Recommended test
Generate five members from a 2400 mm CC run and check the difference between preview and model geometry.
- In an empty test workspace, open Manual construction, set CC to 600 mm and draw a 2400 mm run along a grid axis.
- Choose Shape, Rectangle, 48 by 98 mm, orientation Y and extrusion 2400 mm.
- Keep Even spacing off, turn off the half-width endpoint offset and leave other offsets, frame and mirror disabled.
- Confirm five member centers at 0, 600, 1200, 1800 and 2400 mm, then Generate once.
- Clear the current CC run and verify the five generated members remain in the model.
Manual construction workspace
Choose Manual construction in the main toolbar to enter CC mode directly. The left rail holds Draw run, Profile, Extrude, Move, Rotate, Mirror, Trim, Close frame and Bevel. Each opens one compact panel; changes update the preview immediately. Done closes the panel; choose Draw run explicitly to start drawing again.
The right CC runs & spacing card keeps spacing, labels, Editable protection, saved sets and deletion. Generate stays visible and processes all current runs. Close the card to gain space; Runs reopens it. Choosing the Tape Measure button switches to ordinary measuring. The workflow below describes the same placement settings and generation rules.
Construction runs
In Manual construction, a new two-point run provides a direction and length; the placement controls put a profile or saved truss at positions along that run. Extrusion turns profiles into members, and Generate adds them to the model.
The separate Tape Measure panel also has a CC checkbox, which adds spacing marks to measurements. Tape CC does not create construction runs or open the construction sidebar. Tape settings, saved measurement sets, guides and history are independent of Manual construction.
You can start on an empty grid or snap to an existing construction. A selected model object is not required: Shape creates its own Rectangle, Circle, Half Circle or Isosceles Right Triangle. Saved Truss uses a definition saved in Truss Builder.
Existing Tape measurements stay in Tape. Draw a new run in Manual construction when you need member placement and generation.
Build the first run
- Open Manual construction and choose an appropriate snap mode.
- Choose a preset or custom CC distance, then activate Draw run and pick two points. For an exact length, pick the start, establish the direction in the viewport and enter Length, followed by Enter. Drawing now requires that explicit tool selection.
- Under Object placement, choose Shape and an actual shape. None provides spacing marks without a solid member preview.
- Set the profile dimensions, anchor, orientation and a nonzero Extrusion. Inspect both the run direction and the direction in which the members extend.
- Adjust Spacing, then inspect the endpoints as well as the middle of the run.
- Choose Generate once. Each run creates a separate Custom child group using its name or the default Run 1, Run 2, etc., without a group-name prompt.
For a complete wall-frame exercise with known dimensions, follow build a custom frame with CC.
Choose what controls the spacing
With CC enabled, Smart snapping follows the cursor freely between ground-grid intersections and snaps only when you approach a crossing. The pickup area stays small as you zoom. On model surfaces, nearby corners, edge midpoints and edges attract the cursor; otherwise the point stays on the surface instead of jumping to the world grid. Grid only retains fixed-grid placement. Use the Length input for an exact span from any starting point. This changes point picking, not the CC member spacing.
| Control | Effect |
|---|---|
| Preset or custom CC beside the mode checkbox | Records the spacing when a new run is measured. |
| CC override in Spacing | Recalculates placement spacing for existing live runs. |
| Even spacing | Uses Count intermediate members between two endpoint members; it takes priority over a CC override. |
| Half-width endpoint offset | Moves the endpoint targets inward by half the profile width; saved trusses use half their depth. |
| First offset / Last offset | Adds an inward adjustment to the corresponding endpoint target. |
| Force last object | Includes the adjusted end target even when the regular module does not land there. |
Changing the top-level CC preset alone does not respace an already recorded run. Use CC override for that. Endpoint adjustments can change the first or last bay; they do not shift the entire regular spacing pattern. See the spacing examples before assuming every bay is identical.
Combine runs into a construction
Several current CC runs can form walls, rails, screens or other custom arrangements. Live runs share placement settings. Use Lock current or an individual run’s Lock after configuring one group, then draw new runs with different sizes or orientations. CC move can relocate current shape runs before generation.
Close frame adds closing members across a run. Mirror placements adds reflected copies. Quick plane setter can stop extrusions at a face-derived plane, while Trim to geometry fits supported rectangular members against visible box-like construction geometry. These controls let the measured layout become a complete assembly; they need no predefined building template.
Read move and lock CC runs for mixed-profile work, including the current saved-truss restrictions.
Generate a batch, then move on
Generate processes all current CC runs, including locked shape runs. It does not restrict itself to the most recently drawn line. Saved measurement sets can remain visible but are outside this current generation batch.
Generation leaves the runs in place. Pressing Generate again adds another batch and can create overlapping duplicates. Once the result is checked, clear or save the completed current runs before drawing the next batch. Saving a measurement set organizes the current session; save the project as .strek to preserve the generated model.
Generated members are model objects. Later changes to CC settings, runs or preview visibility do not rebuild them. Measure the generated result and use the normal model tools for subsequent object edits.