Interactive Section Tables

Reference Guide

Version 2008

July 2009

DFWP3-PE-200007E

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Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 1
IST Workflow ........................................................................................................................................ 2
File ................................................................................................................................................................ 1
Current Settings...................................................................................................................................... 1
Display current settings ................................................................................................................... 1
Create Section Table .............................................................................................................................. 1
Create a section table ....................................................................................................................... 3
Open Existing Table ............................................................................................................................... 3
Open an existing table ..................................................................................................................... 4
Change Cell File ..................................................................................................................................... 4
Change cell file ................................................................................................................................ 4
Compress ................................................................................................................................................ 4
Compress a table .............................................................................................................................. 5
Print to File............................................................................................................................................. 5
Print a table to an ASCII file (for reporting) ................................................................................... 6
Print a table to an ASCII file (for importing) .................................................................................. 6
Exit ......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Section .......................................................................................................................................................... 7
Review/Edit ............................................................................................................................................ 7
Edit .................................................................................................................................................. 8
Place ................................................................................................................................................ 9
Delete ............................................................................................................................................. 10
Restore ........................................................................................................................................... 10
Create Section ...................................................................................................................................... 11
Creating Thin-Wall Sections ......................................................................................................... 12
Creating Arbitrary Sections ........................................................................................................... 13
Volume Properties ......................................................................................................................... 14
Create a section .............................................................................................................................. 15
Designator.................................................................................................................................................. 17
Review ................................................................................................................................................. 17
Review a designator....................................................................................................................... 17
Label..................................................................................................................................................... 18
Label a designator .......................................................................................................................... 18
Disconnect ............................................................................................................................................ 18
Disconnect a designator ................................................................................................................. 18
Delete ................................................................................................................................................... 18
Delete a designator ........................................................................................................................ 18

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

Section Dimensions and Properties ......................................................................................................... 19

Angle .................................................................................................................................................... 20
Double Angle ....................................................................................................................................... 22
Double Channel .................................................................................................................................... 24
Channel ................................................................................................................................................ 26
Circular Bar .......................................................................................................................................... 28
Circular Tube ....................................................................................................................................... 29
Half Joist .............................................................................................................................................. 30
I-Section ............................................................................................................................................... 32
Inverted L ............................................................................................................................................. 34
Inverted T ............................................................................................................................................. 36
Normal Joist ......................................................................................................................................... 37
Normal L .............................................................................................................................................. 38
Rectangular Bar .................................................................................................................................... 40
Rectangular Tube ................................................................................................................................. 41
T-Section .............................................................................................................................................. 42
ASCII File Conversion ............................................................................................................................. 43
Error Messages ......................................................................................................................................... 47
A section can only have up to 97 vertices ............................................................................................ 48
A volume element must have the same number of vertices on each face ............................................ 48
All three data points must be placed in the same view ........................................................................ 48
An error occurred while creating the project table ............................................................................... 48
An error occurred while generating an element list file ....................................................................... 48
An error occurred while reading a table for a section record ............................................................... 48
An error occurred while writing the section to the file ........................................................................ 49
An error was encountered while calculating the thin-wall section properties...................................... 49
An error was encountered while interpreting the ellipse ...................................................................... 49
An error was encountered while processing the section graphics ........................................................ 49
An error was encountered while stroking the arc into a series of line segments.................................. 49
An incremental distance must be keyed in ........................................................................................... 50
An invalid element is in the connected string of the selected shape .................................................... 50
An invalid element was used to create the volume .............................................................................. 50
An invalid response was keyed in ........................................................................................................ 50
At least one element of the thin-wall section has a length of zero ....................................................... 50
At least one element of the thin-wall section has a thickness of zero .................................................. 50
Interactive Section Tables encountered an error that stopped the software ......................................... 51
Interactive Section Tables encountered an error while calculating the section
properties .............................................................................................................................................. 51
No sections exist in the active table for the section type selected ........................................................ 51
No valid elements were found in the fence .......................................................................................... 51
No vertices were found in the end face of the volume ......................................................................... 51
No vertices were found in the section .................................................................................................. 52
Only one user cell library can be attached at a time ............................................................................. 52
Table file has been corrupted ............................................................................................................... 52
The area of the thin-wall section equals zero ....................................................................................... 52
The ASCII file entered could not be located ........................................................................................ 52
ii

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

The cell file cannot be opened ............................................................................................................. 52

The ellipse must be identified in the view in which it was created ...................................................... 53
The file cannot be located as specified................................................................................................. 53
The geometric parameters used to calculate section properties were incomplete or
inconsistent for the chosen section type ............................................................................................... 53
The moment of inertia of the section is equal to zero .......................................................................... 53
The operation selected requires the graphics to be created in a 3D design file .................................... 53
The section area has a value of zero or less ......................................................................................... 54
The section name cannot exceed 32 characters .................................................................................... 54
The selected section is not a valid type for this operation.................................................................... 54
The specified section was not found in the section table ..................................................................... 54
Index .......................................................................................................................................................... 55

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iii

iv

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

SECTION 1

Introduction
Interactive Section Tables (IST) is a general section table utilities package that defines,
reviews, and modifies geometry and engineering properties associated with cross-sections. This
allows you to create and edit standard, thin-wall, arbitrary, and dimensioned sections. IST stores
the graphic cross-sections in a cell library for use in placing members with other software
packages. Engineering properties associated with the cross-sections are stored in a section table.
These engineering properties are automatically calculated based on user-defined parameters and
can be edited after calculation.
All calculations performed by IST use double-precision floating point numbers.
IST can also be used to define project-specific section tables. In addition, the engineering
properties of both two- and three-dimensional shapes that you have created can be calculated.
IST calculates these properties about the centroid of the shapes or any centroid you designate.
The calculations are displayed on the screen, but can be output to an ASCII file for further
review.
For more information, see IST Workflow (on page 2).

