Fixture catalog

This catalog is used to set the billing and production parameters of a fixture for the external programs (list generator, NC generator). The assignment to a CAD fixture is done in the CAD catalog. The name in the external catalog must agree with the name of the CAD fixture as this name is used to associate the CAD fixture with the external catalog.

User-defined name for the fixture. This name is used to associate Allplan fixtures with the fixture catalog.
To associate smart architectural symbols in wall and slab openings with the fixture catalog, you need to enter the Allplan name of the relevant smart symbol. You can enter up to 10 characters. Watch out for small and capital letters. If necessary, you need to adjust the name of the smart symbol to this length in Allplan.

symbol/linear/surface/volume (selection box).
Specifies the type of fixture. The volume type has no function at the moment.

Please note that, depending on the type you have set, some of the following parameters may not be valid and are disabled, and that by using selection buttons other parameters may be available. To associate smart architectural symbols in wall and slab openings with the fixture catalog, you need to select the surface type.

Some control systems require this reference number. The number is user-definable, but it must be unique.
Fixtures that the program generates automatically, (e.g., fixing sleeves in the wall program) and that are not entered in this catalog, automatically receive an ID Number between 1 and 10. This ensures that control systems evaluate this number correctly during data transfer. You are thus advised to begin with the number 11.

panel/room/project (selection box).
The assignment to room or project means that the fixture is taken into account in billing but not built into the panel (and therefore does not appear in the element plan). This allows a list of the fixtures that are supplied only.

Assignment of the fixture to a manufacturer catalog or user catalog. This requires a catalog that can be accessed by the CAD system; the catalog name is displayed in the Manufacturer box. Manufacturer catalogs and user catalogs have different symbols, making it easier to tell them apart. Click

to remove the selected catalog. You can use the Class/subclass and Article fields to specify further details.

When you place a fixture from a manufacturer or user catalog, the program scans the external fixture catalog for a fixture of the type specified (symbol, linear, surface, ...). In addition, the manufacturer, class/subclass and item (if specified) must match.
You can use the $PT variable in the list text (see Logging tab), which is used to generate "plan text".

Name of the fixture for the list generator. In most cases another description of the fixture will be required e.g., for billing purposes. Please note that list text can have a maximum of 31 characters.
In addition to given text elements, you can use the following variables:

The following additional variables are available for describing wall openings and their smart opening symbols. You can also assign up to 5 prompts for each smart opening symbol. The variables $P1 to $P5 are used to evaluate these prompts.

You can also include formula variables in list text by adding a preceding $ character.
Note, however, that these variables may be associated with the precast element and not with the fixture. This may result in zero values, which are not output.

Variables for logging formula

L ... length [m] = max. extension in direction of span

W ... width [m] = max. extension transverse to direction of span

H ... height [m]

P ... perimeter [m]

A ... area [m²]

V ... volume [m³]

C ... cross sectional area [m²]

K ... max. edge length [m]

E ... element thickness [m]

L ... leaf thickness [m]

$Pi ... value of the ith prompt parameter, e.g., $P1 (see placing fixtures in Allplan)

$Pi ... SI-value of the ith prompt parameter, e.g., #1 (see placing fixtures in Allplan)

The $mM (MatchCode in manufacturer catalog or user catalog) and $mP (price of item in manufacturer catalog or user catalog) variables have already been added for later use. However, they have no function at the moment.

For surface fixtures, you can specify whether the opening size and/or thickness is/are included in measurement sheets for production planning, in the invoice and fixture list in addition to list text.
However, this setting only affects fixtures that are associated with smart opening symbols in Allplan and the Recess fixture, which is associated with all wall openings by default.

The external list generator can analyze material numbers as article numbers (for commercial interfaces). If there is an association with a manufacturer catalog, the article number defined in the relevant manufacturer catalog is used instead of this material number.

You have the choice of the usual logging methods (e.g., number for symbol fixtures, length for linear fixtures) and a user-definable logging formula (see next item).

Normally the units are assigned according to the type automatically. If logging is to be by formula, then you can enter an appropriate unit here.

You can only enter something here if the logging type is set to Formula. You can use variables to control the billing quantities in various ways: for example, if you want to calculate panel edge insulation as a surface fixture per linear meter.

Example of logging formula

The following formula (in this case only the variable) calculates the quantity of a chase in a wall. This element is a surface fixture, which is to be calculated per meter:

You can also enter set values, e.g.:

1 Number off is always 1 piece per fixture

2 Number off is always 2 pieces per fixture

0 Number off is always 0, fixtures are not listed

At the moment this setting is only used to control the output sequence in a customer-specific fixture list. It is not used in the default lists.

