Braceworks Preferences

Prior to beginning the rigging design, set up the default Braceworks preferences. The settings apply to the current file.

In addition to setting up the preferences, set up the Braceworks units on the Structural pane of the Units dialog box. If not specified, the document units are used.

To specify the Braceworks preferences:

1. Select Braceworks > Braceworks Preferences.

The Braceworks Preferences dialog box opens.

2. Click the Calculation Settings tab.

►    Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter	Description
Safety Factors	Sets the value of factors that are added to calculations to increase safety
Presets	Select a safety preset that conforms to standard safety codes; when a preset is selected, no custom modifications are permitted
All Loads/Temporary Loads/ Permanent Loads	Adds an additional multiplication factor to all loads (this factor is added to all calculations as a last calculation step), or only to loads categorized as temporarily or permanently installed
Load Categories	Adds an additional multiplication factor to the available load categories; each one can specify permanent or temporary as a sub-category for those particular load types
Cable Flat-Fare	Accounts for cable weight, without having to draw all of the cables
Truss	Adds the specified weight to all trusses (truss, straight truss, curved truss) to account for the additional weight from cables
Pipe	Adds the specified weight to all lighting pipe objects or pipe symbols to account for the additional weight from cables
Calculation Settings
Second order analysis	Causes calculations to fail when ropes/chains receive forces they cannot support; deselect this option to ignore these failures, which allows the calculations to continue
Compensate drops	Automatically shortens drops to compensate for the deflection of upper structural deflections (simulates the leveling off of lower structures)
Automatic scaling	Rescales influence lines so that they display optimally after every calculation
Include references	Allows rigging objects from referenced files to participate in calculations
Maximum Allowable Deflection	Sets the upper limit of deflection before it is considered to be “large” deflection; if this threshold is exceeded, a warning is shown. For some systems (especially very long trusses with few supports), large deflections can occur without affecting the accuracy of the results, and this value may require adjusting.
Geometry Accuracy	Adjusts the geometric accuracy of the model; increase the value to compensate for inaccuracies, loosening the tolerance. If the value is set too high, some items will be omitted from calculations.

3. Click the Classes tab to define the classes for various Braceworks elements for controlling appearance and visibility.

►    Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter	Description
Influence Lines Classes
Active Class	Places influence lines into the currently active class
Same Class as Structural Element	Places influence lines in the same class as the associated truss or other structural element
Select Class	Select a class from the list of classes present in the drawing, or create a new class
Use Standard Class	Select a class from the list of classes present in the drawing, or create a new class; the standard suggested class is selected by default
Combine Standard Class and Truss Name	Adds the name of the cross section to the selected class name
Label Classes	Select a class from the list of classes present in the drawing, or create a new class. The standard default label classes are selected by default.
FEM Object Classes	Creates additional FEM (Finite Element Model) objects and adds them to the drawing after a calculation; when deselected, no FEM objects are created. Since creating the FEM objects can take some time and they are required only in special cases, they are not created by default. Select a class from the list of classes present in the drawing, or create a new class. The standard default object classes are selected by default.
Assign Class to Loads	Places loads into the selected class
Select Class	Select a class from the list of classes present in the drawing, or create a new class
Create Class Name Based on Record Field	Automatically creates a class for the load objects based on the contents of the Name, Weight, or Load Category in the object’s record field
Class Name with ____	Adds either a prefix or suffix to the selected class name; select Prefix or Suffix and then enter its alphanumerical value
Reset	Restores the default class settings for the items in the tab

4. Click the Hoist Workload tab to specify graphical representation standards. These standards define custom colors for thresholds and for generating a workload heat map for hoists.

►    Click to show/hide the parameters.

Parameter	Description
Workload Display	Select how to display the workload applied to hoists
Threshold color map	Creates a color map with defined categories to represent low, high, and overloaded hoists
Percentage workload gradient map	Creates a gradient map for hoist colors, ranging from 0 to 100% of the workload
Relative workload gradient map	Creates a gradient map for hoist colors, from the lowest to the highest workload
Workload Threshold Assignment
Low workload	Click the color box to select a color to represent low workloads
High workload	Enter the threshold percentage to represent a high workload, and click the color box to select its color
Overloaded	Enter the threshold percentage to represent a workload overload, and click the color box to select its color

5. Click OK.

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Creating the Rigging System

Applying Colors

Event Rigging and Structural Analysis

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