In This Section
IST Workflow ................................................................................ 2

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

Introduction

IST Workflow

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

SECTION 2

File
The File menu provides commands to view current settings, create section tables, open existing
tables, change cell files, compress section tables, and print section tables to an ASCII file.

In This Section
Current Settings ............................................................................. 1
Create Section Table ...................................................................... 1
Open Existing Table ...................................................................... 3
Change Cell File ............................................................................ 4
Compress ....................................................................................... 4
Print to File .................................................................................... 5
Exit................................................................................................. 6

Current Settings
The Current Settings command displays the Current Settings dialog box which shows your
active section table, active cell file, and units for the current section table. This dialog box
displays automatically when you start IST or can be activated by using this command.
New Table Name - Displays the active section table name. Use the Open Existing Table (on
page 3) or the Create Section Table (on page 1) command to change the active section table.
Default Cell File - Displays the current cell file name. Use the Change Cell File (on page 4)
command to change the active cell file.
Units - Displays the working units for the active section table.

Display current settings

1. Click File > Current Settings.

Create Section Table

The Create Section Table command creates a new cross-section table, either from existing
section tables or generated from an ASCII file. For more information on creating an ASCII file
for generating a section table, see ASCII File Conversion (on page 43).
You can filter which sections are read from the existing section table or ASCII file into the new
section table by using selection criteria.
File - Select File to display the File menu commands: New Table Name, Default Cell File, and
Existing Table.

New Table Name displays the New Table Name dialog box which is used to change the
name of the New Table Name field.

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

File

Default Cell File displays the Default Cell File dialog box which is used to change the name
of, or select a new cell file.

Existing Table displays the Existing Table dialog box which is used to select an existing
table from which to read sections into the new table.

New Table Name - Displays the new section table name. You can change the section table name
using the File > New Table Name command on the dialog box.
Default Cell File - Displays the default cell file when the section table is opened. You can
change this field using the File > Default Cell File command on the dialog box.
New Table Units - Specifies the units for the new table. If you are reading sections in from an
existing table, be sure to set the units to the same units as the existing table.
Create From - Select whether to read sections in from an existing section table or from an
ASCII file. To specify the table to copy from, use the File > Existing Table command on the
dialog box.
Availability Flag - Select to copy only sections that are set to Available (1). For sections being
read from existing tables, the Availability Flag parameter is set using the Edit option on the
Review/Edit dialog box.
Geometric Shape - Select to filter specific section shapes from the existing table or ASCII file
into the new table. If you do not select this option, all section shapes from the existing table or
ASCII file are written to the new table.
If you do not want any sections from the existing table or ASCII file, select the Geometric
Shape option but do not select any of the available shapes.
Section Name Filter - Specifies a pattern for section names to match. For example, type W36X*
to include all W36X sections in the new table. You can use the following wildcards when
specifying a section name filter.
* - Match to any characters.
? - Match any single character.
# - Match any single numeric character
[ ] - Match any characters in brackets.
[^] - Do not match any characters following the symbol in brackets.
Property Filters - You can filter sections from the existing table (or ASCII file) based on
section property values. Only sections with property values between the minimum and maximum
values are copied.
If no selection criteria is set, then all sections are copied from the existing table or ASCII
file to the new table.

Section Depth --- Type minimum and maximum section depth (d) values.

Section Width --- Type minimum and maximum section flange width (bf) values.

Moment of Inertia - Ixx --- Type minimum and maximum moment of inertia about the X-X
axis (Ix) values.

Moment of Inertia - Iyy --- Type minimum and maximum moment of inertia about the Y-Y
axis (Iy) values.
Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

File

Create a section table

1.
2.
3.
4.

Click File > Create Section Table.

Click File > New Table Name.
Type in the name of a project table.
Click OK.
If you type in an existing table name, that table is appended.

5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Click File > Default Cell File if you want to select a new cell file name.
Type in the name of a project cell file or select a cell file on the displayed list box.
Click OK.
Select the New Table Units toggle to set your working units, either English or Metric.
Select the Create From: toggle to create a project table using existing sections tables
(Existing Tables) or to create a project table using existing ASCII files (ASCII File. See
ASCII File Conversion (on page 43) for more information on preparing these ASCII files.
Click File > Existing Table Name if you want to change the current table name.
Type in the name of an existing table or select a table from the displayed list box.
Click OK.
Click Cancel to accept the default and return to the Create Section Table dialog box.
Set other parameters and values to meet your requirements.
Click OK to accept the defined parameters.
If you are creating a new table the system displays the following messages --- Creating New
Table and then Table Creation Complete.

10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

If the table already exists the system displays the following messages --- Appending to
Existing Table and then Append to Table Complete.
16. Click Cancel to exit the dialog box.

Open Existing Table

The Open Existing Table command opens an existing section table and makes it the active
table.
File - Displays the name of the selected section table. To change the section table, select one
from the Files list box, or type in the table name.
Directories - Displays the name of the active directory. To change the current directory, select
one from the list box.
List File of Type - Displays the file extension by which the files are filtered. Only files with this
extension display in the list box. All section tables have a .dat extension.
Drives - Displays all drives available including local and mounted network shares.

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

File

Open an existing table

1. Click File > Open Existing Table.
2. Type in a table name or select a new table to open from the Files list box.
3. Click OK to open the new table or click Cancel to exit.

Change Cell File

The Change Cell File command opens an existing cell file.
Files - Displays the name of the active cell file. To change the cell file, select one from the Files
list box, or type in the new file name.
Directories - Displays the name of the active directory. To change directories, select one from
the Directories list box.
List Files of Type - Displays the file extension by which the files are filtered. Only files with
this extension display. By default, cell files have a .cel extension.
Drives - Displays all drives available including local and mounted network shares.

Change cell file

1. Click File > Change Cell File.
2. Select a new cell file from the displayed Files list or type in the name of a cell file.
3. Click OK to retrieve the cell file or click cancel to exit.

Compress
The Compress command reduces the size of the active section table by removing deleted
sections from the table. Compressing a section table file increases the speed of manipulating the
file.
Compressing a section table removes deleted sections from the table. The removed
sections cannot be Restored (see "Restore" on page 10).

