Getting started

Transcript

Getting started with ILX Connection.

Signing in

ILX Connection runs in your web browser, so there is nothing to install. Open the app, enter your account details, and select Sign in. You stay signed in, so next time you go straight back to your work.

The project panel

On the left is the project panel. Your work is organized in projects, and each project holds its connections. Every connection shows its mark and a status pill. Green means it works. Red means something needs attention.

A new project

To start a new job, select the plus button at the top of the panel. Type the project name, and select Create. The project information opens next. Fill in the client, the address and the people on the job, or select Skip for now and come back later.

Rename, organize and trash

Every project and connection has a menu. Use it to rename, duplicate, pin, or move a connection to another project. You can also drag a connection onto a project to move it. Delete moves the item to the trash, at the bottom of the panel. Open the trash to restore it.

The new connection wizard

Now add a connection. Open the project menu and choose New connection. The wizard has three steps. First, pick the connection type. The simple shear group has Plate, Angle, Seated and Tee. Moment connections, splices and column bases each have their own group, and so do bracing and hangers.

Joint and configuration

Below the cards, choose the joint type, such as beam to column flange, beam to column web, or beam to girder. Then choose the configuration. Each card has a small picture, so you can see exactly what you are choosing.

Members and loads

Select Next to pick the members. Check the mark, then choose the beam and the column. Type a few letters to search the shape list. On the last step, enter the dead and live loads. Tick auto-design if you want ILX Connection to size the bolts, plate and welds for you. Then select Create.

The editor

The connection opens in its own tab, and designs itself right away. The inputs are on the left. The results and the drawings are on the right. Change any value, and everything updates as you type.

Units and design method

At the top of the inputs, switch between LRFD and ASD, and between US and metric units. Every value is converted for you, so the design itself stays the same.

Saving

There is no Save button. ILX Connection saves your work about a second after you stop typing. A dot on the tab means a change is waiting to be saved. Undo and redo are in the header, and each tab remembers a hundred steps.

That's all you need to get started. Next, learn how to read the results. Questions? Write to us at support@ilxstudio.com.