Slab Style

To modify an existing slab style, select the Slab Style from either the default content or the current file’s content. Alternatively, select Unstyled as the slab style and set the parameters.

Save Preferences as Slab Style

Saves the current preference settings as a new slab style. The Assign Name dialog box opens; enter a slab style name and click OK

Preview

Displays a sectioned preview of the slab structure, including any defined components. The top of the preview indicates the top part of the slab as it will be drawn.

Overall Thickness

Displays the thickness of the slab. The slab thickness is always determined by the thickness of its components; a slab always has one component by default.

Edit Slab Attributes

Opens the Slab Attributes dialog box, to specify the slab fill, pen, and opacity settings

Components

Lists the components that form the structure of the slab, in order from top to bottom as displayed in the preview. To change the order of a component, click and drag within the # column.

Datum

One of the slab components is designated as the datum component by clicking in the Datum column. A check mark indicates that the component is the datum component. The top of this component is the Z-reference datum, and is fixed vertically (it does not change with any changes to the slab thickness or definition)

Other Component settings

The remaining columns in the component list display the component thickness, edge offset method, and class setting

New

Opens the Slab Component Settings dialog box to define the components of the slab; see Creating Slab Components for information on creating components

Edit

Opens the Slab Component Settings dialog box to edit the selected component’s thickness and attributes (alternatively, double-click on a component to open the Slab Component Settings dialog box)

Duplicate

Duplicates the selected slab component; the duplicate is added to the component list right below the originally selected component

Delete

Deletes the selected slab component; the slab thickness is adjusted accordingly

Fill

Style

Specify the slab fill attributes. Select None for no fill, or Class Style to set the slab fill attributes by class rather than by the parameters in the Slab Attributes dialog box. Selected hatch, gradient, or image fills, if not already present in the file, are imported and added to the Resource Browser (default content is automatically imported into the current file at the point of use and displays in the Resource Browser).

Pen

Style

Specify the slab pen attributes. Select None for no pen, Line Type to select a complex line type, or Class Style to set pen attributes by class rather than by the parameters in the Slab Attributes dialog box.

Thickness

When a pen style has been selected, specify the line thickness. If Line Type is selected as the pen style, also select the line type to use.

Opacity

Use Class Opacity

Sets slab opacity by class rather than by the parameters in the Slab Attributes dialog box

Opacity

Specifies the transparency of the slab; drag the slider to the left to increase the transparency, or enter a percentage directly in the box to the right of the slider

Datum LayerZRef

Sets the slab’s datum height to be defined by the layer elevation, or set it to be bound by one of the story levels defined for the story or the story below it. By setting the slab datum to a level type, if the elevation of the associated story changes, the datum of the slab changes automatically to match.

Datum Offset from Layer Z

Specifies the offset (positive or negative) of the slab’s datum component from the layer elevation (see Setting Design Layer Properties)

Class

Specifies the default class for the slab

Use Component Textures

Uses the textures defined for the slab components to texture the slab

This option can also be selected for an existing slab from the Render tab of the Object Info palette.

Use Object Textures

Uses the textures defined below for the slab parts (see Applying a Texture to an Object  for information on applying textures to an object with parts)

Part

Applies the texture selected in Texture to the selected parts of the slab

Revert to Overall

If a part was assigned a texture but it should inherit its texture from Overall instead, select the part and click Revert to Overall. The part moves back below the divider, and (from Overall) displays as its texture name.

Texture

Applies the selected texture to the selected Part.

Textures can also be set from the Render tab of the Object Info palette. Textures applied from the Object Info palette override the textures set here.

No Texture

Does not apply a texture to the selected Part

Class Texture

Sets the slab to use the texture specified by the slab’s class. The class texture is set from the Other tab in the Edit Classes dialog box. Any slabs with that slab style use class textures for that part of the slab (unless overridden). Class Texture can also be chosen for a selected slab in the Render tab of the Object Info palette.

Choose Texture

Choose a texture for the selected Part from the default content or the current file’s content (see Resource Libraries). Textures set here override the object class textures.