| Applies To | |||
| Product(s): | RAM Connection | ||
| Version(s): | V8i; CONNECT | ||
| Environment: | All | ||
| Area: | Tables | ||
Creating Custom Connections Templates process
To create a custom connection templates follow the process below.
First click the Connections button in the Databases ribbon found on the Home menu.
RAM Connection includes various groups of Connections organized by country. These groups are locked and new data cannot be added to these groups. So a new custom group must be created. To do this, click the New Group button in the upper right (outlined in the screenshot below).
Give the new group a name in the dialog box that appears, e.g. "Custom" or "MyConnections". Upon clicking OK, the new group will appear on screen.
New elements cannot be created until a new table is added to the group. To do this, click the New Table button just below the New Group button (outlined in the screenshot below).
Specify the New Connection table design code, connector type, etc and provide a unique name for the table. e.g. "My Basic SP Table".
Upon clicking OK, the new table will appear in the left column. From here, you can create a new item from scratch by clicking the New Item button (outlined in the screenshot below).
To modify an existing item included with RAM Connection, it is recommended to make a copy in a custom group and then edit it. To do this, select an existing item in one of the groups provided with RAM Connection. Then click the Copy selected item to clipboard button (outlined in the screenshot below).
Navigate to a custom group, select a table, and then click the Paste items from clipboard button (outlined in the screenshot below). Note that the copied item must match the type of the table. Copy(1) is automatically appended to the name to prevent duplicate entries in the database.
Edit the item by double-clicking its listing in the right pane, or click the Edit Item button on the right edge.
In the window that appears Provide a unique connection name and set other design parameters.
For Connection templates the size and material of the connecting members, the slope angle and the loads are irrelevant because the joint contains this information, but using a reasonable size and material helps the graphic to appear correct.
The "Optimizable" check box has special meaning. This is analogous to a Smart Connection in the program where several parameters like plate thickness, bolt quantity and weld size are all optimized. In cases where you want to use specific dimensions for these things, do not select the Optimizable option.
Once all the parameters are correctly set , click Save.
Then repeat for as many Custom connections as you need.
Deleting custom groups
To delete a custom group, remove all items and tables from it. The empty group will be removed automatically when RAM Connection is closed.
Adding Custom Connections to the Toolbar
Custom connections can be assigned using the Design menu - View ribbon menu - Template switch.
To also have the connection available in the Design Toolbar, use Assign - Customize the toolbar...
In the dialog box that appears choose your Custom group and table on the left and shoose "USER" toolbar on the right. Then click New Group and New Assign Button to create the toolbar hierarchy desired. Then use the button in the center to move one or more selected custom templates over into the toolbar.
The toolbar will then include your custom tempalte
See Also
Creating custom Sections, Materials etc. in RAM Elements [TN]
