Auto Select List

Form: Auto Selection Sections

Auto select section lists are lists of previously defined steel sections (including cold-formed steel). When an auto select section list is assigned to a frame member, the program can automatically select the most economical, adequate section from the auto select section list when designing the member. Auto Select Section Lists are used in Steel Frame, Aluminum Frame, and Cold-Formed Steel Frame design. At least two steel frame sections must be defined before an auto select section list can be defined.

Define an Auto Select Section List as follows:

Click the Define menu > Section Properties > Frame Sections command to display the Frame Properties form. The Frame Properties form also can be accessed by clicking the + (plus) symbol that may appear next to a {Type} Section drop-down list, such as appears on the {Template} forms.
Click the Add New Property button to access the Add Frame Section Property form.

Alternatively, a previously defined Auto Select Section list can be modified by highlighting its name in the List of Sections display area on the Frame Properties form and then clicking the Modify/Show Property button. With the name of an Auto Select Section list highlighted in the List of Sections display area, the Add Copy of Property button can be used to start a new Auto Select Section list based on an existing list, and the Delete Property button can be used to delete an Auto Select Sections list.
Select Other from the Frame Section Property Type drop-down list on the Add Frame Section Property form.
Click the Auto Select List button to access the Auto Selection Sections form.
Use the Auto Selection Sections form to name the auto select section list and choose the sections to be added or removed from that list.
1. Auto Section Name edit box. Type a name for the Auto Select Sections list into the edit box.
2. Section Notes Modify/Show Notes button. Click this button to access the Frame Section Property Notes form and add section notes to the model file.
3. Choose Sections area. Locate the sections to be included in the auto select list in the List of Sections display box. Use standard Windows methods to select the desired sections (i.e., click on a section and hold down the left mouse button as you drag the mouse down the list to select multiple sections; highlight a section and click the left mouse button to select sections one at a time; hold down the Ctrl key and click the left mouse button to make random multiple selections). Click the Add button to add the selected sections to the Auto Selections list on the right side of the form. To remove a section(s), highlight it in the Auto Selections list and click the Remove button. Removing a section from the Auto Selections list does not removed it from the List of Sections.
4. Starting Section and Overwrites button. As indicated in the first paragraph of this topic, after an auto select sections list has been assigned to a frame member, SAP2000 automatically selects the most economical, adequate section from the auto select section list to use when designing the member. By default, SAP2000 performs the initial analysis using the median section by weight in the assigned auto select section list. If the Overwrites button is clicked, select a section from the list of sections shown in the Auto Selections list and SAP2000 will perform the initial analysis using the selected section. The selected section will display in the Starting Section box.
Click the OK button to close the Auto Selection Sections form and return to the Frame Properties form. Click the OK button on that form to complete the addition of the Auto Select Section definition.

Example: Definition of an auto select section is demonstrated in Problem C.