The three new header types being added are:

LVL, PSL and Timber



The thing I really like about having the Custom Library is that I no longer have to worry about trying to figure out what header sizes and combinations everyone wants.  Now you can create your own sizes with a choice of 1 thru 3 plies and five different materials to choose from.  The possibilities are limitless.

I had a pretty good handle on standard imperial sizes but the metric world was well beyond the scope of my limited knowledge of other countries building practices and standards.

The other upside is that you can narrow down the library to specific sizes you actually use so your drop downs are no longer cluttered with sizes that mean nothing to you.

Glulam headers are not handled by the custom library and remain a separate module but the offering there is vast so I do not think users will find it limiting in any way.

I will be creating a new toolbar within the Wall plugin that will be called Medeek Documents. This will be the start of the Scenes/Layout piece of the mdkBIM package. Eventually I will pull this out of the Wall plugin since it will be similar to the Medeek Estimator in that it will eventually work with roofs, floors and foundations and not just wall panels.

The toolbar and its icons will be the following:



The first icon will allow the user to select various assemblies and generate corresponding scenes that can then be utilized within Layout.  For example a framer or contractor may want framing details with dimensions for each wall panel. 

The second icon will allow one to export DXF documents for floor plans, roof framing plans, wall framing plans etc...  This one is going to be a big project.

The third icon will essentially do the same thing as the DXF export function however it will automatically push it out to a PDF document using the built in Ruby Gem (Prawn).  Again this will be a big project as well.

The DXF and PDF function are rather low on the todo list for now, but I would like to enable the scene generator as soon as possible and after reviewing the applicable sections of the SketchUp API it shouldn't require more than a few lines of code to pull it off.

First look at the Custom Header Library (Manager):



The look and feel is somewhat similar to the material manager, but it may evolve further as we go.

I've set it up so that metric and imperial libraries are stored in completely separate files.  Each library is loaded based on the currents units of the model.  This allows one to maintain two distinct header libraries, one for imperial sizes and one for metric sizes.

Metric header sizes (dimensions) will be displayed in millimetres, imperial in inches.

Names or the description may include spaces as shown.

There are five basic parameters for a given header:  name, depth, thickness, ply and material.

The ply is limited currently to 1,2 or 3.

Materials are limited to:  Lumber, Timber, LSL, PSL, LVL


There are other more exotic header configurations (ie. foam sandwiches etc...) however this update will at least allow the user to create their own custom sized headers.


P.S.  This is a fairly major change in the plugin which affects a lot of elements (doors, windows, garage doors) and a lot of menus (global settings, draw and edit).  As such it will probably take me another day or two to make sure that I've updated everything affected by this change and it all works well together.

Another thing worth noting is that if you create a wall with a given header name (eg. 4X4) and then delete that header from your library, on purpose or even accidentally then the plugin will no longer be able to complete a lookup on that particular header name.  If the plugin cannot find the header name in the library it will simply default to a 6x6 timber header by default.  The purpose behind this behavior is that you can then go into the global settings update/edit a particular header and then regen your walls and they will update with the new parameters for the updated header.

Also these two words are reserved words and should not be used in naming your headers:  GLULAM, NONE

Related links to the Truss Plugin:

Main Web Page:

http://design.medeek.com/resources/medeektrussplugin.html

Changlog:

http://design.medeek.com/resources/pluginchangelog.html

Registered User Map:

http://design.medeek.com/calculator/sketchup/data/medeektrusspluginusermap.pl

Vendor Products:

http://design.medeek.com/resources/pluginvendors.html

Truss Calculator (Common Fink Truss Only):

http://design.medeek.com/calculator/calculator.pl

Snow, Seismic and Winds Loads and other resources:

http://design.medeek.com/resources/resources.html

I'm thinking about adding in a "Header Manager" that allows the user to basically create and manage their various headers for doors, windows and garage doors.  Glulam headers will still be a special case situation which will not be managed by this interface. 

The only road block I'm running into with this is I have an issue with MacOS and the show modal incompatibility.  I still have not determined the resolution to this problem which is affecting the Material Manager in the global settings.

Version 0.9.4 - 03.01.2019
- Added a parameter into the global settings to allow for adjustment of the size of symbols and labels.
- Added a parameter into the global settings to allow for adjustment of the font for text found within symbols and labels.

Version 2.3.0 - 03.01.2019
- Fixed one bug and a number of minor issues with monopitch trusses.
- Enabled sheathing and cladding at the heel of raised heel common and monopitch trusses.
- Added metal plates for raised heel monopitch trusses: wedge, slider, vertical w/ strut.



If you are using monopitch trusses at all then this is a critical upate.  Previously my algorithm for the bottom chord of the monopitch truss was not properly assigning the material and layer when the raised heel option was enabled for this truss type.

