Recommended test
Build a 2400 by 2400 mm frame with five uprights and two plates, then verify all seven model objects.
- In a clear test workspace using millimeters, open Manual construction and draw a 2400 mm ground-grid run along X.
- Choose a centered 48 by 98 mm Rectangle, orientation Y and extrusion 2400 mm; disable transforms, trim and extension offsets.
- Enable Even spacing with Count 3, half-width endpoint offset on and extra First/Last offsets at zero.
- Enable Close frame Inside at both ends with Automatic rail profile and check five uprights plus two plates in the preview.
- Generate once, clear the CC run and check 2400 mm overall width and height, 2304 mm uprights and 588 mm center intervals.
Earlier versions group many of these controls under Tape Measure / Measure & Place.
Open Manual construction in the main toolbar: its icon shows a blue document, cube, ruler and pencil. Select a run in Construction runs to edit its settings. Only explicitly linked runs share changes. Uncheck Editable to protect a run; protected runs still generate.
Find the controls
| Tool or panel | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Draw run | Start a line, rectangle, polyline, arc or spline. Drawing only starts while this tool is active. |
| Profile | Choose Shape or Saved Truss, dimensions, anchor and orientation; switch shapes between Spaced members and Sweep. |
| Extrude | Set member length and end extensions, fit to a parallel face, or adjust a sweep. |
| Rotate, Move and Mirror | Transform the selected editable run before generating it. |
| Close frame | Add closing rails at either or both extrusion ends. |
| Bevel and Trim | Shape member ends, use stopper planes or fit members to geometry. |
| Construction runs and Spacing | Select and name runs, protect or link them, and set CC or Even spacing. |
Hover or focus ? for help with drawing, snapping, spacing and frame settings. Use construction paths for rectangles, polylines, arcs, splines, curved rails and continuous sweeps. The exercise below starts with a straight frame.
Build from a measured reference
Manual construction can create construction geometry from an empty workspace. A measured run determines where profiles repeat, extrusion determines how far they extend, and Close frame joins the arrangement at its extrusion ends.
This exercise creates a geometric wall frame 2400 mm wide, 2400 mm high and 98 mm deep. It uses five 48 × 98 mm uprights and two plates. The dimensions demonstrate the tool; choose member sizes and spacing appropriate to your actual construction requirements.
Draw a 2400 mm run
- Use millimeters and a clear area of the ground grid. Open Manual construction and choose Grid only for this exercise.
- Choose Draw run, select Line, pick the first point and move along the X grid axis.
- Enter 2400 in the viewport’s Length input and press Enter. Check the direction and label before configuring the members.
Only keep this test run in the current CC collection. Generate processes every current run, so unrelated current runs would become part of the same batch.
Define the uprights
Set the following controls in the left-hand tools:
| Section | Setting |
|---|---|
| Profile | Shape, Spaced members |
| Shape | Rectangle, Width 48 mm, Height 98 mm |
| Anchor | Center |
| Orientation | Y |
| Extrude | Extrusion 2400 mm |
| Transform | Rotation and Move zero; Mirror and Bevel off |
| Extrusion offset | Both extensions off or zero |
| Quick plane setter / Trim to geometry | No stopper planes; Trim to geometry off |
The run lies horizontally along X and the members extend vertically along Y. If the preview points elsewhere, recheck the run direction, orientation and rotation before continuing.
Distribute five members
Enable Even spacing and enter Count 3. Count specifies intermediate members, so the two endpoint members bring the total to five. Enable Offset first/last objects by half width and leave extra First offset and Last offset at zero.
The endpoint centers sit 24 mm inward from each end. The five centers are 24, 612, 1200, 1788 and 2376 mm from the run start. Neighboring centers are 588 mm apart and the outer edges span exactly 2400 mm.
If you turn the half-width offset off, the same Count gives 600 mm center intervals, but the members extend 24 mm past each end: the outside width becomes 2448 mm. Choose the setting according to whether the reference describes the outside bounds or the endpoint centers.
Add the plates
Open Close frame, choose Inside, enable both extrusion ends and keep Rail profile: Automatic. The closing plates span the row and take 48 mm at the bottom and top. The five upright bodies shorten to 2304 mm, preserving 2400 mm overall height.
With these settings, the preview contains seven objects: five uprights and two plates. Choosing Outside would keep 2400 mm upright bodies and put the plates beyond them, making the overall height 2496 mm.
Generate and check the model
Name the construction run
Frame 2400, then choose Generate once. Each run creates its own Custom child
group using that name, or its default Run 1, Run 2, etc. No group-name prompt is
needed. Clear the finished current run to expose the generated objects without
the placement preview over them.
Measure the outside width and height, one upright length, the plate thickness and a neighboring center interval. Save the model as .strek once the result is correct. The generated members remain after the temporary CC run is cleared.
Extend the same method
- Simple perimeter frame: use Even spacing Count 0 for two endpoint members, then close both extrusion ends.
- Several profiles in one assembly: configure the first shape runs and uncheck Editable to protect them, then draw new runs with another profile or extrusion length. Generate the complete shape batch once.
- A parallel row or return: create another run on the required grid or model references. Use Move to position an editable run, then Done to end movement.
- Members fitted to an existing support: generate the support first, clear its current runs, then create the next batch using a stopper plane or Trim to geometry.
The construction runs guide explains how to preserve separate run settings. The stopper and trimming guide covers fitting the next batch to an existing construction.
Fit member length to a face
Select an editable spaced-member run and open Extrude. Click an eligible flat face on another green preview or an existing model object; a purple highlight identifies the target. The length updates immediately, including end offsets and closing rails. Linked runs receive the new length too.
The target plane must be parallel to the member ends and reachable by all members using one length. Picking a face on the other side reverses extrusion automatically. This fits to the face’s plane, so inspect where the member ends land relative to its actual edges.
Disable bevels, trimming and stopper planes to use face picking. For angled ends needing different lengths, use Trim. Sweeps and saved trusses have their own controls. Dragging moves the camera; Escape or Done ends face picking.
Close, reopen or discard runs
Click Manual construction again, or the X in Runs & spacing, to hide its tools and previews. Reopen it to continue with the same session runs. Generated objects remain visible. The rail’s Runs button hides only the sidebar. Finish an unfinished drawing before closing if you want to keep it.
Use a run’s X or Discard construction runs to delete runs explicitly. Confirmation keeps generated geometry and saved measurement sets. Opening another project offers Review & generate, Discard and open or Cancel when runs remain. Review lets you generate and save before switching projects.
Generation keeps the runs in the list. Generating again adds another batch; it does not replace previous output. Editing a run leaves its earlier generated objects unchanged. Use the main Move tool or Rotate tool to adjust those finished objects.
Ordinary current runs are session data, not a reusable library saved in the project. Save generated geometry as .strek; see measurement sets for Planner page persistence.