Creating Slab Components

Slab components define the sections that make up a slab. For example, to indicate that a slab is made up of gypsum board ceiling, wood framing, and a plywood deck, define a component for each of these items to illustrate their location. Slab components can be offset from the edges of the walls (automatically bounded slabs) or the edge of the slab (manual slabs); their appearance can be specified for cross-section views, and they can be textured (Renderworks required), creating realistic section views and rendered views, as well as accurate slab material estimates. The area and volume of slab components (minus any holes cut) can be calculated in worksheets; see Worksheet Functions).

The overall thickness of a slab is equal to the sum of its components. Component fill and pen style are only displayed in section viewports.

To define slab components prior to drawing the slab:

1. Click the Slab tool from the Building Shell tool set, and click Preferences from the Tool bar.

The Slab Preferences dialog box opens.

2. On the Definition tab, click New.

The Slab Component Settings dialog box opens. Specify the component name, thickness, edge offset, and appearance in section views and rendered views.

Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter	Description
Definition
Name	Provide a name for the component, which displays in the Components list in the Slab Preferences dialog box
Class	To control appearance and visibility, select a class from the list of classes present in the drawing, or create a new class. Select <Object Class> to place the component attributes in the same class as the slab object.
Thickness	Specifies the component’s thickness; the thickness of a slab is the sum of its components. A component must have a thickness greater than 0.
Edge Offset	The method of offsetting the component from the edge of the slab depends on whether the slab is an automatically bounded slab, associated with a set of walls, or a slab drawn manually. The edge offset setting displays for each component in the component list on the Definition tab of the Slab Preferences dialog box.
Auto-Bound	Sets the component edge to the inner or outer face of the wall, outer face of the inner wall component, inner face of the outer wall component, or inner face/outer face/center of the wall component designated as the core component
Manual	Specifies the offset of the component from the edge of the slab
Texture (Renderworks required)
No Texture	Does not apply a texture to the component
Class Texture	Sets the component to use the texture specified by the component’s class. The class texture is set from the Other tab in the Edit Classes dialog box; see Setting Class Properties.
Choose Texture	Select a texture for the component from a library or the current file
Energos	Specifies energy analysis calculation parameters for the slab component. Vectorworks Architect is required to conduct an energy analysis; however, energy-related parameters can be specified here for informational purposes.
Lambda Value	Indicates the lambda value for the slab component; for convenience, lambda values are provided for typical component materials. Click Look Up to find and select a typical lambda value from the Look Up Lambda Value dialog box; click Edit List to enter the value manually.
R-Value/U-Value	Based on the component thickness and lambda value, displays the slab component’s R-Value/U-Value
Section Fill	Specifies the component appearance in section views
Style	Specify the slab fill attributes. Select None for no fill, or Class Style to set component fill attributes by class rather than by the parameters in the Slab Component Settings dialog box. Selected hatch, gradient, or image fills, if not already present in the file, are imported and added to the Resource Browser. See Resource Libraries and Fill Attributes. Use a tile fill with Fit to Wall selected, to represent insulation fill. See Defining Tiles.
Section Pen	Specifies the component appearance in section views
Style	Specify the slab pen attributes. Select None for no pen, Line Type to select a complex line type, or Class Style to set component pen attributes by class rather than by the parameters in the Slab Component Settings dialog box. Selected line types, if not already present in the file, are imported and added to the Resource Browser. See Resource Libraries and Pen Attributes.
Thickness	When a pen style has been selected, specify the line thickness; see Line Thickness Attributes. If Line Type is selected as the pen style, also select the line type to use.

3. Click OK to create the component and return to the Slab Preferences dialog box.

The slab’s Overall Thickness value changes to be determined by its components. As components are defined, they display in the preview. Click and drag a component in the # column to change its order. Determine which component is the datum component by clicking in the Datum column. Set the datum to the top or bottom of the component.

4. To save the component settings with the slab settings as a slab style, click Save Preferences as Slab Style.

5. Click OK.

Once created, the components of a selected slab can be edited by clicking Components from the Object Info palette.

Defining Components for Existing Slabs

To define or edit slab components for an existing, unstyled slab:

1. Select the slab.

2. From the Object Info palette, click Components.

Since the components are part of a slab style’s definition, the components of a styled slab cannot be edited unless Edit Style or Convert to Unstyled Slab is first selected from the Style list.

The Slab Components dialog box opens.

Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter	Description
Preview	Displays a preview of the slab structure, including the defined components
Overall Thickness	The thickness of a slab with components is defined by the sum of the component thicknesses
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. An indicator in the column either points towards the top or bottom, to show that the datum is placed on the top or the bottom of the component. To change the datum to be at the top or bottom, either click on the indicator to switch the placement, or click Top of Component or Bottom of Component under Datum at the bottom of the dialog box.
New	Opens the Slab Component Settings dialog box to define the components of the slab as described previously in this section
Edit	Opens the Slab Component Settings dialog box to edit the selected component’s thickness and attributes (you can also double-click 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; the slab thickness is adjusted accordingly
Delete	Deletes the selected slab component; the slab thickness is adjusted accordingly
Datum	Select whether the datum is applied to the top or bottom of the designated component; the indicator in the Datum column updates accordingly

3. Click New or Edit, and define or edit the components as described in Creating Slab Components.

4. Click OK to return to the Slab Components dialog box.

5. Click OK. The new component definition is applied to the selected slab.

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Resource Libraries

The Attributes Palette

Defining Tiles

Setting Class Properties

Creating Slabs

Creating Slab Styles

Using Slab Styles

Editing Slab Geometry

Energos Energy Analysis Module

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