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

File

Compress a table
1. Click File > Compress.
The system displays Compressing IST Table and when the compressing is complete IST
Compression Complete.

Print to File
The Print to File command writes the sections in the active section table to an ASCII file. The
ASCII file name defaults to the name of the selected section table with a .rpt extension. The
default directory is the same as the selected section table.
The ASCII file created using this command cannot be used to create a section table. If
you want to dump an existing section table to an ASCII file to edit the values then recreate the
section table, you need to use the istdump.exe (on page 45) utility. See ASCII File Conversion
(on page 43) for more information on creating an ASCII file for generating a section table.
Below is a sample page of an ASCII report created with this option:
**** c:\temp\aisc.rpt ****
NAME
W36X300
W36X280
TYPE
1
1
DEPTH
3.674000E+01
3.652000E+01
BREADTH
1.665500E+01
1.659500E+01
WEB THK
9.450000E-01
8.850000E-01
AREA XSEC
8.830000E+01
8.240000E+01
FLG THK
1.680000E+00
1.570000E+00
K
2.812500E+00
2.687500E+00
FILLET R
1.020000E+00
1.020000E+00
Min Holes
7
7
Max Holes
10
10
BTF
5.000000E+00
5.300000E+00
Fy'
0.000000E+00
0.000000E+00
DTW
3.890000E+01
4.130000E+01
Fy'''
4.370000E+01
3.880000E+01
R(F+.3W)
4.390000E+00
4.370000E+00
D/Af
1.310000E+00
1.400000E+00
RI
9.500000E-01
9.500000E-01
NT
3
3
IX
2.030000E+04
1.890000E+04
SX
1.110000E+03
1.030000E+03
RX
1.520000E+01
1.510000E+01
IY
1.300000E+03
1.200000E+03
SY
1.560000E+02
1.440000E+02
RY
3.830000E+00
3.810000E+00
XJ
6.420000E+01
5.260000E+01
ZX
1.260000E+03
1.170000E+03
ZY
2.410000E+02
2.230000E+02
X SH CENTR
8.327500E+00
8.297500E+00
Y SH CENTR
1.837000E+01
1.826000E+01
X CENTROID
8.327500E+00
8.297500E+00
Y CENTROID
1.837000E+01
1.826000E+01

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

File
QXX
6.300000E+02
5.850000E+02
QYY
1.205000E+02
1.115000E+02
RZ
3.830000E+00
3.810000E+00
MAX PRINCIPLE I 2.030000E+04
1.890000E+04
MIN PRINCIPLE I 1.300000E+03
1.200000E+03
I POLAR
2.160000E+04
2.010000E+04
PROJ WIDTH
1.665500E+01
1.659500E+01
PROJ DEPTH
3.674000E+01
3.652000E+01
PERIMETER
1.382100E+02
1.376500E+02
AVAILABLE
1
1
BUILT UP
0
0
X SH AREA
3.154410E+01
2.954130E+01
Y SH AREA
4.663400E+01
4.342358E+01
TAN A
0.000000E+00
0.000000E+00
BACK SPACING 0.000000E+00
0.000000E+00
WARP. CONST. 3.975171E+05
3.651864E+05

Print a table to an ASCII file (for reporting)

1. Click File > Print to File.
2. Type in a path and name for the ASCII file to create.
3. Click OK to accept the path and name and write the file.
The system displays Printing IST Table and then IST Print Complete.

Print a table to an ASCII file (for importing)

1.
2.
3.
4.

Open a command prompt.

Type istdump.exe
Type the path and name of the section table to convert.
Type the path and name of the ASCII file to create.
You need to provide the full path to the istdump.exe. For FrameWorks Plus, the
istdump.exe file is delivered in the fwplus\bin directory.

Exit
Exit closes all open IST dialog boxes and exits the product.

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

SECTION 3

Section
The Section menu commands review, edit, create, place, and delete cross-section names and
their associated engineering properties.

In This Section
Review/Edit ................................................................................... 7
Create Section ................................................................................ 11

Review/Edit
The Review/Edit command reviews or edits sections in the active section table.
Table - Displays the active table. Use the Open Existing Table (on page 3) command to change
the active table.
Section Type - Select the active section type. Only sections that match the selected section type
display in the list.

Pattern - Select this field to enter a pattern used in locating a section name. For example --W24* will display all W24 beams in the list box. The following wildcards can be used in this
field:

* - Match to any characters

? - Match any single character

# - Match any single numeric character

[ ] - Match any characters in brackets

[^] - Do not match any characters following the symbol in brackets

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

Section
Current Section - Displays the current section. To change it, select a different section from the
list box.
Edit - Choose to display the current section's properties in the Review/Edit dialog box. See Edit
(on page 8) for more information.
Place - Choose to place the current section in your design file. See Place (on page 9) for more
information.
Delete - Choose to delete the current section. See Delete (on page 9) for more information.
Restore - Choose to undelete a section. See Restore (on page 10) for more information.

Edit
The Edit option is used to review and edit cross-section geometric and engineering properties in
the active table.
IST does not recalculate engineering properties when you edit geometric or
engineering values. Engineering properties are calculated only when the section is created. If you
choose to edit sections, it is your responsibility to ensure correct engineering property values for
the section.
Table - Displays the current table where the new section is created. Use the Open Existing Table
(on page 3) command to change the active table.
Section Type - Select a section type for the cross-section. Depending on which section type you
select, different definition parameters display.

Pattern - Select this field to enter a pattern used in locating a section name. The following
wildcards can be used in this field:
* - Match to any characters
? - Match any single character
# - Match any single numeric character
[ ] - Match any characters in brackets
8

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

Section
[^] - Do not match any characters following the symbol in brackets
Current Section - Displays the current section.
Units - Displays the current working units.

