What Column Generator does
Column Generator drops structural columns at selected points, grid intersections, or along wall chains. It creates correctly sized vertical components from a chosen cross-section and height, making it easy to build the structural frame around rooms, beams, and openings.
Workflow
- Choose an insertion mode: Single Point, Grid Intersection, or Along Wall.
- Pick the base points in the model. The preview draws a ghost column at each valid location.
- Set the bottom and top levels, or use automatic floor-to-floor height from the current settings.
- Pick a cross-section and material, then click Generate to place the columns.
Dialog controls
Cross-section - switch between rectangular, square, and circular presets, or type custom width and depth.
Height / levels - type an absolute top level, a relative height, or pick top and bottom reference planes.
Offset - shift the column center from the picked point by horizontal X and Y offsets.
Material - assign concrete, steel, or masonry; the material is applied to all faces of the generated group.
Tips
Use Grid Intersection mode to populate an entire structural grid in one pass.
When columns land inside wall thickness, set a side offset so the column face aligns with the wall face.
Generated columns are grouped on the Structural layer and can be tagged for scheduling or quantity takeoff.
