
To edit bolt settings, select the bolt component, modify the setting, and click the 'Apply' button or press CTRL+ENTER to apply the changes.
Note: In the current version of DECAsteel, modifying the settings for bolts that already exist in connections in your model should not affect the existing bolts. However, this workflow is not recommended.
Saving a Bolt to your Library
If you want to save the selected bolt to your Bolts library, click the Save Bolt button:
This will save the bolt component as a SKP file to your Bolts library folder. This folder is defined by your current Standard.
Loading a Bolt from your Library
If you want to load a bolt from Bolts library into the current model, click the Load Bolt button:
This will open your library folder and allow you to pick the bolt SKP component to load into your current model. Once it is loaded, you can modify the settings if desired.
Removing a Bolt from the Model
Bolts, nuts and washers are normal SketchUp components but with additional DECAsteel attributes. You can remove a these components from your model by right-clicking the component in the Components Panel and selecting Delete from the pop-up menu.
Delete bolt parts with caution! You should only delete bolts if you are certain that they are not being used in your model.
Bolt Settings Reference
Bolts are assumed to be hex head type. Bolts have the following primary settings.
Bolt Component = The currently selected bolt
Name = The name of the bolt
Available Lengths = A pipe | separated list of lengths that this bolt is available in. When generating connections with this bolt, DECAsteel will automatically pick the shortest length of bolt from this list that works for the connection.
Diameter = The diameter of the bolt (and diameter of the nut hole)
Head Width = The width between edges of the bolt head
Height Height = The height of the bolt head
Thread Length = The length of the bolt threads (assumed to be equal for all available lengths)
Nuts settings are shown below:
Nut Width = The width between edges of the nut
Nut Height = The height of the nut
Washers have the settings noted below:
Washer Inside Diameter = The diameter of the washer hole
Washer Outside Diameter = The outside diameter of the entire washer
Washer Thickness = The thickness of the washer
Beveled washers can be used by clicking the Beveled Washer checkbox.
Note: Beveled washers are not yet implemented in DECAsteel for connections.
Below are the settings for beveled washers:
Thickness Min = The minimum thickness of the beveled washer
Thickness Max = The maximum thickness of the beveled washer
Inside Diameter = The diameter of the washer hole
Washer Width = The size of the washer (assumed to be square)
Comments
11 comments
can u help me with this? it happened when i try to create bolts.
Hi Adelin - what version of DS are you using? I think what you are seeing is a bug that we have now fixed. Please update to the latest version here:
https://decasteel.com/download-decasteel/
I am using the last version.
If you are using 0.1.4, you should not be seeing this error. Please update to the latest version here: https://decasteel.com/download-decasteel/
Hi dale, I'm having the same problem with the bolts. I installed the latest version two days ago and the same message as Adelin appears.
That is strange - What are your SketchUp model units settings? (Please send a screenshot). Your unit settings might affect this error. Do you use a comma (,) as a decimal separator?
Hi Dale, I use the SU 2024 version in Portuguese-br and the system I use is metric and yes, I use the comma (,) with decimal separator, native to Sketchup for the metric system.
Where can I find a library of screws compatible with Decasteel?
Hi Marecelo - I have created a support ticket for you. Let's continue this conversation by email. I will respond shortly.
Hi Dale
I install DS 0.1.4 on SU2025 just a few minutes ago (today is may 24)
I have the same problem when attemp to create my first bolt
Hi German - Thanks for the report! I thought we fixed this bug in version 0.1.3 but I guess we didn't fully! Are you also using a comma as decimal separator? I think that might be triggering the bug.
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