Edit a section
1. Click Section > Review/Edit.
2. Select Section Type if you want to change section types and select a cross-section from the
displayed list.
3. Select the cross-section size you want to edit.
4. Click Edit.
5. Select the value to be changed to meet your requirements. Refer to Section Dimensions and
Properties (on page 19) for a list of properties.
6. Click List to return to the Review/Edit dialog box and save any edits you have made.
7. Click Cancel to exit the dialog box (saving any changes you have made).
Interactive Section Tables does not recalculate engineering properties when you edit
geometric or engineering values. Engineering properties are calculated only when the section is
created. If you choose to edit sections, it is your responsibility to ensure correct engineering
property values for the section.

Place
The Place option displays the IST Place Cross-Section dialog box, used to place a cross-section
in your design file.
CP - Choose to select a cardinal point from the displayed list.
Angle - Select and type in the rotation angle.

Place a section
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Click Section > Review/Edit.

Click Place on the Review/Edit dialog box.
If you want to choose a new cardinal point setting select CP:.
Select the new cardinal point from the displayed list.
If you want to choose a new rotation angle, select Angle and type in a rotation angle.
Place a data point to accept the current cardinal point setting and rotation angle and to place
the cross-section.

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

Section

Delete
The Delete option is used to delete existing cross-sections from the active section table.
Deleted sections are not permanently removed from the section table until you Compress
(on page 4) the table.

Before Using This Option

The Review/Edit dialog box must be displayed and the section you want to delete must be
displayed as the Current Section.

Delete a section
1.
2.
3.
4.

Click Section > Review/Edit.

Select the cross-section to delete.
Click Delete.
Click OK to delete the current cross-section.

Restore
The Restore option restores cross-sections which have been deleted.

You cannot restore a section after the table has been Compressed (see "Compress" on page
4).

When you delete an arbitrary or thin-wall section, the corresponding cell in the cell library is
also deleted. However, if you restore the arbitrary or thin-wall section, the cell is not
restored.

Before Using This Option

The Review/Edit dialog box must be displayed and the section type you want to restore must be
displayed as the Current Section.

Restore a deleted section

1. Click Section > Review/Edit.
2. Select Pattern and type in a pattern that matches the name of the section you want to
restore. You can use the exact name or wildcards.
3. Select the section name you want to restore.
This selected section displays as the Current Section. The Delete push button changes to the
Restore push button. If no Restore push button displays, then the selected section is not
deleted.
4. Click Restore.
5. Click OK to restore the selected section.

10

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

Section

Create Section
The Create Section command displays the Create Section dialog box which is used to create
your own cross-sections. Cross-sections are created in the active section table.
Table - Displays the current table where the new section is created. Use the Open Existing Table
command to change the active table.
Section Type - Select a section type for the cross-section. Depending on which section type you
select, different definition parameters display.

Section Name - Type a name for the section you want to create. The section name is limited to
24 characters.
Section Dimensions - Type the dimensions for the section you are creating. Different
dimensions display depending on the Section Type you selected. For the dimension conventions
for each section type, see Section Dimensions and Properties (on page 19).
Because mills use a different fillet radii, sections are created using square corners.
No fillets are considered when calculating properties. You need to edit the section properties
after creating the section to get correct weight calculations.
Create Area Designator - Toggle on to create an area designator. A designator is a symbol
(triad) that is associated with the graphics used to create the section. Designators can be labeled
with the section name. The properties associated with the designator can be reviewed by simply
selecting the designator. When a designator is created, it is placed at the section's center and
indicates the directions of the principle axis' of the section.
When a section is associated with an area designator, it is considered to be locked. To unlock the
section, you must use the Disconnect command. This option is only available when Section Type
is set to Thin-Wall, Arbitrary, or Volume.

More Information
Creating Thin-Wall Sections (on page 12)
Creating Arbitrary Sections (on page 13)
Volume Properties (on page 14)

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

11

Section

Creating Thin-Wall Sections

This section type is used to create cross-sections for thin-wall members and add them to the
active section table. IST calculates the engineering properties of the thin-wall sections you create
and stores them in the active table. The cell file that is created of the cross-section is stored in the
active cell library.
During the creation of arbitrary sections, thinwall sections, and volumes, the user can choose to
create a designator. A designator is a symbol (triad) that is associated with the graphics used to
create the section. Designators can be labeled with the section name. The properties associated
with the designator can be reviewed by simply selecting the designator. When a designator is
created, it is placed at the center of the section and indicates the directions of the principle axis'
of the section.
FrameWorks Plus does not support Thin-Wall sections.

Before Using This Option

Use MicroStation and draw the thin-wall section. You can use lines, arcs, line strings, or
complex strings.
IST does not check the elements that make up the section to see if they are closed --it assumes that the elements are open.

You can create the graphics in 2-D or 3-D, in any view, on any level, using any weight and
color.

Place a fence around the graphic. If you are in a 3-D design file, you must place the fence in
the view in which the graphic was created.

Displaying Thin-Wall Sections

For a thin-wall section to display properly, the components that make up the section must follow
these rules.

The components must form one continuous chain.

The components must be in order. For example --- the first component highlighted must be
the start of the chain. The last component highlighted must be the end of the chain. All other
elements in between must be in successive order.

1. Click Section > Create Section.

2. Select the thin-wall icon from the Section Type option.
3. Type in a name for the thin-wall section to be created. The name can be up to 40 characters
long.
4. Click the Create Area Designator check box if you want to include this option.
When a section is associated with an area designator, it is considered to be locked. To
unlock the section, you must use the Designator - Disconnect command.
5. Click Create.
IST prompts: Place Fence Block Enter First Point
6. Place a fence around the MicroStation graphics you have created to define the cross-section.

