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ETABS
to
ARC BDS Lite
A Boon Tool To Generate RC Beam L.S
Details
"Control Parameters"
"Story Data"
"Point Coordinates"
"Column Connectivity Data"
"Beam Connectivity Data"
"Frame Section Assignments"
In ARC BDS -> Add On Tools -> Plugins -> Etabs to Lite
Select Etabs MDB Intelli Rein Excel option and click Process
Button the dialog box below appears
1.
2.
The Path of the XLS file is shown as Hint when the mouse is taken near
the Link.
That file is the BASE for generating the ARC BDS Lite file,
a.
It contains all the Beams extracted from ETABS file
b.
Each extracted beam has
Select Create ARC BDS Lite Input file and click Process button.
The dialog below appears
Click on OK
Click on Exit the ARC BDS Lite file is generated; it can be loaded by
ARC BDS Lite version.
Once Loaded
Once the file is opened by ARC
BDS
In the list of beams click right button
and click Sort By Row Name
It will sort all the beams row wise,
and that is how the output will come.
Ensure that you have the backup of the OLD reinforcement sheet if
required as by CLICKING YES in this dialog.
YOU WILL LOOSE OLD REINFORCEMENT DATA if any.
The xls file created when clicking Yes will contain the data that is
there in the Current *.ZBLD file
Row Grouping
Deleting of Beams
Adding of beams
If all the steps above are followed in perfect sequential manner the only
work the design engineer will have is to modify the xls file given by the
draftsmen.
Once the draftsmen receive the modified xls file.
Click on Open Reinforcement
Data Sheet
In the xls sheet opened, replace all
the reinforcement data given by
Design engineer using copy
/paste
Save the xls file
Click Load Reinforcement From
Data Sheet and save the ARC
BDS lite file
Warning: - if this process is NOT
done, the changed reinforcement
will NOT be saved.
If the process is done perfectly, in days time you can generate Beam
L.S for entire floor, the only thing left will be to put them in title block
and edit some clashes.
By Editing the Reinforcement in xls sheet instead of the final drawing,
the advantage is that the steel take off will be very accurate.
2.
3.
Note: Only for the 1st beam Left and right Grids need to be
given for all the other beams in the row you can give only the Right Grid.
4.
Do a dry run of the file once it generates the layout, see the
important beams that require the cross section to be shown
note the numbers and go back to Detailed Edit of the
beams for which the section is required.
5.
For getting your title block in the paper space, where ever
the ARC BDS.exe is present normally C:\Program
Files\ZaxisES\ARC BDS Lite there will be a
Layouts.DWG file Open the dwg