When you insert a screw connection, the Toolbox software combines the screw or bolt, nuts, and washers you select into a single block.
To insert screw connections:
-
Click or Screw Connections
(Mechanical
Toolbox toolbar).
- In the top section of the Toolbox - Screw Connections dialog box, select a supported screw Type, Size, Head option, Thread display, and Fastener length.
- Type a value for the Scale in the drawing.
-
Specify the Material thickness or click
to graphically measure the
material thickness value by picking two points in the graphics area.
The material thickness value is critical. The software
compares this value with the combined lengths of the components you choose.
If the total length of your choices is smaller than the Material
thickness you specify, a warning message appears so that you
can modify your choices.
Your choices are shown in the
Preview, which shows the side view of the
components.
- In the lower section of the dialog box, select washers and nuts to be used with the screw connection.
When you select a washer or nut, the
Type and
Size are automatically set to match the type and size of bolt or screw you have selected.
You can change this values; however, changes may create invalid configurations.
- For nuts with bottom styles, select the style to use .
- Do one of the following:
- To create the screw connection as a nested block, select Create as Block
When you add balloons to screw connections created as nested blocks, they are added as stacked blocks.
.
- To create the components of the screw connection as individual blocks, clear Create as Block.
When you add balloons to screw connections created as individual blocks, you must add an individual balloon for each component of the screw connection.
- Do one of the following:
- To display both visible and hidden lines in the drawing (Hidden side view 3), select Display hidden parts.
- To display only visible lines (Side view 3), clear Display hidden parts.
- Click OK.
The dialog box closes and the screw connection appears in the graphics area in the cross-hairs of the tracker.
- To insert the screw connection, do one of the following:
- Click in the graphics area to locate the screw connection.
The tracker places the screw connection at the center of the cross-hairs.
- In the Command window, at the Specify destination prompt, type the destination coordinates and press Enter.
- Set the angle of the screw connection by doing one of the following:
- Rotate the screw connection using the tracker and click when it is positioned correctly.
- In the Command window, at the Specify rotation prompt, type the component angle and press Enter.
- To add additional instances of the screw connection, repeat steps 9 and 10.
- When you have added as many instances as needed, do one of the following:
- To return to the Toolbox - Screw Connections dialog box, press Enter or press the spacebar.
- To close the command without returning to the dialog box, press ESC.