Exporting the Structure

Plans, sections and elevations can be exported to any CAD package (for example AutoCAD) as a DXF file. 3D drawings can also be exported.

From the Export 3D menu select to DXF Surfaces. You will see the following table.

	Draws members with steel flange and web thickness
	Draws members without steel thicknesses
	Draws each member as a single line
	Upon export, automatically start up AutoCAD and import the 3D DXF file
	Draws each line using its layer information
	Browse to the directory location you wish to save the file to, and provide a filename for the exported drawing

Note that to automatically start up AutoCAD upon exporting, the path to the AutoCAD directory in the MasterSeries Customisation area must be set. This only needs to be done once and the program will save the path for the next time.

From the Export 2D menu select G.A. Drawing as DXF File. This will take you to the following screen:

Page Setup options
Browse	Allows you to select a directory to save the file to, and to provide a file name.
Selected Views	Allows you to select a specific view or several views to export. The options All, Selected and Current provide a method of quick selection, and the program will automatically generate a series of default views, including roof and floors, elevations, and sections for each gridline.
Text Styles and Settings	Enables modification of the text style and size, and the aspect ratios for Titles, Labels and Dimensions. Also contains other text-based options including capitalisation, omission of spacing and colouring by layer.
Title Block	Provide the name of the client, architect, job, drawing, and drawing number details.

In the top left hand corner move to the Page Layout tab. This will take you to the following screen:

Page Layout options
The Page Layout tab contains an interactive screen with options provided within the right-hand column to modify each object within the page. The selected frame views are displayed on the page layout, and are indicative of the size and location of each drawing component. You are able to move and relocate the drawings by clicking and dragging with the mouse.
Auto Scale Auto Locate	Quick options to aid in the positioning and sizing of all the drawings on the page. These can also be manually moved if required
All Dwg Scale	Sets the scale of all the drawing objects to the selected drawing scale
Active Object	Allows you to select the component you wish to edit from the scroll list, or simply click on the view from within the screen. Note that the Scale and Style options are only applied to the active object - the one with the red box surround
Object Style	Provides the option to view the frame in full, outline or stick mode
Border	Includes a page border of the specified left, top, right and bottom dimensions
Landscape	Toggle between landscape and portrait page layout
Load AutoCAD	Upon export, automatically start up AutoCAD and import the GA DXF file

Drawing Options
The drawing options allow you to choose what is shown on the DXF output drawing. Highlight each viewing box in turn (it will turn the current border red) and choose the options for that view.

	Draw this object (view)
	Draw the grid lines
	Draw centrelines for members
	Draw members that are in section, N for near (upper) members, F for far (lower) members
	Draw dimensions

Labelling Options
Member labels can be applied to the members in the current view.

	Label member section sizes
	Label member numbers
	Label node numbers
	Label composite studs on members
	Label members that are in section

Forces Options
It is often useful to export the member end reactions and support reactions for the purposes of connection design. These can be exported into a DXF drawing and labelled as follows:

	Show maximum member end moments
	Show maximum member end shear forces
	Show maximum axial forces at member ends
	Show moment, shear and axial loads at service (unfactored) instead of the default Ultimate Limit State values
	Show moments, shears and axial loads on beams/columns/inclined members
	Show moments, shears and axial loads at supports (nodes)
	Forces filter. Absolute values below which moment, shear and axial will not be printed. The fourth value is the decimal place precision for output. 2 = 0.00, 1 = 0.0 and 0 = 0. Above 2 this value is the rounding precision, eg, a value of 25 means round up to nearest 25.

Edit DXF Layering Table

A specific layering table is employed in the generation of the GA DXF drawing. Several layering tables have been included for use with different CAD systems, including AutoCAD and AutoSketch. The user can define new layering tables or customise existing ones to conform to their in-house, or client drafting conventions.

MasterCAD uses 58 layers in each table, each for different uses. Every layer is assigned to a different component of a GA, Connections, or MasterKey Concrete DXF drawing. The name, colour and line type of each layer can be modified, however the intended use of each layer if fixed.

To open the form, go to Utilities > Edit DXF Layering Table

To edit an existing layering table:

1.Select a layering table from the corresponding drop list

2.Select the layer number and the description of its use

3.Change the name, colour, or line type input fields if required

4.Repeat step 3 as necessary for other layers

5.When completed, click Save As to update the current layering table

If you wish to undo any of the changes made since the last save, you can do so by clicking the Re-Load button.

To create a new layering table:

1.Select an existing layering table on which to base the new one

2.Enter the new table name

3.Click the Save As button to create the new layering table

4.Edit the individual layer properties

Note:- It is possible to give more than one layer the same name, which results in the layers being merged. Merged layers will all use the line type and colour defined in the first instance of the layer name.

Each layering table is stored on a separate text file that resides in the C:\ProgramData\MasterSeries subdirectory with a .MSC file extension. To remove a layering table from the list, locate and delete the associated MSC file.

It is also possible to edit the layering table directly using a text editor, such as Notepad. However, it should be noted that:

•You can give the file a different name, but it must reside in the C:\ProgramData\MasterSeries subdirectory

•You must use spaces, not tabs, to align text

•The start location of each text field is important

•You can merge layers by giving them the same layer name

•You cannot change the order of the layers, but new layers may be added to the end of the file

•Line types must exist in your default AutoCAD drawing