Strangely that issue has been in existence since 2016 and no one seems to have noticed or at least notified me of it.  While working on the cladding of raised heel variants the issue jumped out at me and now it is finally resolved. 

The thing about this plugin is that there are so many design permutations possible that it is almost impossible for me to investigate every single one and check for these type of minor issues.  That is why I rely heavily upon user feedback to help put out some of these fires.

The thread listed below gives a nice breadcrumb trail of some of my earlier work on snow load maps:

https://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=357228

Due to recent changes in the web service (API) of the USGS I have updated the Seismic Map(s) and the Medeek API (seismic data only).

The USGS has discontinued their design maps service and replaced it with a more streamlined JSON API. They have also discontinued previous outdated data sets and also brought new editions online.

I've updated the code that connects to the API and also upgraded from the IRC 2012 to the IBC 2015 for the seismic map:

http://design.medeek.com/resources/seismic/sdc.html

With the termination of their design maps service the automatic generation of the spectrum response graphs also went away. However, the raw data is still provided by the USGS API, and with that data I am able to graph the spectrum responses with good resolution.

The detailed report now includes larger more legible graphs for both the MCEr Spectrum and the Design Response Spectrum.

The input parameters for the Medeek API (seismic) has also changed. Please refer to the API web page below to review the recent updates:

http://design.medeek.com/resources/medeekapi.html

The output for seismic data has also had a minor change in formatting.

The first thing you will notice with the updated seismic data is the elimination of any IRC data, it is now all based on the IBC, ASCE or NEHRP.

As always more work needs to be done with the API and maps. I am still in the process of providing new maps for the ASCE7-16 wind speeds and updated state snow load maps. Recently SketchUp plugin development has monopolized most of my time and energy but I am committed to providing updates and upgrades to these other engineering services.

Thank-you for your continued support and feedback.

A couple of weeks ago I noticed that the seismic map and API were not working.  At first I thought it might have something to do with the government shutdown but that was not the case.

Further investigation revealed that the USGS had discontinued their design map service and had changed up their API rather significantly.  I have been very involved with the development of the SketchUp plugins and have not been able to pull away until now to repair the connection to the updated USGS service.

I've updated the code that connects to the API and also upgraded from the IRC 2012 to the IBC 2015 for the seismic map:

http://design.medeek.com/resources/seismic/sdc.html

With the termination of their old service the automatic generation of the spectrum response graphs also went away.  However, the raw data is still provided by the USGS API and with that data you are able to graph the spectrum responses.

The detailed report now includes larger more legible graphs for both the MCEr Spectrum and the Design Response Spectrum as shown below:



I apologize for the extended downtime of the service and the inconvenience it has caused.  Hopefully the existing USGS service remains in place for a few years to come.

I may also provide additional maps for the different data sets provided by the USGS (ie. ASCE7-16, 2015 NEHRP, ASCE41-17 etc...), please let me know if any of these additional data sets would be of interest to you.

Version 1.2.2 - 02.25.2019
- Fixed a bug in the display of the toolbars (Mac and Windows).

Version 2.2.9 - 02.25.2019
- Fixed a bug in the display of the toolbars (Mac and Windows).
- Enabled custom materials for wall sheathing, wall cladding, roof sheathing and roof cladding in the HTML advanced options draw menu for attic trusses. This update also resolved an associated bug in the global settings for attic trusses.

I have not been able to duplicate this exact error yet however I did find a bug with regards to the upgrade I made about a month ago.  In the resolution with this other issue I will extend the advanced menu for attic trusses so that it more closely mirrors the options found in the advanced menu for common trusses.

Version 0.9.3 - 02.25.2019
- Enabled the ability to draw safety devices with Medeek wall assemblies or any wall geometry. Enabled devices include: Exit Signs, Smoke Detectors, CO Detectors and Horn/Strobe Units.
- Added the ability to draw "ceiling" safety devices with Medeek roof/floor assemblies or any ceiling geometry.
- Created 2D symbols for wall and ceiling mounted safety devices.

I have been giving the backer boards at T-intersections some serious thought for a while now. I've resisted adding them in primarily because there is such a variation in the way this is handled.

Some use the U-shaped structure (3-studs). Others will run two studs flat. Yet another common method is ladder blocking between nominal studs.

I will be adding in a "blocking module" for the inserting of custom blocking into the wall panels, there has been quite a bit of requests for this. However, automating T-intersections (blocking) would probably be preferential to manually having to go back and insert the blocking.

Another ongoing issue is the Material Manager in the Global Settings locking up for Mac users.  This issue has to do with the behavior of modal HTML windows and MacOS.  I am still working on the resolution.  This problem does not affect users who are running on Windows.