Method and system of using standardized structural components

Abstract

A method and system disclosed herein provides generating an architectural diagram describing an architectural layout of a building, wherein one or more walls of the building are designated as standardized structural walls, automatically positioning each of the standardized structural walls to a geometric grid, and mapping (or “placing”), using a computer, one or more of a plurality of standardized structural components, including standardized panels, standardized columns, and standardized trusses to coordinates of the geometric grid.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a design module configured to generate an architectural diagram describing an architectural layout of a building, wherein the design module is configured to allow designating one or more walls of the building as standardized structural walls;   a geometric grid module configured to generate a geometric grid having grid lines and grid intersections and to position, one or more of the standardized structural walls to the geometric grid by aligning the each of the standardized structural walls along the grid lines and along the grid line intersections;   a mapping solution module comprising one or more computerized instructions stored on a computer memory, the mapping solution module configured to map, using a processor, one or more of a plurality of standardized structural components to the grid lines and the grid line intersections; and   a database configured to store structural details for the plurality of standardized structural components, wherein structural details for the plurality of standardized structural components includes records that provide the definition of standardized panels, standardized columns, and standardized trusses.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an output module configured to output a structural panel name and a structural column name.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the structural panel name includes the type of a panel. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the structural panel name includes the length, height, and width of a panel. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the structural panel name includes the distance of a panel from a corner on a y-axis and the distance of the panel from the corner on an x-axis. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the structural column name includes a height of a column and a face configuration of the column. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the structural column name includes a type of endplate attached to the top and bottom of a column and a size of a panel connected to the column. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 generating an architectural diagram describing an architectural layout of a building wherein one or more walls of the building are designated as standardized structural walls;   automatically positioning, using a computer, each of the standardized structural walls to a geometric grid by aligning each of the standardized structural walls along grid lines of the geometric grid and along grid line intersections of the geometric grid;   mapping, one or more of a plurality of standardized structural components to coordinates of the geometric grid, wherein the plurality of standardized structural components comprises standardized panels, standardized columns, and standardized trusses;   automatically generating a macro file comprising track element specifications and stud elements specification;   transferring the macro file to a light gauge roll forming machine; and   communicating with the light gauge roll forming machine using the macro file to control positioning of at least one of punches, dimples and lengths of at least one of the track elements and stud elements.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises generating a structural panel name for each standardized panel and a structural column name for each standardized column. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the structural panel names include the type of a panel. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the structural panel names include the length, height, and width of a panel. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the structural panel names include the distance of a panel from a corner on a y-axis and the distance of the panel from the corner on an x-axis. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the structural column names include a height of a column and a face configuration of the column. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the structural column names include a type of endplate attached to the top and bottom of a column and a size of a panel connected to the column.