Use the Array Feature for Decking

 

 

Start with a new drawing. This will be for a deck. Make a box that’s 10’ by 20’. And do bear in mind that this box is nothing more than a visual aid for the deck. Also change the color to a wood brown color. Now make a single box the shape of a plank. Press the right angle bracket key.

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This starts the box. Snap to the left corner of the deck shape (right-click it). Now use Point Relative to make the next point 4” over and 10’ down (the hotkey for Point Relative is the apostrophe key). Now how many planks would be needed across the deck if they are each one quarter inch apart?

 

=56.4705 planks …

Realistically, just make the deck a little longer with 57 planks (or shorter with 56 planks).

 

 

To make the array, select the box for the plank placing the handle on the top left corner. To do this, just right-click the top left corner. Now, select the Array command from the Draw menu. In the Direction 1 box enter the number of copies needed … 57. Then press Enter to enter this number. But don’t click yet!!!

 

Be sure you can see the top of the one plank. Then gravity move to the top right corner. Press the comma key near this corner. Then set a point that’s over to the right a quarter inch. Press the apostrophe key for Point Relative. Then enter .25” in the X field. And be sure everything else is zero. Then press Enter. That’s all it takes!

Fitting this to the window (hotkeys are Control+W) you can see the deck planks extend over the area for the deck. And they are separated by a quarter inch. In fact, it’s okay to delete the dummy box that was 10 by 20 now too. And you’d use more boxes to design the support structure of the deck.

For more see the multimedia CD-ROM training course Learning DesignCAD 3D Max Plus 2D Drafting

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