Definition of terms

An element within a bar assembly consists of a cross-section geometry which is located in a bar assembly application as a sectional representation or solid.

An assembly is made up of one or more component parts with permanent dimensions. The components can have an effect (e.g. difference or unification) within the assembly and also externally (on bars and infills).

A bounding box can be assigned to a bar component when neither the enclosing rectangle of the outline nor the cutting outline are suitable for the cutting.
In contrast to the cutting outline the bounding box can be smaller than the enclosing rectangle of the component outline If a bounding box is specified, it has priority for the cutting before all other outlines.

A production drawing represents a frame element in the appropriate quantity. The production drawing can be inserted as interior or exterior view. The production drawing is generally displayed with dimensions and labels. The quantity is not changed by copying.

A CAD position represents precisely one piece of a frame element. The CAD position can be represented both two and three-dimensionally and is generally used in elevations, layout drawings, position plans or building models. The quantity is not increased by copying.

An infill plane is an infill with thickness 0 (zero) which does not contain any layer information. It is shown as a circle with a line. The line indicates the direction (weather side of the infill).
Infill planes can be converted into infills (glazing or panels) by assignment. Furthermore, they can be used as boundary objects for bars to slice them.

The tag identifies identical objects. With same-part recognition objects and their properties are examined. If the properties match completely, they receive the same tag.
Example: Five mullion splices with identical length, identical cuttings and identical processes (shape and position) receive the same tag.
Objects with the same tag can be grouped together during analysis.

In contrast to this there is the position number which is always unique. Objects with the same tag have five different position numbers.

One or more switches can be combined to form a criterion.
E.g.: The switch Drilled hole at the top right and Drilled hole at the top left are combined to form the criterion Drilled holes at the top.

Qualified axes in space without further geometrical information which contain an alignment and form nodes with other null bars.
Null bars arise during the analysis of axes (refer to Analysis of axis model) or when the assembly-specific properties of a bar are deleted due to detachment.

The position number is a unique attribute of an object. Also two identical objects have different position numbers in order to be able to identify the part at its location.
Example: Five mullion splices with the identical length, identical cuttings and identical processes (shape and position) receive different position numbers despite having identical properties.
In contrast to this there is the tag. Five identical objects with different position numbers can have the same tag.

Link to an existing bar assembly (with a single component) for further use. This means that complicated and structured object definitions built up on single, saved objects are possible. Objects for referencing may be assemblies and bar assemblies.

Switches are logical denotations which can be assigned to components. Switches can themselves be defined and can include a multilingual designation.
E.g.: The switch Drilled hole at the top right is assigned to the top right drilled hole in a floor panel.

Extrusion of one or more material outlines (bar assembly) along a bar axis. The bar axis can be linear or arc-shaped and must not contain any apexes.
A bar which is not assigned to any assembly is called a null bar.

Grouping of individual bar cross sections which are compiled using rules and, controlled with parameters, can be used as sections and extrusions.

2D projection of a profile (see Standard Part), semi-finished product (see Semi-finished product) or free semi-finished product (see Free semi-finished product) along a bar axis. The bar axis can be linear or arc-shaped and must not contain any apexes.

Variants describe combinations of an assembly selectable due the change in the visualization and effect of individual components.
E.g.: A floor panel contains four drilled holes (one in each corner). The individual holes are defined as variants and can be superimposed or masked out as required.

A glazing is a special, optionally parameterizable bar assembly with referenced components. It is used for automated application on subconstructions (bar assemblies with glazing axes), whereby position and orientation are determined / adopted.

This is the type of the applied cutting operation. With bar assemblies the following operations are currently available:

In order to be able to correctly control the cutting or processing of bars a cutting class (basic profile, cover section, etc.) is assigned to each component in a bar assembly.
Only components with the same cutting class can carry out an operation with one another.
Many components can belong to the same cutting class in a bar assembly.

Closed outline, which determines, how the profile of a joining part is to be cut. The enclosing rectangle of the cutting outline determines other cutting types (plain, mitered, etc.).
Secondly, the cutting outline is used for calculating the bar diagrams. For this reason the external dimensions of the cutting outline should never be larger or smaller than the enclosing rectangle of the component outline.