| Applies To | |||
| Product(s): | RAM Elements; RAM Connection | ||
| Version(s): | V8i | ||
| Environment: | N/A | ||
| Area: | Tables | ||
| Original Author: | Bentley Technical Support Group | ||
Overview
RAM Elements 10.5 changed the way that custom materials, sections, connections, bolts, and welds are added to the database. These changes were necessary to permit RAM Elements to run with minimal privileges in security-conscious environments.
Creating custom Sections, Materials, Connections etc.
To create a custom material, section, connection, bolt, or weld, select the appropriate button in the Databases ribbon found on the Home menu. For specifics on adding Connections to the Ram Connection database, see [[Creating Custom Connection Templates]].
RAM Elements includes various groups of elements 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 (circled in the screenshot below).
Give the new group a name in the dialog box that appears, e.g. "Custom" or "My Sections". 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 (circled in the screenshot below).
Give the new table a name in the dialog box that appears, e.g. "My Pipes". Except in the case of welds, the dialog box will also require additional information such as the type. Pick the appropriate type from those available. For sections, click on the button with "..." to the right of the Type box to open a window showing the available section types. 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 (circled in the screenshot below).
To modify an existing item included with RAM Elements, 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 Elements. Then click the Copy selected item to clipboard button (circled in the screenshot below).
Navigate to a custom group, select a table, and then click the Paste items from clipboard button (circled 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.
Finally, edit the item by double-clicking its listing in the right pane, or click the Edit Item button on the right edge.
Note it is also possible to import a text file to define shapes, but importing from the clipboard generally works best. One strategy is to copy data to the clipboard. Paste that data into a blank spreadsheet. Then manipulate the spreadsheet as necessary, adding rows, changing values etc. Then copy the modified data back to the clipboard and finally use the "Paste Items from Clipboard" button to add a group of shapes at once.
Deleting custom groups
To delete a custom group, remove all items and tables from it. The empty group will be removed automatically when RAM Elements is closed.
See Also
[[Creating Custom Connection Templates]]
