Truss Envelopes

Creating Truss Envelopes Overview

Video Transcript:

Welcome back! In this video, we'll be creating truss envelopes and generating truss designs for a basic layout in the Paragon Design App.

For this demo we will be referring to Training Plan 1, which is a 30 foot by 20 foot rectangular structure with a four twelve roof slope and gables on both ends.

For reference, a copy of the completed Training Plan 1 project is accessible from Choose Create Project and then under Open Sample

  Now we're ready to add a truss envelope. A truss envelope defines the placement and geometry of a truss based on profile-defining planes. Truss Envelopes are used to generate component designs.

To add a truss envelope, right-click and select Truss Envelope. From the Truss Envelope Creation dialog, we’ll go with the defaults for Component Type, Definition Type, Justification, Thickness and Plies. And our trusses will have overhangs on the right and the left.

Prior to inserting a truss envelope, adjust the snapping behavior and distance for the first envelope. The closest base option will snap the envelope to the nearest baseline relative to your mouse cursor, while the best envelope will snap to the closest envelope based on your mouse position.

We’ll start with the gable truss on the right. Using Closest Base, hover above the gable end wall on the right end to preview truss placement. Click to lock in the placement. Next we need to insert the gable truss. Because we are going to add the other gable truss next, select Insert and Repeat.

For the left gable truss we will hover above the gable end wall and click to lock in the placement. Next we will begin our truss run from the left side, so select Insert and Start Run from the options along the bottom.

Specify the envelope spacing via the Envelope Run Creation dialog and move your mouse toward the right gable end. The truss envelope placement preview will dynamically adjust to your mouse location. Once satisfied, click to insert the run of truss envelopes and they are added to the scene. Truss spacing dimensions are automatically generated and can be toggled on and off. To do so, click the Dimensions Truss Runs icon in the Options toolbar.

Each truss envelope has a green triangle which indicates the truss’s left end. A common truss layout practice is to align the left ends where possible, so we’ll modify the gable truss on the right side of the building to align the left end with the other trusses. Select the gable truss on the right side, and within the properties panel scroll down, and click Flip Envelope. Now the left ends of all truss envelopes are consistent along the rear wall.

From the Project Menu click Design All Truss Envelopes. This will create truss designs based on the truss envelope profile. Let’s take a quick look at the trusses we have added. Click the 3D Camera Icon and by pressing the right mouse button move your mouse around to spin the 3D Model. You can also zoom in and out by rolling your mouse wheel. To see the trusses in different view modes click the Truss Envelopes icon and roll your mouse wheel as you hover over the icon and you can cycle through the view options. Now let’s return back to the 2D view. Click back on the 3D Camera icon to do so.

Truss Designs will automatically receive a component label placed near the left end.

The final step in our workflow is to rename components. Select the gable trusses by holding Ctrl and click both gable trusses. In the Properties panel along the right sidebar. Change the name in the Component Design Name area to G01. Press the Escape key to deselect the gables. Next, hold Ctrl, when you do an option box appears on the screen for Multiselect, make sure that Truss Envelopes button is selected. If not, click to select it. While the Ctrl button is still pressed, click and drag the mouse to use a selection window to select all the common trusses. Next, change the name to T01 and press enter. The truss names should now all show as G01 and T zero 1 and displayed in the layout.

Open the left sidebar, if not opened already, to access the Component Explorer which lists all components in the project.

Before we move to the next step, review the trusses from the Component Explorer window. Notice the component name color and unanalyzed for each. These will be updated in the next step. Under the Project Menu, click Analyze all Changed Components. Click close after the trusses are analyzed. You’ll notice the Analysis status of each component changes from Unanalyzed to Checks Pass and the truss Name changes from blue to green. The truss name will be red if it fails the analysis.

That wraps up our introduction to Truss placement, design and analysis. Thanks for watching, and see you in the next one!

Insert a Truss Envelope

Step 1 - Create Truss Envelope

Begin insertion by clicking the + Create button, right-clicking in empty space, or using the Ctrl + Qkeyboard shortcut and selecting Truss Envelope.

Tip

You can use the Ctrl + Q + E keyboard shortcut to begin inserting a truss envelope.

Step 2 - Place Truss Envelope

Hover over the layout for a live preview of the Truss Envelope. Pick your desired envelope location in the scene.

Use the snapping settings to customize envelope behavior.

Tip

Use INSERT AND REPEAT to quickly enter similar envelopes.

Step 3 - Modify Properties

Step 4 - Click Insert to finish.

Insert Multiple Envelopes with a Truss Run

Follow the steps above for inserting a single Truss Envelope, but instead of clicking INSERTor INSERT AND REPEAT, click INSERT AND START RUN. Use the live preview to determine the placement of your run.

Delete Truss Envelopes

You can delete truss envelopes one at a time by right-clicking them and selecting Delete Truss Envelope (or use the Delete key shortcut) or you can use Multi-select to delete multiple at once.