12

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Section
7. Click Create.
The first element of the selected graphics is highlighted.
IST prompts: DB: 0.250 KEY: thickness
8. Type in the thickness (in SU units) of the highlighted element of the selected graphics.
The next element in the fence is highlighted. This step is repeated until there are no more
elements in the fence to define a thickness for. The message Processing Thin-wall Section is
displayed. When this process has been completed, the message Thin-wall Section Complete
is displayed.
9. Click data point to accept the displayed active thickness.
The next element in the fence is highlighted. This step is repeated until there are no more
elements in the fence to define a thickness for. The message Processing Thin-wall Section is
displayed. When this process has been completed, the message Thin-wall Section Complete
is displayed.
10. Right-click reset to reject the highlighted element.
The next element in the fence is highlighted. This step is repeated until there are no more
elements in the fence to define a thickness for. When this process has been completed, the
message Thin-wall Section Complete is displayed.

Creating Arbitrary Sections

This option is used to create cross-sections for arbitrary members and add them to the active
section table. IST calculates the engineering properties of the arbitrary sections you create and
stores them in the active table. The cell file that is created of the cross-section is stored in the
active cell library.
During the creation of arbitrary sections, thinwall sections, and volumes, the user can choose to
create a designator. A designator is a symbol (triad) that is associated with the graphics used to
create the section. Designators can be labeled with the section name. The properties associated
with the designator can be reviewed by simply selecting the designator. When a designator is
created, it is placed at the center of the section and indicates the directions of the principle axis'
of the section.

Before Using This Option

Use MicroStation to draw the arbitrary section. You can use ellipses, shapes, or complex
shapes made up of lines, arcs, and line strings. The cross-section must be drawn to scale.
You can create the graphic is 2-D or 3-D, in any view, on any level, using any weight and
color.
The shape is invalid if any of the lines cross.

Place a fence around the graphic. If you are in a 3-D design file, you must place the fence in
the view in which the graphic was created.

1. Click Section > Create.

2. Select the arbitrary section icon from the Section Type option.

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13

Section
3. Type in a name for the arbitrary section to be created. The name can be up to 40 characters
long.
4. Click the Create Volume Designator check box if you want to include this option.
When a section is associated with an area designator, it is considered to be locked. To
unlock the section, you must use the Designator - Disconnect command.
5. Click Create.
IST prompts: Place Fence Block Enter first point
6. Place a fence around the MicroStation graphics you have created to define the cross-section.
The first element of the selected graphics is highlighted.
7. Click Create.
IST prompts: DB: Solid; RST: Hole
8. Click data point to define the highlighted graphics as a solid element.
The next element in the fence is highlighted. This step is repeated until there are no more
elements in the fence to define as solid or hole. The message Record Added to Table is
displayed when this process has been completed.
9. Click reset to define the highlighted element as a hole.
The next element in the fence is highlighted. This step is repeated until there are no more
elements in the fence to define as a solid or hole. The message Record Added to Table is
displayed when this process has been completed.

IST does not check the validity of the solids and holes used to create the arbitrary sections
other than to verify that at least one solid section exists.

Processing of sections with curves can take considerably longer than sections without
curves.

Volume Properties
This option is used to create the engineering properties of three-dimensional volumes.
These engineering properties are calculated about the centroid of the volume. The engineering
properties for 3-D volumes are calculated by slicing the element, calculating the properties for
each slice and combining the results using numerical integration. The number of slices controls
the accuracy of the calculation.
There are two parameters, Density and Number of Slices that directly affect not only the
accuracy of the calculation but also the time it takes to calculate the engineering properties. As
the number of slices increases, the accuracy and the calculation time increases.
During the creation of arbitrary sections, thinwall sections, and volumes, the user can choose to
create a designator. A designator is a symbol (triad) that is associated with the graphics used to
create the section. Designators can be labeled with the section name. The properties associated
with the designator can be reviewed by simply selecting the designator. When a designator is
created, it is placed at the center of the section and indicates the directions of the principle axis'
of the section.

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Section

Before Using This Option

Use MicroStation to draw the volume element. You can use solid shapes, surfaces, and
truncated cylinders (regular cones and volumes created with the MicroStation Surface Of
Revolution command are invalid). For the front and back faces, used only ellipses, line
strings, shapes, or complex shapes made up of lines, arcs, and line strings. Each face must
have the same number of vertices; however, they can be twisted or skewed with respect to
one another.

IST assumes that the front and back faces are closed. For example, if a line string is drawn
with three sides and an opening, Interactive Section Tables assumes that the forth side has
been drawn to close the shape. The shape is invalid if any of the lines cross --- whether they
are actual lines or lines that are assumed to be there to close the shapes.

You cannot store the shape of the volume in the cell library for later placement. You can
only calculate volume engineering properties.

1. Click Section > Create.

2. Select the volume properties icon from the Section Type option.
3. Select Section Name and type in a name for the volume properties to be created. The name
can be up to 40 characters long.
4. Click the Create Volume Designator check box if you want to include this option.
When a section is associated with an area designator, it is considered to be locked. To
unlock the section, you must use the Designator - Disconnect command explained in the
Disconnect Section.
IST prompts: DB: Select Volume RST: Backup
5. Click data point to select volume. If the volume was created using the MicroStation Surface
Of Projection, you must select the volume that was created rather than the original surface.
The volume highlights.
IST prompts: Accept/Reject
6. Click data point to accept the highlighted volume.
The system displays Processing Sections and Volume Section Complete.

Create a section
Click Section > Create Section.
Select a section type.
Type in the new section name (40 character length limit).
Type in the parameters for the new section. For example --- Depth(d), Width(bf), Web
thickness(tw), and Flange thickness(tf).
5. Click Create.
6. Click Review to review the parameters.
1.
2.
3.
4.

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15

Section

16

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

SECTION 4

Designator
The Designator menu commands review and label cross-sections which have been associated
with an area/volume designator. These commands are also used to disconnect and delete
area/volume designators.
A designator is a symbol (triad) that is associated with the graphics used to create a thin-wall,
arbitrary, or volume section. Designators can be labeled with the section name. The properties
associated with the designator can be reviewed by simply selecting the designator. When a
designator is created, it is placed at the section's center and indicates the directions of the
section's principle axis.

