Roof Elements - Layer Separation

The 'Individual Rafters' dialog area is used to enter the fixed rafters of an element. Between these fixed rafters the element can be subdivided with the 'Field Rafters'.

The dimensions and other settings for the individual rafters are selected by choosing a saved setting from the regular rafter input. This is done in the left column using drop-down lists. Using the browser button at the right end of these fields you can open the regular rafter input dialog and modify the settings. Please note the following: If you change a setting and do not save that change in the regular rafter input using the disk icon (top right), the change will only be stored in the element-layout settings file, not in the regular rafter input. In that case the name of the setting in the element-layout dialog will be marked with parentheses. This indicates that the values in the element-layout setting no longer match the values from the regular rafter input. This is permissible in principle and the parentheses are intended only to point out this situation.

There are different options for the placement of individual rafters:

Element joint left: An individual rafter with this setting will be placed at the left edge of an element, provided there is an element joint (and not a verge, etc.) at the left edge. An element joint always exists only between two elements.

Element joint right: An individual rafter with this setting will be placed at the right edge of an element, provided there is an element joint (and not a verge, etc.) at the right edge. An element joint always exists only between two elements.

Verge: An individual rafter with this setting will be placed at the verge when an element ends at a verge. This will always be an edge element.

Wall connection: An individual rafter with this setting will be placed at a wall connection line when an element ends at a verge or contains a wall connection line (for example, from a dormer).

Other parallel Y: On all other line types that run parallel to Y (= perpendicular to the eaves) the individual rafter with this setting will be placed.

Element joint bottom: If the roof surface layout includes elementing in the Y direction, horizontal element joints are created. If the element joint is at the lower end of an element, this is an element joint at the bottom. Raked rafters or purlins can be placed on this line.

Element joint top: If the roof surface layout includes elementing in the Y direction, horizontal element joints are created. If the element joint is at the upper end of an element, this is an element joint at the top. Raked rafters or purlins can be placed on this line.

Eaves: Raked rafters or purlins can also be placed at the eaves across the elementing.

Ridge: Raked rafters or purlins can also be placed at the ridge across the elementing.

Other parallel X: For all other lines parallel to the X-axis for which there is no specific option (see above), this option allows placement of raked rafters or purlins.

Inclined edge bottom: If an element is bounded at its lower end by an inclined line (for example, a valley line), this option allows the creation of a raked rafter on that line.

Inclined edge top: If an element is bounded at its upper end by an inclined line (for example, a hip line), this option allows the creation of a raked rafter on that line.

Distribute field rafters: This option triggers the generation of the subdividing rafters. If this entry is missing, no field rafters will be generated even if they are defined with the 'Field Rafters' switch. (see also section 'Sorting')

Distribute field raked rafters: This option triggers the generation of the inclined subdividing rafters. If this entry is missing, no field raked rafters will be generated even if they are defined with the 'Field Rafters' switch. (see also section 'Sorting')

Sorting

The order of the entries in the list is very important, since the components are generated precisely in that order. The component that is generated second connects to the first component. For this reason the entry for 'Distribute field rafters' or 'Distribute field raked rafters' must also be specified. The field rafters then connect to the individual rafters that already exist, and if an additional individual rafter is generated after the field rafters, it will connect to the field rafters.

There are two buttons below the list for sorting the entries. These allow you to change the order of the entries at any time.

Purlins

On the lines where you can choose raked rafters you can also choose purlins. The purlin setting has a significant influence on how the purlins are generated. A decisive factor is the setting in the field 'Reference for distance in plan'. If one of the first four options is selected here (building outline, outer wall edge, reference axis, eaves), the purlin will also be generated on that line and the element joints will be completely ignored. If, however, the option 'Choice' is selected, the purlin will be generated on the configured line (e.g. element joint) and will also be separated at element joints running transverse to the purlin.

From the respective line the individual rafter can be offset by a specific measure. You enter this distance in the last column. The distance is always measured from the layer edge. The layer edge may, if applicable, be shifted from the actual line (for example, the element joint) by the offset from the layer separation.

If you want to generate rafters in different layers of the element, make additional settings for each layer. The layer in which the rafter is to be generated is set in the rafter setting itself.