1. Purpose of the Tool

The Frame and Brace Tool is used to design frame-based scaffolds. 

It allows to:

• select the frame type, 
• define bay dimensions and scaffold height, 
• configure sole boards and base plate arrangements,
• add bracing and console brackets, and 
• set the required bay-end options,
• calculate leg loads by area using engineering tool.

The tool allow to access components inside of a bay to work on component level when modifications of particular components required.

Frequently used configurations can also be saved for faster reuse on future projects.

2. Limitations

The Frame and Brace Tool is a standalone feature and not supported by following tools inside of ScaffPlan yet:

• Lapping bay 
• Buttress bay
• Bay connector
• Lattice beam
• Corners
• Wall Trace
• Bird cage
• Tank
• Stairs attached to a bay
• Tube and Clip
• Wall Tie
• Containment mesh
• Encapsulation - insertion by a component selection
• Engineering - leg loads by Bay calculation

Modification of the Frame and Brace might be done using Frame and Brace and Item tool only.

2. User Interface Overview

The Frame and Brace Tool is located on the top ribbon under the ScaffPlan Design tab:

To open the tool menu please double click on the tool.
The tool contains following features:

The Bay Configuration section defines the main properties of the frame-and-brace bay. Select the required Frame Type, Length, and Width from the available manufacturer-specific options. Enter the required Top Platform Height and Building Offset manually. The Platform at Lifts option determines which lifts receive platforms, while the total number of lifts is calculated automatically.

It is possible to define platforms at lifts by selecting/deselecting platforms at given heights as per the bay configuaration:

The Standards tab controls the end components and bottom extension settings applied to the bay configuration.

Use the checkbox beside each option to enable or disable the corresponding setting.

Top End

Defines the component fitted to the top of the standards. Available options may include:

• Open 
• Spigot 
• Base Plate 

Bottom End

Defines the component fitted to the bottom of the standards. Available options may include:

• Open 
• Base Plate 

Bottom Extension Type

Controls how the bottom extension is calculated.

• Automatic — ScaffPlan determines the required extension automatically. 
• Custom — allows a specific extension value to be entered manually. 

If the Bottom extension type is set to Custom an additional Input parameter becomes available to specify a user input value.

Rotation at Bottom

Controls the rotation angle of base plates at the bottom. Enter the required value to adjust its orientation within the bay configuration e.g.. 90 degree base plate rotation.

Sole board Tab defines a sole board material Type and Arrangement.
For Type:
•    Timber 
•    Steel
•    None
For Arrangement:
•    Single
•    Triple

Bracing Tab can initially be placed on creation and allows to control the faces of the bay to where it is included.

Create determines whether bracing is included in the bay configuration.

• Yes — adds bracing to the bay.
• No — creates the bay without bracing.

Position defines the faces of the bay where bracing is applied. Multiple positions can be selected at once where required:

• Inner - at the inner side of the bay
• Outer - at the Outer side of the bay

The Console Bracket tab controls the placement and configuration of Inner console brackets within the bay. 

Create determines whether inner console brackets are included in the bay configuration.

• Yes — adds inner console brackets to the inner side of the bay.
• No — creates the bay without inner consoles.

Inner defines type of a brackets to be used:

• None — no brackets created
• Other type of a bracket depends on the manufacture specifications. 

Bay Ends refer to the two ends of a bay in scaffolding, typically designated as End 1 (Left) and End 2 (Right). These ends can be customized with various options.

There are often scenarios where the copying and modifying of bays may result in items often being replicated or doubled up so additional adjustments may be required to resolve this, the following options are available via the drop-down parameters:

• Open— add frames at the designated end of the bay.
• No Frames — removes frames at the designated end of the bay.

3. Tool dialogue buttons.

No.	BUTTON	FUNCTIONALITY
		To save a current tool setting it is required to type name of the setting into the box and click Save button. To load previously saved settings please click on the box to drop down a list of setting s available then choose a desired setting. Once the setting clicked from the drop-down it will be automatically loaded, and dialogue boxes updated to values saved under the setting.
		Opens ScaffPlan knowledge base articles on the tool usage.
		Prompts to create a bay by clicking 2 points in the model. Multiple bay insertion is supported if distance in between the 1st and 2nd point clicked in the model exceeds the bay length set in the bay tool dialogue.
		Saves values set in the dialogue boxes without closing the dialog box. ScaffPlan uses these properties the next time you create an object of this type.
		Modifies the selected bay using the current properties set in the dialog boxes of the tool.
		Gets properties from the selected bay in the model and fills the menu with the values of the selected bay. If several bays are being selected, ScaffPlan takes the values from the first one selected and updates the dialogue boxes.
		Switches all check boxes in the dialog box on and off. Used when all boxes need to be unticked then some only need to be ticked (taken into effect) once the Modify button is pressed after.
		Closes the tool menu without saving the properties or modifying objects.