PlantWise Help

Structure Definition

PlantWise saves structures in an XML format that is notably different from the format of other model elements. Because the format of a structure section does include triangular brackets ( < and > ), variables will be designated by braces ( { and } ).

(pbar-recreate-structure-from-xml "{structure-tag}"
		"{section-tag}"
"<PLANTWISE_STRUCTURE STRUCTURE_NAME=\"{structure-tag}\"
SECTION_NAME=\"{section-tag}\"
DESCRIPTION=\"{description}\"
ROTATION=\"{section-rotation}\"
USE-COLUMNS=\"{true-or-false}\"
	COLUMN-DESIGNATION=\"{member-designation}\"
	COLUMN-ROTATION=\"{column-rotation}\"
USE-BEAMS=\"{true-or-false}\"
	BEAM-DESIGNATION=\"{member-designation}\"
USE-BRACING=\"{true-or-false}\"
	BRACING-DESIGNATION=\"{member-designation}\"
LR-TYPE=\"{spacing-type}\"
	LR-BRACING=\"{bracing-type}\"
	CANTILEVER-LEFT=\"{true-or-false}\"
	CANTILEVER-RIGHT=\"{true-or-false}\"
FB-TYPE=\"{spacing-type}\"
	FB-BRACING=\"{bracing-type}\"
	CANTILEVER-FRONT=\"{true-or-false}\"
	CANTILEVER-BACK=\"{true-or-false}\"
LEVEL-TYPE=\"{level-type}\"
	USE-FLOORS=\"{true-or-false}\"
	FLOORS-ARE-OBSTACLES=\"{true-or-false}\"
	USE-STAIRS=\"{true-or-false}\"
		RISER-HEIGHT=\"{riser-height}\"
		TREAD-LENGTH=\"{tread-length}\"
		STAIR-DIRECTION=\"{stair-direction}\"
	INPUT-FLOOR-DATA=\"{true-or-false}\">
<ORIGIN X=\"{x-ordinate}\" Y=\"{y-ordinate}\"
		Z=\"{z-ordinate}\"></ORIGIN>
<LR-SPACING>
	<SPACING TAG=\"{spacing-number}\"
		DISTANCE=\"{spacing-distance}\"></SPACING>
</LR-SPACING>
<FB-SPACING>
	<SPACING TAG=\"{spacing-number}\"
		DISTANCE=\"{spacing-distance}\"></SPACING>
</FB-SPACING>
<LEVEL-SPACINGS>
	<SPACING TAG=\"{spacing-number}\"
		DISTANCE=\"{spacing-distance}\"></SPACING>
</LEVEL-SPACINGS>
	<SPACING TAG=\"{spacing-number}\"
		DISTANCE=\"{spacing-distance}\"></SPACING>
</PLANTWISE_STRUCTURE>")
where:
{structure-tag} ::= <string>
  • The unique name for the structure.
{section-tag} ::= <string>
  • The unique name for the section.
{description} ::= <string> | ""
  • The optional description of the structure section.
  • DESCRIPTION=\"\" will leave the Description field of the Structure Builder empty.
  • No description entry will place the text "no description" in the Description field of the Structure Builder.
{section-rotation} ::= <real>
  • The angle the structure section is rotated, counter-clockwise, around the originating column.
{true-or-false} ::= T | :NIL
  • T indicates that the object in question will be used in the structure section. This attribute setting is used for: use-columns; use-beams; use-bracing; front, back, left, and right cantilevers; use-floors; setting floors as obstacles; and, use-stairs.
{member-designation} ::= <string>
  • The designation of the column, beam, and bracing members. The designation must be in the project’s structural-member-properties table.
{spacing-type} ::= :fixed | :variable
  • This indicates if the spacing in either the front/back or left/right bays is a set number of fixed distances, or a collection of variable distances.
{bracing-type} ::= K | LLUR | ULLR | X | NONE
  • The bracing pattern used in either the front/back or left/right bays.
{level-type} ::= fixed | elevations | heights
  • A string value indicating the level type used by the Structure Builder dialog.
{riser-height} ::= <real>
  • The height of a step (or between steps) in the stairway. If no value is provided and use-stairs is set to T, the project default value will be used. Project values are covered in Setup Variables .
{tread-height} ::= <real>
  • The length (or depth) of a single step in the stairway. If no value is provided and use-stairs is set to T, the project default value will be used. Project values are covered in Setup Variables .
{stair-directions} ::= front | back | left | right
  • The side of the structure section that is used to access the stairway.
{x-ordinate} ::= <real>
  • The x-ordinate of the origin of the structure section in project main units.
{y-ordinate} ::= <real>
  • The y-ordinate of the origin of the structure section in project main units.
{z-ordinate} ::= <real>
  • The z-ordinate of the origin of the structure section in project main units.
{spacing-number} ::= <integer>
  • The incremental number of the bay from left to right, front to back, or between levels.
{spacing-distance} ::= <real>
  • The distance between bay columns or levels in project main units.

Although user customizations to individual bays and/or members are also written into a structure section’s entry in the script file, it is strongly suggested that you do not attempt to import that data.