In This Section
Review ........................................................................................... 17
Label .............................................................................................. 17
Disconnect ..................................................................................... 18
Delete ............................................................................................. 18

Review
Displays the section's engineering properties by selecting the designator triad. This command
displays the same Review/Edit dialog box as the Section > Review/Edit command. However,
instead of selecting the section to review from the section table list, you can select the section
graphically in the design file.

Review a designator
1.
2.
3.
4.

Click Designator > Review.

Select the designator you want to review.
Click to accept the selected designator.
Review the section and choose a command from the Review/Edit dialog box.

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17

Designator

Label
The Label command labels the section with the section name by selecting the section's
designator triad.

Label a designator
1. Click Designator > Label.
2. Select the designator you want to label.
3. Click to accept the designator.

Disconnect
The Disconnect command is used to disconnect the area designator associated with a
cross-section.
When a section is associated with an area designator, it is considered to be locked. To
unlock the section, you must use this command.

Disconnect a designator
1. Click Designator > Disconnect.
2. Select the designator you want to disconnect.
3. Place a data point to accept the selected designator as the one to disconnect.

Delete
The Delete command is used to delete the area designator.

Delete a designator
1. Click Designator > Delete.
2. Select the designator you want to delete.
3. Click to accept the selected designator as the one to delete.

18

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APPENDIX A

Section Dimensions and Properties

In This Appendix
Angle ............................................................................................. 20
Double Angle ................................................................................. 22
Double Channel ............................................................................. 24
Channel .......................................................................................... 26
Circular Bar ................................................................................... 28
Circular Tube ................................................................................. 29
Half Joist ........................................................................................ 30
I-Section......................................................................................... 32
Inverted L ...................................................................................... 34
Inverted T ...................................................................................... 36
Normal Joist ................................................................................... 37
Normal L ........................................................................................ 38
Rectangular Bar ............................................................................. 40
Rectangular Tube ........................................................................... 41
T-Section ....................................................................................... 42
This appendix describes the dimension conventions and engineering properties calculated for
each section type.

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19

Section Dimensions and Properties

Angle

20

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Section Dimensions and Properties

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

21

Section Dimensions and Properties

Double Angle

22

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Section Dimensions and Properties

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

23

Section Dimensions and Properties

Double Channel

24

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

Section Dimensions and Properties

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

25

Section Dimensions and Properties

Channel

26

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

Section Dimensions and Properties

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

27

Section Dimensions and Properties

Circular Bar

28

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

Section Dimensions and Properties

Circular Tube

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

29

Section Dimensions and Properties

Half Joist

30

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Section Dimensions and Properties

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

31

Section Dimensions and Properties

I-Section

32

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

Section Dimensions and Properties

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

33

Section Dimensions and Properties

Inverted L

34

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

Section Dimensions and Properties

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

35

Section Dimensions and Properties

Inverted T

36

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

Section Dimensions and Properties

Normal Joist

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

37

Section Dimensions and Properties

Normal L

38

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

Section Dimensions and Properties

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

39

Section Dimensions and Properties

Rectangular Bar

40

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

Section Dimensions and Properties

Rectangular Tube

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

41

Section Dimensions and Properties

T-Section

42

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

APPENDIX B

ASCII File Conversion

In This Appendix
This appendix defines the ASCII file syntax IST requires to create a section table from an ASCII
file. You can create a properly formatted ASCII file from an existing section table by using the
istdump.exe (on page 45) utility.
When converting an ASCII table file to a section table (binary format), the following rules
apply:

Every section must contain 48 records in the following order:

1. Section Type (number from 1 to 18)
2. Section Name
3. Section Depth (d)
4. Flange Width (bf)
5. Web Thickness (tw)
6. Cross-sectional Area (A)
7. Flange Thickness (tf)
8. Flange Thickness + Root Radius (k)
9. Root Radius
10. Minimum Number of Holes
11. Maximum Number of Holes
12. Section Width/2*Flange Thickness
13. Yield Strength of Flange (Fy')
14. Depth/Web Thickness (d/tw)
15. Maximum Yield for Compact Web (Fy''')
16. Radius of Gyration * (Flange + 1/3Web)
17. Depth/Area of Flange
18. Minimum Fillet Radius
19. Reserved
20. Moment of Inertia - X axis
21. Section Modulus - X axis
22. Radius of Gyration - X axis
23. Moment of Inertia - Y axis

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ASCII File Conversion

24. Section Modulus - Y axis
25. Radius of Gyration - Y axis
26. Torsional Constant
27. Plastic Section Modulus - X axis
28. Plastic Section Modulus - Y axis
29. Shear Center - X axis
30. Shear Center - Y axis
31. Centroid - X axis (xbar)
32. Centroid - Y axis (ybar)
33. First Moment of Area - X axis
34. First Moment of Area - Y axis
35. Radius of Gyration - Z axis
36. Maximum Principle Moment of Inertia
37. Minimum Principle Moment of Inertia
38. Polar Moment of Inertia
39. Projected Width
40. Projected Depth
41. Perimeter
42. Availability Flag
43. Shear Area in the X Direction
44. Shear Area in the Y Direction
45. XY Moment of Inertia
46. Principal Axis (tan (alpha))
47. Back-to-Back Spacing
48. Warping Constant

Records must be separated by at least one space; however, there is no limit on the number of
spaces.

The characters of any record that requires numbers cannot contain characters other than 0-9.

If a zero is entered for a property, the value is calculated from the section dimensions.

