HowickMaker for Dynamo is a set of tools for programming steel stud roll-forming machines with Dynamo. Currently, the plugin supports fabrication with the Howick FRAMA 3200 machine.

HowickMaker assumes you are working in inches. Files exported to the Howick will also be in inches.

Lines -> Studs

In general, HowickMaker takes over once you know at least the web axes (see below) of the studs you want to make. Once you know where your studs are, HowickMaker can tell you how they are oriented, and how they connect to each other. If that's all you care about, you can go ahead and export from here.

Studs + Custom Operations

However, if you need to perform additional operations to the studs (for example: connections to a panel system, or through-holes for conduit), you can add these before exporting to the machine.

???? -> Lines

The most difficult part of the parametric, steel-stud workflow is finding lines that create valid steel-stud connections. You can do this yourself, or we can help. HowickMaker includes several ways to generate valid lines from meshes, and more workflows are under development.

Nodes for creation and manipulation of individual steel studs.

• hMember.ByLineVector : Creates a steel stud (hMember) with the provided web axis (the Line running down the center of the stud's web) and web normal (a Vector normal to the web, pointing toward the lip of the stud).
• hMember.AddOperationByLocationType : Adds an operation to the stud at a specified location along the length of the stud.
• hMember.AddOperationByPointType : Adds an operation to the stud at a specified point.
• hMember.AsCSVLine : Returns the stud as a string for fabrication.
• hMember.ExportToFile : Exports a list of hMembers to file for fabrication.
• hMember.WebAxis : Returns the web axis of the stud.
• hMember.WebNormal : Returns the web normal of the stud.
• hMember.FlangeAxes : Returns the flange axes of the stud.
• hMember.Name : Returns the name of the stud. The name is used for parts labeling during fabrication.
• hMember.Length : Returns the length of the stud.

Nodes for solving large collections of steel studs.

• hStructure.FromLines : Returns a list of hMembers with web axes defined by the input lines. Web normals and connection types for the hMembers are determined by the solver (assuming you gave it valid lines!). Returned members contain all operations neccesary for their associated connections.
• hStructure.StructureOptions : Optional parameters for creating an hStructure.
  • Intersection Tolerance (double) : The tolerance used when determining whether two lines intersect. Intersecting lines become connected studs.
  • Planarity Tolerance (double) : The tolerance used when determining whether connections between members are valid. Perfectly planar connections are ideal, but studs can be twisted and bent to accomodate small planar inconsistencies.
  • Three Piece Brace (boolean) : Default braces are a single member. However, with large-angled braced connections ( > ~150°), it becomes neccesary to fix the brace with three members.
  • Brace Length 1 (double) : The length of the primary brace(s) (the only brace if threePieceBrace == false, the twin braces if threePieceBrace == true).
  • Brace Length 2 (double) : The length of the secondary brace.
  • First Connection is Face-To-Face (boolean) : The first hMember is the first line in your list of input lines. The first hMember's first connection is the first line in the list that it's web axis intersects (other than itself). Should this connection be face-to-face or braced?

hLines and hMesh contain nodes for particular workflows, and particular strategies of parametric steel stud fabrication and construction. Currently, this includes several quad-mesh and triangular-mesh strategies. More will be added as they are developed.