Modify Truss Envelope Properties

Step 1 - Select a Truss Envelope

Step 2 - Open the Truss Envelope Properties Subpanel

Open the Right Sidebar or right-click the envelope and select Edit Properties.

The properties below, except for Component Type & Definition Type, can be modified during insertion as well as after in the Truss Envelope Properties subpanel. The component and definition types must be selected during insertion.

Component and Definition Type

This property must be determined at the time of insertion. Use the dropdowns to select Roof Truss or Floor Truss as well as selecting between Feature Pattern or Profile. For more information on these two Definition Types, see the Create a Layout page.

Overhang

Use the selects to add or remove overhangs from the envelope.

Note

When changes like removing or adding an overhang to an envelope are made, the envelope must be recalculated for the changes to be applied.

Recalculate

Use the button in the properties panel or right-click menu to recalculate the envelope after changes have been made. Alternatively, you can partially recalculate an envelope by selecting Recalculate Left/Right End Only.

Note

Recalculate will only update the truss envelope. It will not modify or update any component designs linked to the envelope.

Regenerate Component

Right-click the selected envelope(s) and select Regenerate Component. This combines a series of tasks into a single action:

• Unlink components

• Delete components no longer referenced by those envelopes

• Create/match designs

• Regenerate connections

Regenerate Carried Component Connections

Use Regenerate Connections in the right-click menu to update a truss's list of carried components based on the current state of the underlying truss envelopes in the layout.

Justification

Use the Justification toggle to select Front, Center, or Backto modify the justification of the envelope.

Thickness

Use this tool to modify the thickness of the truss. This is only supported for Feature Pattern Trusses currently.

Plies

Use this tool to modify the number of plies for the envelope.

Left and Right Points

Use the Left Point and Right Point tools to modify the ends of the envelope.

Additionally, the Flip Envelope button can be used to swap the endpoints of one or more selected truss envelopes.

Bevel Cuts

Use the Bevel Cut tools to modify the bevel cuts for the ends of the envelope. These are set automatically in certain configurations, like for a corner set in a hip end. Bevels are not applied to overhangs.

Carried Chords

Use this tool to add properties to each envelope end to specify whether & how to connect it to adjoining envelopes.

• Auto: The default behavior. Envelopes determine their connections automatically. Jacks may be open or closed depending on other factors, such as their size.

• Top Chord and Bottom Chord: Envelopes will only be carried by a single chord. Jacks will be closed.

• Top & Bottom Chords: Envelopes will be carried by both chords. Jacks will be open.

• None: Envelopes will not be carried on this side. Jack-shaped trusses will be closed.

Cap Set

Use this tool to set the elevation at which an envelope should be capped. Truss envelopes should be capped prior to designing the component. Cap Sets are commonly referred to as Piggyback trusses or Piggy Backs.

• Base Elevation defines the bottom elevation of the truss envelope. This is typically consistent with the bearing height of the truss.

• Cap Height Offset defines the height of the base truss relative to the Base Elevation.

After applying the Cap set, the original, singular truss envelope will be split into a base truss envelope and a cap truss envelope.

In the example below, the original truss envelope height is 15'-5 3/16" which is displayed when hovering mouse over a truss envelope.

• The base truss height is 10' as defined by the Cap Height Offset.

• The cap truss height is 5'-5 3/16" which is determined by subtracting the Cap Height Offset value from the original truss envelope's height.

Additional Cuts

Top and Bottom Cuts

Use this tool to define additional top and bottom cuts to refine Truss Envelope solids by selecting roof and ceiling planes. A common use case for Top and Bottom Cuts is at valley truss conditions.

Ordered Top and Bottom Cuts

Use Ordered Cuts to modify and refine Truss Envelope solids. Ordered Cuts can be used to create complex truss geometry by selecting roof and ceiling planes in sequence.

Design Components for Envelopes

Right-click an envelope to access the tools below.

Create New Design

Select an empty envelope. Right-click the envelope(s) and select Create New Design to generate a new design that will be linked to the corresponding truss envelope.

Create or Match a Design

Select an empty envelope or use multi-select to select multiple. Right-click the envelope(s) and select Create or Match Design. If there are matching envelopes in your layout, the envelopes you selected will be associated with the same components as those matching envelopes. If no matches are found, a new design will be generated and linked to the selected envelopes.

Choose Existing Design

Select an empty envelope or use multi-select to select multiple. Right-click the envelope(s) and select Choose Existing Design to select a component design that already exists in the project and link it to the truss envelopes.

Note

You'll need to use this after Unlinking a design from one or more Truss Envelopes or if you've manually created a component.

Design All Truss Envelopes

Click the Project Menu button in the Header and select Design All Truss Envelopes to perform Create or Match Design on all empty truss envelopes.

Link/Unlink Components from Envelopes

To unlink a component design from an envelope, right-click the envelope and select Unlink Component.

To link an existing component design to an envelope, right-click an empty envelope and select Choose Existing Design.