Section Type Numbers

The section type identification numbers (the first section record) are:

44

1 - I-section

- solid round

2 - channel

- thin wall

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

ASCII File Conversion

3 - tee

- arbitrary

4 - angle

- concrete angle

5 - double channel

- inverted angle

6 - double angle

- joist

7 - rectangular tube

- half joist

8 - pipe

- inverted tee

9 - rectangular solid

- volume

Example 1
1 w36x300 36.74
16.655
0.945 88.3 1.68 2.8125 1.5 1 3 5.0 65.0
38.9
43.7
4.39 1.31 0 0 20300 1110 15.2 1300 156 3.83 64.2 1260 241
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 (0.0 0.0 0.0) 16.655 34.74 111.0 1
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Example 2
1 w36x300
34.74
16.655
0.945
88.3
1.68
2.8125
1.5
1
3 5.0
65.0
38.9
43.7 4.39 1.31 0 0 20300 1110 15.2 1300 156 3.83 64.2
1260 241
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 16.655 34.74 111.0 1 0.0
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Example 3
1 w36x300 36.74 16.655 0.945 88.3 1.68 2.8125 1.5 1 3 5.0 65.0
38.9 43.7 4.39 1.31 0 0 20300 1110 15.2 1300 156 3.83 64.2 1260 241
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 16.655 34.74 111.0 1 0.0
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

The istdump.exe utility decompiles a section table into a properly formatted ASCII file. You can
then edit the ASCII file to change section names or section properties.
From a command prompt, type istdump.exe sect_table ASCII_file where sect_table is the full
path to and name of the section table you want to convert to an ASCII file and ASCII_file is the
full path to and name of the ASCII file to create.

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45

ASCII File Conversion

46

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

APPENDIX C

Error Messages
In This Appendix

A section can only have up to 97 vertices ..................................... 48

A volume element must have the same number of vertices on each face 48
All three data points must be placed in the same view .................. 48
An error occurred while creating the project table ........................ 48
An error occurred while generating an element list file ................ 48
An error occurred while reading a table for a section record ........ 48
An error occurred while writing the section to the file .................. 48
An error was encountered while calculating the thin-wall section properties
49
An error was encountered while interpreting the ellipse ............... 49
An error was encountered while processing the section graphics . 49
An error was encountered while stroking the arc into a series of line segments
49
An incremental distance must be keyed in .................................... 49
An invalid element is in the connected string of the selected shape
50
An invalid element was used to create the volume ........................ 50
An invalid response was keyed in.................................................. 50
At least one element of the thin-wall section has a length of zero. 50
At least one element of the thin-wall section has a thickness of zero
50
Interactive Section Tables encountered an error that stopped the software 50
Interactive Section Tables encountered an error while calculating the section properties 51
No sections exist in the active table for the section type selected . 51
No valid elements were found in the fence .................................... 51
No vertices were found in the end face of the volume .................. 51
No vertices were found in the section ............................................ 51
Only one user cell library can be attached at a time ...................... 52
Table file has been corrupted ......................................................... 52
The area of the thin-wall section equals zero ................................ 52
The ASCII file entered could not be located ................................. 52
The cell file cannot be opened ....................................................... 52
The ellipse must be identified in the view in which it was created 52
The file cannot be located as specified .......................................... 53
The geometric parameters used to calculate section properties were incomplete or inconsistent for the chosen sect
The moment of inertia of the section is equal to zero .................... 53
The operation selected requires the graphics to be created in a 3D design file
53
The section area has a value of zero or less ................................... 53
The section name cannot exceed 32 characters ............................. 54
The selected section is not a valid type for this operation ............. 54
The specified section was not found in the section table ............... 54

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

47

Error Messages

A section can only have up to 97 vertices

Message: A section can only have up to 97 vertices.
Recovery: Redraw the section and keep in mind that full circles are stroked into 64 vertices.

A volume element must have the same number of

vertices on each face
Message: A volume element must have the same number of vertices on each face.
Recovery: Redraw the volume.

All three data points must be placed in the same view

Message: All three data points must be placed in the same view.
Recovery: Place the data points again to continue.

An error occurred while creating the project table

Message: An error occurred while creating the project table.
Recovery: Check the name and write access privileges.

An error occurred while generating an element list file

Message: An error occurred while generating an element list file.
Recovery: Unknown.

An error occurred while reading a table for a section

record
Message: An error occurred while reading a table for a section record.
Recovery: Make sure the table has not been corrupted.

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Error Messages

An error occurred while writing the section to the file

Message: An error occurred while writing the section to the file.
Recovery: Check write access privileges.

An error was encountered while calculating the

thin-wall section properties
Message: An error was encountered while calculating the thin-wall section properties.
Recovery: Make sure that the section is a valid type and that the thickness value for each
element is greater than zero.

An error was encountered while interpreting the

ellipse
Message: An error was encountered while interpreting the ellipse.
Recovery: Delete and redraw the ellipse.

An error was encountered while processing the

section graphics
Message: An error was encountered while processing the section graphics.
Recovery: Make sure that no unwanted elements have been included in the fence and be sure
that the section is a valid type.

An error was encountered while stroking the arc into

a series of line segments
Message: An error was encountered while stroking the arc into a series of line segments.
Recovery:

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

49

Error Messages

An incremental distance must be keyed in

Message: An incremental distance must be keyed in.
Recovery: Reenter the data in the standard mu:su:pu format.

An invalid element is in the connected string of the

selected shape
Message: An invalid element is in the connected string of the selected shape.
Recovery: Make sure the element is a valid type and redraw the shape if necessary.

An invalid element was used to create the volume

Message: An invalid element was used to create the volume.
Recovery: Redraw the volume.

An invalid response was keyed in

Message: An invalid response was keyed in.
Recovery: Key in numeric data to continue.

At least one element of the thin-wall section has a

length of zero
Message: At least one element of the thin-wall section has a length of zero.
Recovery: The section must be redrawn.

At least one element of the thin-wall section has a

thickness of zero
Message: At least one element of the thin-wall section has a thickness of zero.
Recovery: The section must be redrawn.

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Error Messages

Interactive Section Tables encountered an error that

stopped the software
Message: Interactive Section Tables encountered an error that stopped the software.
Recovery: Exit and restart Interactive Section Tables.

Interactive Section Tables encountered an error while

calculating the section properties
Message: Interactive Section Tables encountered an error while calculating the section
properties.
Recovery: Make sure that the section is a valid type and that the thickness value for each
element is greater than zero.