Select the Show fixtures check box and specify where the fixtures are to be displayed. In addition, you can choose whether to add a mark number to the fixtures and define whether and how they are dimensioned in element plans. You can also specify whether and which text is to appear in the table.

Specify whether wall and slab openings, in which smart architectural symbols have been placed, are labeled and which text is used in the table.
Specify whether the opening size, opening depth and/or selected unit is included in labels. You can make separates settings for the views and the table. Define the Unit and the number of Decimal places.

Note: Labels of rectangular openings that are rotated before they are placed (e.g. diamonds) include the length and width of the rotated rectangle. The longer side of the rectangle is interpreted as the length and the shorter side as the width.

The settings you define here are used to create the production data straight from Allplan using the

Production Data/NC Generator tool.
The program only displays the parameters that can be used with the associated fixture type (symbol, linear, surface or volume).

Select No if you do not want to produce the fixture. Surface fixtures that have been generated based on a smart architectural symbol can also be created leaf by leaf.
If you do not transfer a fixture to the production file, you can still use it to control formwork attributes applied to panel edges or recess edges.

For symbol fixtures and surface fixtures, you can select the Compress geodetic data option to compress the geodetic data of appropriate fixtures (connecting elements, insulating boards and tiles) for transfer to production.
Set the substitute symbol to 1 point, ensuring the program creates production data for connecting elements in the same way as production data for insulating boards and tiles.

The symbol fixture is transferred as a substitute symbol with the dimensions specified in Symbol size or with its actual geometry, which is taken from the CAD system. When you select the Calculate maximum extents option, the size of the substitute symbol is calculated based on the actual extents of the fixture's smart symbol foil (from the corresponding view in the CAD system).

You can remove the CUTOUT data block of the Unitechnik file leaf by leaf from surface fixtures (smart architectural symbols). Removing this block means the following: if the fixture and a recess are congruent, the recess is removed. This is required for smart architectural symbols if you add a steel frame or wooden frame, for example. In this case the fixture serves as permanent formwork.
If the file contained a fixture in addition to the CUTOUT block, the formwork robot would place formwork you would have to remove manually afterwards.

Note: However, some control systems require the CUTOUT block to control the concrete spreader (otherwise, concrete would be poured into the opening). In this case do not remove the CUTOUT block. You can use the "special formwork" attribute to configure the formwork robot not to place formwork.

You can specify which effects linear or surface fixtures have on formwork attributes of panel edges or recess edges that have exactly the same size and the same shape as the fixture edges. This applies to the geometric data in the CONTOUR and CUTOUT blocks of the Unitechnik file.
Click

to define the line attributes. The scope of the line attributes is clearly defined by the hexadecimal number displayed for Attr.. More information on formwork attributes can be found in the description of the Unitechnik CAD-CAM interface.

When you select the In path only option, only the panel edge that has exactly the same size and the same shape as the path of the outline is set for shaped fixtures.

Fixtures projecting beyond the enclosing rectangle of the element outline enlarge the enclosing rectangle of this element. As a result, you need to increase the maximum element dimensions and include a corresponding offset in the outline data.

Using the Top level/Bottom level/Lateral options, you can specify whether the overlap is taken into account for the bottom level, top level and/or for the sides. When you select the Element thickness option, you can increase the element thickness in the NC generator if the fixture projects beyond the element thickness.
However, fixture geometries that exceed the maximum panel dimensions cannot be produced according to the interface specifications (Unitechnik CAD-CAM). Therefore, the fixture geometries are clipped accordingly. Clear the Clip geometry of fixture check box if you do not want to use the clipping feature. In this case, you need to make sure that the control system can process the data.

Free info lines 1 and 2 for Unitechnik CAD-CAM interface V 6.0 and later (20 characters each).

The settings you define here are used to create the production data in the external process planning program (BFT menu) in conjunction with the

Production Data Transfer tool and subsequent selection of Pla.Prod.
The program only displays the parameters that can be used with the associated fixture type (symbol, linear, surface or volume).

The fixture will be transferred to production as the set line style or symbol fixture (MRP device or large format plotter). This only applies if fixtures from the CAD system are made 'ready for production' for a pallet or line (interface -dependent). Some control systems require fixtures to be displayed as they actually appear or to their actual dimensions. In this case, you cannot use plotter symbols or line styles.
To cope with this, you can suppress a fixture in production by selecting none for the display option.

