Distribution Lines
In this toolbar, there are commands for drawing and editing distribution lines, merge two distribution lines to one, connect/disconnect bars to one distribution line and to create/remove holes in the distribution lines.
Straight distribution lines
You can draw stand-alone distribution lines that are not connected to any reinforcement bars with the commands in the distribution lines segment. Straight horizontal distribution lines, vertical or aligned can be drawn with the first three commands.
Figure 1: Distribution Lines
Curved distribution lines
Curved distribution lines can also have a distribution line attached to it. In that case, the command From Polyline/line is used.
Figure 2: From Polyline/line
The first step is to draw a line or a polyline and select it. Next, the command will ask if you want to delete the Polyline/line or keep it. The last thing to decide is where the distribution line should be placed. The location can either be selected on the drawing or written as an offset. The GIF below will show how the command is used.
Edit distribution lines
If you want to edit the distribution line you can either double-click on it or click on the command Edit...
Figure 3: Edit...
The commando can change some parameters regarding the distribution line. The 3 first ones are distances. The different distances are shown in the picture below.
Explanations of the commands:
Tick size is the total length of the slash. Ring size is the diameter of the ring that marks which bars belongs to the distribution line. Gap is the gap from the point you point out, that the distribution line should apply from, to the line that marks the starting point of the distribution line. Draw ticks beside hole If the box is checked, two lines are drawn perpendicular the distribution line to mark start and end points for the hole marking in the distribution line.
Figure 4: Edit distribution line
Merge distribution lines
You can merge two distribution lines that are placed one after another into one. If there are reinforcement bars connected to the two distribution lines then the connection to the first distribution line will be the only one left (the one you point to first) after the merge.
Figure 5: Merge distribution line
See GIF below.
Connect bars
You can link distribution lines that you have drawn afterwards to already drawn reinforcement bars.
Figure 6: Connect bars
If you, for example, draw a horizontal reinforcement bar and press <ESC> when the
program wants you to choose the location of the distribution (then you will not get a
distribution line). The next step is to draw a vertical distribution line that crosses the reinforcement bar that you want to connect to the distribution line. You can connect multiple bars to the distribution line.
Disconnect bar
You can also do the opposite and disconnect bars from a distribution line that you have already connected. This is done with the command Disconnect bar.
Figure 6: Disconnect bar
See GIF below.
Add/Remove Hole
If the bars you put run over a hole, you can create a marker in the distribution line for the hole.
Draw both reinforcement bars and distribution lines. It doesn't matter if the distribution line goes over the hole itself or next to the drawing. You can either my freehand decide how large the hole should be or type in a value. If you decide that you want to remove a hole, you just run the command Remove hole and mark the place on the distribution line where the hole that you want to remove is located. See gif below.