No sections exist in the active table for the section

type selected
Message: No sections exist in the active table for the section type selected.
Recovery: Select another section type or attach the correct table.

No valid elements were found in the fence

Message: No valid elements were found in the fence.
Recovery: Make sure the fence is placed around a section. This message also appears if you
have rejected all of the elements of the section and if you are trying to create an arbitrary section
in a 3D file.

No vertices were found in the end face of the volume

Message: No vertices were found in the end face of the volume.
Recovery: Make sure the section is a valid type and check the coordinates of the section.

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51

Error Messages

No vertices were found in the section

Message: No vertices were found in the section.
Recovery: Make sure the section is a valid type and check the coordinates of the section.

Only one user cell library can be attached at a time

Message: Only one user cell library can be attached at a time.
Recovery: None.

Table file has been corrupted

Message: Table file has been corrupted.
Recovery: Recreate the table.

The area of the thin-wall section equals zero

Message: The area of the thin-wall section equals zero.
Recovery: Make sure the section is a valid type.

The ASCII file entered could not be located

Message: The ASCII file entered could not be located.
Recovery: Check the path and file name entered and key in again to continue.

The cell file cannot be opened

Message: The cell file cannot be opened.
Recovery: The cell file may be attached to another active design file.

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Error Messages

The ellipse must be identified in the view in which it

was created
Message: The ellipse must be identified in the view in which it was created.
Recovery: Select the ellipse in the view in which it was created.

The file cannot be located as specified

Message: The file cannot be located as specified.
Recovery: Check the path and file name, and re-enter it if necessary.

The geometric parameters used to calculate section

properties were incomplete or inconsistent for the
chosen section type
Message: The geometric parameters used to calculate section properties were incomplete or
inconsistent for the chosen section type.
Recovery: Make sure all of the dimensions make sense.

The moment of inertia of the section is equal to zero

Message: The moment of inertia of the section is equal to zero.
Recovery: Make sure the section is a valid type.

The operation selected requires the graphics to be

created in a 3D design file
Message: The operation selected requires the graphics to be created in a 3D design file.
Recovery: Create the graphics in a 3D design file.

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53

Error Messages

The section area has a value of zero or less

Message: The section area has a value of zero or less.
Recovery: Make sure that the section is a valid type.

The section name cannot exceed 32 characters

Message: The section name cannot exceed 32 characters.
Recovery: Key in another section name to continue.

The selected section is not a valid type for this

operation
Message: The selected section is not a valid type for this operation.
Recovery: Redraw the section as a valid type.
Message: The selected volume is not a valid volume element.
Recovery: Redraw the volume and continue.

The specified section was not found in the section

table
Message: The specified section was not found in the section table.
Recovery: Specify a section that is in the section table.

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Index
A
A section can only have up to 97 vertices
48
A volume element must have the same
number of vertices on each face 48
All three data points must be placed in the
same view 48
An error occurred while creating the project
table 48
An error occurred while generating an
element list file 48
An error occurred while reading a table for a
section record 48
An error occurred while writing the section
to the file 49
An error was encountered while calculating
the thin-wall section properties 49
An error was encountered while interpreting
the ellipse 49
An error was encountered while processing
the section graphics 49
An error was encountered while stroking the
arc into a series of line segments 49
An incremental distance must be keyed in
50
An invalid element is in the connected string
of the selected shape 50
An invalid element was used to create the
volume 50
An invalid response was keyed in 50
Angle 20
ASCII File Conversion 43
At least one element of the thin-wall section
has a length of zero 50
At least one element of the thin-wall section
has a thickness of zero 50

C
change cell file 4
Change cell file 4
Change Cell File 4
Channel 26
Circular Bar 28

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide

Circular Tube 29
Compress 4
Compress a table 5
Create a section 15
Create a section table 3
Create Section 11
Create Section Table 1
Creating Arbitrary Sections 13
Creating Thin-Wall Sections 12
current settings 1
Current Settings 1

D
delete 18
Delete 10, 18
Delete a designator 18
Delete a section 10
designator 17
Designator 17
Disconnect 18
Disconnect a designator 18
Display current settings 1
Double Angle 22
Double Channel 24

E
Edit 8
Edit a section 9
Error Messages 47
exit 6
Exit 6

F
file 1
File 1

H
Half Joist 30

I
Interactive Section Tables encountered an
error that stopped the software 51

55

Index
Interactive Section Tables encountered an
error while calculating the section
properties 51
introduction 1
Introduction 1
Inverted L 34
Inverted T 36
I-Section 32
IST workflow 2
IST Workflow 2

Restore a deleted section 10

review 17
Review 17
Review a designator 17
Review/Edit 7

Label 18
Label a designator 18

N
No sections exist in the active table for the
section type selected 51
No valid elements were found in the fence
51
No vertices were found in the end face of the
volume 51
No vertices were found in the section 52
Normal Joist 37
Normal L 38

O
Only one user cell library can be attached at
a time 52
Open an existing table 4
open existing table 3
Open Existing Table 3

P
Place 9
Place a section 9
Print a table to an ASCII file (for importing)
6
Print a table to an ASCII file (for reporting)
6
print to file 5
Print to File 5

S
section 7
Section 7
Section Dimensions and Properties 19

Table file has been corrupted 52

The area of the thin-wall section equals zero
52
The ASCII file entered could not be located
52
The cell file cannot be opened 52
The ellipse must be identified in the view in
which it was created 53
The file cannot be located as specified 53
The geometric parameters used to calculate
section properties were incomplete or
inconsistent for the chosen section type
53
The moment of inertia of the section is equal
to zero 53
The operation selected requires the graphics
to be created in a 3D design file 53
The section area has a value of zero or less
54
The section name cannot exceed 32
characters 54
The selected section is not a valid type for
this operation 54
The specified section was not found in the
section table 54
T-Section 42

V
volume properties 14
Volume Properties 14

R
Rectangular Bar 40
Rectangular Tube 41
Restore 10
56

Interactive Section Tables Reference Guide