Attention: some control systems print the bottom right reference point of the "1 point" symbol, which is not useful in practice, as the fixture would be offset.

This is only applicable to formwork robots and cannot be used on all control systems. Some fixtures (e.g., window frames) do to require formwork. A fixture applied to a panel edge 'removes' the formwork that would have been placed there.

Selecting Show edge or Place magnets applies the special formwork attribute to the panel edge that has exactly the same size and the same shape as the linear or surface fixture in the UNITECHNIK file.

Offset of the magnet from the panel edge. This is an extension to the above parameters. For some fixtures (e.g., wooden frames), it is necessary to place magnets spaced at ... so that the formwork for the timber frames can be placed.

If this check box is not selected, you can define different settings for the two sides.

With thermal insulation, it does not make sense to transfer spacers, as they may be pushed into the insulation. You can specify whether or not spacers are to be omitted near a (surface) fixture.

For a surface fixture (thermal insulation), you may want to subtract its volume from that of the concrete. You can specify whether or not the area of a fixture is to be taken into account by the concrete distributor. The thickness of the fixture must be determined using the prompt parameters.

Controls the transfer to Unitechnik (substitute symbol or geometry as in the CAD system).
Available from Uni 5.2 or newer interfaces.

Substitute symbol: transfers the substitute symbol specified for the Display instead of the actual geometry.

When transferring a substitute symbol for the symbol fixture, you can define the size of the substitute if the driver can process this information. In particular, this is not available with old AIA interfaces (ASC, PAL), which only transfer symbol numbers (they cannot transmit geometry).

Note: If the size is less than or equal to 1 cm, the general size specified in the NC configuration is used.

This option is only available with surface fixtures. If this check box is enabled, the thickness of the fixture is added to the element thickness when production data are created.
Note: Fixtures are always displayed as areas and not as solids. The increased panel thickness has no effect on calculations of other data entry fields (e.g. panel weight, ...).

For production (Sommer-LEIT2000). 0=manual - see interface definition from control system.

This is a 14 character long text field, which some control systems can recognize.

Fixtures projecting beyond the enclosing rectangle of the element outline enlarge the enclosing rectangle of this element. As a result, the entire element (both leaves of double wall elements) will be placed on the pallet so that the element is slightly offset (pallet loading), or, if Unitechnik drivers are used, the program increases the maximum element dimensions, thus applying an offset to the outline data (NC Generator).
The NC generator provides a "global" switch for all fixtures.

You can use the BL/TL/Lateral settings to define whether the overlap is taken into account for the bottom level, top level or for the sides. By selecting the z check box, you can increase the element thickness in the NC generator if the fixture projects beyond the element thickness.

You can use this option to project the position of the fixtures onto the lower or upper element edge in order to show the center of gravity on the edge of the element, for example.
For this, the Horizontal line and Vertical line settings are available for Display on laser/plotter. The length of the line is defined by the settings you make for the Symbol size.

When selected, the program tries to place the bars and/or lattice girders so that they do not collide with the fixture. If this is not possible, they are cut.

You can specify whether and how you want to replace reinforcement that is cut by fixtures. Note, however, that reinforcement can only be replaced in MWS meshes (i.e. attached reinforcement).

Structural: cut reinforcement is replaced by structural reinforcement, which you can define on the Replace reinf. tab.

Enter the offset to the longitudinal bar or cross bar and to the lattice girder.

You can define structural reinforcement if you have configured the system to intersect the bars in the area of the fixture and selected the structural option on the Reinforcement tab. You can specify separate settings for the visible/top and invisible/bottom sides and for the longitudinal and transverse directions.
You can create reinforcement up to the edge or place it using the anchorage length (lo) or the anchorage length specified.

Specify whether the fixture is to be labeled and/or dimensioned. The following options are available:

When set to Labeling or Labeling and dimensioning, you can define how the fixture is labeled.

For surface fixtures, you can select whether the opening size should be included in labels.
However, this setting only applies to fixtures that are associated with smart opening symbols in Allplan and to the Recess fixture, which is associated with all wall openings by default.

You can set the following parameters for the display of the visible and/or invisible side(s):

If you want to use the same parameters for both sides, select the Use for both sides check box.

The selected entry is applicable only to the selected components. If no component is selected, the entry is valid for all the components.

The selected entry is applicable to the selected factories. If no factory is selected, the entry is valid for all the factories.